As a Fixer, it's Jane's job to go back to the past and make sure certain events happen as they should. But when her unit breaks down one day, she finds herself stuck in 15th century Korea.
With blond hair and blue eyes she soon discovers life can be...
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I can almost see the exasperation op his face when he sighs, even though he's behind me. With a hand on my shoulder he turns me towards him and takes my hands in his.
"You've already taken your place. My mother told me to bring you back as soon as we found out you were gone."
My eyes widen, his mother told him to go? I heave a deep sigh and push the hopefulness away. "We've had to play a game even in front of your friends to keep anyone from discovering me, how can we ever keep that up?"
Now his brow creases and he tilts his head saying: "The ruse was to protect your virtue, not to hide you."
My virtue? "But ... your father, he made us sit outside to hide my eyes. And I'm always wearing a scarf to hide my hair." I don't understand.
"Before ..." He's searching for words and his cheeks turn slightly red before he continues. "Before I kissed you, before I knew my heart, I thought you would leave again. If you wanted to go and find someone else to spend your life with, they would recognize you." To this, he smiles. "Your eyes have the color of the morning sky, how could anyone forget that?" His smile falters.
"I do not want anyone to think ill of you. If they saw you with me; us two alone, there would be talking. As long as no one knew it was you, they wouldn't bother you. Your reputation would be ruined if they knew you had been with me and had not ... married me."
My cheeks are on fire. I can't look in his eyes any more than he can look in mine. Both of us are self-conscious.
My feelings are all over the place. He hid me to protect my reputation. He wasn't ashamed of my looks, he didn't fear anyone from finding out about me because of the color of my eyes, he wanted to make sure I could have a full life when I left.
I have no idea how to react to that. I can't even find the words to say thank you.
"Ji-Eun-ah, my friends won't mind that your hair shines like gold, they will envy me your beauty."
With a squeaky voice I ask: "But won't anyone want to sell me? You told me I'd be worth a lot."
Really ashamed this time, he lets go of my hands and stands up. After a few steps away from me, he walks back, kneels down and bows deeply before me. "That was unforgivable of me, please say you'll forgive me."
I hurriedly say I will and when he straightens up, there's a determined look on his face. "I will protect you with my life. You belong with me and no one will ever take you away from me."
A smile finds it's way from my heart to my lips and for the first time I allow myself to believe there is a place for me in this world.
---
We get up and he holds my hand in his all the way back to the house. It's dark when we arrive, but his parents are still awake. Mrs. Ho scolds me for leaving without a word, but she also pulls me in a tight embrace. She looks at her son when he takes my hand back in his and stands beside me. With a clicking sound she shakes her head, but then she laughs, claps her hands together and motions us inside. We are given an elaborate dinner and then I'm ordered to go to bed. In the other room, away from Gi-Kyong. Apparently she no longer trusts us in the same room. I hide a giggle behind my hand as I slip through the curtain.
