The Ambassador's Daughter

Restraint

Taehyung POV

I watched as a young woman was escorted by what I believed to be her father. Watching from a safe distance, I assumed she was pretty by her country's standards. Park Jimin's standards as well. Personally, I did not know what he saw in her. It seemed like she was more trouble than she was worth. If anything, it was the mother who was the real beauty. Her raven hair shone in the sunlight as I watched her leave the house and her figure had curves in all the right places. Still, I suppose the heart wants what the heart wants.

For days I dutifully watched the comings and goings of the house. The days turned into weeks. When I saw her mother was in distress late one morning, I took a risk and came to her aid. Little did I realize my simple act of kindness would get the ball rolling to help reunite Jang-mi and Jimin. Once I was in the house, I got a good look at Jang-mi and I finally understood Jimin. She was breathtaking. How could I have missed it before? She was more than Jimin had described. My envy was as green as her jade eyes.

When the rescue did not go as planned, I followed Jimin's orders and saved Jang-mi, leaving both him and Jungkook behind. I rode as fast as I could, taking the pre-planned route which included backroads to throw anyone following us off our trail. She yelled for me to go back, but I ignored her demands as Jimin had instructed me to. The slap she landed on my face as I stopped to water my horse stung. It should have made me dislike her, but for some reason, it made me like her even more. She was passionate and I found it strangely alluring. She lacked the timidness expressed by most Joseon women I had met.

The shocking discovery that she was with child left me disconcerted and I worried about the safety of her unborn child. The speed we had been traveling at was not safe for her. We would have to slow down. I did my best to keep her comfortable during the journey. She was carrying precious cargo.

The more I got to know her, the harder I fell for her. I hated to think that something had happened to Jimin and Jungkook when they failed to catch up with us the first day, but I knew that if the worst had happened, I would gladly take care of her for the rest of my life. Guilt coursed through my veins as I thought of how nice it would be to hold her in my arms and kiss her--to raise a family with her and grow old with her. It was selfish to want her for myself, yet my heart uncontrollably leapt every time she put her arms around my waist as we rode and every time I touched her to help her on or off the horse.

Days passed and there was still no sign of Jimin or Jungkook. Perhaps they got lost or had to take a different route. Perhaps something bad had happened to them. Jang-mi broke down the fourth night of our travels and cried, well aware that they should have caught up with us by then. I could not let her worry, though, so I assured her that Jimin was fine. As I laid next to her and stroked her hair to soothe her, I thought of how nice it would be to be able to lay next to her and touch her every night. To taste her lips and her skin. To look into her jade eyes as I show her my love for her. To be loved by her in return. And as my heart ached, I stayed a perfect gentleman and a true friend. At least that brought me some solace.

When we were nearing my farm and I saw two horses and two men standing next to them in the distance, I feared the worst. Was it her father and the other man? I paused and studied the figures closely in case we needed to turn around. They were hard to see, as the horses were blocking them from view. One of the men walked around the horse and pet it on the head. I recognized him right away--it was Jungkook. Jang-mi then noticed Jimin, and I granted her request to speed up the horse so she could get to him sooner.

Seeing Jang-mi so happy to be reunited with Jimin made me feel warm inside. It hurt to know she would never be mine, but her happiness was my sweet consolation--or at least it was until I heard them the first night. Their room was right next to mine, and it was obvious they were being intimate despite their attempts to stay quiet. When the frustration and envy grew stronger and stronger inside of me as I heard them in their most intimate moments, I started to cry. I saw only one solution--I had to find a wife. I needed to find someone to love who would also love me in return.