TRB | MW [✔]

07.

Whatever annoyance Mingyu might have felt about his daughters intruding on what had turned into a very entertaining afternoon, it flew off in the wind as he watched his family enjoying lunch together. The pretty gazebo hadn't seen this kind of joy in many years. He'd tried to entertain the girls there on a few occasions since their mother's death, but it hadn't been the same, and they had all sensed it. Now, however, it was different. For at least this short time eating together, it felt as if his family was whole again, even if it was unconventional. As he sat propped against pillows, eating fruit from a bowl, he allowed himself to take simple pleasure in the way that his daughters were conversing with his new wife.

Seoyeon, in particular, had kept up a steady stream of anecdotes from her day, peppered with the occasional question. "I got to ride my pony, Sparkles, for a whole hour this morning. Papa says I can get a horse next year if I keep up with my lessons. Do you have a pony, Papa Wonwoo?" The girls had agreed readily to Wonwoo's plea for them to be informal with him, but young as she was, Seoyeon had her own notions of the boy's identity. She wanted another parent, and as he couldn't be her mother, he'd become a second father. The ease with which a child could accept the novel situation was an example that he wished that all would follow.

Jiwon tsked. "He's a grown man, Seoyeon. Men don't ride ponies. They ride horses."

Seoyeon glared at her sister. "But he's not very big, so I thought maybe he had a pony like me."

Mingyu managed to hide his smile, but Dame Hyori looked up from her needlepoint and weighed in on his daughter's observation. "Princess Seoyeon, we have discussed the inappropriateness of making personal remarks."

Wonwoo, however, waved away the unintended insult. "It's all right. I am rather small for a man, even among my own people, who tend to be shorter than Morcondians." He glanced at Mingyu, and for a moment, there was something in his eyes that spoke of appreciation.

"Maybe you're still growing," Seoyeon observed before stuffing a bite of sandwich in her mouth. "I am," she continued around her mouthful of food. "Everyone says I'm growing like a weed."

"I suppose that's possible," Wonwoo remarked after a few seconds. "I might gain some height in the next few years."

Mingyu liked that idea, picturing how much easier it would be to kiss his wife as he fucked him. Then he realized that such growth was only possible because Wonwoo was still so young. He felt ancient in comparison, but there was no denying that he'd lain in bed with an adult the previous night. And he would be able to do it again that evening. He wasn't sure he could stand waiting. For a brief moment, he considered coaxing his wife to bed in the afternoon, yet put the idea aside. Wonwoo had to meet the dowager queen soon and needed to spend the time beforehand in whatever way pleased him the most. Too bad they hadn't yet reached a point in their marriage where lying with his husband was that.

Patience. "Do you like to ride?" he asked.

Wonwoo nodded. "I do, yes."

"Then I shall have the horse master present you with some mounts for you to choose from."

The boy smiled. "Thank you... Mingyu." It was obvious it was hard for the boy to use his name. It was good that he had recognized that this was the proper setting to do so and had overcome whatever reluctance there was inside his head.

And Wonwoo's gratitude was obviously sincere. It gave Mingyu a warm feeling to gift his wife something. As with the girls and Junghwa, he wanted to make Wonwoo happy. It was almost scary how much, given the shortness of their acquaintance. Yet, here he was, determined to give Wonwoo anything within his power in order to put a smile on his lovely face.