Moon's Whisper, Heart's Echo

23.The Meeting

The merchant letters blurred before Nandi's eyes as she tried to focus on inventory lists rather than the way Tae-young had arranged himself in her doorway. He'd been watching her work for several minutes, and she could feel his presence like warmth from a nearby fire.

"You know," he finally said, "most people offer tea when receiving guests."

"Most guests," she replied without looking up, "announce themselves rather than lurking in doorways."

"Lurking?" She could hear the smile in his voice. "I prefer to think of it as... appreciating the view."

"Of merchant letters? How fascinating they must be."

"Oh, entirely." He shifted slightly, the motion drawing her eyes despite herself. "Though I'm more intrigued by how determined you are to ignore me."

"I'm working."

"Are you? Because you've been staring at the same letter for quite some time."

She finally looked up, catching his satisfied smile. "Don't you have your own business to attend to?"

"I am attending to my business." He hadn't moved from the doorway, but something in his stance had shifted - more predatory than proper. "Though you seem intent on making it difficult."

"People are talking. Rumors are growing, about how often the young master visits a mere matchmaker's office."

"Are they?" He sounded more amused than concerned. "And what do they say?"

"That it's improper. That your in-laws—" She caught herself. "That the Cho family won't approve of such... casual associations."

"My in-laws?" His voice carried that dangerous blend of interest and challenge that always made her pulse quicken. "I wasn't aware I was married."

"You know what I mean." She shuffled the papers with more force than necessary. "The arrangement with Lady Ji-ah—"

"Ah yes." He finally moved into the room, each step deliberate. "The perfect match you're so determined to make."

"It's what you wanted," she pointed out, still not meeting his eyes.

"Is it?" He settled onto the cushion across from her desk, close enough that she could catch the subtle scent of him. "What I wanted?"

He was watching her with that particular intensity that always made her feel like he could see right through her careful defenses.

"The Cho family has made their intentions quite clear," she said carefully.

"Now why," he interrupted, leaning forward slightly, "do you sound so resigned when discussing my matches, but not others? I've watched you arrange dozens of unions, Matchmaker. You practically glow when you find the right pair. Yet when it comes to my marriage..."

"I don't—" The tea cup slipped in her grip, spilling across her sleeve. "Oh!"

"Here." He reached for her arm with a clean cloth, his movements gentle as he dabbed at the stain. "Some marks are meant to be permanent," he murmured. "Others can be washed away."

"And which is this?" she asked, hardly daring to breathe as his hand stilled against her arm.

"That," he said, setting aside the cloth but not moving away, "depends entirely on you."

She pulled back slightly, needing distance from the dangerous warmth of his proximity. But his next words stopped her.

"Did you know," he said, his voice carrying that particular depth that always made her too aware of his presence, "that I've been reconsidering my approach to matchmaking."