"Over here?""No," Gyuri replied, "left a bit."
Namjoon nudged the wooden table by an inch and glanced at Gyuri for guidance. "What about now?"
With her hands, Gyuri formed a picture frame and used it as a reference point. "Yep! It"s perfect!"
Namjoon let out a sigh of relief as he walked away from the wooden table. He nodded approvingly when he saw his handy-work. "Now all we have to do is wait for them to come."
A few days ago, Gyuri had been summoned by Lord Hyesung for an audience.
With her heart pounding against her chest, she nervously approached his quarters which was the grandest of all the houses in the Kim household. Gyuri swallowed when she was finally in front of him, her legs trembling under Hyesung"s steely gaze.
"Are you Gyuri?" he enquired, his low voice intimidating.
Gyuri nodded, refusing to meet his eye.
"I have heard from my nephew that you were the one that saved my youngest son, Taehyung."
At this, Gyuri dared to look up. "I-I didn"t do anything special..."
Hyesung hmphed and Gyuri immediately shut her mouth. Was it a good hmph? Or a bad one?
"You boldly shielded my son at the expense of your own health" he stated while gesturing to her shoulder with his brow arched. "To me, that shows not only bravery but loyalty to our house." The corners of his mouth twitched into a slight smile, "Do you not consider your behaviour "special"?"
Is this a trick question? Gyuri internally asked. "Erm..."
Observing her hesitance, Hyesung unexpectedly burst out into laughter, startling Gyuri and the guards who were stationed outside his door. His booming voice resounded around the room, dispelling the tangible heaviness in the atmosphere. Witnessing Hyesung laugh, Gyuri"s tense shoulders started to unwind and soon, Gyuri was smiling along with Hyesung. Something about his laugh reminded her a lot of her dad.
"You are a modest child," Hyesung remarked after he had composed himself. "It has been a while since I have come across your kind."
Gyuri smiled bashfully in response.
"But" he spoke, his voice suddenly low and cold, "it is the modest types that one must look out for the most." As he finished his sentence, Hyesung"s earlier iciness returned, making the hairs on the back of Gyuri"s neck rise. She shuffled uncomfortably under his piercing stare, unsure as to what had caused Hyesung"s sudden change in demeanour. But just as she was about to ask, his perceptive eyes glossed over and returned to its amiable shine.
"Do you know why I asked you to come here?"
Gyruri warily shook her head.
Hyesung leaned back on his high, elevated chair as he stared down at her. "I wish to reward you."
"Reward me?" Gyuri was astounded.
"Yes," Hyesung replied simply. "What is it that you desire? Money? Jewels? Your own quarters?"
Gyuri blinked at Hyesung"s suggestion. Huh? He"s willing to reward me that extravagantly? She was at a loss for words. When Gyuri received the notice that Kim Hyesung was summoning her, she immediately feared she had done something unacceptable and was about to be severely punished. Never had the possibility of being rewarded crossed her mind at all.
"Well?" Hyesung prompted after a while. "What is it?"
"Erm..." Gyuri fumbled, her eyes darting upwards for inspiration. She didn"t know what to ask for. What did she desire most?
"...Because of the drought, we have been unable to grow enough crops to feed the whole nation."
Gyuri blinked as she suddenly remembered what Namjoon had told her not so long ago. "I know what I want now."
Hyesung was attentive. "Oh? And what would that be?"
"I want..."