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In the end, she was served a bowl of rice and chicken.  With a bunch of amazingly delicious vegetables added into the mix.  And some sort of sauce that must have originated in Heaven.  To a starving woman, it was certainly manna on earth.  He’d approached the guards outside his rooms and ordered a servant to draw her a bath.  And another to fetch her dinner. 

Before that dinner arrived, he led her into another room.  It shared a door with his bedchamber.  A screen was set up in one corner of this smaller room.  A massive tub had been planted in the center of this chamber.  A small chaise longue was nestled into the corner. 

“You may bathe here,” he commented curtly before returning to his room.  He shut the door firmly behind him.

Eun Sook stared longingly at that steaming water.  She hadn’t ever bathed in such luxury.  She could already feel the comfort of that steamy bath invading every cell of her body.  Simply from the imagining of such a wonderful experience.  It was certainly preferable to bathing in a cold stream.

She slipped out of her clothes and stepped into the tub.  Shivering with relief as the heated water invaded her body with its delight.  Slowly, she sat down, allowing her skin to become accustomed to the intense warmth of the perfectly heated water.  She moaned with gratification as she leaned back into the embrace of those pleasing waters.  She set the back of her head against the rim of the tub and closed her eyes.  To wallow in the wonder of such a simple – and rare – pleasure.

She spent several blissful minutes allowing the wonderful heat of that water to invade her body with comforting pleasure.  She could feel herself relaxing.  She had almost slipped off to sleep when the other door opened a few silent moments later.  At the sound of that moving door and at the feel of the cooler breath it released into the room, Eun Sook tensed.  But as she opened her eyes, they fell upon a young girl carrying a clean skirt, blouse, and undergarments into the room.  She laid them over the screen and turned towards Eun Sook.

“Miss, may I help you get dressed?”

“No, thank you. I do not require any assistance tonight,” Eun Sook informed her.

The girl bowed to her and left.  Also firmly shutting the door behind her.

Once again, Eun Sook relaxed.  She spent several more minutes enjoying the warm water before it began to cool off.  She washed her hair, dried with the towels provided by the servants who had prepared the tub, and changed into the clean clothes.  For which she was profoundly grateful.  She knew her old garments had begun to stink.  She was astonished that the man – Jijin – had wanted to get close to her at all.  Let alone invited her into his bed.

She was also much more comfortable now that she was clean.  She sighed in pleasure as she slid her hand down the generous skirt which she’d been given.  Its fabric was considerably softer than the clothes that she’d left in a heap next to the tub.  She wouldn’t miss them at all.  The maid had scooped them up and disappeared out the door.  Eun Sook wondered if she’d be allowed to keep these newer garments.  She’d have to ask Jijin if they could be part of their bargain.  In addition to the silver.

Tentatively, she opened the door to his bedchamber a few seconds later and peeked through the slit in the doorway.  He was lying in his bed again.  But as she pushed the door open, his eyes opened, and he smiled.

“That’s much better,” he murmured as his gaze slid over her slender form.

“What is?”

“Your clothing.  This is much more appropriate.  You should be dressed in fine clothes.  Definitely in clean ones,” he added.

She grimaced.  But as her eyes took in his room, she changed the subject to what was really bothering her.  “Has dinner arrived yet?”

“Not quite,” he muttered. 

As he paused, his eyes slid appreciatively over her slim form.  “Dinner should be here soon,” he breathed with a sweet smile lighting up his face.

Nervously, she bobbed her head.  “Are you going to sleep now?”

“Hmm,” he grinned as he closed his eyes again.  “Perhaps.  Tell me some more of your story….”

She heaved a deep sigh.  “All right.” 

She crossed his room and sat down on his bed again.  For some reason, she felt more at ease with him now.  She cleared her throat and queried, “Where was I?”

“Emerald eyes,” he whispered.

“Ah, yes!  The king had just discovered his mother was establishing the hwarang.  He went to the forest to think of a way to outwit her.  There he met the beautiful girl with emerald eyes and long, gorgeous tresses of midnight hair.”

“Why midnight hair?”

“Because it’s terribly romantic,” she answered dreamily.

“It is?”

“Yes!  It’s far better than white hair, I can assure you.”

He bent a steely glare on her as his eyes opened again.  “Do I need to warn you not to insult yourself again in my presence?” he breathed threateningly.

Her eyes flew to meet his.  As they widened in surprise.  “You’re going to argue with me about the suitability of white hair on a young woman?” she asked in shock.

He nodded his head.  “Your hair is beautiful.” 

His eyes left her face as he rolled towards her and reached out a hand to touch her hair where it had pooled on his bed.  He smiled as his caressed one snowy lock.  “It’s simply fascinating,” he murmured.

And Eun Sook felt her whole face warming.  Whether with embarrassment or pleasure, she wasn’t sure. 

“Thank you,” she mumbled as she stared down at her hands.  Which she was clenching.  She was not used to being the center of attention.  Not in a positive light, anyway.  And she despised drawing anyone’s notice because of the abuse which she’d endured for being different.

After a few moments of playing with her hair, he lifted his eyes to her face and noted her distress.  “You needn’t be embarrassed because a man finds you attractive, you know.”

She cleared her throat and kept her eyes on her lap.

The corners of his mouth quirked upwards in a tiny smile.  Or, perhaps, a grimace. 

“Come,” he responded as he settled back against the bed once more.  His eyes flashed at her.  “Tell me more of the story.”  Then those eyes fluttered shut.

And she sighed with relief.  Tonight would be an extreme trial to endure if he kept looking at her with those intense chocolate eyes of his.  The man was too gorgeous by half.  But those eyes!  Oh!  They were more than any woman should have to overcome!