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“I am not a woman of noble standing,” she murmured.  “Why would your father ever agree to our marriage?”

He cleared his throat.  Uncomfortably.  “There is this rumor that you are…wealthy.  Is it true?”

A frisson of unease slid through her consciousness.  “What if it isn’t?” she stalled.

“Well, if it is true, then it would be easy enough for me to persuade my appa to agree.”

“And if it’s not?”

He frowned.  “But you opened the school, and…”  He glanced around at her tiny house.  “You didn’t live here with your husband, did you?”

“No.”  She shuddered.  “I sold that house.  Immediately.  And bought this one.”

He peered down at her.  “So…you’re not rich?”

Doubts began to assail her.  Was her wealth the reason that Soo Ho had sought her out?  Was a desire to gain all that she possessed the reason that he’d befriended her? 

Her heart was pierced through with many arrows. 

She knew it was common enough.  Men desiring to marry a wealthy bride.  To enrich themselves.  Unions that paired nobility with wealth made the couple stronger socially, politically, and financially.

But not emotionally.

He didn’t really desire herself.  He was after her wealth. 

Her heart sank to her toes.  Depositing a large rock in the pit of her stomach on its way down. 

She stepped back, and his arms released her.  “I…I need to get ready for Bo A.  It’s getting late.  I must prepare her bed and some food.  Can we talk about this later?”

A cold wind had just blown across his heart.  “Jung Sook.  What is it?  What’s upsetting you?”  He peered down at her with concern.

“Nothing,” she lied.  “I just remembered how much I have to do before tomorrow.  I’ve got lessons to prepare for my students too.  Can I walk you out?”  She gestured towards her front door.

And he sighed.  He didn’t want to leave her.  He knew something was wrong.  And she’d never answered his question about her possible wealth. 

If she lacked it, he wasn’t certain that his father would agree to the marriage.  And that concerned him very much because if there was one thing that he was sure of, it was that he wanted this woman.

“All right.  Are you sure?” he asked sadly.  Then he brightened as he generously offered, “I could stay and help you cook.”

Alarm flew across her face for a second, and he knew that he was in trouble.

“No!” she exclaimed softly.  “That’s all right.  I really need to prepare by myself.”

He sighed and headed for the door.  He decided to test the waters before he opened the door.  He turned back towards her.  But, disappointingly, he discovered that she hadn’t followed him.  She was too far away to pull her into his arms.  Or to kiss her goodbye.

He reached out and opened the door.  “Goodbye, Jung Sook.”

“Goodbye, Soo Ho.”

Why did it sound like this goodbye might just be forever?