The Noble: A Sequel to Hwarang: The Saga of the Sooks Book #4

Chapter 35: Divergent

"Would you care to take a stroll in the garden with me?" Ban Ryu asked one bright day.

He was sitting on his bed. Staring at Soo Yeon seated in the chair next to him.

Her face took on an instant glow. She bobbed her head enthusiastically. "I was just waiting for you to ask."

He smiled as he reflected upon that statement. It was exactly what he wanted her to say to him. Under different circumstances.

A few minutes later, they were ambling through the garden. It wasn't yet fully alive. Spring had just begun to infiltrate the soil with green sprouts. Still, today was reasonably warm. And the sun was pleasant on his face. And light pink cherry blossoms had begun to overtake the branches of the dark trees surrounding them.

He found the perfect spot. In front of a little stream that was happily gurgling along. No longer frozen. But coming to life under the gentle rays of the new season's sun.

He stopped her and turned to face her. "Soo Yeon, I think you know how much I adore you."

She beamed up at him. "And I you, Ban Ryu," she whispered.

He noted the roses blooming in her cheeks. He frowned. "Are you cold?"

She shrugged. "Just a smidgeon."

He let go of her and shrugged out of his outer robe.

"Ban Ryu! What are you doing? You can't afford to catch a chill on top of recovering from your wound!" she rebuked him, alarmed.

"Oh, hush. You treat me like the tiniest of boys. I am a man. Full grown now, you know?"

He draped his robe over her shoulders and pulled it around her. Then he tugged her close.

"I love you, Soo Yeon," he growled before bending to deposit a quick kiss on her lips.

He stepped back and gazed down at her. "Marry me."

Two simple words. That's all they were. They'd trespassed across his lips. And into her ears.

Stunned, she stared up at him. Unspeaking.

Had she heard him correctly? Had Ban Ryu just asked her to marry him?

"How? I..." She couldn't seem to form a coherent sentence.

"I'm asking you with your appa's approval." He chuckled suddenly. "In fact, at his insistence."

"At his insistence?" she asked incredulously. Then she narrowed her eyes at him. "Ban Ryu. Of what are you speaking?"

"A few weeks ago – when your eomma caught us kissing – we did not go undetected by your appa. He came to visit me that night. To insist that I marry you and accept his adoption."

She frowned. "So...it was my appa's idea that you propose to me?"

"What? No. I mean...yes." He stopped and stared down at her in consternation. This wasn't going as he had planned. Or dreamed.

Wasn't she supposed to be thrilled?

But, clearly, she was not.

She pulled away from him. "Ban Ryu. Do you even want to marry me? A few week ago, you were pulling away from me. And telling me to marry Lee Beom Sook. Are you only asking me now because my appa made me the price of his adoption?"

"What?" Floored, Ban Ryu merely gaped at her. "How can you ask me such a nonsensical question?"

Confused, she pulled her eyes from his stunned face and glanced up at the sky. "I think I see a storm cloud approaching. We should go back inside."

Then, without glancing back at him, she fled down the path. Back the way they had come. And he wondered if they would ever traverse the same path again.