They've been back from the countryside for a week now, and the two children seemed to be adjusting remarkably fast to their new life at the Underworld Ducal. When the children's names were officially being put on the family registry, they were adamant on using their family names instead of taking on the 'Kim' name. They explained that while they adored their newfound guardian, they didn't want to throw away their past and forget where they came from.
So they were formally denoted as Lee Gilyeong and Shin Yoosung as a result of their agreement. Either way, Kim Dokja was delighted to be able to call himself their guardian. All of them were currently in the garden, with the kids huddled amongst the bushes looking for animals, and Kim Dokja reading at the table, tea and pastries set for them all.
The sun was out and shining brightly, with passing clouds obscuring it every once in a while. Cool breezes helped to offset some of the day's more intense sun rays. To the kids' delight, the nice weather had brought out all manner of different organisms to lounge around in the garden, with birds resting on the birdbath and insects lazily crawling across the different plants. It was a peaceful day until—
"HELLO BITCHES!!" Han Sooyoung strutted towards them with her arms out, as if expecting a celebrity entrance.
Kim Dokja scowled at her. "Language, Han Sooyoung."
She rolled her eyes, "Whatever, and it's not like you didn't make them see your hick—."
"Hush! How many times do I have to tell you!? You make a bad example for the kids" he huffed out. Seeing the kids didn't pay the woman any mind, he relaxed back in his seat "Anyway, what are you even doing here?"
Because of the amount of work she had to do, Sooyoung didn't visit the villa for a few days. She gave a cheshire grin and batted her eyes at him, "Are you not happy that your favorite best friend is here to visit you?" her voice had a gratingly faux innocence to it. Dokja only gave her a nonplussed stare before picking up his book again.
"Anyway, let's go sho–"
"No"
"Hey, I'm not done speaking!"
"I know what you want to say even if you don't finish your sentence." Why would he want to spend this beautiful day walking around some crowded town when he was perfectly content right here in the villa?
"Well, Mr. Lazy bum, I was planning on stopping by a few bookshops to check over my novel's stock," she stated as she stole his teacup, taking a sip. " but if you d—" The book snapped shut as he stood up from his seat.
"Gilyeong, Yoosung, how do you two feel about doing some shopping around town?" The two youngsters were instantly by his side, bouncing eagerly on their feet at the prospect of exploring outside the manor.
Sooyoung blinked a few times as she looked between the three.
"What the hell?"
------
Gilyeong spun around in front of the mirror. "Hyung, does this outfit look good on me?" Gilyeong was looking expectantly at Kim Dokja.
He grinned and gave the boy a thumbs up, "Yeah, it looks good." The kids were playing dress up in the clothing store, trying on some new clothing while laughing at some of the more flamboyant fashion statements. Dokja could see the seamstress not so subtly giving the group the evil eye in the corner, but it was fine as long as the kids were having fun.
Dokja was sitting on a plush chair, watching the kids go in and out of the dressing rooms, clutching onto stacks of new books that he'd bought. Before coming to this store, the group had gone from bookstore to bookstore, with Dokja making sure to spend his time scanning over the shelves. While half of the books were for his personal collection, the other half were for Gilyeong and Yoosung.
Being former peasants, the two were never taught how to properly read or write. This only came to Dokja's attention when he tried showing them an animal compendium after seeing their interest in insects and wild beasts, only to be met with blank stares.
Some of the books he'd gotten were simple picture books showcasing bugs and animals, some were more complex species collections to be saved for when they were more educated. The rest were children's practice books and lessons for reading and writing. Kim Dokja was eager to share his passion for stories, and felt it'd be a shame if the kids missed out on the larger world of creatures just because no one bothered to take the time to teach them.
While the kids couldn't say that they were exactly excited to start their lessons, the possibility of learning even more about animals was pretty tempting to them. Plus, their desire to impress Dokja outweighed any reluctance they had.It seemed in the short time they were here they had already started competing for Dokja's attention, though it wasn't like he'd easily choose one over the other.
While waiting for them to come out of the dressing rooms, someone accidentally bumped him on the shoulder. "Oh! I'm sorry…Sir Dokja?"
Whipping around, he exclaimed, "Huh? Lady Sangah? It's nice to see you here."
The brunette graced him with a soft smile, bowing her head in greeting. "Yes, the same to you Sir Dokja. Are you perhaps accompanying Lady Jiwon here?" she inquired.
He dismissed the question with a wave of his hand, "Oh no, I brought my children here," he gestured over the woman's shoulder as he spotted the kids coming over with Sooyoung, with the latter carrying some clothing bags.
"HYUNG!", "AHJUSSI!" The two yelled simultaneously as they ran over passed the woman and wrapped themselves around his waist. So far that seemed to be their favorite spot.
"Oh shi—*ahem*, Lady Sangah? Fancy seeing you here!"
"Greetings, Lady Sooyoung, what a pleasant surprise," Lady Sangah gave her a courteous bow and a warm smile, her eyes shining with a certain kind of affection that Dokja hadn't seen before. As the two ladies stared at each other, lost in their own little world, Yoosung tugged on his sleeve.
"Ahjussi, who's that lady?" she asked him curiously. Gilyeong seemed to also be eyeing her inquisitively.
"Right, the both of you, meet Lady Sangah, she's a friend of the family. Make sure to introduce yourselves." The two children gave her a quick glance before emerging from beside Dokja.
"Greetings!" The two children said simultaneously, giving the woman shy bows.
"Hello, it's very nice to meet you two for the first time, may I ask what your names are?" Sangah spoke softly to them, giving them gentle smiles.
"I'm Lee Gilyeong!"
"My name is Shin Yoosung, ma'am."
"My, my, the both of you are so well mannered. I see Sir Dokja has been blessed with wonderful children" She remarked as she patted their heads. She then turned to Kim Dokja.
"Sir Dokja, the last time we met we weren't able to talk all that much. Given how much Han Sooyoung praises you,I'd love to get to know you better. So now that we're here, would you be open to going to a cafe nearby? I've heard their pastries are exceptional, and I'd love to treat you and your children to some of them!"
Tossing over a questioning look to Han Sooyoung, who refused to meet his eyes, Kim Dokja thought for a moment before nodding to the soft-spoken woman.
"Sure, we'd love to accompany you, Lady Sangah."
-----
Kim Dokja was enjoying a cup of tea while watching the kids playing with the café owner's dog outside with Sooyoung. The lifelessness that had once filled the children's eyes had disappeared, replaced by a warm, youthful mirth. Unbeknownst to him his face had softened into something much more affectionate than what he usually displayed.
"You really love them, don't you?" Lady Sangah observed him closely, an interested glint in her eyes.
He turned his gaze back towards her "Ah, yes... They're very lovely children."
"Mhm.....but I have a question for you, Sir Dokja" He gestured at her to continue.
"This may be a bit out of left field but… I'd like to know what you think about His Highness, The Crown Prince?" She asked, staring at him intently.
Dokja looked back at her warily. "Huh, what do you mean?" After talking about the kids, the Crown Prince was the last subject he thought they'd discuss.
While still sipping her tea, Lady Sangah continued, "Well, there've been many rumors about you seeing His Highness as your rival, yet I've heard recently from Han Sooyoung that you've decided to pursue better relations with him rather suddenly. As his cousin I just couldn't help but be a bit curious about your view of him."
He leaned back on the chair and folded his arms while gazing into the distance. "Well, if you asked me I supposed he's... captivating…"
She stumbled, "C-captivating?" unable to comprehend what she had just heard. She believed that Sir Dokja at one point had referred to His Highness as a...sunfish? She never considered that Sir Dokja would see the prince in such a light.
"Yes, well prom a physical perspective his face is the magnum opus of the gods; Eyebrows drawn by a single,uninterrupted stroke of a famed artist's brush; a nose and a chin shaped in perfect angles that defied attempts to measure them through mere devices of men…But aside from that, he's an impressive strategist and fighter. His prowess is unmatched when it comes to his swordplay, his skill honed from years of relentless practice and determination. Though he always wears a mask of indifference, his deep eyes are carved from a beautiful jewel containing all the misfortunes in the world…"
He didn't know what kind of expression he wore on his face, but he quickly returned to reality when he noticed Lady Sangah's wide eyes and gaping mouth. "Lady Sangah, are you ok?" He asked.
As she looked on at him during his spiel, what she saw was a man reciting his favorite story. His eyes were glazed over with something akin to bitter melancholy, as if he were talking about a precious treasure he could never attain.
Blinking from her stupor, she hastily she sipped her tea and pushed herself to respond, "um... I am..... I'm fine," because she was speechless from the shock. "Don't worry about me," She added with an awkward smile.
Kim Dokja wasn't persuaded, but he hesitantly nodded and was about to say something when Lady Sangah rose up from her seat. "I think, I should go...I just remembered that I forgot to feed my cat," before turning and leaving in a rush, bewildering him.
He asked himself, blinking, "Did I say something that I shouldn't have said?"
"Hey, Rat," Kim Dokja turned to see Sooyoung approaching him. "What did you do?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Sangah practically bolted from the entrance. I tried calling her over, but she was too busy sprinting away."
"How is it my fault that she doesn't want to talk to a witch?"
"Shut up, it's not just that, she looked like she was questioning the universe or something when she passed us," She sat where Lady Sangah had previously been.
Kim Dokja hummed and searched his memory. "Well, I don't remember saying anything that may have shocked her,we were just talking," he muttered.
Han Sooyoung leaned back on the chair and took Lady Sangah's tea and pastries, "What about?"
"Seriously, you want to know that? Just because you like h–,"
"Shut up and spill already!"
He huffed out, exasperated, and braced his face onto his hands," Fine, we were just talking about the kids when she asked me about the Crown Prince."
"His Highness? What did you say about him?"
"I just said that he was handsome and a good fighter, that's all."
"...."
Sooyoung is speechless from shock and just stared at him like he was a ghost. From being as still as a statue, she suddenly lunged across the table and smooshed her friend's face between her two hands, squeezing his cheeks. The table rattled and some of the plates and cups clinked around as they moved. Some of the other café-goers glanced curiously over at their table, trying to see what was happening.
Kim Dokja, not knowing what else to do about this, returned her serious look. "W-what?" He mumbled.
"Wait....you fucked a guy so you must be gay or bi so...it means," Sooyoung leaned ever more close to his face, her breath fanning over his face, "It's means that... YOU'RE IN LOVE W---GGHghh!" Kim Dokja hurriedly shoved a cookie in her mouth, then pushed her back down into her seat.
As the woman before him choked down the pastry, Kim Dokja interrupted her before she could start talking her nonsense again, "No, I'm not interested in anyone, least of all the bastard of a prince." He grumpily insisted.
Sooyoung jutted out her bottom lip, "Hmm, are you sure?" with narrowed eyes.
He rolled his eyes, "Yes, I'm sure." But then he muttered bitterly under his breath, "Even if I was, that bastard has already made it obvious he doesn't want anything to do with me."
Sooyoung was still dubious of his answer but let it go, knowing she wouldn't be getting anything out of him. With his last remark, the idiot in front of her was probably neck deep in denial, and for his former enemy of all people!
Was this the real reason for his sudden apology to the prince and rejection of Lee Seolhwa? Maybe he'd always been in love with the prince and only now realized his feelings? Her inner writer began waking up, the gears in her mind activating. Man, this was some juicy plot material right here, her latest novel had been lacking a romantic side plot for a while now…
"What is gay?" Someone piped up from beside the table. Caught off guard, the both of them saw Gilyeong and Yoosung peeking at them over the edge of the table.
"This is your fault." Kim Dokja glared to the side at her, and Sooyoung stuck her tongue out.