PREJUDICE // Minwonhui

Part 14: Horseback

A dewy morning dawned upon the two, unintentionally in each other's utmost proximity sleeping with their eyes closed peacefully. Alas, this peace could not last forever.
Sensing an ambiguous weight on her waist, Kat threw her eyes open.
It was not often that she felt someone's warm presence next to her body on an early morning.
The sight of two deadly cold looking serene eyes in a deep slumber made her stomach churn and the muscular hand snaking over her waist didn't seem to be helping.
Her sudden welp disturbed the sleep of her companion who had unforeseenably given in to the sleep in his eyes while admiring Kat's features for who-knows-how-long.

Wonwoo woke up at the speed of light with a similar gasp and removed himself from the bed, giving in to the sudden dizziness he acquired therefrom. He sat back on the edge of his own bed, rubbing his eyes while Kat seemed to be running her eyes through her clothes which were holistically present.
"What.. Did.. Happen?", she stuttered.

"Um.. I just... You... Last night..", Wonwoo was no better at explaining.

"it just happened... Wh.. Why were you sleeping on the storeroom floor?"

"ah.. That"

Wonwoo knew the hesitation in her voice was to protect the identity of Minseo being the culprit of her condition.

After a few seconds of the clock being the loudest in the room Wonwoo said,
"Since.. We are up.. Lets go for a walk"

Kat just nodded.
The two met after ten minutes or so in the study, where wonwoo pondered about his feelings.
How did I end up sleeping next to her?

"Hello", Katherine said by the door. She was far from her regular, cheerful self. There was something feminine about her grace this morning.

"Shall we?", Wonwoo lead towards his horse.

"Yo.. You said we'd just walk"

"Well..walk as in.. The horse walks and we just sit."

"Oh"

"Do you not wish to?"

"I do.
It's just that I'm scared I might fall."

"Then I will be there to catch you.", he gently smiled at her. A smile which was almost as rare as finding a fossil in a city.

After Wonwoo boarded the horse, he asked for Kat's hand and pulled her up to sit infront of him.
Even though they rode the horse before;
Even though they woke up this morning in each other's arms;
There was some unknown feeling lingering in their hearts by now.
Kat's back rested upon Wonwoo's strong chest and his voice whenever he talked rang clearly in her ears.
They saw chirping birds and squirrels running about gathering acorns which the trees shed. Rabbits pertained to their burrows no more, while the cool morning breeze made everything look aesthetically pleasing to eyes.
One could say, love was in the air.

About an hour later, they mutually agreed to return to Berkley lest Mrs. Jeon should start in a quest for her son.
The moment they passed the forest thickenings, nearing to the mansion's backyard, Wonwoo stepped down the horse. Kat, thinking he did this to avoid being seen with her, found it reasonable to step down herself.
They then happily seperated ways in order to carry on with their day.
Wonwoo headed to his study where he had to take care of some letters he's been ignoring for the past two days and Kat ran upstairs living her fantasy to the fullest.
When it was time to bid farewell to Berkley and it's inhabitants, Minseo and Katherine stood side by side while the latter found comfort in talking to Junhui.
Minseo simply eyed the couple before Mrs. Jeon descended the stairs.

"Oh hello Minseo, are you perhaps leaving? Leaving so early?"

"Yes ma-dame. If you allow me."

"Good morning Mrs. Jeon", Kat finally had the courage; or let us say nowhere to evade the conversation.

"Good morning, you are?", Mrs. Jeon smiled at her right before her expression turned into a sour one.

"She is my handmaiden.", Minseo proudly announced.
Junhui was left in just as much shock as Katherine herself.

"Oh.. Well. Let us arrange your carriag-"

"I am not your handmaiden", Kat suddenly averted her eyes to Minseo.

"Remind me, you are not nobility either.",the girl attacked.

"But that is two different things.", Kat had now bought Mrs. Jeon's attention.

"Even if I am not a noble, we are still very respected in our town and we even have servants in our hourse, though not as many as you or
Mrs. Jeon's, but they are still suffice."

Mrs. Jeon smirked,
"How many servants do you own dear?"

"two, because we are perfectly capable of doing our own work.", Kat's anger was no joke, but her statement offended the good ol' woman.

The two ladies laugh together as if on cue while Junhui accompanied Kat in simply observing them.
Suddenly, a fiery Wonwoo appeared in the room and grabbed Kat's wrist.
The women, who had been talking in the lobby all this time had captured Wonwoo's attention by their heated conversation.

"I was informed that your carriage has arrived.", Wonwoo enunciated.

"M.. My"

"Yes, and you are being awaited upon. You shall leave urgently.", with this he left with a confused Katherine.
.
.
"I.. I don not have any separate carriage.. Why did you lie?"

"because I do not want you to sit with Minseo.
Now hurry up it is ready and awaiting."

Hesitantly, under the pressure of a favour, Kathering boarded the carriage Wonwoo arranged in her name and forced a smile at him.
She knew even though he was doing this for her sake, she did not wish to put on a fake show to others.

But the fact that Wonwoo went to this extent for her sake, did he perhaps, catch some feelings similar to her?
.
.