[✔️] Across The Years | Seulrene

Ch. 23 - Too little, too late

I move the plot ahead a bit in this chapter. I hope you enjoy it.

No One's POV

Irene woke up from a peaceful nap while still in Seulgi's arms. Though seeing the bright sunlight coming in the small gap in the curtains, she quickly guessed it was nearing lunch time and she couldn't miss that as they were having guests.

She got up quickly, "Oh my, I cannot miss lunch. What time is it?"

Seulgi who was awoken by her, suddenly gotten out of bed, muttered. "There's a clock on the mantle above the fireplace."

Looking quickly, she could see it was just before 11:45. That meant she had some 45 minutes to get home and cleaned up. She needed to get cleaned up as she smelled of sex. While she didn't mind it here, at home that was simply not an option.

Seulgi sat in bed with a sad expression as Irene quickly grabbed her dress and put it back on. Once dressed, she looked at the sad looking Seulgi and her heart sank. Irene then quickly kissed her on the cheek and then whispered in her ear...

"For the first time, I felt like a true woman. I wish we could be together longer, but I must depart."

"Thank you," The Korean rebel said quietly.

After a strangely awkward moment, Irene made half-smile and left.

Though the morning had been wonderful. Irene, as soon as she left began to feel guilty— dirty. While she was with Seulgi, she felt safe, beautiful, loved, wanted and in general she felt right.

After returning home, she quickly got a basin of water and cleaned herself off. When Mrs. Bailey asked why the water was needed, she told her that she had sweated a lot from the heat of the day. It was in fact a rather hot day, so her explanation was perfectly plausible.

After eating lunch and conversing with their guests, she felt like she needed some time to think, so she took her horse out and did some riding. A little while later she found herself sitting alone on isolated hilltop, trying to sort out what just happened and how she felt about it. Was it just her giving into her urges, with the sole intention of purging them or was it much more than that?

Irene would sit there for a long time, trying to decide things. Even when she went to sleep later that night, it stayed in her mind.

Seulgi on the other hand was happy, at least until Irene left. Then her own doubts and worries started to creep in as well as the rest of the day ticked on. She did try to occupy herself with a good horror novel but she had a hard time concentrating on it.

Though Irene was now her lover, Seulgi was still very much a fraud and that stuck firmly in her mind. Not to mention she did not told her about Mark. She was scared to, scared to say anything that would break the wonderful spell between them. That was why she didn't tell her. It all worried her tremendously.

Seulgi would lie awake for hours that night, wondering how if ever she would explain this. Then maybe Irene could fall for the real her.

The next day was all as it normally was, or at least it seemed that way. Seulgi arrived at 6 am and helped Thomas Bailey, the cook, and Emily prepare breakfast. Deep down, she was worried. She was worried that Irene would say something or reject her or even her saying something to blow it.

"What if I say I love her and scare her off?" Thought Seulgi, as she started her tasks for the day.

The thing about yesterday that really bothered her is that it was largely physical. Little of anything important was said. No relationship was established, no secrets were whispered as the lover held each other and so on.