Scarlet Strings.

The Val d'Orcia

Scarlet turned to give him a pointed look. "We both know who takes longer getting ready, Ha-Joon." He only chuckled in response, not denying it.

***

By the time Scarlet came downstairs, dressed in a soft, elegant dress, her hair loosely tied back, she was met with an all-too-familiar sight, Esme sitting at the dining table, grinning like a fox. Scarlet barely had a chance to sit beside her before Esme leaned in close, her voice a hushed whisper in her ear. "So, how was last night?"

Scarlet froze, her grip on her fork tightening. She knew that tone, Eerah was up to no good. Scarlet turned slightly to glance at her, only to find Esme smirking mischievously, her eyes glinting with amusement.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Scarlet whispered back, her tone flat.

"Oh, don't play dumb." Esme leaned even closer, her grin widening. "Seung-Il and I heard everything. Our room is right next to yours, remember?"

Scarlet's eyes widened slightly before she rolled them, huffing. "As if you got pregnant in the air, Esme," Scarlet shot back in a low voice.

Esme's smirk faltered for a second before she scoffed, flicking Scarlet's arm playfully. "That's different," Esme grumbled. "Seung-Il and I weren't the ones making the entire villa reconsider their life choices."

Scarlet choked on a piece of fruit she had just popped into her mouth. Across the table, Ha-Neul sat in silence, barely eating. His gaze was on his plate, but his ears were definitely tuned in. He wasn't stupid, he could pick up parts of their conversation.

And he hated it. He hated that his father had completely accepted Scarlet as Ha-Joon's wife. He hated that Scarlet and Ha-Joon looked so perfect together. He hated that he was sitting here, listening to Scarlet be teased about the man she loved, when for so long, he had wished for that love to be his. His grip on his spoon tightened slightly, but he didn't say a word.

***

Just as Scarlet was about to throw a piece of bread at Esme, Ha-Joon finally walked into the dining hall. Freshly showered, his dark hair still slightly damp, he looked as effortlessly put-together as ever in a simple yet stylish outfit. Scarlet was about to greet him when.

"Ah, our honored guest has arrived!" Seung-Il announced dramatically, clapping his hands together. Half the table turned to look at him, some already bracing themselves for whatever was about to come out of his mouth.

Ha-Joon arched a brow. "What are you on about this early in the morning?"

Seung-Il smirked, leaning forward on his elbows. "Just wondering if you managed to sleep well."

Scarlet immediately looked away, pretending to be very interested in her plate. Ha-Joon's eyes narrowed. He wasn't stupid, he could sense a trap. And Seung-Il looked way too pleased with himself. "Why wouldn't I have slept well?" Ha-Joon asked slowly.

Seung-Il grinned. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe because... you didn't let the rest of us sleep in peace?"

Scarlet almost dropped her fork. Ha-Joon blinked, then his expression twisted into pure disgust. "Shut up and eat your damn food," Ha-Joon muttered, shaking his head.

But Seung-Il wasn't done. "Oh? Now you care for my peace?" Seung-Il gasped dramatically, placing a hand over his chest. "Didn't seem like you cared about peace last night..."

"I swear to God, Seung-Il..." Before Ha-Joon could even finish his sentence, Sung-Hoon, who had been relatively quiet until now, suddenly burst into laughter. A loud, genuine laugh. Everyone turned to him in confusion. Sung-Hoon wiped away a tear, shaking his head. "Do you even realize what you just said?" he asked Seung-Il, his voice still shaking with amusement.