10 I want to hold your hand

"Fine, we will keep a meter's distance away from each other. But you have to lead the way to me," Seo Jin stated. 

"I do not know where the market is located? How can I lead the way for General Lee?" Ae-Ra questioned. 

"That you have to find out. If you are unable to find the way to market in thirty minutes then I will hold your hand to show you the way. How about this? Negotiation happens both ways," Seo Jin affirmed and passed her a smile. 

Ae-Ra tried to outsmart Seo Jin but now she was more stuck than before. If she failed to find the correct route towards the market, she had to hold hands with Seo Jin. That would bring more trouble than before. 

"I will take it as a yes," Seo Jin stated and let go of his arm from around Ae-Ra's waist. He gradually stepped back and glanced at Dong-Sun. "Send the horse, back to the stable," Seo Jin ordered him, who bowed down. 

"Ae-Ra, please lead the way," Seo Jin told her, who nodded her head. She walked ahead of Seo Jin, who followed her while keeping a one-meter distance between them. Ae-Ra tilted her head to look if Seo Jin was behind her. To her surprise, he had started to follow her. 

She furrowed her brows as she saw a few people coming from the front. Now, it was more awkward for her. General Lee was following her! And the way those people were looking made her a little embarrassed. "They are house servants. Do not worry about them," Seo Jin told Ae-Ra, who had slowed down. Upon hearing that, she again gained her original walking speed. 

She looked at her left, where the trees were aligned into a line. A smile carved on her lips. On the other hand, Seo Jin smiled seeing her. 'I have gone crazy,' he thought. He stopped as he saw Ae-Ra had halted. There were two ways in front of her– one towards the market and the other towards the residential house colony. 

She pursed her lips and thought to take the help of Seo Jin. Turning to him, she asked, "General Lee, could you please tell me on which way I should walk?"

"Hold my hand and I will tell you," Seo Jin reminded her about his condition. 

Ae-Ra turned and fidgeted with her fingers. After thinking for a while, she took the right path. "If you are unable to reach the market in thirty minutes, I will hold your hand," Seo Jin stated. 

"Why does General Lee want to hold my hand? It's inappropriate to hold hands openly," Ae-Ra finally said. 

A few noblemen came from the front and it made Ae-Ra nervous. They all were dressed in green robes and white pants. Ae-Ra turned her face away so that they would not notice her. 

"Why is General Lee walking behind that woman?" One of them curiously asked another. 

"It seems she is the Kisaeng, whom General Lee has declared as his soon-to-be wife," the other replied. 

Ae-Ra started to walk fast, so Seo Jin also hastened. He turned his head towards the noblemen and his glare was enough for them to lower their eyes. 

Seo Jin gazed back at Ae-Ra. "Walk slowly. You might end up falling and then I have to carry you in my arms," he teased her a little. Ae-Ra could not believe that General Lee was speaking that way. She again slowed down. A few children from the noble class were coming in her direction. 

As they saw General Lee, they greeted him. Seo Jin caressed their heads and again followed Ae-Ra. He observed Ae-Ra was noticing everything that she could… probably because it was her first time seeing all that. 

Again, she halted upon seeing the three ways in front of her. She made a guess and started to walk. Soon, she found that she had entered an area that had mostly open fields. 'Did I take the wrong route?' she thought and turned back. Seo Jin silently followed her and soon they were on the third route.

"You only have ten minutes left," Seo Jin loudly said. Ae-Ra got nervous. She lifted her skirt a little and started to walk a little fast. This time she did not worry about the people who were looking at her. She saw two young women coming from the front and thought to take help from them.

"Sisters, could you please tell me where the market is?" Ae-Ra politely asked.

"The market is the opposite way. You are on the route towards the Palace," one of them replied. Ae-Ra thanked them, who walked past her. 

She turned to look at Seo Jin and complained, "General Lee could have told me that I took the wrong way." 

"What if you have not trusted my words? Wait, how could you trust their words? I remember that you have told me that you do not trust people," Seo Jin stated and smirked. 

"I said that I do not trust men," Ae-Ra corrected him.

"Hmm. I did not tell you because I want to hold your hand," Seo Jin asserted. Ae-Ra knitted her brows and started to walk hastily towards back to the route through which she could reach the market.

Seo Jin found that Ae-Ra was trying hard to run away from him. The thirty minutes had already passed, but Ae-Ra could not reach the market. However, she enjoyed it. She did not know she would get to see so many things which she had heard from the people in the Kisaeng's House. She looked at Seo Jin and passed him a smile that confused him. 

He closed the distance between them and stood by her side. "What is the reason behind this smile?" Seo Jin asked. 

"I never thought it would be this fun," Ae-Ra replied and tilted her head to look at Seo Jin, who was amusingly peering at her. "Thank you, General Lee, for bringing me out." She smiled again. She started to walk while Seo Jin followed her.