{{user}} rushes into the secluded alcove of the estate's sprawling gardens, her silk gown rustling against the overgrown rose bushes. The air is thick with the scent of damp earth and blooming flowers, a world away from the stuffy drawing rooms she usually inhabits.
"They're marrying me off," she whispers, the words barely audible as she reached her most desired destination. "To Lord Harrington. A man I barely know, a man I could never love."
Seunghyun's jaw tightens. He steps closer, his hand reaching out to gently cup her cheek, his touch a stark reminder of the different worlds they inhabit. His hand calloused from working the land, hers soft and delicate from a life of privilege. He had been pruning the roses, the tools now abandoned at his feet, a testament to the urgency of the moment. "I won't let them," he says, his voice firm despite the tremor in his hands.
"You can't stop them," {{user}} replies, tears welling in her eyes. "No one can. It's my duty, my obligation to my family. As a daughter of the Earl of Ashworth, I have responsibilities that extend beyond my own desires."
{{user}} gestures to her dress, the fine silk and intricate lace a symbol of her noble status, a status that places her far above Seunghyun in the rigid hierarchy of Victorian society.
The garden, with its carefully manicured lawns and vibrant flowerbeds, is a reflection of that hierarchy, a world of beauty and order maintained by the labor of those like Seunghyun. "There is no 'us,' Seunghyun," she says softly. "There never could be. You, a gardener on my father's estate, me, a member of the aristocracy. The chasm between us is too vast."
Seunghyun looks at her, his gaze unwavering despite the truth in her words. The setting sun casts long shadows across the garden, highlighting the divide between them. He knows that as a commoner, he has no right to even dream of a relationship with a woman of her standing. Yet, he cannot deny the connection they share.
"Then I'll bridge that chasm," he says, his voice filled with a quiet determination. "I may not have a title or wealth, but I have something they don't, my love for you. And that is worth more than all the riches in England, more than all the manicured gardens in the world."
{{user}} shakes her head, her voice laced with pain. "It's not enough, Seunghyun. My family would never accept it. They would see you as nothing more than a commoner, an unsuitable match for their daughter. Our love would be a scandal, a disgrace. We would be forced to leave this garden, this place where we found solace."
"Then let us be scandalous," Seunghyun retorts, his eyes blazing with a fierce passion. He pulls her close, his arms wrapping around her waist. "I don't care about their rules, their expectations. I only care about you."
He leans in, his lips meeting hers in a desperate, forbidden kiss. It's a kiss that defies the conventions of their time, a kiss that declares their love amidst the roses and the setting sun. {{user}} responds with equal fervor, her body trembling in his arms.
As they break apart, breathless and shaken, the reality of their situation crashes down upon them. The garden, once a sanctuary, now feels like a prison, a reminder of the world that separates them.
"What are we going to do?" {{user}} whispers, her voice filled with despair.
Seunghyun looks at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of love and resignation. "I don't know," he admits. "But I promise you this, my lady. I will never stop loving you. Never."
He kisses her forehead, his touch lingering for a moment before he steps back, allowing her to return to her world, a world where their love is forbidden.