"Both her father and her brother have made great contributions towards this kingdom and nation, and she herself has survived epilepsy, poverty and being shifted between brothels and even poisonings and fires. Seo Yeon is not somebody to be trifled with, in the least. We on the other hands are now orphans and our family has declined greatly in the eye of this nation, so we are in no position to ask for anything more than food and shelter for now, do you agree with me mother?" "We have been living hand to mouth for the past month and I can no longer take such abhorrent treatment! Who am I? I also come from an illustrious lineage, so why can't l live just as proudly as that orphan does? I am more related to her fiancé than she will ever be to him! I deserve everything that he gives her and more! And now that we are here, not even she can stop me from claiming what is mine!" "Mother! We have to be careful! He is an official in the palace and she will run his home for him, so we need to appease her, do we not? I need to say something generic, like I hope she can enlighten me in ritual propriety, or smoothing like that." "Maybe we should visit The Mistress Han first? We should probably get some guidance from her on how to approach the situation? Seo Yeon has more power and influence than we do and…." "We should have kept an eye on The Seo's after we set that fire! Who knows what could happen now? What if her brother suddenly emerges from the shadows after this! What if he shows up and kicks us out if he sees us here? What if he exposes us?" "Calm down mother; I have had a few of my old friends keep an eye on them and they seem to have embraced my cousin as their own! Why won't he do the same with us?" "Because his nephew is directly related to himself and we are not! That is why!" "Mother, we are here now, so we need to pull ourselves together and just enter this household like the elders that we are! If she wants to marry The Lord Nam, then she needs to accept us as his family, isn't that right? Very well, let us do this…"
"…My Lady! Quickly! The Lord Nam's aunt and her son have barged their way into this home! They are currently waiting on us to serve us breakfast and prepare rooms for them! Please hurry and get dressed!" "What? Who? Where? Why…are they coming to see me? How did they even know about me?" "I have no idea My Lady, but you need to get dressed and made up within 10 minutes before they all make a scene! Hurry! If they spread words that you make them wait for a long time, then you will have to end up proving yourself to the entire community!" "But isn't that a good thing? It would prove that I am a woman who s worthy of this household?" "My Lady, you do not have the respect that Seo Yeon does! They will forgive her easily if they make mistakes but what about you? Who do you have to back you up in case you mess up? It isn't like you can bring up The Mistress Han, especially when everyone knows how she left her man's home shamelessly! They already didn't like her before this and they will never accept her now!"
I made my way to the family with a sense of dread, terror and low confidence. The Lord Nam would have surely told me if we were expecting guests, so why didn't he? He was a very articulate man who cared a lot about his reputation, so why would he do this to me? And where was he? Why wasn't he the one collecting me myself? Surely he must have gotten better by now and warn me so that we could put on a united front in front of this family of his? What do I say to these people? When The Mistress Han found me and reduced me from my poor situation, she promised me endless wealth and a doting husband, but she never prepared me for this at al, so what was I supposed to do? What if I said the wrong things? ii wasn't as polished as I was making myself come across, so what if they called me out on my bluff?
"Greetings Madame Nam and son; I wonder what instructions that you have for me?" "Is that all you have to say, girl? Aren't you going to offer us any breakfast? The hour has already passed for it, but you can still offer it at least!" "Ah yes, please forgive me, I shall have the kitchens prepare…" "So you haven't even gotten anything ready yet? Just what on earth have you been doing up until now? We do not have many rules in this family, but the very least that you can do is to offer guests some sustenance at least!" "Forgive me…" "And what are you dressed up as? It is only family here, so who are you trying to impress? And where is my nephew? And his nephew? Aren't you going to gather the whole family here? Where is your head at, girl? And where is all of the meat gone? How could you just…."
"…My Lady, it looks as though if The Lord Nam will return to the brothel for the rest of his meals for the rest of the night before he is required to return back to the palace, and he will take a few servants along with him, so they will not be able to pay their respects to you tonight. I hope that you do understand…." "Very well, although I have no idea why my man seems to have become so attached to his new servants, but it can only be a good thing I suppose." "My Lady, but they should…." "They work hard with my husband, so I can allow this much slack. He always holds his meetings there anyway, so I just have to see it that way. Paying respects to me is such a trivial matter compared to the wealth this man brings into this household, and I knew he was busy tonight, that is why I invited you into my home today." "And what a luxurious home this is." "I had this home done to my taste as soon as I freed him from the dungeons." "But if paying respects is a trivial mater, then what is important at all?" "Work important, family is important….love is important and so is power."
"You must be tired as the hostess of this home, why don't you take up some more rest?" "How can I possibly rest after knowing that there were no bodies found in The Seo household? I refuse to believe that even Seo Yeon herself could have predicted such a move from us, from The Nam Clan, or from anyone else. But I have nobody on my side to discuss with, so what can I do about it?" "But surely she will have to give him up once she realises that it was yourself to saved him and he is back by your side, if she is alive that is." "You have no idea how they are together; she can betray him over and over again and he will still find ways to keep her beside him and vice versa. It is like they cannot function without each other, even when they are angry at each other." "How can you possibly break up such a couple?" "They share similar personality traits, such as wise intellect, eloquence, ambition and they do have power in their own right, but for completely different reasons; Seo Yeon wants justice for her family and a peaceful life, whereas my fiancé wants the palace in his hands just as his father did, but he is much closer to succeeding than his father ever was. And I must admit, I have had allies in the past but they were all defeated by their own arrogance and growing egos, but you are nothing like them at all. You understand the value of patience; far more than I ever have to be fair, and you are just as smart as she is." "Do you really think so, My Lady?" "Beauty isn't everything, as these previous women have proved, so I am glad to have reconnected with you after I found you serving my fiancé's superior." "You did help me run away from the brothel as such a young age, so I do owe you a life debt." "Do not be silly, it is just a shame that women do not help each other out more often."
"i suppose you wish to find someone to serve your husband who des not possess so much intelligence then?" "I know that he must be finding ways to reconnect with that girl, but it must be exhausting for him to always be with a woman who can be smarter than him at times. Most men favour simply a beautiful woman to have fun with and who will allow him to have more women as well. Seo Yeon and i have never given him those kinds of options before, but I have to be the one to do it if I wish to keep him besides me for the rest of our days. And you are one of the most loyal and well behaved girl I have ever come across."
"I receive My Lady's grace despite my slow wits, as I am desperate to release myself from servitude." "You were born for better things girl; and loyalty is not just proven with empty words." "I have never forgotten how you have helped me, so I will gladly help you in return. Although I am a mere servant and not one referred with beauty, so I have need seduced a man before…" "The Lord Nam doesn't need a seductress, for his libido is only used on one woman. What he needs is somebody kind, patient and understanding…and that person is not me; I haven't been that kind of woman since Seo Hwi…" "Seo Hwi? Her brother? My Lady?" "Never you mind that; I will help you gain and exalted position by his side if you get close to that woman who still manages to lure him into that damned brothel; it is only for the sake of his work meetings that take place there that I cannot cause a scene and stop him myself."
"…inform the brothel that Seo Yeon's items and room are to be taken away from her this instant! Who is she to deny me after everything that we have been through together!" "Quickly! Hide yourself before he sees you here! He cannot get a single glimpse of you before he sees you in the brothel! Hide behind the curtain whilst I handle him…" "My Lady!"
"…My Lady? My Lady!" "What? What is it? Why do you look so panicked? What is wrong with you?" "My Lady…The Lord Nam and The Young Mistress Seo…there are no longer in the yangban…" "Excuse me? What did you just say?" "My Lady…we are left here alone with The Nam Clan along with the rest of the aunt's family who will soon follow…and we are left here all alone without warning, without instruction and without a plan." "But how…why….how could he…." "My Lady, we need to bring The Mistress Han back into this home to help us, or The Nam Clan will surely run us out of here before the rest of her family arrives.