A young girl sneakily left her room. Wearing a servant's dress she easily blended with the rest of them and made it safely to the back of the house having a leverage that can help her climb the walls fencing the compound.
Darting her eyes around making sure she's alone and not being seen, she stealthily walked on top of the pots fermenting soybean and climbed on top of the wall, glancing one more time at the house, she saluted and jumped down striding towards the marketplace humming her favorite song.
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The prime minister's daughter sat in front of her mirror admiring herself. Her maid oozed with pride at her miss's beauty while styling her hair into an exquisite maiden style.
The young lady touched her lips and wondered what colour of lipstick to apply . Lingering on the red one her mind flashed back to the sight of those prostitutes applying them and shuddered.
"What am l even thinking? I, the future empress applying same colour of lipstick with the lowly courtesans?"
She picked the light pink one and ordered her maid to discard the red ones. The dignity of an empress should not be tainted with crude things she convinced herself. Done with her makeup, she walked towards her mom's room to bid her farewell as she wants to explore the library with her servant personally.
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The young girl that escaped from the house walked around the stall that sells her favorite snacks. Like a wild spirit she walked with such freedom and nonchalance that appeals to human making you judge her as carefree.
Stopping at her favorite sweet cake shop , she hugged the old woman. "Halmoni, l missed you"
The old woman squeezed out of her embrace pouting. She complained that the girl disappeared without a word on her. The girl squeezed her back into the hug promising to make it up to her. Dipping her hands into her money pouch, she paid for all the snacks and asked her to go home and distribute it to the children.
"But they want to see you not the snacks" The oldie complained, a pained expression on her face. The younger girl comforted her with the promise to visit next time she's opportune ,as for now, she has another appointment. She hugged the woman one more time and left with some cakes , munching and marching towards her favorite place, the library.
"Hal-abeuji! this daughter is here" she announced excitedly while looking for the librarian. A head popped out from behind one of the shelves and invited her to come over.
Excitedly, she bounced towards her favorite person in the world but received a knock on her head. Rubbing the spot, she whined and complained that she's leaving.
"You brat, where did you hide yourself not coming to see this old man" she pouted and held his arms coyly acting aggrieved. The old man flickered his fingers on her forehead and lovingly said "Stop acting shy, it doesn't fit you"
They laughed happily while the old man led her to her favorite part of the library where series of collection awaits her. Perceiving the woody smell of the freshly written books, joy washed over her body sending her to the highest level of ecstasy. The old man saw that she has immigrated into another world and left her alone.
"Who is here ?" A rude and cold voice reverberated in the entire hall casting a shadow over it.
The old man walked slowly but steadily towards the door where the voice sounded from. Behind a maid stood a young beautiful girl clad in a very expensive robe, nobility shining from her body.
Rushing respectfully towards her, he bowed asking what he can do for them as he was the shopkeeper and librarian.
"This is lady Seo-yun, only daughter of the prime minister. Serve her well or have your shop burnt to the ground" The maid continued in her disrespectful tone not minding the age of the elder. After all, when her miss becomes the empress, the man will have to respect her anyway as the empress's lady-in-waiting.
He made to lead them but the lady dismissed him with the intention to explore alone. Together with her maid, they walked around the library admiring the collection of books. The reputation of the library precedes it as the best library of their kingdom after the palace own. It is even rumored that the palace buys from here to stock their own.
At one corner of the secluded library, she saw an unkempt looking girl dressed in rags munching on snacks while flipping through the pages of a very big book seemingly lost. Drawing close to see the title of the book, she almost exploded due to anger. The tattered looking girl is reading the analects of Confucians. How dare a commoner read something made for the nobles.
Her maid mainly looked on envying the girl on her ability to read. Seo-yun walked closer and grabbed the book away from her . The girl's brow knotted when she saw her book taken away from her forcefully, thinking it was the old man she opened her mouth to complain when she saw a young girl throwing daggers at her with her eyes.
"You, what's the meaning of this " She locked eyes with the young girl clad in beautiful robes, judging by the appearance and embroidery a very expensive robe at that.
The maid moved ahead of her miss and warned her to desist from using disrespectful tone to address her miss. She's the daughter of the prime she added but was met with a boisterous laughter that rendered them speechless. "Then , l must be the only daughter of the minister of finance" she replied them mimicking her voice.
It is true, the maid defended feeling that the girl is not taking her seriously. Do you think I'm lying then , the girl challenged. Seo-yun got tired of the banter and intervened. "If you are the daughter of the minister of finance, how many children does he have?" She asked while feeling disgusted by the type of clothing she is putting on.
"My dearest father has 3 children, 2 from the main wife my loving mother and 1 from the side consort" She answered still locking eyes with the lady.
"Well, even a maid of the family can answer that much" Seo-yun defended herself. She threw another question at her ."The bastard son of the finance minister is known for the art of debauchery, as his sister don't you feel ashamed of him?"
The girl took a deep breath, walked around them , grabbed an ink pot and splashed the content on her robes. "Oops! my hands has started acting up without my command again."
Cleaning her hands with the dress of maidservant she glared menacingly at her ."That's for calling my brother a bastard"
She took out 3 gold ingots and put it on the hand of the shocked girl."Here, have this. It will cover the expense of two of this robe... What a fine robe wasted just like that " She sighed then left them to go back home , her earlier passion dampened.
On the way out, she glanced back and smiled at them who stood rooted on one spot not understanding what just happened. " By the way, my name is Eun-hye... Jang Eun-hye" . She waved her hand at the shopkeeper and started whistling, bouncing back home.
The maid snapped out first and screamed when she saw the mess on her miss robe. Seo-yun didn't even hear her, for the first time in her life someone treated her like she's nothing. Snapping back to reality, she slapped the poor girl and ordered her to find out everything about the daughter of the minister of finance.
She tightened her hands, her knuckles bulging out and snapped ."Your name is Jang Eun-hye? Watch me and see how l crush you!" . Slamming her fist on the bookshelves, she roared "What an effrontery!"
Back home , the girl hurriedly climbed over the wall trying to sneak in without being found out. Immediately she landed crouching like a tiger, someone cleared her voice behind her.
"Mother!" she screamed when she saw a middle-aged woman glaring at her .
"Mother, l can explain". She rushed towards the woman walking away silently, connecting her arms with hers she sang I'm sorry while tugging on her sleeves, but the woman ignored and led her into the inner room.
"On your knees" She commanded which gained an immediate obedience.
(Fiddlesticks! I'm dead today. My butt will rot in hell today) . She looked at her mother, her eyes brimming with tears but the woman shook her eye clearly telling her she won't wiggle out of this one.
"Or do you prefer to be locked in your room?" the woman smiled sinisterly searching her daughter's eyes for disapproval.
(Holy cow! I will rather receive the strokes of cane than be locked in my room). Without further ado, she turned her back and raised her skirt expecting the sting of pain to come.
The woman contemplated for a while and dropped the stick observing the girl . "Sit down"
Eun-hye opened one of eyes before opening them both. She faced her mother wondering why she stopped the punishment but still sat down waiting for her to speak.
"Why do you keep sneaking out of the house?".Her voice so soft Eun-hye almost got convinced her mother is about to cry.
"I hate being cooped up, l hate being confined in one room, l hate being told l can't read my favorite books because women are not supposed to read much. I hate it all, the rules and regulations restricting me from doing all the things I love doing!" She panted .
Her mother's heart broke but she knows there is nothing she can do. She pulled her closer to her bossom and patted her back ."Mother knows it all but I'm sorry there is nothing l can do about it"
The tears stinging her eyes poured freely while she clutched unto her mom like a drowning chick.Shh...shh and her tears fell more .
"I hate it all!" She sobbed.