After that day when Seo Hwi walked away from me 2 months ago, I couldn't seem to function without him. Han Hui-Jae had disappeared a month ago and she was my only link to the Princess Consort, so i couldn't see her. She was away with the Third Prince touring around the kingdom anyway around the same time and all i had for company was the ex-maid that was equally obsessed with my true love's best friend who had in turn became obsessed with the sister of all people. Although my family had done what they did against my aunt's family, she couldn't survive the birth of her daughter who turned out to inherit all of that woman's luck despite not even knowing her and being in a far worse position growing up. She had epilepsy for goodness sake, and now she practically bore her mother's beautiful face as well as her exquisite mannerisms that shone everything that the nobility class held dear to them and now she had a real rising star in the palace completely obsessed with her as Seo Geom was to my aunt. He didn't let anyone near her, he didn't let her wear good clothes as to attract attention to her even though he had plenty made for his only daughter and he just couldn't keep his hands off of her. And as for us, well, we were stuck in the side quarters of the palace without any word if we had been expunged from the charges that my cousin and her lover laid against us. We had been here for almost a month until my father had lost his patience and just left without saying a word. I think that he had the idea to go visit the Prince who was at the banquet and had us arrested for answers, but I hadn't seen him since. Myself and my father were not particularly close, but now we were practically estranged without the presence of my mother, who filled the void between us. Not that my father carded, he had lost his whores when my family was arrested and now he was most likely on the hunt for new ones.
"What are you thinking about, My Lady?" "I am thinking about my lover, who still hasn't had the common sense to come to see me to negotiate his sister's release. And no-one can force him to meet me since he is an important person to the Third Prince, not even his wife can threaten him because….because she knows that her husband would do choose Seo Hwi over his own wife. Just like Seo Hwi would rather stand by and watch his sister suffer in a damned brothel than marry me." 'Do not be plagued by these sad thoughts, why don't you reflect on how Yeon has suffered through hell and back thanks to our hands. Not even her own mother cold have survived anyone of these, from wha you have told me at least. She should have died right after the last one and been buried with the maggots overnight. We should have stayed to look over it all, but then we were called back here so quickly and we haven't been able to leave these quarters ever since." "Hui-Jae must have handled it all for us, she hates Yeon just as much as we do. There is no way that any human, let alone a leak girl could have survived all of that, although why haven't we received any news about it? Or be kept updated with what is going on in the brothel?" "No, i can't live like this anymore, we need to go home so i can see for myself exactly what is going on and see what we need to do so I can bring Seo Hwi home for me. And you know that wherever he is, Nam Seon-Ho will no be far, he is still trying to get his approval to marry his sister…" "Well that will not happen! Seon-Ho will not end up with an epileptic orphan girl, not if i have a say in this. And anyways, our marriage can improve my parent's standing in society and pull them up again from their debts and troubles. I need him, a lot more than you need Seo Hwi."
I was sulked all the way back to my home on foot this time when suddenly we had palace guards who were raiding our mansion without saying a single word to us as if we were criminals. My father couldn't even begin to protest as he was being arrested once again and taken away as if he was a vile criminal in front of ever growing crowds that were gathering around from our whole neighbourhood. We even spotted a few of father's rival's in business looking thoroughly pleased with themselves as they hauled out my father before my either I or my new maid could do anything. Our homes have been vandalised, our reputation and been ruined and our business had been seized without warning or even reason as more guards practically tore up our home from the inside and ripped apart everything that we owned as if they had some personal vendetta against us. In the end, my mother and myself had to almost run out of our home as if our roof would come tumbling down on our very heads. We had to run through the crowd of people that were taunting us, throwing things at us and even ripping our clothes and jewellery apart, and in the end we were left with nothing; no money, no shelter, no sense of security and my father was gone before my very eyes, leaving us unprotected.
Myself and the ex-maid were still on shock and walking around in circles at this point until we came across an inn that my father used to frequent. With nowhere to go, we made our way quietly and covered in whatever disgusting lowborn robes that we could find to cover ourselves in case we attracted any attention to ourselves. Little did we know that wasn't the only worry we had as the whole inn was full and roaring with people who couldn't stop talking about what had happened to our family. I told the maid to find us a seat somewhere, but before we could even turn around we were almost run over by a group of men that I had recognised from the crowd outside of our home who ran to the first table they could see to talk I suppose. I want't going to pay any mind, until I saw that one of the men was carrying my post valuable item in his hands like it was his to take with his grubby little hands; it was an old jade jewellery set that I had placed on one of my old dolls that I had since childhood…that I had wanted for years but my father never got me it despite how many times I had asked him. But when I saw Yeon's father gifting it to her along with this amazing jewellery set that was trending at the time and I never got one, I just too what should have been mine when she was out with her father and in his embrace as usual.
I got so overwhelmed by the very memory, so without even thinking, I marched right over in an attempt to snatch it back whilst I left my mother alone to order some food for us. But in my attempt I had tripped up over the rag I was wearing to cover myself right next to the men who had seemed so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't even notice me at all. "…I guess it's true then, the man who spent years stealing everybody else's ideas and businesses has caused his own ruin the moment he birthed that ominous daughter of his, who at her age still hadn't received any marriage proposals." "They got what they deserved, to think a woman of her status had been frequenting brothels! And for what? To kidnap and drag her own cousin there where they tortured her? The didn't even know that she was to be recruited as the Second Prince's lady-in-waiting! She carried his seal all that time and that was what saved her in the end before anyone was able to even touch her." "That is what you call a good omen; despite all the trials and tribulations that Seo Geom's family has gone through, the girl actually managed to made a life for herself. The Seo's are to work in the palace and from what we all see, she is probably already engaged to Nam-Jeon's illegitimate son who is already on his way to becoming the general of the army. To think that a lowly noble girl who hasn't worked a day in her life actually harm a person of the palace…no wonder her father will hang for his daughter's crimes. And as for his family, they will most likely be sold into slavery or left for dead."
My body froze, my ears were ringing and my shocked tears were burning down my cheeks as I had finally realised that my spoilt cousin Yeon who always got things her way had fairly won the war between us. As revenge for what I had put her through for all of these years, she had not only beaten me, but used what I did against her to finish off my entire family and used me as the scapegoat! And what was this? She was to be recruited into the palace? I had no heard news of that anywhere at all, so how was I supposed to know? And what was this apparent closeness she had to the second prince? And she was to be engaged to that bastard who always used to follow my cousins around? How comes that dimwitted new servant of mine never told me any of this? unless…unless that bitch knew something that she was't supposed to and she was getting her revenge…
No, I couldn't live like this with no answers at all and without seeing my father to find out what he knew…and then I was going to rip that bitch apart before she could do any more damage to myself and bring me down to the palace dungeons along with my father. I wouldn't end up like her…I…I had people who could help us, I'm sure of it. Hui-Jae, or the Princess Consort…they could help us, I just needed to be able to send a message or run back to the palace with the maid…
…the maid who had disappeared! I couldn't see hide or hair of her everywhere I looked! I couldn't believe this! Did someone kidnaped her? As we had kidnapped Yeon? Or had she been pulled into my mess and was mistaken for me. No, i had to run back to the palace and just wait for her there…but the moment that I had turned around, I ran right into a blunt object face first and caused me to completely blackout. My limbs were going limp and the last thing that I felt was my body collapsing under me and i swear…I could have sworn on my life that I felt someone stroke my face gently before i passed out. "Husband? Seo Hwi" "I am here wife, i am always here for you, just as you are for me…"