The silvery veil of moonlight gave the manor garden a mysterious atmosphere. The artificial lake shimmered in the darkness like a still mirror. The surface of the water rippled gently with the gentle touch of the wind, refracting the reflections of the stars in the sky.
At the edge of the lake, a centuries-old willow tree towered majestically. Its leaves played a rustling melody in the wind, adding a sad atmosphere to the lake. The branches of the willow tree cast their shadows on the water, drawing a mysterious curtain at the bottom of the lake.
Night darkness enveloped every corner of the garden. The scents of flowers hung in the air and the sounds of insects from far away broke the silence.
There was something else that broke the silence. It was Minji's footsteps coming to the bottom of the lake with light, soft steps.
Minji approached the lake reflecting the moonlight like a mirror and sniffed. Her eyes and nose were red, her cheeks shining. After staring at the lake for a while, she wiped the tears from her eye sockets and sat down on the grass.
Minji was a woman with dreams. She did not want to continue her life as an ordinary maid. That's why she always did her work on time, no matter how hard it was, and never made mistakes that upset her superiors.
But why did they make things difficult for her in spite of that?
There were several important ranks in a noble house besides the original members. The Captain of the Guard, the Head Maid, and the Head Steward were three of them. In terms of authority, these three ranks were right behind the madam and the young masters. Right behind them were the Senior Maids, one of Minji's biggest targets.
Senior Maids were special servants who served a master directly. Their salaries were very generous. Since they served their master directly in the matrilineal lineage, a future full of endless possibilities awaited them. That's why women who wanted to raise their status in society were eager to become a young lady's maid.
Minji was one of them.
The second young lady's personal maid, Senior Maid Hwangbo, was retiring and was looking for a new maid to train. As luck would have it, she chose Minji.
Minji pulled her legs up to her chest. Her pretty white feet appeared at the end of her white skirt. Her hands were full of sores, but her feet were in no trouble.
"What am I going to do now?" sighed Minji.
Senior Maid Hwangbo was criticizing her so harshly that Minji was worried inside. What if she failed and let someone else take her place? What would she do if anything went wrong?
She watched the lake in the darkness of the silent night.
It was so peaceful. Whenever she felt anxious, she would come here. Since the first young lady was not here, there was no one to look after it. This was her secret place.
She slowly turned her eyes to the willow tree next to her.
Even though it was very old, it was still standing upright.
She saw Baek Yisoo leaning against the trunk of the tree, melancholically watching the lake and twirling a twig in his hand.
It was Yong-mi's words that changed those thoughts to some extent. They hadn't talked about anything but Baek Yisoo since last night. No matter what topic they brought up, it somehow always came back to Baek Yisoo. That's why Minji was suspicious and probed Yong-mi's mouth.
She saw Baek Yisoo leaning against the trunk of the tree, melancholically watching the lake and twirling a twig in his hand.
"Why are you here?" she said, puzzled. Even though it was not forbidden to come here, there were very few people who were interested in such views. Yu Minji had never seen anyone come here before.
"I come here whenever I feel sad and fed up," Baek Yisoo replied. He tried to close down the blank between his feelings and Minji's by giving as little information as possible.
It had worked. Minji was surprised and sad, not expecting this answer from Baek Yisoo. She was somewhat relieved that Baek Yisoo had the same thoughts as her. She used to look down on this man. She considered him lower than an insect and wouldn't talk to him.
She was prejudiced. It would be wrong to say she was not disgusted.
It was Yong-mi's words that changed those thoughts to some extent. They hadn't talked about anything but Baek Yisoo since last night. No matter what topic they brought up, it somehow always came back to Baek Yisoo. That's why Minji was suspicious and probed Yong-mi's mouth.
'There is nothing special about him. Why do we keep talking about him?'
Minji looked at the lake with grief and boredom. She had decided to ignore Baek Yisoo. There were more important things going on in her life. She didn't want to waste her time thinking about such a useless creature.
Baek Yisoo created dialogs in his mind while checking the system task. The task he gave Yong-mi last night seemed to have worked.
[Interest Level: 7/100]
The progress in her interest level, however, was very slow.
It was impossible for him to complete the mission if he continued like this.
'Let's move a little aggressively then.'
Baek Yisoo closed the mission window.
"Why do you look so depressed?"
"Nothing..." Minji replied, rolling her eyes but not saying more. She seemed to have no intention of talking to Baek Yisoo.
"Everyone is inevitably the hero of their own life story. And stories always have obstacles and difficulties," Baek Yisoo said, raking the grass off the ground and rubbing it a little. His hands were painted light green. He dropped the crumpled grass between his fingers.
He focused on Minji.
"What matters is how you meet these challenges. Minji, you are a very strong and intelligent woman. I don't know what problems you have faced, but you will overcome them and achieve what you want. I believe in you even if you don't."
As the words left his mouth, Baek Yisoo thought it was embarrassing.
He knew so little about Minji.
What he knew was limited to what Yong-mi had given him.
He also didn't see Minji as smart or strong.
'I have to get used to this... the lies...'
"Really?"
Minji's eyes turned to Baek Yisoo.
"Yes. You should believe in yourself as much as I believe in you!"
[Interest Level: 10/100]
[Interest level must be at least 50 to use the target coupon.]
Minji stared blankly at Baek Yisoo for a while. Then she turned her head and looked at the lake, a rare bitter smile forming on her face.
"Everything... Everything, my dreams, my goals. I feel like nothing is going right, like there's an obstacle at every step."
"The important thing is not to give up, to keep fighting, Minji."
"I know, but... Sometimes I get so tired. I want to give up."
"Don't give up, Minji. You are very strong, I know that. You will overcome these difficulties."
Baek Yisoo suppressed the urge to vomit. He wasn't a drama person, so in moments like this, he thought of silly things. However, he didn't want to ruin the mood and screw up, so he put his feelings aside.
He changed the subject.
"Let's change the subject. Let's think positively. What's the old saying? Two men are looking through prison bars. One sees the mud, the other sees the sky... The important thing is to think positively. For example, what are your dreams? What have your hardships brought you?"
Minji buried her head in her knees and looked at Baek Yisoo in silence. Her gaze had changed. Before, every glance was as piercing as an arrow. But now it was soft, curious. It was a sign that something had changed.
With a smile that showed her teeth, she said, "I guess what you say is right. It is my dream to become a senior maid. I have to endure many hardships to fulfill my dream. I want to serve my lady, to take responsibility."
"It's a nice dream," Baek Yisoo said and continued to ask open questions, trying to get as much information as possible.
After about half an hour, an update appeared in the task window.
[Interest Level: 19/100]
[Interest level must be at least 50 to use the target coupon.]
To increase the interest level, it was necessary to interact with the other person. Making small talk, talking about yourself, and pleasing them in some way helped to increase their interest level. When Baek Yisoo talked only about positive things, as if he was dripping honey from his mouth, it pleased Minji and made her curious about him.
Of course, Baek Yisoo somehow passed it off without mentioning himself.
'Interaction... The surest way to increase the level of interest. News sent through others, making them curious also increases the interest level, but this way is very slow... It increases the fastest with interaction.'
Baek Yisoo looked at the update in the task window.
After half an hour of conversation, he had a clear understanding of Minji's dreams.
[Mission Series: The Way of the Superior Man]
Mission 2: First Step
Description: A seduction expert must have a lot of experience and the courage to break all taboos. It is very important to take the first step!
Completion Condition: Start a conversation with Minji and get the information below. Increase the Minimum Relationship to 50%.
Likes []
Interests []
History []
Dreams [✓]
Male Preference []
Mission Reward: Free Stat Points x10, Seduction Points x50, EXP x60
Time Limit: One Week
Warning!
[In case of failure, the user will lose eligibility for the Seduction System and will be abandoned by the system!]
He already knew Minji's dreams. He had learned them from Yong-mi. But at that time the '✓' sign had not appeared, and the box had not been checked.
'It does not to be completed unless I am sure of the information. Although Yong-mi said that she wanted to 'become a senior maid', she did not mention the goal of 'taking responsibility and having authority'. So the information part needs some proof... hmm. Naruhodo.'