"Let me go! Let me go this instant!"
Soran's voice tore through the thick air, echoing across the courtyard of Lord Kim's residence. Her cry trembled with defiance and fear. Her slender frame struggled helplessly between the iron-like grips of two towering men. Their arms were unyielding, cold, and solid as steel.
But the moment they crossed the boundary of Lord Kim's main courtyard, both men suddenly released her.She fell hard onto the ground, her skirts and hair scattering like withered petals caught in the wind.
"I've brought her, my lord!"
A curt growl followed as the thugs stepped back. Their heavy footsteps thudded across the stone path just as the great wooden doors creaked open, slowly, deliberately.
"Oh… so this is the young woman sent here to serve me today?"
The voice that drifted out was roughened by age, yet carried a gravity impossible to deny.From the shadowed hall emerged an elderly man, walking steadily, his sharp eyes belying his gentle posture. He wore a long hanbok of deep golden-green, the color of aged ginkgo leaves, more fitting for an esteemed scholar than a tyrant.
Yet even so, Soran dared not meet his gaze.
She knelt where she had fallen, dust clinging to her skirts, fear tightening her breath.The old man stopped before her, then leaned forward slightly.His voice softened at once.
"Raise your head, child. Look at me properly."
With trembling hesitation, Soran lifted her face.Their eyes met, hers stormy with distrust and confusion, his calm but inquisitive, like a quiet river concealing its true depth.
He did not look cruel, not even as harsh as she had feared.And yet… how could a man with such gentle eyes order his men to tear a daughter from the arms of her weeping mother?
This was Lord Kim Yeonggwang.
He rose slowly, clasping his hands behind his back as he began to circle her, slow, deliberate, like a magistrate studying a piece of artwork for flaws only he could see.
Soran's thoughts spun with every measured step he took.Her unease tightened with each turn.
"C-could I… have a moment, my lord?" she finally managed, her voice quivering.
He halted, though he did not turn.His hanbok swayed in the warm summer breeze.
"Thank you… My lord," she whispered.
"But enough of this!" she suddenly burst out, her voice cracking."Stop circling me like a hungry hawk! You brought me here to be your courtesan, didn't you? Is this the glorious way you settle debts?"
The old man laughed,a loud, resonant laugh that filled the entire hall, rich and amused.
"Hahaha! What foolish nonsense! Oh… what delightful innocence!"
Heat flushed across Soran's cheeks.Did I say something ridiculous again…?She touched her lips in embarrassment, staring down.
"You doubt me?" he asked bluntly.
"Who wouldn't doubt you, my lord?" she replied, then lowered her voice."Why am I here? Is there truly no other way for me to repay the debt without losing my dignity? My family… we have so little. I beg you, my lord."
For a fleeting second, something unreadable flickered in the old man's eyes, perhaps pity, or a memory, but it vanished at once.
With a sigh, he pulled a folded fan from his sleeve, opening it with a soft crackle. He fanned himself gently before speaking.
"You were sent here simply to keep me entertained. That is all. No one under my roof will harm you. I, an old man, am no beast. You look young enough to be my granddaughter, hardly the plaything I desire."He waved a hand dismissively."Your father's debts are substantial. Before he was sentenced, he was a loyal servant. A pitiful man, truly. But debts must be repaid. Would you not agree?"
He paused before adding,
"You will rest comfortably tonight. You need not worry."
Soran let out a long, trembling breath, relief softening her shoulders as though a nightmare was being lifted from her back. A faint, weary smile tugged at her lips.
"Thank you… My lord."
"Good!" he barked suddenly. "And how long will you sit sulking in the dirt like an abandoned puppy? Get up, child."
Startled, Soran scrambled to her feet, dusting her sleeves and skirt awkwardly.Just as the old man turned to walk back into the main hall, she called out in a trembling voice.
"F-forgive me, my lord…?"
He stopped again, though he did not turn.His hanbok fluttered softly in the summer wind.
"How long… must I work here?" she asked.
He answered without looking back.
"Until someone comes to redeem you. Ah, and be clear. I am not employing you. I have more than enough workers in the Kim household."
And with that, he walked away.
His fading footsteps struck Soran harder than thunder.
Until someone comes to redeem you…
Soran stood frozen, then slowly sank back to the spot she'd struggled so hard to stand from.
"This must be a joke… right?" she muttered."Who in their right mind would pay to redeem me? This isn't work, this is taking a hostage!"
A passing servant heard her grumbling and bit his lip to suppress a laugh.
Still muttering under her breath, Soran wandered toward the inner courtyard.
"Where am I supposed to sleep? On the floor? In a goat pen? Under that lovely plum tree, until the rain washes me away?"
She sighed softly.
"Well… at least I'm still wearing all my clothes. For now."
Clinging to that tiny sliver of bitter comfort, she disappeared into the small servant quarters.The warm stone beneath her feet held the sun's fading heat.Her fate remained unknown, but not hopeless.
Not entirely.
Soran muttered hopelessly as she brushed the dust from her skirt, wearing the same expression as a maid forced to sweep up spilled rice. She sat in a defeated heap for a moment before rising, far too dramatically, and dragging her weary feet toward the far end of Lord Kim's courtyard.
"And tonight… where am I supposed to sleep?"
She grumbled while lifting her gaze to the sky, as though expecting an answer to fall from the heavens.
Ever since arriving at this residence, no one had offered her a single clear explanation.No work list.No sleeping quarters.Not even a patch of floor or a straw mat.
All she could do was wander through this enormous estate, nudging the dust with the tip of her foot as her thoughts drifted back to her aunt's worried face… and the teary eyes of her younger brother and mother, the family she left behind.
She wanted to cry desperately.But all she managed was a long, shaky sigh.
If I lie down right in the middle of the courtyard and pretend to be a corpse… maybe someone will take pity on me and offer a pillow…
But fate had other plans.
Thump!
"Ouch!"
Soran let out a shriek as she was knocked backward, landing squarely on her rear,for the second time that day.
(Heavens! If this keeps happening, I should stuff straw under my skirt for protection…)
A tall figure bent down at once. A strong yet gentle hand slipped beneath her arm and helped her up.
"Are you hurt?"
The voice was deep, rich, warm, and filled with concern.And far too familiar for a stranger.
Soran blinked and lifted her head…
Straight into the eyes of the young man she had last seen in the marketplace,the one with the jade bracelet.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves above him, painting him in soft strokes like a living portrait brought to life by accident.
"Y–you!"
She blurted out.
"You!"
He echoed, just as startled.His usually cool voice cracked awkwardly, as though someone had stepped squarely on his calm demeanor.
They stood frozen for several heartbeats until the corners of his lips curled into a mischievous smile.
"And what brings you here? Don't tell me… You came to repay my father's debts?"
He lifted his eyebrows dramatically, as though utterly shocked.
Soran narrowed her eyes."Your… father? Oh! Is that what you think? You mean, you're the son of....."
"Well…" He shrugged casually. "You told me you couldn't afford that jade bracelet, so naturally I wondered if you decided to sell yourself to this household instead."
Soran's mouth fell open in pure outrage.
"How rude!"
"And is it wrong?" he teased.
Soran crossed her arms, straightened her posture, and raised her chin as regally as she could manage. But his playful gaze traveled, accidentally, to the part of her chest that rose with the motion.She noticed.Then jolted in embarrassment, hunching her shoulders instinctively.
"I'm not here to repay any debt with money," she snapped.
"Oh? Is that so?"
His smile slowly faded as he sensed the shift in her tone.
"I came… to settle things another way."
Silence settled again, this time softer, tinged with something like regret.
"You came here to work… didn't you?"His voice lowered. His shoulders did too.
"Yes," she admitted quietly. "It's the truth."
He nodded slowly."In that case… I suppose you should go and begin your duties."
There was no teasing in his tone now, only quiet sympathy, hidden beneath his calm exterior.
"That's true," she said with a small bow, though a playful spark still lingered faintly in her eyes."Here I am, wandering around and talking to strangers. Instead of looking for a bucket or a broom. If anyone sees me, they might think I got lost on purpose."
He couldn't hold back a soft laugh."You do have a talent for making striking entrances."
"And you seem to appear every time I fall," she shot back, brushing past him with a teasing smile.
He turned as if to say something more.....But the moment slipped away too quickly.
Soran was already walking off, her skirt swaying with each step.Her figure grew smaller and smaller as she disappeared down the path.
"…Ah."
His hand lingered mid-air, as if trying to stop time for just one heartbeat.
The young man let out a slow, quiet sigh before slipping his hand into his sleeve.
He pulled out the jade bracelet.
Delicate. Unfinished.The one thing that had brought them together.
He studied it for a moment before tucking it back into his sleeve with a murmur.
"Good grief… I imagined that going far more gracefully."