Thief of Twilight

Part One: Chapter 6

It took about four days for the discoloration on my ankle to disappear. After that, it took another three days before I could properly walk again. Most of the time, I would limp to and from the bathroom. It wasn't until the following day that Lady Shin returned to the palace that I was able to walk properly. Lady Shin happily presented dozens of blouses, skirts, and robes to me. I wasn't expecting this many. I thought I was only going to receive a handful to get started. I had an assortment of both long and short-sleeved blouses with matching skirts. All of the skirts were long keeping my feet hidden. I was happy that the skirts weren't too puffy with a birdcage effect. I would say about half of the skirts were solid colors while the other half had a design along the waist that was a shade or two lighter or darker.

"Do you like them?" she asked.

"Yes! Thank you so much!" I marveled at the patterns. I couldn't believe how beautiful the designs were.

"Oh! And I almost forgot!" Lady Shin clapped her hands together. The men behind her pulled open a wooden case from inside of the chest that she brought with her.

"What is it?" I asked.

The men set the wooden case in front of me.

"These are for you." she said. "My gift to you, Lady Abedayo."

"...A gift?" I've never received a gift before.

"Go on! Open it!" Lady Shin beamed. "Open it! Open it!"

I carefully opened the wooden case. Inside were three robes. One was indigo with white circles and trim, another was soft green with silver flowers, and the third was white with dark purple along the collar and the end of the sleeves. I held up the white robe and noticed that the purple was more of a berry purple.

"Do you like it?"

I didn't know what to say. "...I..." I held the robe to my chest. "...Thank...you..." I don't deserve this.

"I'm glad that you like it! These are not ceremonial robes so you can wear them every day. The one in your hand is the shortest. It will go down to the middle of your legs. The other two are pretty long. If they are too long please tell me and I will make the necessary adjustments."

"I don't think that will be necessary." I took the indigo robe and held it up. The material was so soft and lightweight.

"These robes are appropriate for the spring and summer months. You can also wear them in the winter but you will have to put on a much heavier robe on top. If you would like, I can make a robe for the winter months. Do you prefer wold pelts or-."

"I'll think about it." I smiled. I don't plan on staying here for too long. I can't afford to become attached.

"Are you sure? It wouldn't be a problem at all. You have a very nice figure. Creating robes and skirts for you won't be-."

I began folding the robes in my lap.

"Oh...well, if you change your mind please send Tae-sung to my shop." she smiled warmly.

"Tae-sung? Are you two close?" she mentions him quite a bit.

"N-No..." she laughed. "But...he and my brother are very close."

"...Oh..." I didn't know that she had a brother. "Is he older or younger?"

"We are twins." she smiled. "But I am a few minutes older than him. But enough about him. Let me help you with your new clothes. Did you bathe yet? If not, I can call for a servant to help you."

"Oh no, I've already bathed. But I could use your help in figuring out how to wear these." I slowly stood up holding the folded robes to my chest. "I've never worn...this before..." Seong-ja followed me behind the vanity screen with a soft pink skirt and a white blouse. The blouse wrapped around my torso like a robe and went just past my butt. There were two slits on the sides, one on both sides of my hips. The blouse was tied just over my left hip. The sleeves fell just past my elbows. The skirt was pretty easy to get into. I stepped into the skirt and pulled it up to the middle of my waist just below my bottom rib. The skirt is tied in the back with a simple string that was tucked into the back of my skirt. As for the belt, it was simple enough. It was a dark pink belt with a simple clasp in the back that was hidden once it hooked together.