The Handmaiden (Ryeji)

Chapter I

Rain was pouring. The laughter of children could be heard in the background. Baekseok was a quiet village, where modest, uneducated people would live. Every family was content with their belongings and never wished for more. Of course, every village of this kind has its black sheep.

Ryujins pov

"Shh shh.."

God, this baby won't stop crying. I think the rain is too loud for him. And his screaming is too loud for ME. I can't wait to get out of this place. If I keep doing this, I will most probably go insa-

"Ryujin!" 

Why the fuck is she screaming so loud? The neighbours will complain again. If she would jus-

"RYUJIN!!"

"COMING!" It better be important.

I enter the house. The house I was raised in. Not born though. I'm an orphan. Miss Boksun found me in front of her door when I was just a baby. It's true, she wasn't the ideal mom a child should have. She didn't send me to school. Anyway, school is for  dumb and rich people that live in big houses where you need a map and a compass to find the bathroom. I learnt things that will help me in life, for example: pickpocketing. Or distinguishing counterfeit money from real money. I learned all these at a really young age and I'm grateful I did. Yuna, Miss' Boksun daughter, taught me how to take care of babies. She taught me a really important thing about them, how to make them shut up. Miss Boksun makes a drink out of all types of herbs. She calls it Huchu  for some reason. One spoonful and it can make any baby stop crying. 

"Get me a cup of coffee. Now." 

I enter the kitchen and see him. I quickly bow and look at him as he sat down and put his feet on the table. He is a... friend  of Miss Boksun. Kim Daejung. He often comes to our house to give us different job offers. Every time he enters this house, you can see he feels superior to us, a bunch of 'useless women'. That's what he always says.

"Thank you," he nonchalantly said. "Today I have a story for you all." 

Miss Boksun and Yuna stopped what they were doing. We all sat down at the table to listen to him.

"A story about a man. A Korean man who loved books. He especially liked writing them. He had his own special genre. But the Korean people didn't like his books, so he decided to go to Japan. He quickly became known for his books and started giving lectures at his big, fancy house. He then got married to a Japanese woman that hanged herself for... unknown reasons. She had a sister that had a daughter. Hwang Yeji."

Yuna gasped. "I heard about her. They say she's really pretty. How pretty do you think she is? I think she's REALLY pretty." 

She suddenly stops talking and just zones out.

Daejung looked at her confused and shook his head and continued his story.

"Now, pay attention. This is the important part. The daughter got all her mother's and aunt's heritage. Imagine how much fortune that woman has. And for a stupid, useless woman, that must be hard, you know?"

I sighed in anger. No, I don't. What does he even want? Did he just come here to tell us this unbelievable boring story? Because if that's the case, he can leave.

He got up and came behind my back. He then put his hands on my shoulders. 

"Now this is where you come in handy."

I look up to him and raise my eyebrow

"You're going to go to her house and act as her handmaiden. You're going to gain her trust and then make her fall in love with me. We will then get married and right after that i will declare her insane and send her to an asylum so that i can have all her fortune for myself."

I burst out laughing

"What are you, crazy? How the fuck are YOU going to make some beautiful girl fall in love with you? This is the worst plan I have ev-"

"You didn't let me finish."

He walks in front of the table so that we can properly see him

"I will be Count Fujiwara. A sophisticated and smart Japanese man looking for a wife."

Yuna jumped out of her seat and said in a loud voice:

"I want to go! I can go! My Japanese improved a lot these days! Please, let me go!"

I didn't really have anything against that. It's true, I would be able to leave this place, but only for a while, so it's not really worth it.

"Hmm... No. Ryujin, has to go. I will also pay you 50.000 yen after i get married with Hwang Yeji."

My eyes sparkled. I look at him with a smirk

"Make it 100.000," I said.

He sighed

"Okay, deal. You leave tonight."

Yuna grunted and left the room.

I'm in my bed laying on my back, thinking about the days I will spend as someone's handmaiden. I wonder how big the house is. Or how friendly the other maids will be. How pretty Yeji is. I mean I don't care, really. It's just that Yuna made me curious, that's all.

I'm really nervous. What if she doesn't fall in love with Daejung? I wouldn't blame her. He is a horrible man. You have to be really naive to fall into his trap. 

I rub my forehead with my fingers and get up.

I start to pack up some of my things.

My mind is overwhelmed with so many thoughts, my head starts to hurt.

How pretty is she, though?