The Queen's Maid

twenty-one

My feet stung the entire journey back to the palace. The paved roads were scorching hot, while the grass was rough and uneven. It was uncomfortable no matter where I walked.

I tightened my clutches on the toy bear. Its softness against my arms was a small respite from the rough blisters on my feet.

Despite avoiding the main roads of the palace, I was still unfortunate enough to bump into someone—a woman who stopped me by grabbing my shoulders with both her hands. Blinking, I looked up and found myself staring into a pair of dark, glittering eyes. Above the curled lashes, a faint pink colored the eyelids.

I blinked a few more times before noticing her formal regalia. She was royal. I lowered into a bow.

"Y- Your... Ladyship," I muttered. I did not know who she was, but I guessed that she might be a concubine for being this beautiful.

"Look at you, running around with no shoes on. Why don't you have shoes on?"

The voice—honeyed and high-pitched—sent a shiver down my spine. And instantly, I realized who she was.

The Bin Concubine.

The Bin Concubine.

My body stiffened and my blood ran cold. Why was she here?

"And I see you went out on a shopping trip." Her eyes flickered down to the bear against my chest. "You should have sold that to get some shoes for yourself, although I cannot imagine this silly thing selling for much."

"It's not silly," I blurted. The Concubine's brows twitched, and I quickly added, "Your Ladyship."

"If you insist. Well, it's good that you were still able to leave the palace for a bit. After all, every maid needs a break once in a while. Seul-Na goes out rather frequently, don't you?"

I jerked my head to the side. Indeed, my sister was quietly standing at an arm's length away from the Bin Concubine.

"Yes, Your Ladyship," Seul-Na said, pressing her lips into a strained smile. "Hello, Unni."

I barely managed a nod. I had not seen her in days, and I would have never imagined our next meeting to be like this.

Then again, the last time I saw her was when I was on the ground, sobbing and bleeding. Our lives were becoming stranger by the day.

"Oh, that's right," the Concubine chirped, "you are Seul-Na's sister. The Queen's maid. I remember you now."

She grinned at me. Her smile was so radiant, almost as bright as the summer afternoon. The hairpin holding up her braided bun had the most elaborate design I had ever seen.

She really was pretty.

"Seul-Ki, right?" the Concubine continued. "Do you want to join us for tea? I'd like to get to know more about Seul-Na's favorite sister."

I frowned. That was a weird statement—I was Seul-Na's only sister. But the weirder part was the invitation. Tea with the Concubine? Could I even reject the offer? And if I did, would she complain about me again? My cheeks seared at the thought. I did not want another punishment.

Gulping, I did what I thought was the best course of action. "Yes, Your Ladyship."

She nodded, pleased. "Come along."

I followed them into a part of the palace I was not familiar with. Every step was a sharp stab to my bare sole, and I clung onto the toy bear as if it could extract the pain away.

The Bin Concubine's quarters were smaller than the Queen's but still enormous. Walking through the hallways, we passed by dozens of servants actively brushing the furniture and wiping the floors. They turned and bowed, keeping their bows for so long that they seemed to be also bowing at me as I trailed after the Concubine.