The Love They Never Had: The Nam Mansion

Chapter 11: Dul (2)

"Do not worry, My Lady, I can promise you that the Young Mistress is not a threat to you in any way. She is just an epileptic orphan with no backing, even Lord Nam cannot stand her." "They are family anyways, of course she is no threat to me at all. But as for the other maid, well, it isn't too late to meet her just before the Young Master leaves, right? Bring her here so we can end her reign just as the Nam's prepare to leave." Achieving what I had in only a couple of hours was no small feat at all; only yesterday was I still a maid from a neighbouring family living on a small salary, small portions of food, thin clothing and a leaky roof with no wood logs for the winter. And in a single evening, my luck seemed to have changed overnight; I met the dashingly handsome Young Master of the Nam family who was without a doubt the most striking man I had ever come across. Of course I was aware of what had happened in his childhood just like everyone else did and that was the reason that no woman of nobility would go anywhere near him, but it was a different story for powerless maid like me who had no hope of becoming a part of the higher class even if I was gifted everything in the world, so why not settle for becoming a concubine in a powerful home. And no mater how powerful the family that I was currently serving was, there was no-one who could reach the level of Nam-Jeon who had been absolutely untouchable for years. He was feared by all and his enemies were all buried and dead before they even had a chance to stand up against him. Kim Chun-Ae had also been well known for her role as the Lord Nam's right hand woman at somebody so young, but everyone in our entire village apart from her knew that the Young Master would never go for her. He just wasn't attracted to her at all and I didn't know what grand delusions she had, but it was time for her to get over her high horse and make way for someone new and fresh into the Nam household. And I wasn't going to let anyone else have a chance at taking away what god himself had so graciously given me.

I had found the young girl with the rather unfortunate face in the back courtyard where she had been demoted once again to work with the lowliest of maids. She had a look of pure thunder on her face that only blackened when she saw me and almost mistook me for that lowly epileptic cousin of the Young Master's. That made me extremely angry, but I was different from her. I was not going to put my emotions to show without thinking twice and let my reckless behaviour dig my grave for me. But her mere existence had become a thorn in my flesh and I could not abide her if I wanted to start reigning this home for myself. I had to establish myself by the time that the Nam's had returned so I had a solid footing in this household. And as for the lowly cousin, well, I wouldn't cross her if she didn't cross me.
"You...who are you...and why are you dressed like..." "Maid, bring me the soft cushion that the Young Master bestowed upon me last night." "You..." "Yes?" "When I heard that the Young Master had taken in a maid I didn't expect..." "What? That there would be somebody younger and prettier than you who could surpass you? After your reign of terror in this village? Who haven't you angered? Humiliated? Shamed in the name of your Master? Do you even know how many live you have ruined?" "What are you talking about?" "You had my sister burnt for a mistake that she made in your presence in my master's household, you had my brother exiled with his own Young Master years ago and now you have recently beaten my mother in anger in this very household. I have been waiting for such a long time for this day and now..." "so you intend to use the Young Master for revenge? And then what? Become his concubine? His wife? Do not get carried away, because it will never happen." "I do commend that young girl in taking you down, she realised how stupid you were to let anyone get a hold of you from the moment you speak. What? What are you laughing about?" "You...do you really think that you are any different than me? Just because you have been accepted, that you have won?" "What are you talking about? Of course..." "...I had my suspicions all along, the Young Master would never take in anyone. Yeon was the first and I believed that she was the only one...until you..." "I what exactly?" "He dressed you exactly like her. You even....you hair, your shoes, you even smell just like her..." I thought she was comparing me to the Young Master's deceased mother's, so I chose to cut her off and have my servants that I was allowed to bring into this household to beat her.