𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐤 ᵐʸᵍ

Chapter 23

(chapter not revised!)

Y/N's Pov:

It's quiet in the dining hall of the house, where sunlight streams through ornate windows, casting patterns of light and shadow on the elegant furnishings, as I sit alone at the long, polished table.

Before me is a plate of delicious prepared food, steam still coming out of it making it seem inviting, yet my appetite is as absent as the mansion's owner.

As I listlessly move my fork over the plate, I manage to hear the sound of soft footsteps approaching. Footsteps that now are the instrumental of my daily routine.

Chae-Won, the housemaid, enters the grand dining hall engrossed in conversation on her phone, the device cradled between her shoulder and ear as she speaks animatedly in her korean dialect language.

It's a common sight; Chae-Won often talks to her family back home during her work: "a small comfort in her busy day" she calls it.

As she moves around the room, she begins to tidy up, straightening the ornate centerpieces and fluffing the silk cushions on the chairs with practiced ease. Her routine then leads her to clean the large table, except the side where I'm sitting at the moment.

While Chae-Won busies herself with the phone call and cleaning, I watch her from my place at the table, a faint smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

It's a familiar scene, one that unfolds with comforting regularity: Chae-Won is used to multitasking with the ease the ability of balancing personal connections with professional duties.

Her lively chatter, even though I understand none of it, fills the dining hall with a sense of warmth, a stark contrast to the quiet emptiness that usually permeates the mansion.

After a few moments, once the conversation on the phone comes to an end with a promise to call again soon, Chae-Won hangs up and tucks away her phone.
Her gaze sweeps around the room as her attention fully returns to the room before she looks at me.

She smiles at me and resumes cleaning as she hums happily.

But I know better than anyone that she's hiding something.

"Why do you look so happy?" I ask as I look at her with an amused smile.

She looks at me confused before answering.

"Me? Nothing Miss Y/N" she says dismissively as her voice is edged with happiness.

That's when she notices me sitting at the table with a plate before me barely touched.

The sudden transition in her demeanor is swift; the light, familial warmth fades into concern and mockery as she approaches me, her previous amusement at speaking with her family replaced by a focused attention on me and my well-being.

Her eyes, always observant, immediately note the untouched food on my plate.

"Miss Y/N," Chae-Won begins, her voice a blend of concern and a hint of mocking amusement, "I can't help but notice that you've been eating less and less these days. It's not like you to neglect your meals."

I look at her silently, meeting her attentive gaze. There is truth in the housemaid's words, yet I struggle to explain the lack of hunger that has become my constant companion. "I know, Chae-Won... It's just that I haven't been feeling very hungry lately," I reply, my voice barely above a whisper as I force a smile.