The Handmaiden - Jensoo

Chapter 4

(Flashback continued)

"B... b... beautiful!" 

It had been a few days since the deal began. In her old family home, the Count taught Jisoo how to act naive, skills that would help her become Jennie's handmaiden. 

"I... I... I'm utterly speechless in your presence!" The Count acted, using a stutter to emphasise his point. He acted starstruck as Jisoo watched him go red in the face and his eyes rolling dramatically in his head, breath coming out in short pants. "If you stutter like that and make your face go red," Jisoo put her hands on her hips and tilted her head with a pained expression, "those uppity bitches will feel superior, and they'll open up to you, all right?" He gestured to her with his hand as he asked. 

Jisoo folded her arms tightly against her chest defensively, twisting her mouth hesitantly at his words. 

"Now, how to make your face go red. Listen carefully. Breathe in, pull in your stomach, pull your chin down and tighten your butthole," Jisoo frowned deeply in disgust, yet allowed the Count to continue, "then hold your breath and swallow your saliva ten times. Get it?"

Jisoo sighed in defeat as she let her arms fall to her sides. The Count pushed, pleading for her to follow and trust his strange instructions.

"Let's try it."

Walking over to the counter, the Count handed Jisoo a handheld mirror and stood closely next to her to peer at himself in the mirror as well. Jisoo did what she was told, holding her breath and tensing most of her muscles. Her cheeks puffed out and her eyes squinted small, her face twitching as she struggled to hold it. Internal coughs and snorts escaped from her mouth and nose. The Count watched her in the mirror with an arched eyebrow and a serious but mocking expression. Jisoo lifted up her arms and swatted him away from her shoulder as she spluttered, gasping for air. 

***

Standing at the bottom of the stairs next to the worktable, Gugai and Boksun were forced to stand with their arms spread wide at their sides, wearing white robes that draped over their arms, reaching right down to their feet. Bored and pained expressions on their faces, arms aching painfully as they began to droop. The Count sat on the stairs, watching his little act play out through the banister.

Kutan and Jisoo were no exceptions, as they were also forced to hold robes on each arm, acting out how they would play the role of the handmaiden.

"Would you like to wear a navy kimono with white peonies," Kutan began in Japanese, acquiring a faux friendly tone of voice, dramatically pointing to the fabric on her arm, "or a black kimono with cranes?" She asked with a wide smile. 

Jisoo, however, was the complete opposite. Making sure the Count knew she wasn't happy about his acting scheme, she put no effort into being friendly and approachable. "Would you like to wear a caterpillar patterned poop colour," she mumbled, mocking and lazily, "or a poop patterned caterpillar colour?"

The Count's deep voice sounded from the back of the room, "Don't ask! If you ask a question, she'll start to think." He tumbled down the stairs with vigour, pointing his finger accusingly at the girls, "You think, and she doesn't. That's how you control the Miss. All right?"

Jisoo happily dropped the ugly fabrics to the floor. "All right."

***