Portrait of a Swallow

Azurite

10 months prior

Her hands shook, the porcelain pitcher in her hand oscillating back and forth as she futilely tried to remain still. She was plump, short and pale, the light blue fabric of her pleated skirt matching the vast sky, the heat in the studio causing her to sweat. Jeong Hyeok was concentrated on his work, dipping his brush into the deep azurite to highlight the girl's silhouette. He heard her take in a deep shaky breath, obviously spent from holding the pitcher for the past three hours, with no end in sight. Tearing away his gaze from the canvas in front of him, he notices the reddish tinge that has started to bloom across the girl's face, the pale sheen of sweat that has glazed over her features.

Setting down his palette, in three long strides, he approaches the girl, gently taking the pitcher from her hands.

"Why don't you take a break," he says his almond eyes regarding the young girl kindly, his large palms cradling the pitcher.

Bowing quickly, the young girl expels a breath she had been holding too long, before wiping her sweaty palms along the pleats of her skirt. He cringes slightly, knowing that he dampness from her hands has ruined the pigment of her dress, the light blue fabric staining into a deeper aquamarine. He holds back a response though, the meticulous painter that he is, knowing that the girl is doing her best to stay still.

He doesn't talk much, save for small instructions to turn left, chin up, and so on and so forth, so the young girl feels under further scrutiny, the close proximity of the handsome painter dizzying her, the smell of his perspiration filling her nostrils and causing a deeper blush to manifest on her cheeks. He catches her reaction, though unaware of his effect on her, and quickly hands her back the pitcher before settling down in his stool and focusing once again on his canvas.

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Yoon Seri awoke in her small cottage like she did every day, laying on the straw bed, staring at the patterns in the ceiling, the intricate blending of thatching on the roof, the different shades of browns and yellows that melded seamlessly against one another. As the light began to filter in through her window, she saw the changes the colors underwent, the highlights and shadows of the handiwork coming into the forefront.

She was beginning her first day at the Ri's home. Known as a famous painter who lived in the countryside, the elusive painter flaunted an air of mystery around him, a reclusive persona that hid behind his masterpieces. She had never had a penchant for the arts, her sole focus on providing for her and her father, Yoon Jeungpyeong, but her curiosity regarding his work was piqued. She was born to family of artists, her father making pottery, whereas her mother would help with the glazing process. However, after an accident in which the kiln exploded, her father was left blinded, his work forgotten, leaving Yoon Seri to provide for the whole of their family.

Getting up from her straw mat, she puts on a simple muslin dress, the tan fabric devoid of any pigment, traditional for her social status. She makes her way to the lavatory, where she washes her face, and tries to catch a glimpse of herself in the dirtied mirror, but it is for naught, for the flecks of dust and soot had weathered it, her image distorted in the reflective lens. She wondered at times, how she looked, for she had barely been able to assess her appearance, save for the glimpses she would catch of herself through the ripples of the lake creating a pattern around her face, her features askew from the waves undulating softly around it. Banishing the thought from her mind, she sets out to the kitchen to find her father who is still sleeping. She presses a small kiss to her father's forehead before setting off afoot to the Ri's home, praying that this job gives her family the financial security they need.