When Seulgi met Gentleman again, the man was alone and disgruntled.

Smoking his cigarette rather impatiently outside the library, Seulgi could only assume that his attempt to approach Joohyun today wasn’t successful.

She took in a breath of relief knowing that Joohyun had managed to avoid him just like how she asked. She passed Gentleman a look and inclined her head to the empty study room they had talked in before.

He picked her cue and stomped on his cigarette before following her.

“What?” He barked irately once they were inside. “I’ve had a bad day today so you better hurry.”

Seulgi tried her best to remain calm before she began. The outcome of everything would depend on how well this conversation rolled out.

“Joohyun told me yesterday that she wasn’t ready for marriage yet. She said she couldn’t run off with anyone and leave her father behind without permission. She’s scared of him.”

Gentleman gave her a strange look.

“Well, do you think that I don’t know that?” He retorted. “I saw that coming from miles away, Seulgi. She’s a big wimp, of course she will say that. That’s why I put you here. It’s your job to convince her when she hesitates.” He looked even more angered. “Have you been doing your job?”

The sharp gaze falling on her had her afraid that he might be able to see through her lies.

“I did, of course. But she is still fretting, you see. She’s too much of a scaredy cat.”

Gentleman drew back slightly and looked distasteful. “Then it means you are not doing your job well enough. Try harder, Seulgi. I know you didn’t try hard enough. Don’t even try to tell me that you did because I know that you didn’t.”

He stalked closer again and bent down so he could be on eye-level with her, his voice low but threatening. “I thought I’ve told you to get your thoughts together and do the right thing, Seulgi. Have you forgotten that I can take out your family at any time?”

Seulgi swallowed and her whole demeanor stiffened.

“I remember, of course. But as I said, I have tried to persuade her but she just wouldn’t listen. Maybe you were right that I’m just a poor, dirty servant to her who means nothing. Turns out, she doesn’t value my opinion as much as we hope for.”

At this, Gentleman’s jaw flexed hardly and Seulgi knew that she had hit the right, rational spot. She grabbed the chance and pursued.

“How about we just --“ She trailed, managing her words carefully as her heart pounded in her chest. “Forget all of these and stop? It doesn’t look like it’s going to work. She’s too fearful to do anything against her father. Even if she wants to.”

Gentleman eyed her critically.

It felt like eternity before he turned away and punched the wall behind him with an angry curse. Seulgi flinched back slightly.

When she thought that he would finally give up, Gentleman crushed her hope with the words she wanted to hear the least.

“I can’t stop now.” He growled, whirling back to face her again with determined eyes. “I’ve come too far to back down. I don’t care how it is but I will make sure that she goes with me. I will even go at her room at night and drag her out myself, defile her if I have to, just so she will have no way but to marry me.”

Seulgi stared at him in disbelief, disgust and anger raking her. “Can’t you just leave her alone?”

Gentleman’s jaw locked and the next second, Seulgi found herself backed against a wall with a harsh snarl.

“Not this again, Seulgi. I have had enough headache. You try this one more time and see what I will do. One message to my men, and all your little girls at the shack will be wiped out. I don’t have time for your faltering bull.”

Seulgi knew that the conversation had ended then.

There was no hope left for her.

“I will give you three days to convince her, Seulgi. Make sure you do well because it’s either her,” He leaned forward, teeth baring, “or your family that gets mauled. You pick.”

With that he whirled around and left Seulgi alone.

Miserable and out of choice.

-----------------------------------------

“Seulgi? Seulgi, are you there?”

Joohyun’s hand landed on her shoulder and it startled her. The messy webs of thoughts in her head dissipated into thin smokes.

“Y-yes?” She croaked back slowly.

“You look so out of it.” Joohyun moved closer to her, assessing her with concerned looks. “Is there something wrong?”

“No. Nothing.” Seulgi lied and gave her a quick smile, turning her away to undo her corset as an effort to avoid her eyes. “Just spacing out. I’m sorry.”

Joohyun’s eyebrows knotted together and she turned around to catch Seulgi by wrist. It stopped her from her job. “Are you tired?”

Seulgi found that it would be easier to blame weariness instead of thousands other thoughts occupying her mind.

“Yeah, I think. Just a little.”

Joohyun looked thoughtful before she pulled Seulgi along and seated her on her bed. “Turn around.” She ordered softly.

“Oh, why?”

“Just turn around.” She repeated, smiling as she wheeled Seulgi around so she could face her back. Her warm hands found Seulgi’s shoulders and Seulgi realized that she was trying to give her a massage. A small smile escaped her.

“I figured that I never did anything for you before.” Joohyun admitted, blushing slightly. “It was always you who served me and did things for me. I should try this once.”

Seulgi hummed and closed her eyes as she savored the heavenly sensation on her back. The relaxing effect of the massage slowly took over her. “It was only the right thing to do. I was your maid. I still am.”

Joohyun gave her a light pinch on her back. “Not when we are alone.”

She continued kneading Seulgi's tense muscles silently until they all grew loose.

Joohyun realized that Seulgi felt soft but hard at the same time under her fingertips. She wondered what kind of life she led outside before meeting her.

What kind of job did she do?

Was it rough?

Is that why her hands, with touches so gentle and loving, are so calloused at the same time?

What is her family like?

Seulgi never talked to her about those things and the curiosity made the question slip from her lips before she could stop. “Do you think we can go outside one day? To your family and people?”

Seulgi tensed noticeably under her palms, and Joohyun thought that she had asked the wrong question. She was ready to take it back when Seulgi turned to face her, forcing a smile.

“I don’t know if you will like it outside.” She said quietly, taking a long time to form her words. “It’s not pretty outside. It’s probably far from what you think. Things can get really awful and gruesome.”

Her gaze dropped to the bruise on Joohyun’s right chest where she had kissed her slightly harder before and her expression fell.

“I don’t know if we can make it outside.”

And it was true.

For Seulgi had been storming in her head all day long thinking about ways to escape this place with Joohyun and living on their own outside, but it all came to the same shattering result.

They couldn’t.

Joohyun wouldn’t make it outside. Not when a simple kiss bruised her so badly. Not when the slightest noise made her jump so fearfully. She was too sheltered, too kept. Like a clean milk that was bound to be spoiled once taken outside.

And most of all, where would she take Joohyun to? To her family? What would they say about her bringing home a Japanese -- a woman, on top of that -- she was supposed to rob from? How would they accept Joohyun when they could barely feed themselves?

And what would Gentleman do if he knew? They would all be wiped out, and at the end, he would still seize Joohyun.

Seulgi’s head rammed achingly again and she drew her gaze away from Joohyun.

Joohyun must have seen the thin layer of tears welling in her eyes because she cupped her face with worried look.

“Seulgi,” She called, angling Seulgi’s face to look at her but in doing so, only spurred the tears behind Seulgi’s lids to spill faster. “There’s something wrong. There’s something wrong and you are not telling me.” She coaxed softly. “What is it? You can tell me.“

Seulgi in a breath, wet and thick because of her tears. “Nothing. I just wish that we have met under different circumstances. I wish that we haven't met in this dire situation and that we have better chances to be together.”

She wiped at her eyes with her hand and tried to look away, but Joohyun wrapped her arms around her and pulled her into a warm hug. She let Seulgi sink against her for comfort and consolation.

She didn’t understand of course, about the turmoil in Seulgi’s head. She only thought that everything was troubled because they were both girls. Seulgi couldn’t bring herself to mouth the truth.

She let Joohyun hold her close to her heart and  her back, kissing the top of her head repeatedly as if trying to ward away some of her pain.

But Seulgi knew that it would never go away.

Because finally she was forced to make her choice.

A choice she would resent to the day of her death.

----------------------------------------------

“So have you made your decision?”

Gentleman lighted his cigarette, leaning against the wall indifferently as Seulgi gazed at him hardly.

His eyes twinkled amusedly when she mouthed her decision with struggles as if there were thorns pricking at .

“Tomorrow night. She’ll be ready for you to take tomorrow night. Make sure you wait in North Forest with a carrier after midnight.”

She locked her gaze with him, and his lips finally tugged up into satisfied, evil grin.

“Well, well, that’s how you make your choice, Seulgi. Family over some random girl. Make sure nothing goes wrong tomorrow.”

Seulgi nodded, pain bursting and whirling in her chest. “I will bring her to you myself.”

--------------------------------------

“Seulgi, you know you don’t have to do this anymore.” Joohyun protested, frowning upon the mirror as Seulgi continued to brush her hair and pinned it into its neat net of velvet.

“I told you I would try to take care of myself from now on and you don’t have to do everything for me anymore.” She balked. “You are not my servant.”

“I know, I know.” Seulgi sighed, smiling as she put on the last pin to secure the dark tresses. “I just want to do it. I want to take care of you wholly today, just like my first day.”

Joohyun wanted to say that she was behaving oddly, but Seulgi had been looking so off and sad lately, she didn’t have the heart to argue with her.

She relented with a sigh.

“All done and pretty.” Seulgi finished her hairdo and looked at the mirror proudly. Joohyun had to give her credit because she did seem to understand what would suit her best. She looked radiant.

They had their breakfast then, clear soup without a piece of chicken, and Joohyun asked her out of sheer amusement. “Did you really go to the Cooks before and tell them to exclude chicken from all of my meals?”

Seulgi looked up from her plate and smiled. “Why, yes. I can’t have you growing thinner day by day just because you have irrational hate for chicken.”

Joohyun shook her head in mirth. “You were the first one who thought of doing that. My previous maids never bothered before.”

She inched forward on her seat and put her dreamy face in her hands. “When did you start caring for me...this way?”

Seulgi let out a small chuckle. “Uh...I guess it was during the night when you screamed about murder in your bedroom.”

Joohyun shivered slightly at the memory and made a face. “Oh that. That was a strangely vivid nightmare. I’m sure I saw something move in the corner.”

“You did. There was actually something in there. I just didn’t tell you.”

Joohyun’s eyes widened and Seulgi supressed a laugh at her horrified looks.

“Seriously? What are you --“

“It was your crinoline. I jammed it into your wardrobe messily and it poked out. Hence, the white, gleaming thing in the dark.”

Joohyun’s expression was priceless as Seulgi let her laughter break out.

“Wow.” Joohyun muttered slowly, blinking at the revelation and Seulgi had to give her credit for not leaping off her seat to smack her or throw her napkin. The proper lady upbringing in her must be so strong that she remained poised on her seat and only threw her a glare. Seulgi chortled.

“You are one mean girl.”

“I am. I’m sorry.” She toned down her laughter, still smiling. “But if it makes you feel better, it freaked me out too. I nearly peed myself.”

Joohyun kept her reprimanding looks but the smile forming on her lips betrayed her. “Why that night though?”

Seulgi looked skyward and mused, “Because that night, I was supposed to deny your plea to stay with you and went back to my room. Cuddling was not on my job-list as a maid. But I still did it anyway because I didn’t like the idea of you being frightened alone. It was weird, that feeling.”

Joohyun’s lips curled up and she reached a hand to cover Seulgi’s hand across the table. “That’s very sweet of you. I will consider forgiving your crinoline crime.”

Seulgi laughed, and though her heart ached with every laughter they shared because she knew that it would be their last, she felt genuinely happy that she had known Joohyun in her life.

She looked down to her plate before her laughter turned into tears.

“Ah, it’s the bell! Time to go to father.” Joohyun looked alarmed, still in slightly frantic state whenever she remembered the old man. “I guess I have to go now. You will pick me up later at one so Gentleman wouldn’t scoop me, will you?”

Seulgi in a breath, blinking her tears away. “I will. I will see you at one.”

“I love you.” Joohyun leaned in, slanting across the table to press a warm, lingering kiss on . Her breath was as sweet as her tender smile. “Bye, Seulgi.”

“Bye. I love you too.”

Joohyun rushed out of the room and with that, Seulgi was left all alone.

Dwelling with her battered thoughts and apology.

------------------------------

The night came way too fast.

Seulgi’s heart shrank with each passing second as she stared at the dark sky outside, feeling like death was quickly approaching her.

Joohyun was lingering in front of her mirror, trying to take off her hairpins by herself while Seulgi kept her back her. Her hands clutched tightly around a small vial of sleeping drops she had gotten from Gentleman.

Her nervousness was shooting through the roof. She jerked slightly when Joohyun called her. “Wow, I managed to take down all the wretched pins alone. That was a first.”

Seulgi forced an anxious smile, sliding the vial into her pocket. She carried the water glass she had held since earlier to Joohyun.

“You did well.” She said quickly, fidgeting.

Joohyun regarded her curiously. “What’s that look on your face?”

“What look?”

“That look like you are about to commit crime and afraid of getting caught.”

Seulgi froze on her spot and Joohyun broke into small laugh. “Kidding. You just look really tense, that’s why.”

She reached for the glass in Seulgi’s hand but Seulgi retracted at the last second.

“Joohyun,” She strained, struggling to speak properly because clenched. Joohyun looked at her with confusion.

“I love you.” She said almost desperately, all breathless and strangled. Her eyes glistened with pain and apology. “I love you. When things go rough one day and you feel like you hate me or doubt me, please remember that I really do love you.”

Joohyun laughed slowly at her random declaration, and as if sensing her anxiety, went up on her toes to slid a hand around her nape and pulled her down into a warm kiss.

Seulgi screwed her eyes shut to keep the tears at bay and tried to etch every bits of this last kiss in her memory.

For a moment, her heart rattled with agony so strong, she considered abandoning everything altogether.

Joohyun pulled away, slightly breathless from their kiss, and stared up at her with the same twinkle in her eyes that Seulgi had always loved.

“I love you too, Seulgi." She spoke in the voice that Seulgi would probably never hear again. "You don’t have to worry about anything.”

She took the glass from Seulgi and Seulgi whirled around as tears finally streamed down her face, breath catching painfully in .

And then Joohyun slept.

Never to wake up with her again.

-------------------------------------

It was dark.

The world outside the mansion, devoid of any artifical light, was pitch-black save for the dim moonlight glowing faintly upon the grass, weak as if it was dying along with Seulgi’s heart.

Seulgi dragged her steps, heavy with a big black sack nestling on her back. The cold air pricked her skin like needles and the wild branches grazed against her skin as she made her way through the forest.

At the end of all darkness, she saw Gentleman waiting with his cigarette lit up like usual, white smokes slithering around him.

She stopped, lay the heavy black sack on the ground, and stared at him.

“Couldn’t you be any faster? I was about to freeze to death.” He grunted and shoved closer to her. Seulgi stayed perfectly still.

“Did you bring her?”

Seulgi swallowed, totally wordless as she inclined her head to the large sack near her feet. Gentleman grinned wickedly from ear to ear like a pleasured demon.

“That’s it. You made the right choice, Seulgi. Now help me take her out of here, will you?”

He bent down to grab the sack, and Seulgi closed her eyes as she reached a hand behind her back.

Praying to receive forgiveness from Joohyun.

-------------------------------------

Joohyun jerked up from thick darkness with sharp, acute sense of loss.

She sat up taller and felt her head swim with vertigo, groaning as she clutched at her pounding head.

She tried to take in the unfamiliar sight around her.

She was in her room, on her bed, and she noticed that it only felt unfamiliar because Seulgi wasn’t there.

And also, because the sun had risen way too far.

It was off.

“Seulgi?” She called.

There was no answer and only haunting silence bounced back at her.

She swayed to stand on her feet, shuffling slowly to Seulgi’s room.

Her brow creased when she pushed the door open but didn't find the taller girl.

It was way past their wake-up time and there was no way on earth Seulgi would walk outside without waking her up. She was always fussy about Joohyun getting in late at her father's library.

She thought of calling a servant when a small envelope lying forlornly on Seulgi’s table caught her attention.

She reached for it and flicked it open. It was a lone letter scribbled in Seulgi’s handwriting. Her heart beat uncomfortably.

Dear Joohyun,

I’m sorry that I have to speak to you for the last time like this.

I’m not good at writing and I’m not sure I will be able to convey everything I want to say properly, but I feel like this is the least I can do for you before I depart.

You deserve to know every little truth I wasn’t able to tell you before I left.

First of all, I want you to know that I love you. I know that I have told you this before, but just in case it gets harder for you to believe as you learn unpleasant news in near future...please just know that I really do love you with every little pieces of me.

The last three months with you in the mansion was the happiest time of my life.

It was weird. I expected to hate the mansion. It was so gloomy and dark. But somehow, you made it more than bearable. You made it feel like home to me. You made me so happy, sometimes I forgot about the world outside and thought of them as the stage. We were the reality.

I didn’t come with the best intention, Joohyun. I didn’t start with you with the best intention... How I wish I can rewind.

But then, if I didn’t start the way I did, I would probably never meet you, hidden so far away from the rest of the world in here.

I guess heaven is playing with me for trying to be wicked.

I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to do something I felt so unsettled about... My friend tried to warn me about it. But as always, I seemed to always make the wrong decision...

The writing stopped momentarily with a messy scrawl, and Joohyun’s hands trembled. The paper crumpled under her strong grip.

Now, for once, I hope I’m making the right decision.

And Joohyun, I know that I have no right to say this after leaving you without words and everything, but I wish we can meet again one day under better circumstances.

By then, if you still love me, if you don’t hate me enough, I will start everything over with you differently. Rightfully this time.

But if you hate me...that’s okay too, because I deserve it.

I’m sorry to ever think of playing with your life, Joohyun.

I’m sorry for lying, and I’m sorry for being such a coward and leaving you with only this letter.

I will wait for a lifetime if it has to be, for you to forgive me.

I love you with all of me.

I think I will always do that no matter what.

With love,

Seulgi.

There was a loud knock on her door and it was only then that Joohyun realized she had been holding her breath. She in a breath deeply and wiped at her eyes frantically with her shaky hand.

A servant screamed from outside. “Miss! Miss Joohyun! Lord Hashimoto wants to see you!”

When she tried to steady her breath, she heard her again. “He said Gentleman is dead!”

--------------------------------

“He’s murdered.” Lord Hashimoto said darkly, gripping his cane with more force than usual as he pranced in his library. “And it happened on the same night as your maid’s sudden departure. Do you have any idea?”

Joohyun didn’t. And in fact, she couldn’t even think of how the two things might relate. Her head was haywire.

“The police are saying that it's an insider.” Her father grunted, displeased at the commotion happening in his yard. A bunch of Japanese policemen were sorting the area. “It could be your maid.”

“That’s impossible.” Joohyun replied, her voice shaky. There was so much going on in her head but nothing seemed to make sense. “There was no way on earth Seulgi would do something like that.”

Lord Hashimoto growled. “Gentleman clearly didn’t stand around in thick, dark forest at midnight without any rea