Song: Bambi by BAEKHYUN

(April)

Op, op, op, op, oppa gangnam style

E, y lady

Op, op, op, op, oppa gangnam style

E, y lady

Yuna reached for her phone on her bedside table. It had been ringing since earlier.

Her eyes widened when she saw the time, plus the name of the person calling.

“Miss Choi!” she stood up from her bed instantly. She counted the number of hours she was asleep coming from her shift at the restaurant: all in all, 3 hours.

“Why aren’t you at the venue yet?” she had a demanding tone, but was whispering.

“I…I am on my way there! I am changing my clothes as we speak!”

"I told you to be at the venue at 5:30am since I can only escape at 3pm. The suppliers are already there, waiting for you. Aigoo, Miss Han.”

“I’m very sorry, Miss Choi,” she was extremely apologetic while pulling her pants up. In the process, she tripped on the denim material, making her fall down the floor.

“Are you still there? Are you okay?” Choi Dara asked on the other line.

“Yes I am, young miss!”

“Have you had any breakfast yet?” the princess asked.

She’s rushing me to go to the venue and she will ask me if I’ve had breakfast? Yuna wondered. “I’m good, Miss Choi!” she lied to her face.

“Don’t lie to me. Anyway, the car is outside your apartment to fetch you. I thought it might be faster this way as you might not be able to find the property on your own. I asked Mrs. Cho to prepare your breakfast. Load up before you start working.”

Why will she ask me if I’ve had any meal when she already knows the answer? Yuna chortled.

“What was that, Miss Han?” Dara said on the other line.

“Nothing, Miss Choi.”

She heard her boss’ wife talk to someone gently. “Yes, jagi, I’ll follow you to the bed. No, I wasn’t talking to someone, you’re imagining things.”

“I’ll see you later today!” Yuna said giddily when the woman didn’t talk anymore. She ended the call without saying goodbye.

It was Oh Sehun’s birthday that Saturday and his wife wanted to surprise him with a simple gathering at the Choi mansion in Samseong.

When Dara said that she is arranging for something simple, Yuna thought it would be dinner and a few drinks at their favorite restaurant.

But she was surprised when Dara had everything arranged from the catering, to booking Sehun’s favorite band, lighting, a mobile bar, and decorations too. She even prepared some party favors for guests to take home after the event.

And she had 100 guests, with more confirming their attendance.

It wasn’t simple at all.

Yuna and Dara’s own assistant, Ms. Jang, were involved in the coordination although it basically was the princess doing all the bookings and speaking to the suppliers herself. Yuna started admiring her more as she is extremely efficient—does she work this fast because she is a princess and she calls the shots, or simply because she’s wired that way?

Dara had tasked Yuna to man the ingress at the morning, with Ms. Jang taking care of the egress at night.

So it’s Yuna the suppliers are waiting for before they could set up.

And she needs to be there. Stat.

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Yuna was in complete shock when the car entered the narrow pathway from the guardhouse. The private road suddenly widened, revealing the Choi yangban’s lush lawn and huge estate. It was even a bit of a drive before she arrived at the cobbled driveway.

The Choi yangban’s seal was engraved at the tall doors, and there were guards who opened them for her.

“Woah…” Yuna muttered as her eyes roamed freely around the venue.

It exudes a sense of grandeur with its elaborate ceilings, large windows, and a beautiful façade. It had a classical, Victorian style, making use of nothing but premium materials—high-grade wood, superior stonework, and customized fabrics and furnishings. It smells like white tea and sage, surely fitting its residents.

From what Yuna knows, the princess grew up in that mansion, and now, her eldest brother and his family are the ones left occupying it. The rest of the Choi brothers have moved out already to their chosen Choi mansions scattered across Seoul.

“What a privilege is it to be able to choose a readily-available mansion for yourself,” Yuna whispered.

Her daydreaming was cut short when someone cleared . She felt the stares of Mrs. Cho, the Choi yangban’s senior house staff waiting for her at the end of the hallway.

“Good morning, Mrs. Cho. I am Han Yuna, Mr. Oh’s assistant,” she greeted her respectfully.

“You’re late. Your food has gotten cold,” Mrs. Cho said disappointingly.

“I’m very sorry, ma’am…”

“I asked the suppliers to unload their things at the backyard but I would need you to give them specific instructions. Eat first, Miss Choi insists. She prepared this menu for you.”

Yuna swallowed her excess saliva when she saw the table waiting for her. It was at this area near the kitchen of course, and not where General Choi and his family eats. It was full of different kinds of food, too much for one person to partake.

Yes, the princess is a tiger; a demanding, bossy tiger. Sometimes a nagger too. No, all the time. And yet, she is surely the most caring and attentive woman out there.

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Yuna met with the suppliers and told them where to set up as per Dara’s orders. It was a busy few hours manning different batches of people that Yuna did not realize the time.

“Miss Choi,” Yuna called her immediately at 1pm.

“Hmmm? I am feeling lightheaded now,” she said, her cue that she is with her husband and can’t talk freely.

“The supplier is short of 40 pieces of the Hermès oil reed diffuser. He mentioned he never received your SMS that you needed 40 more, young miss.”

“What??” Dara exclaimed, then tried to calm down as Sehun might hear her. “But that is the exact count as more confirmed their attendance. Aishhhh…”

“They will still receive the Hermès handkerchiefs, young miss,” Yuna tried to pacify her.

“No, it’s one set per person, Yuna. Don’t you get it? These are the items my husband likes. I don’t want the guests to go home with just the handkerchiefs. It’s the Hermès scarves and diffusers for the ladies and the handkerchiefs and diffusers for the gentlemen. Everyone should get the diffuser. Even the packaging is customized for those two items per guest. I knew it. I knew that supplier is inefficient!” she wanted to air her frustrations more, but she can’t.

Yuna was startled of her nagging but at the point, she was slightly used to it. “Uhm…well, he said he’s trying his best to gather the remaining items. He’s calling the stores now.”

“Ugh. Don’t rely on him for that. He might get whatever scent is available. I want you to source the diffusers yourself, Yuna.”

“W-what, young miss?” Yuna was bewildered.

“Go to the Hermès branches and buy the stock they have. Leave the setting up to Ms. Jang. I will be at the mansion soon anyways. I’ll have Mr. Jin accompany you to the stores,” she pertained to one of her trusted bodyguards.

“S-sure, young miss.”

She then heard her apologizing out of nowhere.

“I’m very sorry, Yuna. I want everything to be perfect. My husband arranges for the best birthdays for me and it’s my first time to hold something like this for him. I hope you understand,” she then changed her tone. “Yes, Jiro dear. Yes, eomma will get you some ice cream. Yes, two scoops for you, my love.”

“I totally understand, young miss,” Yuna thought that if she were given the same wealth and opportunities, she might have done the same thing for that special someone.

“Thank you. I’ll make it up to you. Thanks for all the help, Yuna…”

Yuna felt the fireworks on her tummy with what Dara said.

“Consider that done, young miss. I’ll make sure the diffusers are here before the event starts!” the flattered Yuna overpromised.

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It was almost 6pm, and Yuna was able to visit 7 out of the 15 Hermès branches. She was short of 4, and her last destination had the remaining stock.

The heavy traffic did not help at all.

Miss Choi kept calling for updates and the princess was relieved of her last report, that she is off to the Hermès store at The Galleria for the last batch.

Yuna handed over Dara’s credit card to the store staff, feeling satisfied that she was able to accomplish the task at hand. Now she has to wrap and bundle everything in the van on her way back to Samseong and bring the boxes inside the venue. Given the terrible traffic, she fears she will be late to the event, and the princess wanted everything displayed right by the foyer of the mansion for the arriving guests to see.

“Are you Miss Han Yuna?” a senior sales associate of The Galleria approached her.

“Yes,” she bowed to the old lady.

“Miss Choi just called. She wanted you to try on some dresses she chose herself and have your hair and makeup done at one of our kiosks.”

Yuna was confused. She then saw Mr. Jin getting all the paperbags.

“I’ll handle bundling the gifts. You get inside, Miss Han,” he said.

“Come, miss, we have our glam team waiting for you,” the sales associate offered courteously.

Everything happened fast that Yuna didn’t realize she was already in the dress Dara chose for her plus her hair and makeup done in a flash. She looked at the time and everything happened in just 30 minutes.

“Oh…wow…” she muttered when she saw herself in the mirror. It was like one of those reality TV shows where a dumped lady gets a makeover, strut her stuff at the catwalk as her drooling exes watch.

They had her wear an off shoulder, pink Valentino dress that was snug on her waist and flowed perfectly up to her knee. Her hair was in loose waves and fell on her chest. Her face was dewy and pinkish. She surely looked expensive.

“For the shoes…” the sales associate brought in a box of Aquazzura strappy stilettos.

“Oh I’m sorry, I can’t wear those. I will be running a lot of e