Status

Working for the Byun family was considered an honor. To be at such close proximity to the wealthiest family in the country was a dream to most.

And to you, it was. Given your low status, to be working for the Byun’s was truly a gift. Your quarters were more lavish than anything you lived in before, and the workload wasn’t that taxing.

Plus, the Byun’s son was quite charming.

At first, you thought it was just his personality. Byun Baekhyun was chatty and flirty and sometimes went out of his way to help you hang laundry or dry the dishes, but after the other slaves commented on him never really interacting with them, you realized he was only like that with you.

You tried not to read too much into the new unexpected friendship. You were just a little slave, while he was practically a prince. It meant nothing when he brought you chocolates or snuck you out into the nearby meadow once a week to teach you how to read and write. He treated you like a human being, like an equal, and it terrified you because whenever he came anywhere near you, you found yourself falling for him a little more.

You were currently dusting the staircase when you felt hands squeeze your sides, causing you to leap from fright.

His snickers helped calm you down and you spun around and started dusting his face in retaliation, content with his laughs becoming coughs.

“Alright, alright!” He pushed the duster away, gaining his breath. Once he was composed he glanced around before grabbing your hand and pulling you away.

“What are you doing?” You asked frantically.

“You’ll see!”

He dragged you down the long hallway out into the meadow you always found yourself in with him.

You knew that if the head slave found you out here instead of doing your chores you would be punished, but at the moment, being with Baekhyun, you didn’t care. You would take the most brutal punishment to spend even a second with the handsome man.

“Why are we here?” You questioned. “It’s not reading day.”

“No, it is not.” He said, gazing out into the field of vibrant flowers. He was quieter than usual, more somber. It was unlike him.

“Are you alright?” You asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He let out a heavy sigh, dropping his gaze to his twiddling fingers. “I guess I am not….”

“Well, you make me anxious when you’re like this so tell me what’s on your mind.”

He lifted up a hand to lay it on top of the one you had draped over his shoulder. His thumb rubbed your flesh and you tried very hard to focus on him instead of the contact.

“All of my life I’ve been groomed for high class. From the way I walk to the way I dress, even the way I eat. But….”

“But?” You encouraged.

He bit his lip and tilted his head back, staring at the cloudless sky. “But lately I’ve been questioning this life. There will come a time soon when I will have to marry, but what if I chose a wife who was of a different status? Someone who didn’t come from wealth?”

“Why would you want that?”

“Because I want you,” he confessed, finally meeting your gaze.

“Baekhyun,” you sighed.

He shifted his body so that he was facing you. “I was so bored before I met you. Exhausted of this life my parents had laid out for me. You rejuvenate me; inspire me every day. You’re beautiful and smart and wonderful. You make me want to be a better man, and I can start by being with you…if you’ll have me, of course.”

There was a slight pause as you realized what he said and than you gasped. “Baekhyun, we can’t!”

“I know,” he said rather calmly. “Because you work for me. You are my slave. It is practically forbidden, but there is nobody else I want.”

You smiled at that, finally hearing him say these things made your heart flutter. Unable to contain yourself you leaned in to leave a chaste kiss on his lips, chuckling at his shocked expression. Before you could straighten up he grabbed the back of your neck, pulling you in for another longer kiss.

You couldn’t help but giggle from giddiness and you felt his lips pull into a smile over your own.

“Stop being so cute,” he whispered, lips ghosting over your skin.

“Yes, Sir.” You replied and he groaned slightly from annoyance.

“This will be tough,” he informed. “Who knows what my parents will do once they find out. We will have to fight for us, but that’s okay because you’re worth fighting for.”

The two of you stayed in the meadow for another hour, enjoying each other’s company and ignoring the dark ominous clouds rolling in from the distance.