Strong wind hit her face as she got out of the car. Her bare feet froze as she stepped on the snow-covered ground. She carried her petite frame with difficulty, following the man who brought her here. Her chapped lips were turning blue, her small teeth were chattering and her nose was flushed. Her only barrier against the cold was her torn dress and her short blonde hair.

They stopped in front of a big house. The man rang the bell twice before a woman in her thirties opened the door. Facing her was a slender old man, dressed in a long black coat. Behind him stood a girl who wasn’t even half his height, and whose face seemed as fair as the snow that was starting to cover it. Unable to stand the cold snowy wind, the woman let them in without even asking about their identities.

She quickly closed the door and said: “Welcome to the Byun household. May I help you?”

“Yes, I’m Mr. Lee and I’d like to have a word with Mr. and Mrs. Byun. We agreed to meet this evening.”

“My masters aren’t here at the moment, but they should be here soon. Please wait for them here.” The woman led them to the large living room, and left them for a moment to go prepare some drinks.

The man looked around in awe; everything in this house screamed luxury. The girl kept quiet all along. She didn’t even bother to raise her head to check where she was. All she could feel at the moment was the satisfaction of being in such a warm place. She was surprised when the woman handed her a mug of hot chocolate; she didn’t know her to react, so the woman grabbed the child’s hands and put them around the mug. She hesitated a bit then took a few sips of the drink. It was burning hot, but filled her insides with warmth; not to mention she loved the taste.

“Thank you for your hospitality,” the man said as the woman took his coat.

“It’s my duty, sir.” She bowed politely.

    The owners of the house didn’t take too long to come. As soon as the keys sound was heard, the woman rushed to welcome them. From the living room, the man found their voices loud enough to hear, but too low to actually make out what they were saying.

Catching sight of them, the man stood and shook Mr. Byun’s hand: “It’s such a pleasure to meet you,” he said, greeting both the man and his wife.

They both smiled and sat across him, no one paying attention to the young girl sitting alone on the couch.

The husband said: “my wife has been very eager to meet you. You don’t know how much she kept nagging at me ever since the day you called.”

“What’s wrong with that?” she complained, “oh you already met our maid, Jinsu.”

“The woman, standing next to the door, bowed her head again.

“Wait... so you already have a maid?” the man asked.

“That’s why I was against my wife’s idea, see.”

“But I told you many times, we do need another one,” the wife replied impatiently.

“Another… ?” the maid whispered to herself, her eyes widening.

“Hmm… I see. Well then, this young girl right here,” he put his hand on the child’s shoulder, “is going to be your new maid from now on.”

“Isn’t she… a little too youn-“

“She’s perfect,” Mrs. Byun said in a dry tone. She then turned her attention to the man, asking him stuff about her name, age, background and such.

When the conversation was nearing its end, the maid, bewildered, looked at them and said in a plea: “But, master, ma’am, we don’t need another maid. I’m more than enough-“ she shut when the other woman shot her a glare. She lowered her had shamefully and mumbled an apology.

The slender man cleared his throat and carried on:”so, if everything seems okay to you, how about we discuss the payment.” Of course he’d bring this topic; he wouldn’t have wasted his time searching for a suitable girl to serve them if it hadn’t been for their money.

“Yes, please come at my office tomorrow morning.  I’ll give you what you deserve.”

“I’m grateful.” He smiled, “well then, I should take my leave.” He stood up, took his coat from the maid, and headed to the door.

The couple stood up to see him off. Not fully sure what to do, the little girl deemed it appropriate to go with them. The husband was clued to his spot when she stood up and lifted her face, his eyes wide in shock. He could swear time took him twelve years back when she walked past him. His wife’s voice calling him brought him back to reality.

Mrs. Byun then turned to her maid: “Jinsu, take this girl with you and show her around the house. Teach her everything she needs to know and give her a change of clothes. She’ll be sharing your room as of today.” Gritting her teeth, the maid obliged.

    “Okay, first, this is ‘our’ room. Don’t expect to spend a lot of time here; you’re in this house to serve and obey, not to relax. See that door, it’s our bathroom. By no means you are allowed to use the masters’ bathrooms.” She was flipping through a small wardrobe as she talked, “Here, put this on.”

She removed her dirty clothes, revealing her small, milky-white, body, and put on the dress handed to her. It was much bigger than her, so Jinsu had to help her fold the hands and cut some of its length. They then went to the kitchen.

“Starting today, you’ll be in charge of cleaning the kitchen and assisting me in cooking. You’ll also be taking care of the ground floor, which, excluding the kitchen, consists of the main hall, living room, a bathroom, a toilet, our room, and the dining room.” She explained, talking quickly, “Understood?”

The girl nodded.

“You have to finish your daily tasks before the masters come back home, which is usually around 7 pm.  Also, you’re not allowed out of the house unless ordered to. And don’t you even dare think about stealing or running away.”

The girl nodded again; such thought never even crossed her mind.

“What else? Yeah, please don’t interfere with my work, and don’t get in my way. My job is hard enough as it is, and I’m not ready to babysit you…” she paused, waiting for a reaction, “Hey, are you even listening to me? Do you even understand Korean?”

“I understand Korean.”

“So you’re not mute, huh?”

“I’m not mute.”

“What’s wrong with your replied, you little!” the maid yelled in frustration, “ugh, never mind. It’s getting late. Follow me, we need to prepare dinner.”

    The two maids were setting the table in the dining room when the couple came in, followed by a boy. The father gazed at the girl intensely.

The guy noticed her presence and turned to Mrs. Byun: “Mom, who is she?”

“She’s our new maid, Baekhyun-ah.”

“Why do we have a new maid?” he asked, curious.

“Just because. Stop asking and eat your food.”

The girl stood next to him and poured water in his glass.

“Hey there!” he greeted, smiling.

She nodded and quickly disappeared from the room, the father eying her every step.

After dinner, on his way to wash his hands, Baekhyun met the intriguing girl. “Little one, there!” he called out.

She looked at him, not knowing what to say.

“I’m Baekhyun,” he gave her a sweet eye smile, “Let’s be friends!”

She stood there awkwardly, surprised by what she just heard.

“So, what’s your name?” he asked, still smiling.

She felt a lump in .

“Rose.”

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