Taking deep breath, Hyomin was walking out of the bedroom to downstairs with her bright smile, it had been a while since she had a tight sleep, in a proper bed to be exact, a good night sleep was enough to make her wake up to a new day, full of energy, besides a comfy bed, it was the nice offer from the owner of the bed allowing her to share the bed that made Hyomin so surprised thus appreciative and grateful for, because she never expected thing like this to happen, but once it came, she gladly took it because she didn’t know how long it would last. Sudden smile crept to her face when her mind wandered off to a person who was still sleeping soundly on the other side of the bed, looking so harmless and innocent.

Estimating the time Eunjung usually be up, as a part of her routine in this house, Hyomin would always visit the kitchen to help maid preparing food, as soon as she reached the area, she saw Soyeon was already there helping out the maids, unserious refusal comments were heard from the group of maids when they politely declined the offers to help.

“Good morning Hyomin ssi” Soyeon turned her head just in time to see Hyomin walking in to the kitchen, Hyomin responded with smile.

“Good morning Soyeon ssi, you’re up so early? Hyomin walked closer to her.

“I’m quite a morning person” Soyeon said

“It’s so embarrassing, you are our guest and you are here to help out, please rest, I’ll take care of this” Hyomin humbly and politely invited Soyeon to another room

“Don’t worry Hyomin ssi, I used to live here and I would like to help rather just staying still” Soyeon said while she didn’t stop what she was doing, Hyomin barely gave her a faint smile, as the maids were secretly exchanging their awkward look, they were not pleased either.

“This is special menu that Eunjung really loves” Soyeon was decorating the dishes, her face expressed how happy and proud she was, Hyomin couldn’t help but peeked through a beautiful decoration that Soyeon was creating, it looked beyond fancy to her ordinary breakfast she prepared every morning, she knew nothing about Eunjung’s favorite, not like she would try either.

“It’s good for Eunjung to have something special once in a while, out of ordinary everyday” Hyomin admitted that what Soyeon was doing far too good than what she could do.

“Eh, haven’t you cooked this for her before?” Soyeon questioned as if it was a big deal, Hyomin shook her head with her dry smile.

“I don’t know if she likes it, besides I don’t know how to make that” Hyomin confessed honestly and humbly.

“Oh, how come you don’t know what Eunjung likes? Are you really her wife?” Soyeon asked amusingly with mocking tone which offended those who heard it, not just Hyomin but the maids and supervisor there, they felt angry for their master’s wife to be insulted just like that. Hyomin’s face was darken with such a verbal attack and she was too slow to respond, her mind was blank without the answer.

“Mrs. Hahm, why don’t you go and wake Ms. Eunjung up, we will take care of this household job, so don’t you worry” Mrs.Choi addressed Hyomin formally to emphasize her status as a lady of their master, she gave a warm smile to her master’s wife, while other maids nodded along.

“Thank you Mrs. Choi” Hyomin smiled to the old lady and inwardly thanked to her for saving her from such a humiliating situation. “Please excuse me Soyeon ssi” Hyomin said before taking her leave.

“See you at breakfast Hyomin ssi” Soyeon looked at Hyomin with her hidden smirk.

When Hyomin left, Soyeon acted bossily around the kitchen, she instructed people to arrange a lot of things, through it was annoying, they had to follow her instruction as Mrs.Choi warned them with her signature glare, she just didn’t want any unnecessary mess there.

On the other side, Hyomin didn’t go up to the bedroom to wake up Eunjung as suggested because she didn’t think Eunjung would be happy to be disturbed while she had a peaceful sleep so she went straight to Eunjung’s office to get away for a while. Hyomin closed the door and walked to the corner of the room and sat down on bay window bench looking out of out the wall size glass to the back yard, the weather was nice today, which was opposite from what she was feeling now. Hyomin heaved a long sigh as her mind was bothered, she leaned her head on the glass window and hugged her knee.

“Why are you being like this Hyomin?” Hyomin mumbled to herself. She was frustrating with her own feeling, weakness and sensitivity, which were supposed to be locked away, not to feel either, but just a woman she was, a human’s heart, a heart that was about to surrender to a thing called love. If love really set someone free, Hyomin would not question and let herself fall, however she doubted it, she found love in this hopeless place, a way too far from where someone could fall in love, a road of revenge.

Dwelling in her own thoughts, for how long she couldn’t tell, but Hyomin was back to the earth when she saw a familiar figure walking in the garden, Eunjung in her blue shirt with sleeve folded up and black skinny jeans was looking around as if she was searching for someone. Unknowingly, Hyomin smiled at the sight, she knocked on the glass window for the attention of the person outside the window, fortunately the glass was transparent and could be seen from both side, successfully Eunjung noticed Hyomin was sitting by the bay window bench, calling for attention, she smiled with her teeth showed up from afar as she was walking toward the glass window.

“What are you doing there, I was looking for you” Eunjung stopped in front of Hyomin, they were facing but visible blocked by the thickness of sound proof window glass, and of course Hyomin couldn’t hear the question so she pointed at her ear, indicating that she couldn’t understand. Eunjung got it and inwardly laughed at her silliness, she forgot that it was sound proof, or to say it right, bullet proof as well.

“I was looking for you” Eunjung tried again, she slowly moved so Hyomin could read it, the latter seemed to understand so she tried to reply.

“Why are you looking for me?” Hyomin imitated Eunjung’s way and moved slowly.

“It’s breakfast time and I can’t find you inside the house” Eunjung also pointed at her watch

“Oh, sorry” Hyomin panicked and looked at the wall clock.

“Are you okay?” Eunjung asked, concerned. Hyomin smiled, though she couldn’t hear it but the expression in Eunjung’s face was telling it all.

“I’m fine” Hyomin confirmed, making her finger in “OK” sign

“What are you doing there?” Eunjung asked,   

 “Nothing” Hyomin replied, Eunjung playfully furrowed her brow in suspicious manner, and that caused Hyomin to laugh.

“Show me your hand” Eunjung commanded from the outside

“What?” Hyomin couldn’t get so Eunjung showed her what to do. She placed her palm on the window glass, Hyomin followed, then Eunjung moved her palm to the level that Hyomin’s was, it looked like they were placing their palm together if it wasn’t for the glass, technically their hands were touching each other, and they stayed like that for a while with their eyes contact without saying a word, or even they spoke, it couldn’t be heard either, it was all about feeling communication.

“See you in dining room” It was Hyomin who broke the eyes contact and started their voiceless conversation again, she pointed at the door, indicating that she was leaving the office, Eunjung understood and nodded.

“See you shortly” Eunjung replied before walking off the window glass, and passing the garden. Hyomin watched Eunjung back with linger feeling.   

Shortly , Eunjung was walking back inside the house, while Hyomin walked out of office, they met each other in the dining room with Soyeon was already waiting for them. She smiled when she saw Eunjung but the latter just kept her straight face, while Hyomin gave her an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting, I lost track of time” Hyomin said to Soyeon

“It’s alright, it’s still breakfast time anyway” Soyeon replied.

 “Didn’t you prepare breakfast today?” Eunjung turned her head to ask Hyomin who was seated next to her as she saw variety of dishes laid on the table.

“Today Soyeon ssi offered to prepare the breakfast for us” Hyomin replied as she stole a glance at Soyeon.

“I made some of your favorite dishes for you Eunjung” Soyeon smiled proudly, she looked at Eunjung with hopeful eyes. But Eunjung was emotionless, worse the room was filled with silence.

“Is that your favorite dish Eunjung?” Hyomin tried to lighten up the situation, she spooned out the food and placed it on Eunjung’s plate, Eunjung observed Hyomin’s action and that didn’t go unnoticed by Soyeon as well. Hyomin innocently smiled at Eunjung, hoping the latter would be calm enough and they would have breakfast in peace.

“Thank you” Eunjung lifted the curves of her lips, she smiled back at Hyomin and started to eat. Hyomin inwardly released a relief sigh.

They continued the breakfast with occasional conversation exchanged between Soyeon and Hyomin, asking about weather and stuff while Eunjung was eating in silence, just time to time answering Soyeon’s questions which she wasn’t really interested in joining unless she was nudged by Hyomin. Little annoyed but still Eunjung answered the questions as she understood Hyomin’s attention, she just didn’t want her to look rude.

*********************************

Soyeon was staying with them for a week without any plan if she would leave or not, in exchange, she was offering help for the household work arrangement.

“Aunty, how long will that lady stay here, I can’t really stand her?” Yujin, a young maid complained as Soyeon left the kitchen, she was fed up with the way Soyeon was being bossy and fussy around the mansion as if it was her own.

“Yujin, be quiet, just do whatever she says, she is our master’s guest” Mrs. Choi warned.

“She is just a guest, not the lady of this mansion” Yujin kept complaining

“She acts like a one, right?” Eunna joined the conversation

 “You’re right unnie, I feel bad for Hyomin ssi, she is so nice to let the ex-lover of our master stays under the same roof with her” Yujin turned her head to spice up the conversation with Eunna.

“Kids, stop that, it won’t be good if someone hears this” Mrs. Choi tried to stop them.

“It’s so frustrating Mrs.Choi, look what she does, I know they used to be … but” Now it was Eunna who complained.

“Whatever, don’t let this reach Mrs. Hahm, she won’t feel good to hear it” Mrs.Choi strongly instructed, then the two maids under her supervision stopped.

Little did they know, Hyomin was walking there to get some coffee for Eunjung, then she overheard what they were conversing, she walked back with down feeling. She entered Eunjung’s office and went back to her reading. Eunjung looked up from her document, she frowned.

“Where is my coffee? Eunjung asked as she saw Hyomin was back with empty hand. Hyomin widened her eyes upon her realization.

“Oh, I forgot” Hyomin sat upright and was about to walk out again

“You’re being weird again, are you alright? Eunjung starred at Hyomin, which the latter tried to avoid the eye contact.

“I just temporary forget, I’m not weird” Hyomin snapped back

“That’s funny, you went out to get coffee but you returned with empty hand and told me you forgot my coffee” Eunjung raised her brow

 “People can forget” Hyomin wouldn’t give in.

“But not that easily” Eunjung made a teasing face.

“Whatever” Hyomin finally gave up and walked passing her.

“You don’t have too, let’s go outside for a ride, I’m done with my work” Eunjung stood up, Hyomin smiled, she needed some fresh air too. As they were about to leave, the faint knock on the door was heard.

“Come in” Eunjung said, once granted the permission, a maid alertly informed them that Soyeon got injured in the garden, Hyomin quickly looked at Eunjung, for a moment Hyomin believed she saw concerned expression all over Eunjung’s face.

“Let’s check on her” Hyomin suggested as she grabbed Eunjung’s hand and walked her out of the office.

Shortly, they arrived where Soyeon fell down, she was sitting on the floor with her contorted face, needless to say how painful she was, Hyomin quickly crouched down and checked her ankle.

“Your ankle is sprained” Hyomin carefully checked it, Soyeon screamed in pain while Eunjung stood still looking at what Hyomin did.

“Eunjung, can you please carry Soyeon ssi inside the house, I need to tend her injury” Hyomin hurriedly asked, Eunjung looked crossed, she didn’t move a bit.

“Eunjung, please” Hyomin looked up at Eunjung, the latter could only sigh, she crouched down and carried Soyeon up, the older woman l