Passing the large field that was meant for the Prince and the Royal Family’s associate to ride a horse or play polo on horse, I came upon an arc made of stonewall and golden rims. From where I was standing I could see the door leading to the entertainment room but as I step inside of the arc, a house that looks of a similar concept to Prince Seunghyun’s room welcomed me. It was almost twice the size of Prince Seunghyun’s quarter no doubt and there is even a swimming pool.

I enter the house, cursing in my head upon noticing how huge this place was. How I the world am I supposed to cover this place all by myself with one day notice? I don’t even want to think about how I’m going to clear up the place after the gathering. I head inside the house and map the place out in my brain. This place is huge with huge furniture, arts on walls and most importantly a huge space to hang out but thankfully it wasn’t too dirty. I guess either someone comes here to clean up every once in a while or they Prince are clean freaks and they don’t really leave trace behind.

With a plan in my head, I head to the cleaning supply room and got what I needed before starting my work. As usual I started from the upper floor and I thought I was dying the moment I finish. It may look like there is nothing on the second floor but in fact the hallway leads to 10 different rooms, in which 8 of them were bedrooms, an entertainment room with pool table and another room with a grand piano. I’m starting to think that modernised isn’t really a bad thing after all.

When I was done with the upper floor, I can’t help but to notice that the time was already 7pm and it was dark outside. I was shocked for I started work at 3pm here and it literally took me 4 hours to complete only the upper floor. I underestimated this house. This place might not be dirty but maintaining it took me such long hours already. Imagine what would happen after the gathering. Besides I didn’t even have dinner! But oh well I’m not that hungry, plus if I were to have dinner now, I really wouldn’t be able to complete before midnight.

I got down onto the floor on my knees with a rag in my hand as I started to clean the floor. Now you know why I took so long right? Besides, being the perfectionist I am, it felt like work never ended. Halfway through the scrubbing my stomach was rioting for food and I can’t blame it for it was close to 9pm but thankfully I am soon finishing up. I kept telling myself that soon I would be able to have dinner as long as I finish this place up when I heard the front door opening.

“Rinnie?” Jiyong mama called out when I stood up, wanting to greet him when I felt my world spinning. “Yah Rinnie!!!” I heard him shout as he ran towards me, catching me before I could collapse on the cold ground.

“Jiyong mama~” I greeted as I immediately tried to stand on my own.

“Yah are you alright? Come take a sit here.” He said pulling me to the couch but I rejected.

“Jiyong mama I’m fine. Just a little dizzy when I suddenly stand.” I said.

“Just sit down will you?” He asks patting the empty space beside him.

“Mama I’m really fine.” I said and this time he didn’t ask me to sit again but instead pull me on the couch. “W…what brings you here mama?” I ask so as to break the awkward silence.

“I saw that the lights were on so I decided to check it out. What about you? Hyung ask you to come?”

“Neh mama~ Tomorrow is the gathering and as mama’s personal gungnyeo I have to ensure that this place is clean.”

“Just you alone?”

“Yes mama. I’m the only personal gungnyeo for the two mamas.”

“Well you could have sought help even if you are the only one assigned to us. This place is freaking huge and you do all the work by yourself?”

 “The other gungnyeos have their responsibilities and duties. This is my duty and if I engage the others to help me, wouldn’t that be unfair mama?”

“So it’s fair for you alone to complete this house?”

“Like I said mama this is my job.”

“So how long have you been here?”

“Not long ago mama.”

“Really? The last time I heard someone saw you in the palace was half past 2.”

“Well…”

“Have you had dinner?”

“No mama. As soon as I finish what I have here I would then head for dinner.”

“It’s 9pm and you haven’t had dinner? Is this what hyung ordered? To only have dinner when you are done here?” He asks and I could sense anger.

“No mama please do not misunderstand! Seunghyun mama didn’t leave such a rule. I just wanted to ensure that my work is done before having dinner so that I could eat peacefully.” I said as I look down at my hands, rubbing them against one another.

“Just how much did you clean today?!!” He asks as he grabs my crinkled hand, making me jump a little as I tried to wriggle my hand out of his hold.

“Mama…”

“Is that how a woman’s hand is supposed to be like?!!” He asked and I could feel the heat rising. “Yah answer me!!!”

“Mama...y…you’re scaring me…”

“Answer me!” He said with a calmer yet determined voice but his grip on my wrist never once loosen.

“Every gungnyeos’ hands are like that mama.”

“Aish what is wrong with me?” He asks as he threw my hand to the side, making me stand up quickly as I rub against my wrist.

“Mama…”

“Just continue what you have to do. Don’t mind me.”

“Neh mama~” I said before I quickly head back to clean up the floor.

Throughout the cleaning, I could feel his constant stares at me and it made me uncomfortable. I tried to ignore it but it was far too distracting. As such I quicken my pace and finally I was done with the remaining grounds. I was about to get the water bucket to clear it in the cleaning room when before I could react, a pair of arms grab me by the shoulder, pushing me all the way until my back hit the wall, making me wince a little before looking up, shocked to see Jiyong mama’s face a few inch away.

“Mama…what are you doing?”

“It’s your entire fault.”

“Mama…I…I don’t get you…” I said as I tried to escape from his hold until someone caught us.

“Kwon Ji Yong what are you doing to Chae?!!” We heard a low voice boomed as he immediately releases me.

“Seunghyun mama~”

“Hyung what brings you here?”

“Kwon Ji Yong I’m asking you a question. What was it that I saw earlier on? Are you perhaps taking advantage of her?”

“No hyung. You know I’m not someone like that.”

“Good. Cause even if she has the qualities to be taken advantage of, it has to be me who does it first so wait in line brother.”

“Hyung don’t be rude to her!”

“Ji why are you defending a maid like her? Did she cast some spell on you?” Prince Seunghyun said before he turns to look at me with his gawk like eyes.

“Mama…” I said as I move backwards, trying to get myself out of this place.

“Tell me! What did you did to my brother?!!” He asked. I swear these brothers have serious bipolar moments and they are freaking me out terribly.

“Mama I didn’t do anything.”

“Hyung~” Jiyong mama said as he pulls his older brothers arms.

“!” He said before he slapped me across the face again in two days, causing me to fall onto the floor at the huge impact and unfortunately I toppled the bucket of dirty water all over the floor.

“Hyung!!! Why did you hit her?!!” Jiyong mama said as he quickly help me up, rubbing my cheeks to ease the pain.

“Jiyong wake up! You have Dara, you have the entire pretty heiress waiting in line to get to know you and you are siding up to her? Kwon Ji Yong she is nothing but a maid!!!”

“That doesn’t mean you can hit her like that too!!! So what if she is a maid? She is a woman after all right?!!”

“I should seriously knock some sense out of you.” Seunghyun mama said to Jiyong mama as he grabs the male by his collar. “As for you Chae, clean this mess up and let this be my last warning to you, don’t catch me seducing my brother again or else I would make sure you wouldn’t leave this place alive you hear me?!!” Seunghyun mama said and before I could answer, he pulled his younger brother out of the place.

I was left shocked. First Jiyong mama pounced onto me saying things that I don’t understand and the next moment Seunghyun mama accused me of seducing his brother. And that slap…what did I do to deserve all of this?!! Is it because I’m his maid that is why he can do whatever he wants to me? Did he hate me so much that he has to tell me things the hard way?

I sniffed a little as I bend down to dry up the floor and at the same time thinking of what actually went wrong with my life. Is this because of my maid status? Is it because Seunghyun mama thinks that I came into the palace with a strong back up which is why he is trying to make my life difficult? Or is it because he still hasn’t forgives me for what happened to Bom mama yesterday?

I dragged my tired body back to my quarters only to see that Yoon Ji unnie was waiting for me with a tray of food. Upon seeing her, I can’t help myself but to run up to her and hugged her tight, hoping to seek comfort from her which she returned. She never asks what happened but just took the time to comfort me and telling me that everything was alright. When I calmed down, she got me into the room, getting me to shower as she set the food out on the study table for me.

“Unnie~” I said as I came out of the bathroom giving her a smile as if nothing happened.

“Neh Chaerin?”

“Is this for me?” I ask as I sat in front of the study table.

“Mmmm. Someone ask me to bring you dinner.”

“Someone?”

“Jiyong mama.”

“Oh…’

“Darling can you tell unnie what happened?”

“Nothing is wrong.”

“If nothing is wrong why would Jiyong mama ask me to relay his apologies to you? Why did he ordered the kitchen to cook you something nice and ask specifically me to bring it to you?”

“Unnie…”

“Come here darling.” She said patting to the space beside her on the edge of the bed and I joined her there. “Okay let’s just say Jiyong mama just wanted to treat you a meal and there wasn’t anything serious for him to apologies to you but you can’t deny the fact that you came back crying.”

“Unnie am I doing it wrongly?”

“What did you do?”

“Seunghyun mama…he hit me again…”

“What?!! That jerk slapped you again?!!” She asks making me cover .

“Unnie that is no way to address a mama!!!”

“Okay fine but what makes him thinks he can slap you?!!”

“He accused me of seducing Jiyong mama.”

“NEH?!! And what makes him say that?”

“He caught us…”

“In bed?!!”

“Unnie listen to what I have to say first!!! I’m not that cheap okay?”

“Fine. Mianhe.”

“I don’t know what happen but Jiyong mama pinned me against the wall and…Seunghyun mama caught it…”

“Aish why do you have such a hard life? Please don’t say unnie is heartless but I have to tell you that this is the life of a maid. Everyone who comes in here endures beatings when we are wrong. Or even when we are misunderstood or when it wasn’t even our fault. We can only resent to fate.”

“I know unnie. It’s just a little hard for me since I just started.”

“I know. I know. That is why I’m always here for you alright? Maybe you could talk to Jejo sanggung about this. I’m merely a kitchen maid and my words are like dust to the mamas so I can’t be of much help.”

“It’s alright. Maybe Seunghyun mama isn’t in a good mood this few days.”

“But if he bullies you again tell me alright?”

“Alright unnie. Can I eat now? I’m starving!!!” I said with a smile.

“Neh. Eat up and may you turn fat.”

“Unnie!!!” I said as we both laugh out loud.

Neither did the both of us know, there was someone by the door listening to our conversation all along.