Chapter 2
Questions and Answers

The curtain swayed from and against the slightly opened window in the bedroom, the wind from outside being the cause of such motion. The rays from the newly risen sun found its way through the open windows and curtains that gave an uncomfortable feeling for the eyes of the sleeping person inside the room. The black-haired girl's eyes twitched and squinted when the unpleasant feeling wakened her from her slumber—her eyes slowly opening from the incident.

Seohyun looked dreadful and pitiful. Her eyes started to adjust from the rays of sunlight as she rubbed her eyes that showed her tiredness and pain from the events last night.

Last night.

The young maiden sat up and looked around the room which was obviously not hers—well, technically it was her room in the mansion but it certainly wasn't in the house she grew up in. Last night wasn't a dream then, Seohyun thought as the events from the yesterday night came back to her mind. Her cheeks were stained with tears as well as the makeup she had on for her party which she never bothered to rinse off. She was still wearing her birthday gown through her sleep until now, obviously so restless and tired that she fell asleep quickly once her head landed on the soft pillow.

Overall, Seo Joohyun was tired—more than tired actually as she felt the numbness surround her body once more.

Suddenly, a knock was heard followed by the sound of the bedroom door opening which made the heiress turn towards that direction.

"Good morning, Ms. Seo." Jaesuk greeted as he entered the room followed by a maid that was instructed to take care of the heiress. "This is Sena, she will be your personal maid and attend to your needs. Please do not hesitate to call her for anything." And the maid with short brown hair stepped forward and greeted Seohyun.

"Good morning, Ms. Seo." Sena greeted.

Seohyun just looked at them faintly and nodded.

"Good morning," She greeted back with a faint voice. It was then that she felt hard to talk, probably due to dehydration considering the amount of tears she shed last night.

"I will get your bath ready now, Miss." And Sena disappeared into the bathroom and the sound of water filling in followed.

"Also," Jaesuk called Seohyun 's attention again. "You are to have breakfast after your bath with the young master so please—"

"I'm not going to have breakfast." Seohyun butted in.

"But Ms. Seo, it's strictly the High Master's orders for you to have meals with them." Jaesuk said.

"Who are they to give me orders? Am I their property?" Seohyun asked coldly, though it was a rhetorical question that she didn't want to be answered.

"You don't really want to know the answer to that, right Ms. Seohyun?" A voice was suddenly heard from the opened door of the bedroom.

"Young master," Jaesuk said.

Yonghwa was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed, looking straight at Seohyun 's direction. He knew he got her attention since Seohyun remained quiet, not knowing what to say. Her lips opened and closed: she was about to say something but probably thought it wasn't the right decision to do so so she remained silent and stared at the young gentleman as well.

"Jaesuk, you may now leave. I'll be the one to relay the message to our guest." With this, Jaesuk bowed and excused himself out the room and continued to do his work. Yonghwa walked towards Seohyun 's enormous bed and stood beside her. He looked at her poor condition which made the female conscious and stare at another direction, fully aware of how dreadful she looked like in front of the man.

"Ms. Seo, your bath is ready. Towels, bathrobes and other bath necessities are already present as well. You may leave your used clothes in the hamper beside the counter, we will take care of them afterwards. Please excuse me." Sena explained when she got out of the bathroom. Seohyun nodded and her personal maid left the room to give the two people privacy.

"No," Seohyun mumbled.

"No?" Yonghwa asked. What was that supposed to mean?

Seohyun turned to Yonghwa once again with teary eyes and said, "No, I don't want you to answer my question awhile ago but I do have other questions that need answers. Either that or I'd prefer going back to my home please." Even in her state, she still managed to keep her ladylike manners intact for that was how she was raised as the Seo heiress.

"As I already told you last night, your request is impossible. I'd rather answer your questions than allowing you to go home." Yonghwa said sternly.

"Why? Why are you doing this to me?" The young lady felt her tears starting to well up again along with her sadness, anger and other pained emotions.

"We'll talk it over the meal, for now, please go ahead and take your bath." Yonghwa suggested. The heiress would've refused if it weren't for her dirty state so without another word, she took his suggestion and entered the bathroom with a loud bang from the door.

The dark-eyed man followed the Seo princess with his gaze as she walked towards her bathroom with a thud. Yonghwa stared at the now closed door and sighed. He didn't want this as much as she but what can he do? I guess it's true what they say: the rich have far more problems than others.

"I'll see you at breakfast!" Yonghwa repeated the order, loud enough for her to hear and left the room.

Seohyun heard Yonghwa's statement before hearing her bedroom door close. She sighed and walked towards the mirror inside the bathroom and looked at herself. She felt and looked horrible, she even admits it. She had never allowed herself to look like this, most especially in public but now's different. Her makeup's all messed up: her eye shadow, eye liner and mascara was smothered all over her face due to her rubbing and tears; hair tussled up and everywhere and her eyes looking red and tired. She just frowned at her look and turned to look at the inviting warm water from the filled tub.

She took off her gown, undergarments and little pins in her hair and dipped herself in the bathtub. She relinquished the feeling of the little heat it has and leaned against the edge of it, slowly closing her eyes as she did so. Her hair flowed with the water and Seohyun lets it, knowing how her whole body needs some thorough cleansing from last night.

Suddenly, the memories of her conversation with the Jung heir entered her mind.

Flashback

"Who are you?" She managed to ask.

The dark-haired man stood up from his place and looked at the other person in the room once again.

"I'm Yonghwa. Jung Yonghwa."

Seohyun gasped at the sound of his name. She was currently standing in front of the current Jung heir. Although it was alien to her to be so unladylike especially in manners and words, she couldn't help but let her emotions take over due to the whole incident.

"And I suppose you're Ms. Seo Joohyun," Yonghwa said and started to walk towards the young maiden in distress.

"What am I doing here?" Seohyun asked in fear and stress.

"It won't be easy for you to understand, I found it hard to understand as well. I'd rather you hear all the detailed explanation from my father or if you're lucky, from your mother but all I can tell you is this: your mother and my father had a deal and now that you're 20, you now belong to the Jungs, here, until you give our clan the next heir." Yonghwa explained.

The dark-haired girl's eyes widened when she heard his explanation. "What? Why should I? Aren't you the next heir? And what does that have to do anything with me? What kind of deal are you talking about?" Her questions followed quickly one-by-one, clearly surprised to everything.

"Obviously they're talking about the next heir after me. As I have said, all details shall be told by someone else but not me. I refuse to be held responsible to tell you the details since I also refused for this deal in the first place but our parents were the one who decided it, and not us." Yonghwa said.

Seohyun's lips quivered as different thoughts scattered through her brain as well as the negativity with it. "So I can't go back anymore?" She mumbled but Yonghwa remained silent and just looked at her.

Jaesuk entered the room once again. "Ms. Seo, your room is now finished. Please follow me and I shall you there." He said. Seo