If one were to describe the empire's state of mind, would it be the garden of flowers? Quicksand in the jungle? Quicksand in the middle of flowers?

“Make sure you finish that one shift after this.”

Or is the bed of flowers slowly sinking in the quicksand?

“Hey!”

It feels like a zap when Moonbyul suddenly becomes aware of her surroundings; the drilling sound that is so loud, enough to keep her ears ringing at night, the muttering and chattering amidst the dusty materials and stinging sensation of being under the sun for too long. Her eyes scan all over before fixating themselves to her hand, holding a big shovel. “Just start digging already! We won’t make it in time if you are going to daydream all the time!”

The only reaction she could muster was muttering reminders to herself as she attempted to continue her work. An attempt that will soon be interrupted by a clacking sound. Nevertheless, she still continues shoving the ground.

“Moonbyul-shi, your phone is ringing. Just answer it already. I’ll be fine over here.”

After a short apology, she stepped out of the hole and hid herself under the nearest, shadiest tree she could find. “Hello?”

The wrinkles become more apparent as she grimaces.

“I’m afraid that you have to ask someone else. I don’t have any money that you speak of. I don’t even know how you manage to get this number. Please don’t call me ever again.” The response from the other line became an increasingly upsetting sound before she ended the call abruptly. The gaze gets intense as she grips the phone in a way that whitens her fingers, dancing with the idea of throwing it into the ditch.

“Moonbyul-shi!”

Her eyes widen at the sudden call. She takes no time to school her expression before shouting. “Coming!”

--

”Here is your pay for the day. Thank you for your hard work.”

Moonbyul absentmindedly giving light presses on the surface of the white envelope before asking, “It’s slightly less than before.”

The quiet tension filled the air before the supervisor answered with an apologetic expression. “Moonbyul-shi, I know it is kinda unfair, but I already talked them out of it and the answer is still the same. The higher-ups still think that men will do a better job around here, so they expect you to stick around with… less wages. And you’re supposed to be contracted for a short time so…”

Moonbyul smiled. “I understand.” As the supervisor tapped her shoulder and proceeded to walk away, other workers approached her with a worried expression. “You should have asked more about it, noona…”

“Yes, when you always work this hard. And all those extra night shifts he dumped on you last week.”

“I will talk to him.” One of her co-workers said, followed by several nods from others. The fact that the statement came from all-male co-workers is amusingly ironic to a degree. “It’s fine. Just leave it. This is not worth it for all your trouble.”

“But…”

Her lips kept the same smile wit