In the year 4041 people had been divided into two factions. 

The Opulent, they are people of status, power and wealth. Living a lavish life with not a single care about others. They only care about money and themselves.

The Necessitous,  they are people who lives off of scavenging food. Most of their populations are theives, hired killers, and basically slaves of the Opulent..

To tell each faction from the other. The Necessitous are embedded with a bar code on their bodies. A sign that they are nothing but things to be used by the Opulent. Every born Necessitous had that life. A life not worth more than a simple chair or table. A hard and dreadful fate, and sadly Chaeyeon was born into that dreaded life. She came from a family of thieves, who specializes into breaking into the border set by the governments, The main objective of Chaeyeon's group is to steal from an Opulent and chip it in for an acceptable price. 

It was a hard and dirty job, and the price to pay if they get caught, is something none would want to wish.

During one of their heist an unfortunate event happened. As they tried to break out of the Opulent's house that they were stealing at. Yena— her best friend and partner in crime, made a mistake that tipped off the alarm. Their whole team scrambled like the rats they are; but the police were faster. As they near their exit point— a huge man came rushing towards Yena, but Chaeyeon being that brave and kind friend tried to play hero and tackled the huge officer.

Screaming like the mad woman she is. Yena could only run— tears streaming down her face.

Since then, none had ever seen Chaeyeon. Rumor has it that Chaeyeon was persecuted under Opulent law and is sentence to death. Some says that the officers whom caught her, had her hands tied while cutting off her fingers for her ill-mannered deed, before sending her to prison. Even so, none were proven. Because Chaeyeon never came back.

After that people from the Necessitous never tried to step foot on Opulent lands. Everyone is afraid to suffer the same fate as Chaeyeon, yet little did they know that Chaeyeon was nowhere in prison or is nowhere being tied with her fingers cut off, but her life is nothing more than a play thing. A toy per se. 

The night after she saved Yena from the life she is in right now. She was suppose to be thrown to prison with her hands cut off, but that did not happen. 

Once the master of the house came to see whom dared to steal from him— he instantly got mesmerized by the thief's beauty, and by Opulent law, the victim of the thievery has all the rights to handle the person in question of stealing, and in Chaeyeon's case she got caught in action which will not even need trials to put her to jail.

Instead of jailing her and letting the authorities handle the situation, the master of the house took this opportunity to get a hold of a person's life and fate. He took Chaeyeon in as a maid, but in reality, Chaeyeon is now trapped as a slave. Giving pleasure and service to her master.

A life she hated the most. She wished that she had been sent to prison with her hand chopped off rather than pleasuring an old man against her will.

It was devastating on her part, that she tried taking her life, in different methods; more than she could even count, yet always— the old man would tend to her and make sure she would always get back in good shape. The man even chain her on her bed every night to be sure that none of the previous attempts would be put into another execution.

Days, weeks, months and now it's been a year of torture, violence and assault. Yet Chaeyeon still hopes for something. A little hope still stuck in her even tho a year ago she tried to kill herself to release her from all this monstrosity.

As the usual routine. She would wake up and tend to her bruises and wounds from the previous abuse— arms wrapped in bandage, shoulders filled with muscle tapes and a little antiseptic on her severely chapped lips. After settling everything, she started changing from her dishevelled clothes to an appropriate uniform. As she buttons her shirt up, a lone tear started to fall from her eye. She felt helpless at the sight of her body filled with scratches, bites, hickeys and bruises. She then started to think about the what ifs.

Recalling that unfated night. She started to imagine; what if she did not save Yena from that officer? What if Yena hadn't become careless? What if she tried to say no about that heist?...Questions; questions started to fill her head. No matter how much she thinks of it. The reason she's now in a tight spot was because of her bestfriend. Because of Yena, but even so; never had she blamed the latter. After all, she saved a friend from a horrific fate.

Shaking off the bad thoughts, Chaeyeon rose from her bed. Body aching, but still she stood tall; walking towards her door, she suddenly heard a loud thud from the kitchen.

Hurriedly, she picks a broom and started to walk cautiously towards the sink. Careful steps, she made careful steps, trying not to make any audible sound or squeak. Even so, the person or rather the woman inside the kitchen still saw her and by instinct she threw the broom and rushed out to the guard that was standing out at the balcony. After the inquiry, three big men approached the kitchen with their guns out— ready to shoot their target.

Chaeyeon could feel her heart racing as the four of them nears the sink, and once they had reach the space. 

No one.

There was literally no one.

"what are you dumb heads, doing?" A voice asked from the rear, making Chaeyeon froze in her spot. She can hear the clicking steps coming closer from behind, but she's horrified to face the stranger. She look at each guard whom accompanied her; but they've already disengaged— guns back in their holsters and postures straighten like a soldier being reprimanded by their platoon leader.

"I can't believe uncle took in a rude Necessitous as a maid." The stranger chirps, voice teasing as she stops her feet from walking closer towards the rooted maid. 

Chaeyeon could feel the stare of the three guards at her, and she knows that she's probably in trouble.

Silent minutes felt like hours to the Necessitous. Everything feels like on pause, until the woman behind her spoke again. Telling the guards off. Leaving her and the unfamiliar human at her rear.

"are you really this rude?" The stranger continues. Tapping her feet on the marbled floor of the kitchen.

Chaeyeon wanted to speak, to give out a snarky remark, yet she could not, because of an imaginary lump forming on .

"hey? Are you perhaps...mute?" The stranger curiously asks, taking one step at a time to approach the latter whom remained silent and facing her backwards. After reaching an arm's length, the stranger carefully pressed her hand in the maid's shoulder, and what surprised the stranger was a hiss of pain from the latter.

"I-Im sorry! Are you okay?" the stranger panics, her eyes searching for things to help the maid and alas her searching orbs landed on the refrigerator. She immediately pulled a tray of newly formed ice cubes and put it on her handkerchief, after enveloping the ice with cloth. She hurriedly walk back towards the still rooted maid and pulled the latter out the kitchen.

Chaeyeon got even more stunned at what was happening.

A goddess like woman started pulling her to god knows where, yet the only thing she could utter is an embarrassing compliment. 

The raven haired made an abrupt stop making Chaeyeon bump against her back. Hearing another hiss from the maid behind her. The latter opened the room in front of them and again pulled on the latter's wrist. After entering a big room filled with shelves and books. Chaeyeon's eyes started to busy themselves on looking around; it has been a year since she had been trapped in that hell hole, yet it is the first time she saw a room filled with books. Most room in that mansion are either empty or full of garbage. Chaeyeon got lost in her train of thought when suddenly the first button of her shirt came open. 

The maid's eyes almost bulge out of their sockets as she sees the stranger's hand wandering up to the next button.

On a whim Chaeyeon swatted the latter's hand and took a few steps back— glaring, while trying to button up her uniform again with her shaky hands.

The stranger only looks at her, bewildered. "You nodded when I asked you to strip." the stranger stated, before handing Chaeyeon the improvised ice pack. "here, I know you have some bruises on your shoulders. I don't know where you got those; either ways use it."

Chaeyeon thought how weird the said stranger is. She made a few stares on the improvised ice pack before accepting it. "C-can you please turn around. Miss.."

"Hyewon, You can just call me Hyewon, and ofcourse. I know, I should turn around." Hyewon politely complies, yet she found herself still being able to see the latter through a mirror.

As Chaeyeon unveils her body. Hyewon could only pity the young woman. Bruises, cuts, hickeys and bite marks are all over her. From the chest area down to her abdomen.

Suddenly a surge of disgust pass through Hyewon's head. Ever since she was a child, she had heard rumors about her uncle but they never believed any of it, or in her case alone; she did believe it but ignored the fact because of their family. Well not until today. When Hyewon, with both her eyes saw the evidences lying on the poor woman's body. As Chaeyeon damps the improvised pack on her shoulder, Hyewon could not take it anymore. She suddenly turned to Chaeyeon and pulled the woman towards the bed.

"Let me help you with that." Hyewon stated, which the maid could not refuse.

Chaeyeon let Hyewon treat her bruises, and the sudden warm gesture from Hyewon made the young woman's heart skip a beat, but that aside. She cannot trust the lass. After all, Hyewon is connected to the old man who has been using and abusing her.

After Hyewon had finished helping her up. The maid bid her goodbye, and as Hyewon watches her disappear from her door; the young Opulent flopped herself to bed. "Well, looks like uncle will be in big trouble." A smirk then forms on the beautiful maiden's lips.

+

Dusk came like a wind, and as Chaeyeon started to look at the clock; anxiety and fear started creeping in. It's a Friday today, and that means the old man who took her in would be beating her more than the usual. In all her one year inside that hell hole of a mansion, she had come to realize that the man becomes extremely violent at that time of the week, because of alcohol in most cases— to the point that the next day, all she could do is limp because of the blows given to her the previous night.

The maid is extremely anxious that even a sound from a dropping coin would make her flinch and shake. Every ticking of the clock feels like looming death. Continuous sighs started to roll out of Chaeyeon's lips like a chant. Her hand always brushing her hair back as frustration started to come into sight. 

From a distance, Hyewon watches the woman. She senses fear, anger, anxiety and distraught.

The Opulent then shook her head and walked towards the maid. Without making a sound. Hyewon tapped at Chaeyeon's arm lightly as if she's scared to hurt the latter.

The maid almost jump on her spot, slowly she turns her head— horror painted on her beautiful face, but relief suddenly drown her body as she saw Hyewon.

"Miss? Do you need anything?" the maid politely asks, looking straight into the woman's hazelnut orbs.

"Yes, I want you in my room tonight." Hyewon answered like it was not a big deal.

Chaeyeon suddenly felt chills run down her spine. She looks at Hyewon straight into her eyes. Yet all she could see is nothing but seriousness. Scared of the things Hyewon might do— she wanted to say no. But before she could even utter a word or two. Hyewon had turned her back on her. Walking back to her room, and before Hyewon could take another step up the stairs she gave Chaeyeon one last look. "Don't worry about that stupid uncle of mine. He won't be doing anything. After all, Im now the authority in this house."

After giving out the information, Hyewon proceeded to climb up to her room, leaving Chaeyeon, no time for affirmation.

+

"Why do you want Chaeyeon in your room?" The old man asks as he and Hyewon started their dinner with Chaeyeon standing beside the master of the house.

Hyewon only gave her uncle a cold stare, not even sparing an answer towards the older, and instead she shifted her gaze to Chaeyeon who was clearly shifting her footing uncomfortably beside her uncle.

Seeing the poor woman being molested in front of her, Hyewon immediately stood up not tearing her line of sight from Chaeyeon. And as she rose from her seat, she saw how her uncle retreated his hand from Chaeyeon's thighs. Even in front of the meal and me. 

Hyewon thought while wiping her lips clean. She looks at her uncle again, face void of emotions. Like a cold winter princess. "Im done with my dinner. Now, Chaeyeon. Come with me. I need someone to help me with my bath." Hyewon commanded, strict. Chaeyeon didn't know what to do. Her master was there staring at her, daring her to make the right decision.

"I-Im sorry, I have to decline." Chaeyeon stated.

The maid clearly saw a victorious grin at the older man's face yet Hyewon remained unfazed. Instead she looks at her uncle smiling like a proud king. "It's not a request, it's an order. And I know you haven't forgotten what I told you before right? Im now the authority in this house."

Hyewon's uncle suddenly frowned at her statement. He stood up from his seat slamming both his hands on the table. "You are not an authority! You are just a mere child whom acquired wealth from her deceased parents! You are nothing." the old man started to huff furiously, spitting uncensored profanities and remarks, which Hyewon did not even bother to listen to. Instead of spitting back with poisonous words, she only took Chaeyeon's hand and left the dinning hall, but before she and the maid could exit the hall she spared another glance at her fuming uncle. "from now on. Chaeyeon will be tending to