“Miss, you can come down, lunch is almost ready.”

Seulgi glances at the maid and sighs. She needed more sleep, but it seems like she has to get ready.

“Okay, thank you. Just give me a few minutes please.”

“Of course, I will wait for you downstairs, Miss.”

Instead of answering, Seulgi just smiled to the maid. It’s going to be another boring day. Another day where she’s going to pretend that she’s actually interested in whatever her suitor says. A lot of people would be jealous of her social status, she’s the daughter of one of these important men. It indeed has its perks, she knows it. She often goes to the small town near her ‘mansion’ and interacts with the people living there. She sees how some of them are starving, she sees the state of their ‘houses’ if it can be called like that. She’s lucky and that’s why she doesn’t want to be capricious and will accept her fate of marrying a random boring and rich guy. It’s better than risking her life everyday anyway.

So she gets up and gets ready. Unlike most of the girls with the same life, she wants to dress up alone. She’s grown up already. If she can’t even put her own clothes at 20 what will she be like at 50? Plus she doesn’t want people seeing her almost , that’s weird.

She has always been independent, at least more than her sister Seungwan. She loves her with her whole heart but must admit she’s the cliché of the rich daughter. When they were young Seulgi was always the one who played a little bit too violently and ended up bruised. Seungwan was more of the type to play with her dolls and tea. But that didn’t stop them from getting along very well. Her sister being 3 years older always took care of her and never tried to make her more ‘lady-like’.  

“Good morning dad.”

“Oh, Seulgi you’re finally here, you’re late though.”

“Yes father, sorry.” she sighs.

“You don’t even greet your sister?”

“Seungwan! Hi, I didn’t see you” she answers while receiving a tight hug from the latter.

“Yeah sure, but anyway just come and eat something you must be starving.” she pouts.

Seulgi glances at the food and had to stop herself from eating everything. If she really liked something, it was food.

Soon her thoughts are halted by her father’s voice.

“So, Seulgi, Junmyeon is coming this afternoon at 4, I hope you’ll wear something more… suitable for his visit. This is a bit too comfortable if I can say.”

“Father, I’m sorry but what Seulgi is wearing is already ‘suitable’, I don’t see any problem with it.”

Seulgi sends Seungwan a thankful look, but her father won’t stop there.

“Seungwan as far as I know, it’s Seulgi’s suitor not yours. I’m the one making the choices here. And no need to mention that I am the one that presented him to Seulgi. I know him better than you so the same goes for his clothing taste in women.”

The sisters both sighed. There’s nothing they can do when their father thinks he’s right. Most rich people are like that and it’s damn annoying.

“Yes father don’t worry, I’ll be ready for his arrival.”

Determined to change the subject she sits and begins to pick food.

“Father, I heard from someone that a bunch of important people will come to visit soon?” she asks.

“Yes I was going to tell you tonight but since you already heard about it, let me explain. I was offered a deal not long ago. I believe both of you deserve to know about it. I met a Lord and it seems that he’s interested in buying our land”

Seungwan and Seulgi look at each other with big eyes.

“Father, I’m sorry but this is quite surprising. We all know that this land has nothing to offer. Everything is quite, let’s say, shallow. It’s winter all year and the earth is not fertile. Do they at least know about it…?” interrogates Seulgi’s sister.

“I was also lost when they shared their interest to me. I have been nothing but honest with them. I described the land as it is and never lied about anything. But it seems that they still want to see it. So I invited them to spend some time in the house we have next to the lake.”

“Wait when you say ‘them’, how much are they?”

“I think their family will come, perhaps 4 or 5, I still need confirmation. I only know that the mother won’t come. They didn’t tell me more informations.”

“For how long will they stay?” this time Seulgi is the curious one.

“I don’t know maybe a few meeks or maybe a few months. But if we manage to sell the land, we will be able to move somewhere else since I’m also in talks to get another one.”

“Tell me it will be sunny there.” prays Seungwan.

“Yes, don’t worry I won’t make the same mistake twice. Just trust me.” he chuckles.

“Okay then we will trust your negotiation capacities dad.” she answers.

Seulgi was silently munching on food and to be honest she didn’t feel like it would work. Even though the land is not the worst one it will indeed be difficult to get rid of it. Only a crazy person would go and buy it. And it’s not like she hates here, actually if she needed to move out, she’ll be sad. She was born here and lived her whole life in this mansion. She also grew on the villagers. And even though the nature here is really cold in term of aspect and weather she’s not bothered anymore. It’s still her home.

“I’m going to get ready” she says as she starts to climb the stairs up.

“Okay don’t forget, suitable please, not that.”

“See you later, Seul!”

Seulgi finally falls on her bed. She wanted to ask her dad if it was really useful to find her a husband when they might move out. But she knows that he will just find a way to bring him with them and will probably talk to him about it in no time. Sometimes she wishes she could pause her life even for a few seconds..

“Seulgi, Junmyeon is here!”

Seulgi startles and her eyes open instantly. I fell asleep, the ‘suitable’.

She tries to even fix her hair a bit before meeting him. She doesn’t want them to discover that she’s been sleeping. She stands up and walks to the main door not missing the angry look her father is giving her.

The door suddenly opens.

“Hello Miss Seulgi!” he says as he takes her hand and kisses it.

“Hello Sir Junmyeon.” she badly wants to roll her eyes.

“How have you been?”

“Good, as usual, and you?”

“Really good, I couldn’t stop smiling every time I reminded myself that I would see you soon.”

Seulgi broke in an awkward grin and prayed her father wouldn’t notice it because she would be so dead.

“So, miss, should we start that painting lesson?”

Seulgi is actually really good at painting, but he doesn’t know it since he didn’t even ask. Last time he just insisted on the fact that they should try to paint together, and he kept bragging about his skills. He said that he’ll teach her, and she didn’t have the motivation to tell him that she is probably better at it than him.

So here they are, both sit in front of a canvas. Trying to draw an apple. Yes, an apple. Seulgi is fighting to contain her yawning at this point. Plus, the guy is talking so much and didn’t even see that Seulgi finished the drawing at least 10 minutes ago. How boring.

She peeks at his drawing and all she wants to do is laugh. It looks like a kid drew that apple. She wonders if he lied or if he really believes that he is skilled at this. Afterall he’s a man so it’s possible that in his head he’s a drawing genius.

“Finish!” he exclaims.

Finally, he looks at her drawing and the way he opens his mouth is way too funny once again.

Seulgi starts giggling.

“How.. Why didn’t you tell me you knew how to paint Miss Seulgi?”

“I don’t remember that you asked Sir.”

“I.. You should have told me.. My drawing is not even close to yours. I feel ashamed.”

“You just need to work a bit on the shadows, but your drawing looks good Sir.” she lies.

He then asks if they could drink a tea together and Seulgi follows him. Of course her father has to come and ask if everything is good. He’s flashing his best smile to Sir Junmyeon. He really is the perfect candidate in his head. It seems like her father and him are more getting along than herself with the man. She sighs for the hundredth time today.

Finally he leaves, her father scolds her, obviously, telling her that she’s