Rae-Won

When I woke up I was covered with a blanket inside the house. I remember talking to the older lady but that was about it. But then it came to me that I soul shifted with a woman by the name of Naksu The Deadly Assassin or at least that's what she called herself. I got up and walked outside to find my mother and Mr. Ho setting up his stand for the day. 

News came about the older lady passing last night and she was being laid to rest today. I remembered every thing she told me. 

It was sunny outside but the sun wasn't agreeing with me because my head felt as if it was being pounded with a rock. Never had a headache so vicious. As I looked around other's began setting up their stands and getting things ready. I saw the lady that was head of the brothel walking toward us and I turned around to go back in the house when my mother called me over.

I held my head down in defeat and walked over to where they was standing. 

"Yes, mother" I said with a fake smile on my face.

"Mrs. Jin wants to know if you are ready to go to work" she asked me.

"Mom I already said I am not working there" I said.

"She will be over there shortly" my mother told her.

She looked at me and raised her brow. I knew what that look meant and I didn't retaliate. She walked with me into the house. I sighed out in frustration.

"Rae you have to find you something to do. We have to keep our identities covered until we can get out of here" she said giving me my old hanbok that Mr. Ho washed and dried for me. 

"Fine, okay fine I will do it. The first time I encounter trouble we are leaving" I said.

She boiled me some water so I could wash before I left and do my hair. 

After that I walked over to the brothel and met with Mrs. Jin. When I walked in all I could smell was alcohol and the musky scent of men. I was immediately sick to my stomach. My mother told me that I didn't have to act blind because we were already seen by everyone. 

I asked for Mrs. Jin, I was led upstairs by one of the servers. I was brought to a room that was filled with hair accessories and makeup products. I didn't wear makeup so I don't know why I was in here in the first place. She told me to wait here until Mrs. Jin came back.

I was there for a good hour or so before she came. I admired the painting and the details in the structure of the building. When she entered she was excited to see me. Didn't know why because I was going to escape the first chance I got. 

We sat down and she put some jade accessories in my hair. It was a hair pin that I had my eye on when I first entered the room. I figured she saw me eyeing it because she said she was going to give it to me if I served at least three people today. I mean how hard could it have been right. I agreed and I was lead to a table of three men. 

I was going to be their server for the day. Mrs. Jin explained that all I had to do was to keep conversation going and keep the drinks going until they leave. I looked at her as if she has been kicked in face because I was not going to stay in this place all day. The smell was already irritating and being surrounded by loud and smelly men was not my way of enjoying a beautiful day. 

3 hours had passed and I wanted to go outside. I called the girl from earlier and I asked her could she take my spot for maybe 2 hours or so. She agreed because she wasnted to get away from the old men table that she had to serve. I gave her one of my one of my jade pins and I snuck out. 

The smell of fresh air hit my nose and it couldn't have been a better scent. I walked through crowds of people until I came to the entrance of Songrim. It was guarded by men that wore blue swordsman hanboks. I knew I wasn't supposed to be trespassing without permission but I let my curiosity get the best of me.

I climbed over the highest wall I ever seen.

"Where are you goin" 

I heard a voice say. I looked around and saw no one insight.

Then came the voice again. 

"You know you're not supposed to be in here" 

"Naksu if you're talking I'm going to need you to be quiet please"

"I'm trying to save you from being caught"

"I know what I'm doing"

"Fine"

I came mostly because I was honestly looking for valuables to sell plus the aroma of the food was setting my stomach off. One of the  한옥 (hanok / house) windows was open and it was food sitting on a table. Steam was still coming from it so it was just put out. The smell was amazing and I tried to resist but I couldn't and plus my favorites where prepared also. So I took that chance and climbed through. Before I could taste people were heard coming through the hall. I climbed behind a privacy divider that was in the corner of the room. 

I made sure to grab the chopsticks that was on the table. Rather to have something then nothing at all. As the people entered I heard the voice of a male and a female. Sbe was telling him that he causes to much trouble for the people that was teaching him. But he wanted to fight like his father did. 

She retaliated telling him that he should get changed because the royal family was coming to visit. I was hoping he didn't come this way. I peeked from behind the privacy divider and the lady was leaving out the room. He sat down to eat so I took my chance to escape. Before I could get clean out the window he grabbed my arm.

"Tell me why I shouldn't call the guards for you" he said.

"If you want to live I suggest you think of something much smarter than that" I said. 

His grip tightened and I turned around swiftly and poked his pressure point with the chop sticks in his hip. I jumped out the window but I didn't land on my feet right. I ran to the back headed toward the garden. I should've went straight and I would be were I came. I ran for a few mintues then I stopped to catch my breath. 

I scanned my surroundings and saw no one. So I walked back toward the brothel and a hand went over my mouth. I elbowed whoever it was and flipped them on their back. I was ready to attack when I was hit in the back of the head.

Well...that took a turn of events.

I came back to my senses, I heard people talking around me. I moved my hands a little and I felt rope tightly around my wrists.

"Damn, I was caught"

When it became quiet I slowly opened my eyes and there he was sitting beside me with a blank expression on his face. 

"So what were you doing in my room" he asked me.

I can say he was a handsome human being but he was not my type. He had energy radiating off of him but it was blocked by something white which means that his aura was being contained for a reason. It gave me a weird sensation when I felt him get close to me. He sat me up and scooted closer to me. We were literally face to face. He looked at me strangely though.

"You're eyes they are beautiful" he said.

I didn't know what to say because my eyes were light brown but it was nothing special. 

"I know who you are" he said.

My heart started racing because I was not trying to draw attention to me or my mother.

"You're my master, my teacher, the one that's going to unlock my gate of energy" he said.

"Uhh you might have the wrong person" I said nervously. 

He grabbed a rolled up portrait and showed it to me. When he opened it, I was completely shocked by what I saw. It was a painting of me in a royal hanbok.

"That's you right" he asked.

"Yeah but.....this doesn't make sense" I said.

"I had this painted 3 years ago. I have always dreamed about and knew that one day I was going to meet you" he said,

Then it clicked. 

This must be the man my sister is betrothed too!

She did good honestly He was a nice looking man. But how he knew me was the scary part. I have never dreamed about him a day in my life. And plus he was marrying my sister so I did not want to get caught up in that love triangle.

"I'm sorry but how can that possibly be me and I have never seen you a day in my life" I said.

He chuckled and called for his maidservant. 

An older lady walked in and she was shocked to see me.

"Jang Uk who's that" she said observing me.

"My new servant" he said.

"No I'm not" I said

"Why do you have her tied up" she aske him.

"She has fast hands so things go missing here and there" he said.

Did he just call me a thief. That's low down.

She asked him to untie me and she was going to get me changed and presentable.

This is some straight bull!

I was not trying to stay here and plus my sister lived here and I was not planning on having any type of interactions with her. I haven't seen her in 5 years and I intended to keep it that way for the sake of my mother and her saftey. I knew I had to get out of here and fast.

Once I was presentable the maidservant put me straigh to work. I got him bath water and prepped his food, I met new people once again but the thing is they didn't treat me as a stranger. I mean I got weird looking because of my skin but I spoke fluent Hangul. So I guess that was a plus. 

I was to attend to his every need and make sure he did his work.

I'm locked up they won't let me out!!