Yixing was already in the lounge of Baekhyun’s room when he let himself in, looking both amused and impatient. “You’re late, young master,” he said pointedly. The young master tacked onto the end didn’t make it any less patronizing, and Baekhyun found that he actually sort of appreciated that.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “Junmyeon was showing me the stables.”

“Ah, so you’ve already met Junmyeon,” Yixing said, beckoning Baekhyun over. A brand new suit, perfectly tailored and probably infinitely expensive, was laid out on the chaise lounge. “That’s good. At least you’ll know somebody at dinner tonight.”

Baekhyun couldn’t hide his nerves as he ed his shirt and exchanged it for his new one. “What are they like? Will they hate me? They’re all horrible, aren’t they?”

Yixing didn’t answer any of his questions, but he did offer a bit of advice. “Just don’t let them see that you’re afraid.”

“That’s the same thing Junmyeon told me,” Baekhyun admitted, exchanging his pants for the new ones.

Yixing nodded approvingly as he neatly folded the discarded pair of pants, probably to take down to the laundry. “Junmyeon is a smart one.”

“How did you come to work here?” Baekhyun surprised himself by asking. “No offense, but you don’t seem like the type to work in a place like this.”

Yixing sort of smirked, handing Baekhyun a clean pair of dress socks. “When I moved here three years ago, not many people wanted to hire someone from China. My Korean wasn’t all that good and I was having trouble finding a job. Madame hired me because she figured I wouldn’t talk that much since I wasn’t very good at speaking Korean. And I’ve just sort of stayed. The pay is really good and I don’t have to see Madame often. So it’s okay.”

“I wouldn’t stay if I didn’t have to,” Baekhyun said glumly, raising his chin so Yixing could do up his tie.

Yixing smiled, patting the tie down. “You’ll learn to like it soon enough,” he promised. “It’ll be rough now, when Madame is making your life a living hell, but things will get better once you’re head of the family. You don’t have to take crap from anybody and even Madame will back off.”

Baekhyun forced a smile. When put like that, it made staying here until then a little more bearable. “Thanks, Yixing,” he said.

Yixing’s smile widened, distinct dimples popping out in his cheeks. “You’re welcome, young master.”

“Don’t call me that,” Baekhyun said, making a disgusted face. “I grew up in the country. I’m no better than anyone else.”

“I have to call you that,” Yixing replied with another little laugh.

“Don’t,” Baekhyun repeated. “Just call me Baekhyun. Please.”

Yixing hesitated, like he was teetering on the edge of breaking the rules and giving in to Baekhyun’s request.

“You can still call me young master when other people are around,” Baekhyun added persuasively.

Yixing gave in with an exasperated smile. “Okay, okay. But if I get in trouble, I’m blaming you.”

“I’m going to be head of the house in a few weeks, right?” Baekhyun reminded him. “Who are you going to get in trouble from then?”

“Hey, you’ve got to last those few weeks,” Yixing reminded him. “And the first step is to not be late to dinner. Let’s get going.”

Yixing led the way through the impossible maze of corridors and doorways, past portraits and sculptures and even a suit of armor. He moved with ease and familiarity, but Baekhyun was lost after the first few turns. He hoped Yixing would be around after dinner to take him back to his room; otherwise he might be spending the night curled up in the corner by the suit of armor.

Yixing stopped in front of a set of closed wooden doors that were tall enough that two Baekhyuns could fit through, one on top of the other. He turned to face Baekhyun, straightening lapels and smoothing down hair one last time.  

“Just take a deep breath,” Yixing advised, brushing imaginary lint off the suit jacket. “Only speak when spoken to. Remember what you learned in your etiquette lesson this morning. Make sure to use the right fork at the right time. And for the love of god, don’t look Madame directly in the eye. She takes it as a personal challenge and you do not under any circumstances want that woman as your enemy.”

“I think it’s a little late for that,” Baekhyun muttered, trying to remember everything Mr. Shin had crammed down his throat that morning. It seemed like an impossible task. He was definitely going to make a fool of himself.

Yixing gave him one last little smile and then pulled the doors open. He bowed low to whoever was inside the room and, rather grandly, announced Baekhyun’s arrival. Then he stood aside and Baekhyun stepped inside.

He found himself in an enormous dining room with wood paneled walls and elegant chandeliers hanging from a vaulted ceiling. A long wooden table ran the length of the room, and there were nine people seated around it. He only recognized two of the people: Madame and Junmyeon. Madame had a hard look on her strangely-unlined face, like she was disgusted with his mere presence. Junmyeon, at least, looked pleased to see him.

The others gathered around the table looked at him with a condescending sort of curiosity. Baekhyun tried to figure out who was who, but the family tree he’d seen earlier that day eluded his memory at the moment.

There was an empty chair to the right of Madame, so Baekhyun walked towards it. He tried to remember all the advice Yixing and Junmyeon had given him about being confident, so he walked with his shoulders back and his head held high. One of the boys about his age whispered something to the one sitting beside him, and the second boy snickered. Baekhyun’s shoulders hunched just the slightest bit.

Madame regarded him coolly as he slid into the chair. “It’s good to see you looking better, Baekhyun,” she said. She didn’t sound genuine in the least, but at least she used his name instead of calling him boy.

“Thank you, Madame,” he said as politely as he could manage, ducking his head.

She seemed placated by that, at least, and she turned to the assembled family members. “This is your Great Aunt Hyomin. She’s your grandfather’s sister.”

The woman in question was about sixty or so and, despite Mr. Shin telling him that she had a bad back, she held herself tall and proud. Despite them being related only through marriage, she had the same peculiar turn to her lips that Madame had. She also clearly despised him. She sniffed disdainfully instead of greeting him, dabbing at her lipstick-coated lips with an embroidered handkerchief.

Madame introduced his second cousins then. Junho was in his late forties, with thinning hair and a mustache. He did not at all look like a pleasant person. Junhyung and his wife, Siyoon, were even less pleasant. Junhyung looked a lot like Junho, with thinning hair and a too large nose, and he had an expression like he was constantly smelling something disgusting. Siyoon was about ten years younger, in her late thirties or so, and she had a completely blank expression on her face. Baekhyun had no idea what she was thinking.

His third cousins were introduced then. Junho’s son was Minseok. He was a short, round-faced boy with hard eyes and light-colored hair. Junhyung and Siyoon’s sons, Jongdae and Jongin, were sitting opposite Minseok. They were both slender and dark-haired. Jongdae, the elder, looked positively bored with what was going on at the table. The younger, Jongin, wasn’t even looking at Baekhyun; he was smirking at Yixing. And then of course there was Junmyeon, who winked at Baekhyun when he was officially introduced, although the flippant way Madame said his name proved that Junmyeon wasn’t really welcome at the house.

“This is my grandson,” Madame said when she’d finished introducing the assembled family members, and Baekhyun was a little surprised; it was the first time she had actually said that they were related out loud. “Kim Baekhyun.”

“It’s actually Byun,” Baekhyun said without thinking. “Byun Baekhyun, not Kim.”

He realized what a mistake that was the second the words left his mouth. Junhyung actually gasped out loud, while the other adults in the room looked disgusted as if he’d said the most horrible of swear words. Junmyeon and Yixing both shook their heads, sharing an anxious look. One of the cousins – Baekhyun thought it was Minseok – shook his head in disbelief.

Madame cleared , and Baekhyun forgot Yixing’s warning to not look her in the eye. As soon as he made eye contact with her, he wished he hadn’t. She had a venomous look to her. “Everyone in this family goes by the name Kim. We’re already in the process of changing it on your birth certificate.”

Baekhyun felt a certain indignation well up inside him and he opened his mouth to retort but he caught Junmyeon’s eye and, at a curt shake of the head from his cousin, he closed his mouth again. He didn’t need this woman to hate him more than she already did.

There was an awkward silence as the servants brought platters of steaming food to the table. Baekhyun only recognized a few things; most everything was foreign and imported.

Junho cleared his throat once the servants had stepped away from the table again. “So Madame tells us you’re from Mangyang.” The tone in his voice made it clear what his opinion about small villages was. “Please, tell us about your life there. I’m sure it was absolutely fascinating.”

Baekhyun hesitated. He knew that anything he said would just cement these people’s opinions that he was a country bumpkin. “Well, Mangyang was very different. Everyone there was intelligent and hard-working. It’s a community where everyone works together for the betterment of all.” He congratulated himself on that answer. Surely they couldn’t take anything negative from that.

Junhyung sniffed. “A farming village, right?”

“Yes,” Baekhyun answered. “The backbone of all of Korea, actually.” That, at least, seemed to stifle the questions about his hometown.

“You must have many questions about our family,” Great Aunt Hyomin said stiffly. “You’ll have to make sure to study hard. You have quite a lot to live up to, boy.”

Again with the boy. “My name is Baekhyun,” he found himself saying. “Byun Baekhyun. And I wouldn’t have so very much to learn if this family hadn’t chased my mother away when she was younger.”

He got to his feet. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got quite a lot to go over tonight.” And, with a stiff bow, he left the dining hall.

He had barely reached the corner when Yixing caught up to him. “I know, I know,” he sighed, running his fingers wearily through his hair. “I messed that up royally.”

Yixing shrugged. “Yeah, you did.” But then his face split into a broad, dimpled grin. “But it was pretty awesome, you know.”

Baekhyun cracked a small smile. “Yeah?”

“Yes,” Yixing agreed readily. “You’re going to have a hell of a lot of damage control to do come tomorrow, but, for now at least, it was pretty awesome.”