Yang Hye-in’s daily life is monotonous.
Aside from getting up early, there isn’t much to do. The mansion’s cleaning is handled by dedicated servants. Garden maintenance is also taken care of by professionals, and of course, cooking is not on her agenda. Formally, all these tasks are overseen by Yang Hye-in, but in reality, the routines for the staff are clearly established, so she doesn’t have to worry about anything.
When someone needs to quit or take a break for unavoidable reasons, replacements are quickly arranged from higher up, not from the mansion. The backup staff is always sufficient, so even if someone suddenly leaves, that spot gets filled quickly.
There was hardly ever a heartwarming conversation with the staff. It wasn’t mandated by staff rules, but remaining silent within the mansion gradually made that silence feel normal. Even if someone had only begun working recently, as time passed, their words decreased.
Aside from the quarterly visits from the chairwoman, there are no guests. In the business circle, only Yoon Da-ho, Ye Sara’s fiancé, can have conversations face to face with Ye Sara. Only under the assumption that such exchanges could be called “conversations,” of course.
That said, Yoon Da-ho wouldn’t come to the mansion himself. All appointments were made outside the mansion.
Thus, this mansion was always a gloomy space. A house full of those just living to survive, devoid of genuine interpersonal conversation. Perhaps the biggest reason Yang Hye-in’s predecessors couldn’t endure here was precisely that.
Yet, what on earth is the reason she clings on to her work in this mansion?
Yang Hye-in had never heard of her predecessors. Perhaps they were much older than her. Maybe they didn’t graduate from good universities like she did, or perhaps they were paid less. They might have even been people who could leverage their experience to find other jobs if they left this place.
Yang Hye-in certainly graduated from a good university with excellent grades and secured a good job based on that.
But now, it’s meaningless to dwell on such things.
There’s nothing resembling a “career” for Yang Hye-in now.
No matter how well she performed in university, the job she ended up with was that of a maid. Regardless of how kindly it’s viewed, this job is quite literally what the term implies. Even if she quit, it would be tough to present this role as a qualification for future employment.
Despite entering a good company, she hadn’t worked there long enough to know anything about the actual work. For the past few years, all Yang Hye-in had done was follow after Ye Sara, attending to her needs.
Perhaps it was quite intentional that she was offered such a large sum to take on this job, especially right after beginning her career. The idea was possibly to pre-select someone who would stay longer in this monotonous workplace to maintain that dullness.
To minimize any disruption in Ye Sara’s life as a result of her presence.
If indeed the chairwoman of Yujin Group had such thoughts, then she was spot on.
Until the night of the first day of the year, when Ye Sara twisted her body and let out a scream.
It was a horrific screech, the likes of which one might hardly expect from a young girl.
Yang Hye-in remembers the sour smell that wafted through when she opened Ye Sara’s room. It was a smell not merely of sweat but one that shouldn’t arise in a bed.
Her first emotion was bewilderment, followed quickly by fear.
If something happened to Ye Sara, Yang Hye-in’s future would also be over.
……Fortunately, the worst situation was avoided.
The police could be called without further issues, and it wasn’t hard to get the doctor to keep quiet. The medical records went to the chairwoman. She wondered what feelings the chairwoman would show if something happened to her adopted daughter, but there was no reaction from her side.
“Is she trying to stick to the principle of ‘quarterly visits’?”
She thought it was cruel, but soon Yang Hye-in shook her head.
If we’re talking about cruelty, she was the same.
In a moment when a child is suffering, her only thought was for her own safety.
No, in truth, it wasn’t just that moment. Throughout her work, Yang Hye-in only thought of her own safety. Even when Ye Sara, whom she had spent years with, would speak to her in a small, unclear voice, she dealt with her purely on a business-like level.
Everything was for herself.
She only thought about her designated tasks, fulfilling what had to be done.
……No.
She didn’t “have to” do many things.
Trapped in this mansion, witnessing a child being abused in the worst way possible, she regarded her merely as an “item of duty.” Working in such a cold place was only worth it for the price she was paid, as if she were a victim herself.
At first, she felt a bit of guilt. But guilt, as it turns out, tends to fade away with time. There’s a concept of “rationalization” that fills the emptiness when guilt fades away.
Yeah, Sara is different from ordinary children.
She possesses much more wealth than regular people.
One day, when she fully becomes independent, she will lead a much happier life than others.
……All of that was nonsense.
Sara was just a child like any other.
Yang Hye-in realized that fact far too late.
Only after she saw the first genuine smile on Sara’s face did it dawn on her.
*
“Did nothing happen today?”
It was an ordinary Sunday.
Just yesterday, Sara’s friend had shown up unannounced, causing a bit of a disruption to their usual routine, but today was genuinely uneventful. The chairwoman hadn’t contacted her as if she didn’t know of Sara’s changes, and no other friends came to visit.
Since the incident, it was said that Sara’s personality had become a bit more proactive, but she still rarely initiated conversations with the maids. Though she had been speaking to Yang Hye-in more often, she never asked about her well-being like this.
Yang Hye-in glanced at Sara during dinner. Sara didn’t bother to look her way. She merely fiddled with her fork and knife.
For a moment, Yang Hye-in thought she might have misheard, but she quickly corrected her thoughts.
“Yes, nothing unusual.”
“Really?”
From the reply that came back, it seemed she hadn’t misheard.
Yang Hye-in shifted her gaze slightly to look at the other maid nearby. They both had their hands respectfully placed on their laps, slightly bowing their heads.
However, Yang Hye-in could see their eyes flickering.
It was an astonishing change that had never happened before.
Of course, reflecting on the fact that just yesterday they had gone out with a friend and returned after quite a while, this was nothing significant. They were just shocked by the sudden disruption of their years-long routine. The longer they had worked here, the greater the shock would be.
Did they feel any other emotions besides the bewilderment? Were they feeling the kind of fear that Yang Hye-in had felt?
“Isn’t maid work hard sometimes?”
The conversation didn’t stop there. Though Sara still didn’t turn to face her, it seemed she wasn’t planning on ending the talk.
“It’s not too tough in comparison to the salary.”
Yang Hye-in answered honestly. She felt the gazes of the other maids shifting toward her.
For a brief moment, Sara’s movement froze after hearing her response. The clattering sound from her plate came to an abrupt stop, and the cafeteria fell eerily quiet.
For a moment, as if lost in thought, Sara paused before she resumed moving her fork and knife.
“Is it rude to ask how much your salary is?”
“……”
Yang Hye-in mulled over the question.
At this moment, she wasn’t quite sure whom she should be aligned with. But just a moment ago, she was the chairwoman’s person.
……But this mansion is most definitely under Sara’s name. Yang Hye-in was employed by the chairwoman, but simultaneously, her job was to take care of Ye Sara. And in fact, Sara could evict her from this mansion anytime she wanted, as this place was her private property. She simply hadn’t done so.
What lead to that question?
Was she chastising Yang Hye-in for not performing her duties properly?
Or did she think that just because she’s getting paid, she’s the kind of person who would do anything?
In truth, both assertions were valid.
Determining her conclusion, Yang Hye-in opened her mouth slowly.
“My salary is—”
*
Huh?
How much?
500 million?
Of course, the annual salary Yang Hye-in gave wasn’t exactly 500 million. There might be a few hundred thousand added on, but…… that wasn’t what mattered right now.
……Well, thinking back, in order to hire a young person as a live-in maid without any days off, they must have needed a boatload of money. Perhaps Yang Hye-in’s qualifications were higher than she had imagined. Surely they wouldn’t just hire anyone to be beside the crucial figure of Ye Sara.
Yang Hye-in had learned that Sara came after she graduated elementary school. So, that meant she had worked there for about three years, and given that she appeared to be in her mid-twenties now, she must have been a complete novice when she arrived.
Maid duties couldn’t possibly require a significant amount of qualification.
Perhaps the 500 million salary served to pre-reward promising talent’s future.
“……”
Momentarily speechless, I began to move the knife and fork in my hand again.
Honestly, there wasn’t really any ulterior motive behind the question.
I just…… thought of when Yang Hye-in had talked to me last time, so I felt like speaking up. You could say it was just out of curiosity. I didn’t expect her to answer so diligently.
Isn’t asking someone about their salary a form of power harassment?
……It is. In a normal workplace, people hardly talk about their salaries. Companies also don’t favor it.
“……Was it too personal of a question?”
“No, not at all. Everything I have here is thanks to you, Miss.”
Is she buttering me up?
……Well, no, it’s more like asking if it’s tolerable for one’s boss to question them. How could I respond with “I’m struggling and want to quit”?
Reflecting back, it became clear that the original question was indeed misguided.
……But if it wasn’t that question, what on Earth should I have asked?
I’d like to assess whether Yang Hye-in is capable of helping me, but the employer-employee relationship is far too clear-cut for any answers to emerge. Whatever I ask, I believe Yang Hye-in would respond positively like a professional maid.
Yet given that she allowed me to leave the mansion without reporting to the chairwoman, she seems closer to Ye Sara’s side.
Well, it’s the first time speaking up, so it could have been a misstep.
Anyway, since I’ll continue to stick with Yang Hye-in, it’s something I can check little by little over time.
“……Is that so.”
In the end, I gave a short reply while promising to look for another opportunity.
