Red Lanterns, Red Flags

"I thought more about our deal, Sir, and I will need more money if you wish me to come over to your place. It will cost you because this might cost me my place here. If Madam Moon finds out that I left the place without telling her, she will kick me out of here. And I don't have anywhere else to go." whispered Minah, facing the old nobleman, behind a closed door, in a dim light.

"Very well, then. I will send one of the girls working in my house to visit you here. Tell Madam Moon she is a friend or relative. You are smart and you will come up with something. Teach that girl everything you know about covering scars. Also, I will send you enough money so make sure you get all the tools needed and send them to me through that girl." replied Minister Jang looking deep in Minah's eyes and pointing each word with his index finger.

The next morning, Minister Jang was having breakfast with his wife.

"Where is Hana?" asked him while munching on some kimchi.

"She is in her room, reading" Do you need her for something, Sir?" asked Lady Jang.

"No, but I need that girl, her maid. Send her to my office after breakfast. I need to have a word with her." talked Minister Jang without looking at his wife and focusing on digging in his fried rice.

"You never asked to see this girl, Sir. Why now? What would you have to say to that low minded creature." spoke sarcastically his wife.

"Not your business for now. Just send her and I will tell you everything later on." replied Minister Jang, wiping his greasy lips with a towel.

…

Nara was sitting in the garden with Hana, reading to her a book about the history of the royal family and the marriage protocol. The day was hot, as this end of July was burning, so Hana was waving, lazy, a pink fan, dozing off, laid back on the bench.

Lady Jang approached them and looked at Nara.

"Stand up and go to Minister Jang's office. He requested to see you."

Nara was surprised to hear that the Minister wanted to see her. She was trying to avoid him and be away from his sight as much as possible. But this time it was strange.

She stood up, nested her blue skirt and left after bowing to Lady Jang. On the way to his working room, she kept thinking what is this about. Why does he want to meet her now?

Arriving at his door, she announced herself and then she heard his voice telling her to enter.

"Come and sit down." he said with a deep voice looking at her. "Listen carefully to what I will tell you and do exactly as I ask you."

Nara sat on a cushion across from him and waited to hear what he said, with her head slightly bowed, not daring to look at him.

"You have been in my house since your birth and you know everything about our family. Now we have to prepare Hana for entering the selection for the future queen of this nation. You know Hana and all our secrets. I know you are not a stupid girl and that you care for her. Am I right?" spoke Minister Jang, staring at her.

"Yes, Sir." she replied as her hurt was racing, all this speech making her uncomfortable, as she did not know what exactly he was going to talk about.

"Well then. I will talk honestly with you, putting my trust and our family's trust in you that you will do whatever it takes to help Hana become Queen. If she enters the Palace, I will make sure to put you with her as her main lady. You will have the most lavish life inside the Palace. But for all this you have to do as I say to help us and help yourself too."

Nara kept nodding her head, still not daring to raise her eyes and look straight at him.

"You know the requirements for entering the selection right? And I am sure you know that Hana has a…how to say, little inconvenience that might bother us." said Minister jang while shaking his head. "That birth sign she has on her body must be concealed and I found that there is a way to do so. Now, I need you to go somewhere and learn how to do that. When you come back you have to prepare Hana and hide that patch of skin like it was never there."

Nara felt her breathing getting intense and she started to rub her hand while holding them tucked on her lap.

"I understand, Sir," she said in a whispering voice.

"Tonight, after midnight you will go to the Red Lantern House. Nobody should see you going there or entering there. Walk fast and do not stop anywhere or talk to anybody. There is a girl waiting for you. She will take you to show you how to cover a scar or any flaw on the skin. Pay attention to her and learn everything about it. You have time till before sunrise. Also, make sure you bring the things necessary for making it here. She knows what she has to do. You just go as unseen as possible and come back with all the information and tools. Do you understand what I say?" he spoke with eyes wide open bending over the small table in front of him.

Nara raised her eyes for the first time and looked at him once she heard the name Red Lantern House. She knew what that place was and she knew also that it was not a place where a maiden was to be seen.

"I understand what you mean, but that place, Sir…" she said shyly.

"Don't be dramatic over that place. This is not what is important. It is important to make Hana flawless!" said Minister Jang in a rough note.

"Yes, Sir." replied Nara, bowing her head and staring at the floor.

"Now, go and be prepared to leave at midnight. Make sure you have a cloak with you." completed Minster Jang, making a sign with his arm for her to leave.

Nara left the office room of Minister Jang feeling anxious and scared. She thought about going back to Hana, but she turned around and left straight in the backyard. Pulled open the screeching wooden door in the ground and entered.

"Mother, being in this house is getting harder and scary and now I start to understand better what you passed through. But I have nowhere to go. Plus you are here. I cannot leave you behind." whispered Nara while sitting down leaning against the grave wall and holding her knees against her chest. She closed her eyes and slowly sighed.

While Hana was taking an afternoon nap, Nara went back to her room and started to think about tonight. She remembered Minister Jang asking to wear a cloak. In a corner of her room, under piles of beddings, she had an old wooden chest where she kept clothes and things that belonged to her and her mother. After she died, Nara received things that her mother used to have. Mostly clothes. Opening it, Nara started to dig through the pieces of clothing and then she saw a velvet black garment. She pulled it out of the box and looked at it. A long, coal black with a sheer from the velvet cloak that seemed too expensive and sophisticated for a random maid to have. Nara wondered how her mother had something like this in her gardrobe, being only a poor housemaid.

With a wide turn, she placed the heavy cloak on her shoulders, pulling the large hood over her head, covering her face till her nose. This garment gave her a strange feeling. Whe texture, the length and the cut of this cloak made her feel mighty, like wearing a royal gown.

Because it was covering her perfectly, she decided to wear this at midnight.

After finishing all her tasks and putting Hana to sleep, Nara was sitting in her room waiting. Just an hour before midnight the weather became so bad. A strong wind and dark clouds moving rapidly were covering the night sky.

She covered herself with the cloak, pulled the wide hood all over her face, she left her room and went through the gates of the house, in the middle of the night. The air was cold and the wind was so strong that it made her feel out of breath. She moved with rapid steps, keeping her face looking to the ground.

When she was just around the corner of the Red Lanterns place, it started to rain and strong wind blowing dust made it hard to see. With teary eyes and trying to hold her cloak to not fly away, Nara felt like bumping hard into someone and fell down on her side. Her cloak covered her and she found herself buried under layers of velvet. Without thinking too much, she rushed herself to stand up and continue her way, without making herself noticed. So Nara stood up fast and rushed ahead, turning her head for a moment to look behind her. She noticed a man standing and staring at her, which made her feel more uncomfortable.

Nara runned and arrived in front of the large gates of the Red Lantern. She peaked inside and saw the windows of this brothel house fully lighted. It was heavily pouring so there wasn't any noise coming from inside , as the sound of the rain covered it.

Feeling ashamed and scared of being there, Nara tried to think of how to enter or what to do from here. She was told that someone will wait for her, but there isn't anyone.

"What are you doing here, little bird?" suddenly someone spoke from behind her, which made her jump and cover her face. "You seem lost, darling. Come in to make me feel a little warm." continued the man getting closer to her and pushing his chest against her.

Nara felt a strong alcohol smell and felt she would throw up. Her heart thumping and pulling her cloak over her face, she wanted to run back home.

"Minister Lee, Sir, what pleasure to see you tonight." talked a woman from inside the yard. "Why don't you come in and make yourself comfortable. I will bring you something good to drink and warm up." continued the woman, grabbing this old man by his arm, with a sly smile.

"Oh, well, in this case I will wait for you … and my drink." replied the man, with a loud laugh, making his round belly to shake up and down. He walked towards the house with very insecure steps.

The young girl with fair skin, red colored lips and breasts almost popped from under the tight top, looked at Nara.

"Minister Jnag sent you, right? Walk with me and make sure you keep your face covered. Do not look at anyone and do not talk to anyone. Do you hear me?" Minah said with a very sharp look and a tough tone.

Nara followed the girl and after going around the house, they arrived in a dark room. Minah pushed Nara inside the room and closed the door slowly, after making sure nobody saw them. The room was organized, clean, but had a very dark energy in it, making Nara nervous.

Minah locked the door and rushed over to a corner of her room and sat on her knees. She removed pieces of the wooden floor and seemed to search something under the floor, in a secret space there. She pulled out a black box and brought it to her bed.

"Sit down here," Minah said to Hana, pointing to the bed. "I will teach you about how to cover scars as Minister Jang asked me. He told you why you are here, right?" asked Minah suddenly, stopping from digging in that box and staring at Nara.

Nara looked puzzled for a moment and then shaked her head.

"Yes, yes he told me everything about it." she answered, nodding her head.

"Well, then. We have less than 4 hours till sunrise when you head back home. I will explain and show everything and make sure you understand everything now and memorize." said Minah spreading lots of strange things on the bed.

After three hours, Nara left the Red Lantern house, covering herself under the black velvety cloak. Holding a silky blue wrap in her arms, she headed straight to Minster's Jang house, trying to not flip because of the muddy road, after this rain.