Chapter 35 : Chapter 35

Chapter 35 : Chapter 35

Yang Hye-in's daily life is monotonous.

Except for waking up early in the morning, there isn't much to do.

The mansion's cleaning is handled by a dedicated servant.

There are also professional gardeners, and of course, she doesn't cook.

Officially, Yang Hye-in is in charge of overseeing all of this, but in truth, the routines of the staff in the mansion were so clearly defined that there was no reason for Yang Hye-in to worry about it.

Even if someone had to quit or take time off for an unavoidable reason, replacements were quickly sent from a higher authority, not from this mansion.

There was always sufficient standby personnel, so even if someone was absent, the position was quickly filled.

There was hardly any friendly conversation between the servants.

It wasn't a rule set by the staff code, but in the silence of the mansion, that silence eventually clung to everyone.

Even if someone had only recently started working, their words gradually decreased over time.

Except for the chairwoman, who visits once a quarter, there were no guests.

In the business world, the only person who could meet and talk with Ye Sara was her fiancé, Yoon Da-ho.

But that's only assuming you could call their exchanges "conversation".

However, Yoon Da-ho never visited the mansion in person.

All meetings were arranged outside the mansion.

Thus, the mansion was always a gloomy place.

A house where no warm conversations passed between people, only those living just to keep on living.

That was probably the biggest reason Yang Hye-in's predecessors didn't last long here.

And yet, what is the reason that she, who clung to this mansion, continue to work here?

Yang Hye-in had never heard about who her predecessors were.

Perhaps they were much older than her.

Maybe they didn't graduate from as prestigious a university as she did, or maybe their salaries were lower.

Perhaps even if they quit here, they were people who could use that career to get another job.

Yang Hye-in had undoubtedly graduated from a good university with good grades, and based on those grades, she had landed a good job.

But now, such things no longer mattered.

For Yang Hye-in now, there was nothing you could call a "career".

No matter how good her university or grades were, the job she ended up with, based on those credentials, was as a servant.

Even if seen in the best light, being a servant was only that—servant work, in the literal sense.

It was a job too difficult to list as a qualification when trying to find employment in another company.

Though she had entered a good company, she had never worked there, so she didn't know anything about the actual work.

For the past few years, all Yang Hye-in had done was follow the child Ye Sara around and take care of various things.

Maybe when they offered Yang Hye-in such a high salary right after she had just started working, it was done deliberately.

To hire someone who would stay longer in such a dull workplace to maintain that monotony.

To minimize the ripples in Ye Sara's life.

If the chairwoman of Eugene Group truly thought that way, her plan had certainly worked.

At least until the first night of this year, when Ye Sara twisted her entire body and screamed.

It was a horrible scream, one she'd never heard before in her life, and one that you wouldn't think could come from a young girl.

Yang Hye-in remembered the sour smell that hit her when she opened Ye Sara's door.

It wasn't just the smell of sweat; it was a smell that should not have come from the bed.

The first emotion she felt was confusion, and the next that followed was fear.

If something happened to Ye Sara, Yang Hye-in's future would end as well.

… Fortunately, the worst-case scenario could be avoided.

The police could be withdrawn without much issue, and it wasn't too hard to keep the doctor quiet.

The medical records went to the chairwoman.

She wondered if the chairwoman would show any emotion about something happening to her stepdaughter, but there was no reaction from her side.

Was she just trying to maintain her principle of "quarterly visits"?

She thought it was cruel, but Yang Hye-in quickly shook her head.

Because when it came to cruelty, she was no different.

In the moment when a child was suffering, the only thing she thought about was her own safety.

No, in fact, it wasn't just that moment.

Throughout the time she worked here, she only thought about her own safety.

Even when Ye Sara, who she spent years with, spoke to her in a small, faint voice, she always responded in a strictly business-like manner.

It was all for herself.

She only thought about her assigned tasks and did what she had to do.

…No.

What she "had to" do, she didn't do.

She looked at a child trapped in this mansion, abused in the worst ways, and she saw her only as a "task".

She justified working in this bleak place because she was being paid enough, as if she was the victim.

At first, she did feel a little guilty.

But guilt, by nature, fades over time.

Where guilt disappeared, "justification" took its place.

Yes, Sara was different from ordinary children.

She had far more wealth than regular people.

One day, when she became fully independent, she would live a much happier life than anyone else.

…It was all nonsense.

Sara was just the same as any other child.

And Yang Hye-in realized that fact far too late.

It wasn't until she saw Sara smile properly for the first time.

*

"Was everything okay today?"

It was an ordinary Sunday.

Yesterday, a friend of Sara's suddenly visited, so it felt slightly different from usual, but today, nothing special happened.

Whether the chairwoman knew about the changes in Sara or not, there was no contact from her, and no other friends visited the mansion.

Although Sara's personality had become somewhat more assertive after that incident, she still didn't go out of her way to speak to the servants.

She had started speaking to Yang Hye-in more often, but she'd never asked anything like this before.

*

I looked at Sara, who was in the middle of dinner.

She didn't bother turning to look this way. She was just busy moving her fork and knife.

For a moment, I wondered if I had misheard, but I quickly corrected myself.

"Yes, there was nothing special."

"Is that so?"

Judging by her response, it seemed I hadn't misheard.

I glanced slightly at the other servants standing nearby.

Both had their hands clasped politely in front of them, with their heads slightly bowed.

But I could see their eyes trembling a bit.

An unexpected, surprising change.

Of course, compared to the fact that Sara had gone out with her friend yesterday and returned much later, this wasn't such a big deal.

They were probably just surprised that the routine they had been accustomed to for years had suddenly broken.

The longer they had worked here, the greater the shock must have been.

Were they feeling more than just surprise?

Were they feeling the same fear I had felt?

"Is the maid work too difficult?"

The conversation didn't end there.

Sara still didn't turn around, but it seemed she had no intention of ending the conversation.

"Considering the salary, it's not that hard."

I gave an honest answer.

I could feel the other servants' gazes shift toward me.

For a moment, Sara's hands stopped.

The clattering sound of her fork and knife against the plate ceased, and the dining room became eerily silent.

After pausing for a moment as if lost in thought, Sara soon began moving her fork and knife again.

"Would it be rude of me to ask how much that salary is?"

"…."

I mulled over her question.

Though I was a bit confused about where I stood now, until recently, I had been the chairwoman's person.

… But the mansion I worked in belonged to Sara.

I was hired by the chairwoman, but my job was to take care of Ye Sara.

And, truthfully, Sara could empty this mansion anytime she wanted.

The mansion itself was Sara's private property.

She just hadn't done so.

What was the reason behind her question?

Was she criticizing me for not properly fulfilling my duties?

Or did she think I was the type of person who would do anything as long as I was paid?

In truth, both were correct.

Having come to that conclusion, Yang Hye-in slowly opened her mouth.

"My salary is—"

*

What?

How much?

Five hundred million?

Of course, the annual salary Yang Hye-in mentioned didn't match exactly to 500 million won.

There were a few more millions attached to it after that, but… that wasn't important right now.

… Well, come to think of it, to hire such a young person as a live-in maid without any days off, they probably did need to offer a mind-boggling amount of money.

Maybe Yang Hye-in's personal qualifications were much higher than I thought.

They wouldn't have picked just anyone to place next to someone as important as Ye Sara.

According to the letter, Yang Hye-in had come after Ye Sara graduated from elementary school.

So, she's worked here for about three years.

She looked like she was in her mid to late twenties, so when she first arrived, she would've been a complete rookie in the workforce.

Being a maid can't exactly be considered a great qualification.

That 500 million won must have included compensation for the future potential of a promising talent.

"…."

I momentarily lost my words and began moving my knife and fork again.

In truth, I hadn't asked with any particular intention.

It's just… I remembered how Yang Hye-in had spoken to me last time, so I tried speaking to her, too.

It was more like a casual check-in.

I didn't expect such a sincere answer.

Isn't it a bit rude to ask someone their salary in front of others?

… Yeah, it's definitely rude.

Normally, people don't discuss their salaries at work.

Companies don't like it.

"… Was it too personal a question?"

"No, it wasn't. I'm only able to work here thanks to you, miss."

Was that flattery?

… No, rather than that, it's more like I asked how she feels about her boss.

How could she answer, "I'm tired of this job and want to quit"?

Looking back, my initial question was wrong from the start.

… But, then again, I'm not sure what I should be asking instead.

I want to know if Yang Hye-in is someone who can help me, but the employer-employee relationship is already so clear that there's no answer.

No matter what I ask, Yang Hye-in will probably respond with professional positivity, as a proper maid should.

But considering she didn't report to the chairwoman and allowed me to leave the mansion, it seems like she's closer to my side.

Well, it's only my first time starting a conversation, so it's okay if I fail.

Anyway, I'll be staying with Yang Hye-in for a while.

I'll just keep checking little by little whenever I get the chance.

"… I see."

In the end, I responded briefly and resolved to look for another opportunity later.