Chapter 35
Chapter 35
Yang Hye-in's days were monotonous.
Aside from waking early in the morning, there wasn't much to do. The mansion had dedicated staff for cleaning. Specialized staff also handled the garden, and naturally, she did no cooking. Nominally, Yang Hye-in oversaw all of it, but the routines of the people working in the mansion were so well established that she had no reason to give them any thought.
Even when someone had to quit or take time off for unavoidable reasons, a replacement was quickly selected and sent from higher up, not from within the mansion itself. The reserve personnel pool was always sufficient, so any vacancy was filled immediately.
The staff rarely exchanged warm conversation. It wasn't a rule mandated by the employee handbook, but maintaining silence within the mansion eventually made that silence cling to a person. Even those who hadn't been working long found their words growing fewer as time passed.
There were no guests either, save for the Chairwoman, who visited once a quarter. Within the business world, the only person who could meet and speak to Ye Sa-ra was her fiancé, Yoon Da-ho—assuming, that is, you could call what they had a conversation.
But even Yoon Da-ho had no reason to visit the mansion in person. Their appointments were all set to take place outside its walls.
And so the mansion was perpetually a somber space. A house where no affectionate words passed between people, inhabited only by those living simply to survive. That was likely the main reason Yang Hye-in's predecessors hadn't been able to endure for long.
Why, then, did she cling to this place and keep working?
Yang Hye-in had never heard anything about who her predecessors were. Perhaps they were far older than her. Perhaps they hadn't graduated from as good a university, or their salary had been smaller. Perhaps they were people who could have used this experience on a resumé when looking for another job after quitting.
Yang Hye-in had certainly graduated from a good university with good grades, and she had even used those grades to secure a position at a good company.
But now, none of that mattered.
Because the current Yang Hye-in had nothing she could call a 'career.'
No matter how good the university or the grades, the job she had landed with those qualifications was that of a personal servant. Even in the most generous light, this job meant nothing beyond the literal definition. It was a position that would be difficult to present as a credential when applying to another company later, should she ever quit.
She had gotten into a good company, but since she had never actually worked there, she knew nothing about the business. For the past several years, all Yang Hye-in had done was follow around a child named Ye Sa-ra and attend to her needs.
Perhaps offering her such a high salary and recommending this job right after she had just entered the corporate world had been largely intentional. A way to preemptively select someone who would keep working in a monotonous environment for a longer time, in order to maintain that very monotony.
To minimize any ripple in the daily life of the entity known as Ye Sa-ra.
If the Chairwoman of Yujin Group had truly been thinking such thoughts, then her plan had hit its mark perfectly.
Right up until the first night of this year, when Ye Sa-ra twisted and screamed.
It was a horrible scream the likes of which she had never heard, one she could not imagine coming from a young girl's mouth.
Yang Hye-in remembered the sour smell that had leaked out when she opened the door to Ye Sa-ra's room. Not just a simple sweat smell, but a smell that shouldn't be coming from a bed.
The first emotion she felt was bewilderment. The emotion that followed was fear.
Because if something happened to Ye Sa-ra, Yang Hye-in's own future would be over.
......Fortunately, the worst-case scenario had been averted.
The police had been turned away without much issue, and silencing the doctor had not been particularly difficult. The medical records went straight to the Chairwoman. Yang Hye-in had wondered if she might show some kind of emotion upon learning something had happened to her adoptive daughter, but there was no reaction from the Chairwoman's side.
Was she intent on steadfastly adhering to her principle of 'quarterly visits'?
She started to think the woman was cruel, but Yang Hye-in quickly shook her head.
When it came to cruelty, she was no different herself.
In the moment of that child's suffering, her only thoughts had been for her own safety.
No, in truth, it wasn't just that moment. Throughout all her time working here, Yang Hye-in had thought only of her own safety. Even when Ye Sa-ra, whom she had spent years with, spoke to her in a small, indistinct voice, she had treated her with cold professionalism.
It was all for her own sake.
She only thought about her assigned tasks and did only what she was supposed to do.
......No.
What she was 'supposed to' do, she hadn't done.
She had looked at a child locked away in a mansion, being abused in the worst possible way, as nothing more than a 'work subject.' She convinced herself that working in such a desolate place was merely for the commensurate pay, as if she herself were some kind of victim.
At first, she had felt a little guilt. But guilt naturally fades with time. The space left by the faded guilt is filled by a concept called 'rationalization.'
That's right, she'd tell herself. Sara is different from ordinary children.
She possesses far more wealth than ordinary people.
In the distant future, once she's completely independent, she'll be able to live a much happier life than others.
......It was all nonsense.
Sara was just a child, the same as any other.
Yang Hye-in realized this fact far too late.
She only realized it after seeing Sara's face truly smile for the first time.
*
"Did anything happen today?"
It was a Sunday like any other.
Yesterday a friend of Sara's had suddenly shown up, which had given the day a feeling somewhat removed from the usual routine, but today truly had nothing out of the ordinary. Whether she knew about Sara's changes or not, the Chairwoman hadn't contacted her, the same as always. No other friends came to visit the mansion.
They said Sara's personality had become a bit more proactive since the incident, but she still rarely went out of her way to talk to the staff. Though she spoke to Yang Hye-in far more often now, she had never asked after her well-being in this manner.
She looked toward Sara, who was in the middle of her evening meal. Sara didn't bother to turn and look her way. She simply kept her fork and knife moving.
For a moment, Yang Hye-in thought she had misheard, but she quickly corrected herself.
"No, nothing in particular has happened."
"Is that so?"
Judging by the reply, she hadn't misheard after all.
Yang Hye-in glanced briefly toward the other staff members standing nearby. Both of them had their hands folded politely in front of them, heads lightly bowed.
But Yang Hye-in could see their pupils quiver slightly.
It was an astonishing change, unprecedented until now.
Of course, if she recalled how Sara had gone out with a friend just yesterday and returned much later, this was nothing major. They were simply startled by the sudden disruption of a routine that had lasted for years. The longer someone had worked here, the greater the shock likely was.
Were they feeling something other than bewilderment? Did they feel the same fear Yang Hye-in had felt?
"Isn't the work of a maid difficult?"
The conversation didn't end there. Sara still hadn't turned around, but she apparently had no intention of ending the talk.
"It's not that difficult, considering the pay I receive."
Yang Hye-in spoke her mind honestly. She felt the staff's eyes converge on her.
Sara's motion stopped the moment she heard the answer. The clattering sound of utensils lightly touching the plate ceased, and the dining room fell deathly silent.
Sara had paused briefly as if lost in thought, then soon began moving her fork and knife again.
"Would it be rude if I asked how much your pay is?"
"......."
Yang Hye-in mulled over the question.
She was a little confused right now about whose person she should call herself, but until recently, she had been the Chairwoman's person.
......Still, this mansion where she worked was undeniably registered under Sara's name. Yang Hye-in had been hired by the Chairwoman, but her job was simultaneously to look after the child named Ye Sa-ra. Moreover, Sara could empty this mansion anytime she wanted. The mansion itself was Sara's private property. It was just that she had chosen not to.
What was the reason behind that question?
Was she rebuking Yang Hye-in for failing to properly do her duty?
Or did she think she was the type of person who would do anything as long as she was paid?
In truth, both statements were correct.
Having drawn her own conclusion, Yang Hye-in slowly opened her mouth.
"My salary is—"
*
Excuse me?
How much?
500 million won?1
The annual salary Yang Hye-in told me wasn't exactly 500 million, of course. I think there were a few extra million on top of that...... but that's not the point right now.
......Well, thinking about it again, to work a young person like that as a live-in housekeeper without any days off, you'd definitely need money in the nine-figure range. Yang Hye-in's personal qualifications might also be far higher than I'm guessing. It's not like they could have picked just anyone to plant right next to the most important person, Ye Sa-ra.
In the will, it said Yang Hye-in came after Ye Sa-ra had graduated from elementary school. So she'd been working here for roughly three years, and since she still looked to be in her mid-to-late twenties, she must have been a complete newcomer to society when she arrived.
A housekeeper role couldn't possibly become some great credential.
That 500 million won probably represented preemptive compensation for a promising talent's future.
"......."
After being at a loss for words for a moment, I started moving the knife and fork in my hands again.
I hadn't really asked with any deeper meaning.
I just...... remembered how Yang Hye-in had spoken to me the other day, so I tried speaking to her in return. Strictly speaking, I asked as if I were inquiring after her well-being. But I hadn't expected her to answer so earnestly.
Is asking someone's salary in front of others some sort of power trip?
......Yeah, it's a power trip. People don't usually talk about their salaries at work. Companies hate it too.
"......Was that too personal a question?"
"Not at all. I am only able to work here thanks to you, young lady."
Is she buttering me up?
......No, rather than that, it's probably more like a situation where her employer is asking if the job is manageable. How could she possibly answer, 'It's so hard I want to quit'?
Thinking back, the first question itself was the problem.
......But the thing is, I don't know what else I'm supposed to ask.
I want to figure out if Yang Hye-in is someone who can help me, but the employer-employee relationship is already so firmly set that there's no clear way forward. No matter what I ask, Yang Hye-in will probably give a positive answer with the attitude of a professional maid.
Still, considering she didn't report me to the Chairwoman and allowed me to go outside, she definitely seems closer to being on Ye Sa-ra's side.
Well, it was my first attempt at striking up a real conversation, so it's okay to fail.
I'll be sticking with Yang Hye-in anyway. I can just check in little by little whenever the thought occurs to me.
"......Is that so."
I gave that short reply and resolved to try for the next opportunity.
1. Approximately $350,000 USD