Chapter 71

"Did you have a chance to talk?"

Ye ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Sa-ra returned to her usual state faster than expected. After So-hee quickly peeled So-ri off her and So-hee's father settled into his seat, she cleared her throat lightly and asked the question in a calm voice.

Her cheek was slightly red where So-ri had been poking it moments before, but she kept her composure.

"Ah... well."

So-hee's father briefly debated whether to apologize for his younger daughter's behavior, then decided it was better to let it slide. Ye Sa-ra herself hadn't said a word about it, so he saw no reason to bring it up first.

So-hee watched Ye Sa-ra with a slightly worried look.

So-ri was still a child, after all. The cheek-poking was almost certainly not some deeply considered act. And since Sara had so casually settled So-ri on her lap, it was probably because So-ri had come to her first and asked to play. Sara must have been humoring a little kid, and then her face got grabbed, and she didn't know what to do about it.

As So-ri's older sister, So-hee knew how to flat-out refuse a tantrum, or warn her, or give her a sharp scolding when she was being rude. Sara had none of that ability. And honestly, even when her opponent wasn't a child, Sara's defenses were remarkably flimsy.

...After all, Yu Ha-neul, Lee Su-a, and, well, So-hee herself had been trampling right past those low defenses without a second thought.

And the reason for those low defenses was that Sara didn't really understand interpersonal relationships.

Up until now, So-hee had thought of that as a kind of opportunity... but that thinking had been too shallow.

From Sara's side, it was a wound. And it could become a huge weakness when she formed relationships with other people going forward.

For instance, if some other man approached Sara—

Just imagining it made So-hee's fists clench. Sara was pretty and had money. It would hardly be strange if someone approached her. And from what So-hee had heard, she apparently already had a fiancé.

If So-hee became her maid, would she have to start by drilling common sense into her?

...But then again, my common sense is pretty far from normal common sense.

While So-hee was wrestling with that thought, the conversation between Sara and her father continued steadily.

"Of course, I understand you'd be concerned. It's not a simple part-time job. She'd have to reside here and stay by my side constantly."

There it was—concern.

So-hee's father thought so.

But the concern wasn't about his own daughter. In hindsight, So-hee wasn't the type to be fooled by a word like 'love.' When he'd heard the phone call, the blood had rushed to his head and he hadn't been able to judge properly, but now that he was here and saw the reality, this girl in front of him, Ye Sa-ra, didn't seem dangerous at all.

Even leaving that aside, it wasn't that he had zero worries as a father. Even if So-hee liked this Sara, he had a strong feeling that Sara's family would likely oppose. In fact, if So-hee became a maid, wouldn't the chances of them being together actually drop? Before, even putting wealth aside, they were equals—friends of the same age. The moment she became a maid, it would become a master-servant relationship.

Of course, to him, So-hee was a proud daughter he would never be ashamed of anywhere... but Sara's parents probably felt the same way about her.

No, more than that.

The part that actually worried him more was the look in So-hee's eyes when she looked at Sara.

He was So-hee's father, of course. He trusted his daughter.

He did trust her, but—

"Dad."

His daughter spoke to him as he was lost in thought.

"Nothing's going to happen. And it's not like I said I'd work for free."

Would nothing really happen...?

Could So-hee end up doing something to that Sara girl?

She might actually be surprisingly good at the maid work. So-hee had handled the housework while he was away at work. But being around the person she liked every single day—would she really not try anything with her employer?

"Ah, wait."

So-hee's father spoke as something suddenly came to mind.

"If that's the case, may I ask what happens with the school situation?"

As Sara had suggested a moment ago, he decided to speak comfortably.

Sara and So-hee glanced briefly at each other, then looked back at him and answered.

"I'm going to transfer to Sara's school."

"Where is this school located?"

He asked with a slight furrow in his brow, and Sara replied.

"Hwayeong High School."

Hwayeong High School.

He knew of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the school too. It was famous for being incredibly expensive. It was the kind of detail someone without much interest might not know, but having lived in this neighborhood since he was young, he'd frequently heard rumors about the school that was quite close by. Nothing detailed, just things like tuition costing tens of millions of won, and that it was hard to get into.

He let out a light breath.

A part-time job was something he could allow. Transferring schools to follow her daughter's first love; he could think it over and permit that too. But Hwayeong High School's tuition was completely beyond his means. And he had no idea if So-hee's grades were even at a level that could get her in.

"So-hee, that might be a bit difficult, don't you think? Hwayeong High School's tuition is..."

"Ah, the tuition will be fully covered."

Sara cut in, keeping her polite tone intact.

"...Excuse me?"

Just moments ago he'd resolved to use casual speech, but on hearing that, honorifics popped out before he could stop them.

"Something like tuition can be handled as an employee benefit."

An employee benefit...?

Tens of millions of won a year...?

"And in truth, considering the salary paid to the previous holder of the position, she could have easily afforded to attend Hwayeong High School even without my support. You don't need to worry about the money."

His jaw fell open.

*

Honestly, tuition as an employee benefit is something plenty of decently sized major corporations offer. Covering college tuition for employees' children, paying for employee training costs—that sort of thing.

Of course, comparing to companies like that is a bit meaningless. The people who work here are either hired directly by the Chairwoman or directly by me, one or the other. But even so, I didn't want to be stingy with the people who would be 'my people.'

Well, even if I couldn't call it a faction yet, I needed to make sure the people working under me didn't fall into dissatisfaction.

Simply handing out money wasn't enough for that. Just looking at the people working in this mansion made that clear. More than that, there needed to be some kind of 'results.' Though I didn't have any ideas yet.

In that sense, if So-hee became my Personal Maid, she'd be the first example.

I had absolutely no intention of treating her carelessly. And besides, So-hee was one of my friends.

"The previous person's annual salary was five hundred ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠million won. It might be somewhat lower after health insurance and taxes, but I intend to match at least that level."

At my words, So-hee's father's jaw dropped.

And so did So-hee's. She hadn't imagined I'd put up that kind of money.

"F-five hundred... million?"

Only So-ri, who hadn't grasped the reaction, tilted her head and echoed the words.

"Ah, no, there's no need to give that much..."

"I told you. That's the amount the previous person received. Of course, I'm offering it on the condition that you receive a proper handover and do the work right. If you don't meet my standards, I'll cut it, so you'd better do the job right."

When I said that, So-hee's face went stiff as a board and she nodded. Um... that was a joke.

Honestly, there wouldn't really be all that much for her to do. Yang Hye-in had managed all the servants in this mansion, but So-hee wouldn't be doing that. I wasn't even sure the servants here would listen to her.

"And I'll ensure your working hours stay within legal limits. There's no need to worry too much."

When I turned back toward So-hee's father and said that, he fell into thought for a moment.

Then,

"So-hee, when do you start?"

That was the question he directed to So-hee.

*

"Bye-bye, sis~!"

Surprisingly, So-ri didn't seem that sad to part with So-hee. Or maybe she just didn't understand they were going to be far apart. Either way, she was a bright kid—bright enough to lift the mood.

Though being alone with her was a little scary. A moment ago she kept chatting at me while climbing up onto my lap like it was nothing, and it startled me.

"If you ever have to look after your little sister, you can bring her here. But you'd absolutely have to stay right next to her the whole time."

"Uh, yeah, thanks..."

So-hee answered with a slightly dazed expression, still in her tracksuit.

"And I'll order a bed soon, so you can sleep there. No matter what, you can't live spread out in a sleeping bag on the floor."

Thinking about it, So-hee staying in my room wasn't such a bad thing. If anything, her being somewhere separate would've made me uneasy in its own way. Inside this mansion, I was the only person she could call 'on her side.' I didn't think the staff would openly harass her, but that didn't mean there weren't ways to make things unfair.

...I should apologize to So-hee's father. I'd left out all of that context. If he had known my full situation, getting his approval for So-hee to work here would've been hard.

"Ah, well then."

Ahem. So-hee cleared her throat with a bit of exaggeration, then,

"Th-then, my lady. This way—"

"You haven't started working yet, so you don't need to talk like that."

I cut her off flatly.

"I told you. We have to do the handover... and we have to process your transfer. You won't be able to show up at our school right away next week."

Today was still Saturday. I didn't even know how long the transfer process would take...

Ah, and that reminds me, this is incredibly complicated. Wasn't transferring a pain in the neck with school districts and everything? Should ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I just move So-hee's registered address to the mansion altogether?

....

Ha, seriously.

Even if I asked the servants inside the mansion for help, they wouldn't really be willing, right?

"...So, So-hee."

"Yeah... ah, what!?"

At my call, So-hee suddenly jumped in surprise, which made me flinch in turn.

"Wh-what, what's wrong...?"

"Huh? No, it's nothing!"

Her face said it wasn't nothing, though, since she was grinning.

I let out a small breath and spoke.

"Do you, uh..."

Come to think of it, what should I call her? Up until now I'd just called her the maid, but she'd quit that job now. Um... Ms. Yang Hye-in?...Wasn't that a little cringey?

"Do you have the contact for the 'previous person'?"

And so I ended up picking that awkward way of addressing her.