The Brothers Kim

Chapter 58- Plain and Indecipherable

"Is it me or is everyone staring at you?"

Gyuri groaned and ducked her head.

It was the day of the Emperor's wedding and exactly three weeks since Madam Zhou had delivered the news that she was being promoted. At first, Gyuri was thrilled: a promotion meant that she no longer had to do grunt work. She no longer had to serve breakfast to the servants at the crack of dawn; no longer had to be the last to use the washroom and no longer had to do laundry all day. Gyuri thought Madam Zhou had finally acknowledged her and was rewarding her based on her merits. It was all going well until Madam Zhou revealed the true nature of her promotion.

Discomfited, Gyuri concentrated her sights on the floor.

"I can't tell if Fortune is smiling upon you or if you're being punished," Pho mused as they turned the corner together. "Fancy that, Master Seokjin choosing you to be his personal maid."

"Don't remind me," Gyuri grumbled when the coast was finally clear.

Ever since Madam Zhou announced her promotion, a group of disgruntled maids had made it their mission to make Gyuri's life harder. At first, they started off small. The conspirators would hide her shoe; occasionally trip her up or spill things on her uniform. If they did nothing to physically harm her, Gyuri thought she could handle it. After all, the last thing Gyuri wanted was to draw more attention to herself— Seokjin had done enough of that already.

"Consider it a blessing in disguise," Mayu interjected, momentarily disrupting Gyuri's gloom. "Out of all the other maids in the household, Master Seokjin chose you. That's impressive since you've only joined us recently."

"But isn't that the problem?"

Mayu blinked. "Well..."

"It just doesn't make sense," Gyuri groaned. "The others have been working here for much longer and so are better qualified. Why would Master Seokjin choose a newbie like me?" Gyuri noticed Mayu and Pho exchange glances. "And no, it's definitely not because of that."

"Oh, c'mon, Gyuri," Pho remarked with a huff, "what other explanation can there be? How else would you have been promoted if not for someone putting in a good word for you?"

"But who would do that for me?"

Pho gazed at her knowingly. "Well, for starters, there's Madam Zhou."

Gyuri snorted.

"And there's also the Young Master."

Gyuri grounded to a halt. In the twilight rays of morn, the courtyard was enchanted with a pinkish glow that contrasted with the crisp air. Absent of birdsong, the household seemed eerily quiet. Gyuri's eyes widened when Taehyung's words suddenly resonated like echoes in a cave.

"I want to say them to you when I am a man."

It was only slight, but no matter how strongly she denied it, her heart stirred at the thought of him. Gyuri dared not learn why. "There's- there's no way he'd do that for me," Gyuri rushed to say, "and anyway, I don't think he and Master Seokjin even get along. How could he have put a good word in if they hardly talk?"

"Then what about Master Namjoon?" Pho suggested.

Gyuri noticed Mayu flinch.

"You've been helping out a lot at the sanatorium and from what I've seen, he seems close to Master Seokjin. Maybe it was he who put a good word in for you?"

Gyuri had to stop herself from grinning. Lately, she had been seeing too much of Namjoon. "It's possible."

"You should thank Master Namjoon for his benevolence," Pho remarked, oblivious to Mayu's discomfort. "Since joining the household, he has shown you nothing but kindness."