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Holding their noses and breathing through their mouths, the two got off at the subway station two stops away, their faces etched with fatigue and despair.
With their hearts in tatters, they rode the rattling subway, swayed back and forth among a crowd of exhausted people, until they finally arrived in Manhattan.
After walking a couple of blocks from the station, the familiar Fifth Avenue came into view. Jiyu fought back the urge to cry and walked in silence, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground.
Ae-jeong, who was walking slower than usual and sighing deeply, finally spoke.
“Listen carefully, Jiyu. From now on, your goal is to survive by any means necessary. Nothing else matters. Endure as long as you can at Hunter’s house and study with everything you've got. That way, you can get into the best college possible. You're young, smart, and beautiful. Another opportunity will come.”
When Jiyu continued to trudge along without answering, she added:
“They say if you have to be a servant, you should be one in a nobleman's house. Right now, that house is your best option. Don't get on their bad side; just say 'yes, yes' and respond promptly to everything they ask, okay? And stop snapping at Hunter. He’s not your friend anymore; he’s the son of the house. Do you understand what your mother is saying?”
Jiyu bit her lip and nodded with a miserable expression.
Then, Ae-jeong comforted her in a choked voice.
“Mom will try to save up a lump sum of money as quickly as possible, so please bear with it, even if it's hard. Two years isn't as long as you think. It'll pass in a flash.”
“…Okay,” Jiyu replied, her voice stifled.
Ae-jeong looked up at the cloudless, clear sky and lamented.
“The heavens have been indifferent for generations. I raised her so delicately, without a single drop of water touching her hands, just like a daughter of a wealthy house, only for her to inherit such a wretched fate… Oh, my poor life.”
✾ ✾ ✾
During the first week of September, which included Labor Day, Hunter’s family returned to the Hamilton Residence after spending the summer at their Hamptons villa.
Just like the day she first went for a playdate with Hunter, Jiyu rode the penthouse-exclusive elevator up with Ae-jeong.
Both mother and daughter held the handles of large suitcases, looking like people heading on a trip. Ae-jeong planned to drop her off at the penthouse and head straight to Brooklyn.
Upon arriving at the Hamilton Residence, they were greeted not by Lauren, but by the general manager, Lisa Turner. A capable administrator in her late forties, she was a veteran who had worked for the Hamilton family for nearly twenty years. She was a familiar face to them.
Ae-jeong took Lisa's hand and pleaded earnestly.
[Lisa, please take good care of my daughter.]
Lisa gave a slight, professional nod and withdrew her hand.
[Yes, I understand. Please don't worry too much, Mrs. Parker.]
Ae-jeong muttered in Korean.
“I wanted to tell Lauren personally to take care of you, but I guess it’s awkward for her to see us. Seeing as she sent Lisa instead.”
She looked at Jiyu with a complicated expression and let out a deep sigh.
“Sigh… It’s so hard to leave you here and go take care of someone else's child.”
Lisa, who had been watching the two with patience, glanced at her wristwatch and spoke cautiously.
[Olivia? It's almost dinner time, so I need to go down to the kitchen. May I guide you to your room now?]
[Huh? Yes, yes.]
Frozen stiff, Jiyu pulled her suitcase and looked back at Ae-jeong. Ae-jeong hurriedly rummaged through her handbag and pulled something out.
“Jiyu, remember what Mom said? Just endure for two years. Study hard, and keep in touch regularly. If anyone bullies you, tell me. I'll report it to Lauren.”
Jiyu only nodded, fearing she would cry if she made a sound. Ae-jeong stepped forward and hugged her, then pressed an envelope of money into her hand.
“Always dress neatly, and don't skip school events just to save money. That's why I'm giving you this money. Don't lose your spirit, Jiyu. Your life isn't over yet.”
“Mom…”
Jiyu called out to her, her voice cracking with emotion. Ae-jeong turned away abruptly, waving her hand.
“Now go with Lisa. Mom is late.”
As Ae-jeong stepped into the elevator and the doors opened, her shoulders trembled slightly.
“Mom!!”
Even hearing Jiyu's desperate call, Ae-jeong did not look back. The cold elevator doors closed firmly behind her. It was a parting of unknown length.
‘Will the day ever come when we live together again?’
Jiyu swallowed the tears that surged up her stifled throat. She could no longer act like a child.
As Ae-jeong said, she had to endure on her own. And survive.
Those were the only two things she had to think about.
Lisa led her to the room next to Daisy's. Jiyu had expected to be given a spare room in the servants' quarters in the basement, so this was unexpected. Since she had come in as Daisy's babysitter, Lisa likely thought it was more practical for her to use an adjacent room.
She was slightly worried that staying on the family floor would mean frequent encounters with Hunter, but she was in no position to voice any complaints.
Lisa looked at Jiyu for a moment and spoke with a short sigh.
[I heard about your situation from Lauren. Olivia, you've been a frequent guest here, and as someone who has seen you since you were a child, I sincerely feel sorry for you. And… my condolences for your loss.]
[Thank you,] Jiyu replied, lowering her head.
[The moment Mrs. Hamilton entrusted you to me, you became one of the employees I manage. My role is like the legs of a swan, paddling frantically beneath the water. My job is to ensure the Hamiltons live comfortably and pleasantly from the basement, where people don't notice.]
Lisa continued, staring at her with a complex gaze.
[Because of your position, caught between the basement and the family floor, I honestly struggled with how to treat you. And I concluded that I cannot make an exception for you regarding the rules I strictly apply to other employees. Therefore, it will be easier for you, for me, and for the Hamiltons if you adapt to your current position as quickly as possible. Do you understand what I mean?]
[Yes.]
Jiyu nodded.
The warning to know her place and behave was something she had already expected. Perhaps because she had already been "vaccinated" by Ae-jeong's comment about being a servant in a nobleman's house, Lisa's words weren't as shocking.
She was prepared. It was just a bit miserable. And she knew all too well that even such emotions were now a luxury.
[Right. Please write your bank account number and Social Security number on this document. These are the employee guidelines. Three meals are provided in the basement dining room at set times; if you cannot make those times, you must fend for yourself. Do you have any questions so far?]
When Jiyu shook her head, Lisa pointed to her suitcase.
[Then unpack, get organized, and get some rest. I heard the Long Island Expressway is very congested, so it will take about an hour and a half to arrive here.]
Though the subject was omitted, she meant the Hamilton family would be returning soon.
After Lisa left and Jiyu finished unpacking and organizing, she heard Daisy's voice from outside. It seemed they had finally arrived.
Jiyu took a deep breath and left the room.
Only Daisy and Lauren had returned from the Hamptons. When Jiyu greeted them, Lauren responded with a natural smile, as if welcoming her son's friend as usual.
The moment Daisy saw her, she ran up and hugged her. Then, she began pestering Jiyu to go play in the playroom. Lauren nodded and gestured for her to go.
While reading books and playing hide-and-seek in the playroom, Jiyu cautiously asked Daisy.
[Daisy, why didn't Hunter come with you?]
[Hunter went to play tennis. He said he'd be here by dinner time.]
[I see….]
[Daddy went to buy a big building in San Francisco, so he'll be back tomorrow.]
Chattering away about things Jiyu hadn't even asked, Daisy slid down the slide, wrinkled her nose, and pouted.
[Hunter says he hates that you're my babysitter. He's jealous. Because you don't play with him and only play with me. Hunter is a greedy-guts.]
Jiyu's heart sank at the words coming from the innocent child.
‘He must be uncomfortable having to live on the same floor as someone who isn't even family.’
Ae-jeong had described Hunter as the "son of the house." That's why she told her not to defy him or snap at him.
If she treated him as she had until now, could she be kicked out of this house?
She already knew that if Hunter set his mind to it, no one could stop him.
Her heart grew even more troubled.
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