Two best friends
1119 Words
As Shuan followed the elderly woman, she couldn't help but wonder what her life would be like in the palace. The woman led her to a small room with a simple bed and a dresser.
"This will be your quarters," the woman said. "You'll be sharing it with another servant, but she's not here right now."
Shuan nodded, looking around the room. It was simple, but it was better than what she was used to.
"Grandma, can I call you Halmoni?"
Halmoni still meant grandma but in a more personal way, more like something you'd only call a family member.
" Halmoni?," the woman asked with a smile, I think I like it"
"And you, child, are a bright light in this palace. I can sense it."
Shuan blushed, feeling a sense of gratitude towards Halmoni.
"What's my schedule like?" Shuan asked.
"You'll be working in the palace kitchen," Halmoni said. "You'll need to report there tomorrow morning. But for now, rest and get settled."
Shuan nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. She thought about her brother and her parents, how they must be feeling.
" I'll find you people soon, I promise" she muttered to herself.
She was finally safe, and she had a place to call her own.
Shuan lay down on the bed, feeling a sense of exhaustion wash over her. She closed her eyes, wondering what the next day would bring.
As Shuan drifted off to sleep, she was suddenly jolted awake by the sound of the door creaking open. She sat up with a start, her heart racing, as a young maiden slipped into the room.
The young maiden looked around cautiously, as if she was afraid of being caught. She spotted Shuan sitting up in bed and froze, a look of surprise on her face.
"Who are you?" Shuan asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
The woman hesitated for a moment before answering. "I'm Ji-Hyu " she said. "I'm your roommate."
Shuan nodded, still feeling a bit wary. "Nice to meet you," she said.
Ji-Hyun smiled and nodded, then began to rummage through her dresser. "I'm sorry I'm late," she said. "I had to stay late in the kitchen to finish my chores."
Shuan watched her, curious. "What's it like working in the kitchen?" she asked.
Ji-Hyun turned to her, a look of exhaustion on her face. "It's hard work," she said. "But it's not so bad. The head cook is nice, and the other servants are friendly."
Shuan nodded, feeling a sense of relief. Maybe this new life wouldn't be so bad after all.
As Ji-Hyun changed into her nightclothes.
"Ji-Hyun?" Shuan asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ji-Hyun turned to her, a look of curiosity on her face. "Yes?"
Shuan hesitated, unsure of how to phrase her question. "What's it like...living in the palace?" she asked.
Ji-Hyun's expression changed, and for a moment, Shuan saw a flicker of something like fear in her eyes.
"It's...complicated," Ji-Hyun said finally. "There are rules and protocols to follow, and the royal family is always watching.
As Ji-Hyun got into bed, Shuan lay back down, her mind racing with different thoughts. She couldn't shake off Ji-Hyun words about how working in the palace was complicated.
She decided to give it a rest and drifted off to sleep.
Shuan slept soundly, exhausted from her journey and the events of the day. She was awoken by the sound of Ji-Hyun stirring in her bed, getting ready for the day.
"Good morning," Ji-Hyun said softly, noticing that Shuan was awake.
Shuan rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up in bed. "Good morning," she replied, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep.
Ji-Hyun handed her a simple but clean hanbok, the traditional Korean dress. "Here, put this on. We need to get to the kitchen for breakfast duties."
Shuan took the hanbok and began to get dressed, feeling a sense of excitement and nervousness about her first day working in the palace kitchen.
As they made their way to the kitchen, Ji-Hyun gave her a quick rundown of what to expect. "Just follow my lead and do as you're told. The head cook, Chef Ahn, can be a bit strict, but she's fair."
Shuan nodded, taking in Ji-Hyun's words as they entered the bustling kitchen. The aroma of cooking food filled the air, and Shuan's stomach growled in anticipation.
Working in the kitchen wasn't quite easy, but she enjoyed perceiving the aroma coming from the different dishes made for the king and other royal family member's.
Shuan's duty was to wash the royal dishes and sweep the floor when ever they were done cooking.
Ji-Hyun was in charge of running any errands that concerns the kitchen.
There were two other servants who also worked at the kitchen. Kim- so and Dae-im.
They held the most important position amongst the slaves in the kitchen, which was in assisting the head cook in preparation of ingredients for cooking.
Servants weren't permitted to serve any of the royal family members, only court ladies and eunuchs were allowed to do so.
Shuan got curious and asked her roommate why it was so.
" Well according to the law, servants are not allowed any where near the king's Hall or any royal family members because they are not from noble homes" Ji-Hyun said.
" That's not fair, servants are humans too you know?" Shuan said feeling bad.
Ji-Hyun laughed. " These laws has been active even before the days of your forefathers, it has always being like that "
" But there's something else" Ji-Hyun whispered.
" What's that"Shuan asked looking at her suspiciously.
Ji-Hyun looked around to be sure no one was listening. " I heard a servant could become a Court lady and get to even serve the king himself "
Shuan's eyes widened at the mention of the King. " How?" She asked Ji-Hyun in a whisper.
' hey hey relax... "Ji-Hyun said.
Touching Shuan's shoulders.
" I'll tell you, but first, let's strike a deal" Ji-Hyun said smiling shipishly.
" Okay, what's the deal" Shuan asked.
Ji-Hyun clears her throat several times.
" You'll give me half of your portion of food" She said looking away and smiling.
"Fine! deal" Shuan said.
" after we retire to our room our tell you everything" Ji-Hyun said.
"Fine, we have a deal " Shuan said.
As they rounded up their chores in the kitchen, Shuan couldn't help but think about how she could become a Court lady and could even serve the king himself.
The thought of this filled her heart with so much Joy that she kept smiling uncontrollably from ear to ear
- Writer
