In This Life

The Chief of Guards

Jeon Song Ji

"Song Ji?" A gentle voice whispered, "Are you alright?"

Jolted from her daydream, Song Ji looked up to find one of Lady Yin Jidam's handmaidens, Yeoug Nari or Nari for short. She could always remember Nari because of her slightly uneven eyes, plus she was Yin Jidam most trusted servant, enough so that the mad lady herself confided in Nari about this insane, foolish idea.

Nari was only told that Song Ji was going to the ball as Lady Yin Jidam and also that she was not of any opulent bloodline. The girl had no clue that they had worked side by side as Yin Jidam's servants, in fact, Song Ji speculated that the girl had some sort of crush on Joon Young.

"I'm... fine, thank you," Song Ji automatically replied, "Why do you ask?"

Motioning to the seat beside Song Ji, the girl asked, "May I?"

"Oh, please," Song Ji nodded, she wasn't accustomed to this amount of consideration from other people.

Compare to even her, Nari was a small girl. She had the framework of a doll with her short height and fragile, thin body hidden under her uniform. Her lips were pressed into a hard line and eyes lowered as she cautiously placed herself on the bench.

"You know, I would've done anything to go to a ball. I selfishly wished Miss Yin Jidam had asked me," Nari sighed.

Song Ji turned to the girl and smiled, "I also wished she'd ask you."

Nari gave a weak laugh, "You can trust me, Miss. I haven't told a single soul about this. Lady Yin Jidam herself is in her room pretending to be you."

"Nari, I don't think I'm in the position to place my trust in anyone right now. Sorry."

Song Ji expected the girl to be peeved or disappointed, but instead, Nari gave her a sad smile, her eyes steady as the pond, "I completely understand."

Both the maid and Song Ji rose from their seat, "We must get going."

She nodded her head and together they walked out of the quiet little garden. It was as if every step they took back to Yin Jidam's quarters distanced her from the memories with the prince, with Kwang Soo, and the entire experience of the ball. It felt like she was being stripped piece by piece of her role as Lady Yin Jidam and back to Min Joon Young, the eunuch.

Song Ji couldn't feel happier to leave it all behind.

++

"At least he was listening, Song Ji. You did such a wonderful job regardless of your impoverish, uneducated upbringing!" Yin Jidam sang as she twirled across the open room. The flowing fabric of her hanbok followed her movements like a billow of yellow ribbons. Yin Jidam was normally whiny and capricious, yet today she beamed like the sun.

"Thank you?" Song Ji awkwardly accepted her belittling praise.

"You are welcomed!" She hummed, "Do go tell Nari and my other handmaidens to come prepare me for tea with the queen, and oh, you may have a... leisure day for your amazing theatrics last night!"

She gasped, "Lady Yin Jidam, thank you!" Her contentment was so contagious, Song Ji couldn't help but actually smile as she left her room, the soft sound of Yin Jidam's crooning ensuing her on the way out.

Once again in her eunuch uniform which was still a size too large for her, Song Ji strolled across the pathway towards the maid's quarters. The night at the ball was still fresh in her mind, not her memories with the prince, but rather her dance with Kwang Soo.

Kwang Soo.

Just thinking of his name brought such regret, sorrow, and a fiery anger to her.

The prospect of a leisure day completely vanished from Song Ji as she raked her brains for why this could possibly be happening. Her chest ached as the girl thought of all the things and people she'd lost because of him. Perhaps, this was her chance to make things right. How could she demand for justice without revealing who she was.