On the same day Kouzuki left for his mine, Jennie and Jisoo had planned to escape by themselves in the middle of the night. With two heavy suitcases in either hand, the two women rushed through the tatami rooms, kneeling down to open the sliding doors as quickly as they could. They hurried across the dark gardens, passing under the cherry blossom tree that had a white rope dangling from one of its branches, coiling around the wood with one end tied into a noose.
"Miss!" Jisoo called out in a loud whisper, her voice raised above the wind rustling in the trees. Jennie had stopped to check if they had been caught, but after hearing Jisoo's call she held her hat on her head and ran towards her.
At the break of dawn, they were skipping across large plains. The blue hue of the sun hovering just below the horizon after the night was the only source of light they had.
Finally, they reached their destination. They stopped at the side of a riverbank, the fog settling low over the water gave a magical feel to the place, like a fairytale. Jisoo stood in front of Jennie, staring out across the river, looking over to the mountain of trees on the other side. She watched the faint sight of a boat rowing towards them, as the water rippled frequently across the surface.
Jennie stared at Jisoo, admiring her concentrated yet tired face. The humidity had caused a few strands of hair to fall into her eyes, and Jennie didn't have to think before she was reaching out, tucking them gently behind her ears. Jisoo barely flinched, only her eyelids fluttered slightly at the serene touch.
Once they were on the small boat with the Count, rowing across quiet water and through the cool mist, Jennie rested her head on Jisoo's shoulder as the tiredness overwhelmed, causing her head to grow heavier. Taking one of her hands from the maid's lap, Jennie interlocked their fingers with her gloved hand on top of Jisoo's, feeling her squeeze back gently.
With her free hand, Jisoo dipped her hand into the river, the water sweeping against her skin calmed her. The freedom felt therapeutic, yet it wouldn't last long.
***
The cry of seagulls flying in the air, the bustling of other passengers and the voice of the PA system was all the three could hear. "Thank you for travelling on our ferry today. We will arrive at Shimonoseki at 7:30pm --"
Jennie stared at the waves of the sea from the railings on the ferry and admired the view, whilst Jisoo stood beside her and enjoyed the view of Jennie herself. Jisoo was pulled out her her gaze on Jennie when they heard loud shouts from a crowd of excited men, seemingly dressed in soldier uniforms. Jennie, frightened by the sight of lots of rowdy men, stood and held herself tight against Jisoo's side.
"We're finally going home." One of the men said to another.
"It's been three years..."
"It's been a long time."
Sensing the heiress's discomfort, the Count wrapped an arm possessively around her shoulder. But as Jisoo glared at him, Jennie shoved his arm off her and pulled Jisoo away from him to another side of the ship, quieter and calmer, leaving the Count to stand by himself with the other men.
***
During the warm and light summer evening, they boarded the train to their retreat in the rainforest. They sat in a carriage silently, Jisoo sitting with the luggage, using it as a table while she ate her sushi. She looked over to Jennie and the Count with her mouth stuffed with food. He was hunched over the small side table eating noisily, a crystal glass of whiskey next to him. Jennie, meanwhile, only ate one grain of rice at a time, which made Jisoo frown. It seemed Jennie was not happy about this marriage after all.
Finally arriving in Japan, they had to climb a steep flight of mossy stairs in the middle of woodland in order to get to the retreat. Jisoo followed behind the Count, both heaving their weighty suitcases with great effort up the steps. Jennie, being the Lady, followed behind slowly, having no motivation whatsoever. Natural, earthy smells pleasantly filled their noses; refreshing the senses after a whole day of travelling on ships and trains, and birds singing in the treetops brought peace to their minds.
After settling in, the Count waited on the bridge outside of the wooden minka. A lit cigarette between his lips, he pulled out two brown envelopes from the inside pocket of his suit jacket. The hosts, a monk and a middle-aged woman, approached him as he held out the envelopes for them to take, bowing in appreciation. The Count did not return the woman's smile.
In a small shed-like room, Jisoo helped Jennie dress and prepare for the eloping. The heiress looked around her, unimpressed at the bugs in seemingly every dirty corner and centipedes crawling over her case on the floor. Jisoo wrapped her dark green robe across her front, straightening the red collar at her bare neck. Their silence was depressing.
The old monk led the ceremony. He wore a yellow robe with a purple collar, with his hands pressed together in front of his chest. "To not steal..." He chanted the vows.
"To not steal." Jennie and the Count repeated in a monotone voice.
"To not commit adultery..."
"To not commit adultery." Jennie turned around to glance at Jisoo, who was their witness to their marriage. Jisoo only looked back to her, speaking no words.
"To not lie..."
"To not lie." She turned back to the monk as the Count repeated loudly, yet she only uttered the vows under her breath.
The other host yawned loudly from the side of the room.
Count Nakamoto then slipped a plain, gold ring onto her finger before she replaced her white glove. Taking the other gold ring from the monk, Jennie forced it harshly onto his ring finger. Jennie raised her right hand at the Count expectantly, her palm upwards. He looked at her firm gaze, eyes flickering to her empty hand, he reached into his suit jacket with a sigh and placed a miniature, blue vial onto her waiting palm. Jisoo looked back and forth between the two's silent conversation, watching the exchange in confusion.
Since the vows were spoken, the rest of the ceremony was silent. Jisoo held Jennie's hand as she helped her down the steps to escort her back to her room for the night. Once she was dressed in her nightclothes, they sat in front of the mirror as Jisoo brushed her hair, the hostess preparing two sleeping mats on the floor next to them. The woman left, sliding the door open to reveal the Count waiting on the other side. He clears his throat to tell the handmaiden to hurry up and leave so he could be alone with his new wife.
Running her finger through her soft, black hair, Jisoo got up from her knees and put the hairbrush down, turning to leave for the door. But a desperate Jennie pulled her back down by the shoulders and kissed her roughly, causing Jisoo to be breathless and shocked. Jennie tried to straddle her lap, grabbing one of Jisoo's hands and putting it up the hem of her robe. Knowing the Count was outside the door, he could walk in at any moment, Jisoo pushed her away and stood up abruptly, looking down at the heiress on her hands and knees. Jennie just smirked up at her, and Jisoo knew she had to leave quickly before she wouldn't be able to control herself any longer; before she would jump her bones.
Sliding open the door, the Count looked down at the two suspiciously. Jisoo got up to leave, but spared one last apologetic glance at Jennie before the Count shoved her head out of the way with his large hand. He closed the door behind him.
"Spider thread pulled into strings~" Jisoo sings herself to sleep, listening to the crickets in the grass and the crows in the treetops. She laid on the uncomfortable mat on her back, the thin duvet ticked underneath her arms as she stared at the ceiling. "Strumming makes a zither sing~ Thousand woes--" She stopped her quiet singing when she heard the unmistakable sound of moaning through the thin walls. She turned on her side, trying to block out the woman's breathy pants, and continued to sing, "Under the blue sky~ Only the crows cry~" The high-pitched moans only got louder, escalating into laboured cries, so Jisoo squeezed her eyes shut and sang, "How sorrowful my zither~ My beloved zither..."
***
The next morning was warm, yet a mist settled low over the high ground. Jisoo knelt down at Jennie's door, sliding it open before the hostess pushed past her with a smile.
"Did you sleep well?"
Jisoo stood, watching the hostess remove the white sheet on the mat, stained with a small patch of blood in the middle.
"Excuse me, sorry." The woman said as Jennie rolled off the mat, leaning back on her hands with her legs outstretched. Raising her head, she looked at Jisoo in the doorway, a heartbroken expression etched onto her face. Jennie could only try to reassure her with her eyes.
The Count paid the innkeeper to spy on them, afraid they might run off. Cracking the door open an inch, she peered an eye through the gap into where Jisoo and Jennie were.
"Why get dressed?" Jennie asked her handmaiden, "I've nothing to do anyway." She sat lazily on the floor, admiring her flower crown in the mirror as Jisoo held out her clothes for her to put on. Jisoo feared things were moving too quickly; she feared Jennie might truly go mad.
"Shall we play 'maid', like before?" Jennie asked suggestively.
***
There was no sign of the Count from morning to night. Certifying the marriage and converting the inheritance to cash required much work, as he said.
The innkeeper watched through the ajar door, keeping an eye on the two women as requested. She watched as Jennie knelt before her handmaiden, wrapping the silk belt of her kimono around her small waist and rested her head on her hip and she did so. Jisoo's eyes fluttered at the closeness of the heiress, looking down at Jennie with hooded eyes as she tightened the belt. The innkeeper moved away from the door as soon as Jennie's piercing cat eyes snapped up to the door.
***
Pressing her ear against the pane of Jennie's door, Jisoo quietly began to open it but she gasped suddenly in fright as the Count stepped out of his room, slamming the door shut loudly behind him. She immediately stood and straightened herself out, before poking her head in the door of Jennie's room. The Count placed his white hat on his head as he sat on the step outside to put on his shoes, sighing as he did.
Jisoo knelt down beside him and whispered to him so Jennie couldn't hear, "How could you be so cruel? You plucked the flower, now re-plant it."
"What do you want?" The Count asked in a bored tone, not bothering to look at the girl as he continued to put his shoes on.
"Hurry up and throw her into the madhouse!" She urged in a hushed whisper, her voice raised slightly as she tried to contain her impatience. The Count only laughed at her, pinched her by the ear as he got up. Jisoo whacked his arm away, brows furrowing as she glared at him in annoyance.
Seeing the innkeeper's head sneak out from behind one of the doors, Jisoo held her arm out from under the porch, palm upturned and she looked towards the sky, pretending to check for rain.
After a week, finally, the Count arrived at the inn with a large leather bag in hand. He placed it in front of Jisoo, who was hunched down on her knees, writing in her book. The innkeeper watched from her room's porch, stripping the leaves off of fruits and vegetables, and Jennie stood still as a statue in the garden as it rained, her umbrella turned upside down as she stared at a stone artefact.
The Count nodded for Jisoo to unstrap the bag and open the buckle, pulling apart the handles to reveal its contents. Jennie sauntered over to them, looking at the bag with an unreadable expression. Jisoo lifted her eyes to Jennie's, before looking towards the Count. He saw how she didn't even acknowledge his gaze, continuing to leave hers on her handmaiden. But Jisoo didn't have the courage to look back at her. Breathing heavy with emotion, Jennie watched the two contemplate the wads of cash, chequebooks, passports, and certificates fill up to the brim of the case.
Later that day, the Count stood waiting outside the inn, a white stick between his lips as a white car approached him. "This way." He led two men dressed in formal suits towards the rooms, pulling Jisoo to the side. She had been admiring the blue spinel earrings that reflected in the light as she held them up over her face. "They're from the madhouse." He informed, "You know what to say."
Sat down at a table in the room, the two men opposite to an uncomfortable and awkward Jisoo. The man in the brown suit glanced towards the earrings lying next to Jisoo's feet before she gathered them quickly into her hand. They both turned their heads to the heiress in the garden, their faces unmoving and serious. "Who is that person?"
"The Countess Lady Nakamoto." Jisoo answered, "Her maiden name was Jennie Kim."
The two men interrogated Jisoo, still with their hard faces, "And who might you be?" The man in the blue suit asked, a deep frown settled into his forehead.
Jisoo bowed her head, "I am the Lady's handmaiden."
The man noted it down on his notepad, scribbling with his pen. The other man asked the next question, "What's your name?"
"It's Jisoo."
Raising his eyebrows he asked, "Then what kind of treatment do you believe your Lady requires?"
The Count turned from his seat on the step, looking back at her with a cigarette in his hand. He gave her a pleading look. She then moved her gaze to Jennie, she was sat on one of the rocks, looking feeble and small in her pink kimono; her face seemed lost as she pulled the yarn around the needle as she knitted something.
With a low voice, Jisoo leaned forward to the two men, the Count still waiting, "She should be confined in a place where no one can harm her and where she can do no harm." Satisfied with her answer, the Count stubbed out his cigarette and turned back around, while the two men nodded. Jisoo swallowed thickly.
***
A few days later, they travelled to the madhouse in another white car. The Count sat with the driver in the front, whilst Jennie and Jisoo sat in the back. Jennie had her forehead pressed flat against the glass, as Jisoo looked at her with tears in her eyes.
"Just a few tests, then let's have lamb chops at the Peace Hotel." The Count offered.
Jennie removed her head from the cold glass, turning her head to Jisoo with a straight face. A red mark had appeared in the middle of her forehead, it made Jisoo smile despite her tears and sadness. The road was bumpy and uneven, causing them to jolt forward at every dip in the road, yet Jisoo and Jennie managed to keep their eyes on each other, dreading parting even for a second. Jisoo felt bittersweet.
Arriving outside the madhouse, the Count held his hand out for Jisoo to step out of the car. "It's almost over. Good work." He muttered lowly, only for Jisoo to hear. Speaking louder, he gestured for Jennie to leave the car. "Don't be frightened." He assured.
Jennie took in her surroundings; four people dressed in white stood outside the main doors of the asylum. Two nurses and the two men who came to the inn before, now dressed in doctors uniforms. Walking closer to Jisoo, she was pulled into a tight hug, with Jisoo rubbing her back in comfort. Jennie looked up to the windows, listening to the manic laughs and cackles of the insane women inside. The sudden noise from the car as it reversed out of the road caused Jennie to yank herself out of Jisoo's embrace, feeling comfort and warmth instantly leave her body as they parted. Crying once again, the handmaiden watched as Jennie shuffled backwards away from her and the asylum, the Count following behind her.
"Good day, Countess." The man who wore the brown suit before asked. "Do you remember me?" He stepped forward, "Countess?" Jisoo cried, her nose red, waiting for the heiress to come back. But she only stood with the Count, not making any moves to return. The doctor nodded to the two nurses, who stepped forward and grabbed Jisoo by the arms.
Jisoo gasped in shock, shoving their rough hands away. "What is this?"
"We mean you no harm, Countess." The doctor replied, "We're going to look after you."
Jisoo looked between him and the nurses, "You've got the wrong person. She is the Countess." She gestured to Jennie. "Tell them, Your Lordship!" The Count turned his head away, looking at the floor guiltily.
"She still believes she's a Korean handmaiden." The other doctor continued, walking towards the Count.
"It's because her nanny was Korean." He lied.
Jisoo shouted in anger, "You scoundrel!"
The two nurses grabbed her again, this time harder so Jisoo had no way of escaping. "Let go of me, you filthy bitches!" She exclaimed, struggling in their grip.
The skinny doctor said, "We do not use such language here, your Ladyship."
"Miss!" Jisoo cried out to Jennie, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Jennie stepped towards the doctor, her own tears forming in her eyes, "My poor Lady, she's gone nuts." Jennie used her emotion to seem as if she was actually telling the truth, "If it would be of any help, this is from her mother and she used to cherish it before going mad."
Jisoo stilled in the nurses' arms, staring pleadingly at Jennie.
"Such a considerate maid." The other doctor said. He walked over to Jisoo, opening a small case to reveal a painted picture of herself, next to a lock of hair on the other side.
Jennie may have appeared as a fool before, but right from the start Miss Jennie Kim had always been... a rotten bitch.
***
A/N
Word count: 3212