Princess Locked in a Castle
I was always good at spotting other people’s hostility. Back in my school days, rumors of an affair between my father and another student’s mother had led to that family’s divorce. The kid whose home had suddenly shattered took it out by leading the bullying, and from then on I lived only under hatred.
Thinking back, even before that there had been a few who envied me simply because my family had money. Some openly ostracized me because it wounded their pride that their parents worked under my father, and some just disliked me for no particular reason at all.
I guessed the man who was warm to everyone else yet rough with me fell into a similar category. The way he spoke casually right from our first meeting and kept bringing up our ages made it clear: having someone younger than him loafing around the house he worked in really pricked his pride. Calling me “princess” felt like mockery in that same vein.
Pride, from a former thug. He ought to be grateful just to have a proper job.
I snorted at the memory of how he had only ever needled me on that level when my phone started buzzing—buzz, buzz—over and over. Truthfully I had been feeling the short vibrations in my palm for a while already.
When I finally checked, sure enough the screen was flooded with messages from Do Ha-jin.
Even while I was reading them, new messages kept popping up. There were far too many to answer one by one, so I simply replied that I was on my way and switched the phone to silent.
“I’ll take her home later. Driver Kim, you can go on ahead.”
Do Ha-jin handed Driver Kim a coffee and smiled warmly. The driver accepted it with thanks, offered the usual “Please look after her,” and drove off.
I watched the car’s rear end recede for a moment; then Do Ha-jin stepped into my field of vision. He leaned in and beamed, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.
“Steak okay?”
“Yeah.”
The place he took me to was the most expensive restaurant in the city. Mother and I used to come here often.
“Mr. Do Ha-jin? This way, please.”
He had made a reservation, so the server led us straight to a window table. I gave the sparsely occupied room a cursory glance as I sat; Do Ha-jin finished ordering without even consulting me.
“How have you been?”
“Just… the usual.”
“You know tutoring starts next week, right?”
I nodded and set my phone down. Across the diagonal table, my eyes met a woman’s. She looked familiar; after a second I realized she was a high-school classmate. Her name escaped me, but I clearly remembered she had never liked me much. She had also been the one who started the talk about my mother in class.
She stared at me openly, then whipped her face away and said something to the man she was with. He turned to look as well. I had never seen him before, but from his age he was probably her boyfriend.
Anyone who could bring a date to a restaurant this expensive and atmospheric had to be at least that much, I thought, and glanced at Do Ha-jin.
“I’ve been preparing whenever I have free time. I still have some materials from when I used to tutor before, but they’re old.”
“……”
“At most I can only look after you for two months, but I’ll map out the entire plan through the CSAT. You trust Oppa, right?”
I was as good at recognizing favor as I was at recognizing hostility. Ever since the people who liked me had dwindled to almost none, I had become rather sensitive to it.
Do Ha-jin had been discharged the previous spring, and right after that—when he saw me again after so long—he had begun to feel something different toward me. Even while studying abroad he had messaged often and invited me to visit several times, but I could barely be bothered to leave the house, let alone cross an ocean, so I had simply let the invitations slide.
“Want to catch a movie after we eat?”
“I don’t know…”
“Then how about shopping at the department store?”
“I didn’t bring my wallet.”
“You worry about the weirdest things. Of course Oppa will buy everything for you.”
“Let’s just eat first and then decide.”
“Okay.”
Propping his chin on his hand, Do Ha-jin gazed at me and let out a long sigh.
“Ugh, I don’t want to go back to America.”
“There’s still plenty of time left.”
“Still. During the semester it’ll be hard to come back… You’re not going to visit Oppa, are you?”
“No.”
“Aww, so cute.”
The things he found cute struck me as a little strange. I snorted, only to lock eyes with the diagonal table again—this time with the man, not the woman. My classmate had apparently gone to the restroom; her seat was empty, and the man kept glancing at me.
He peeked while sipping water, peeked while our server carried dishes past, peeked even while Do Ha-jin was cutting my steak for me. He was still staring when his companion returned, and she caught his wandering gaze with irritated eyes. To my disbelief, the object of that gaze was me.
“Here, eat.”
“……”
“What’s wrong?”
Instead of looking at the neatly sliced meat, I was staring elsewhere, so Do Ha-jin turned his head as well. Perfect timing: my classmate shoved her chair back and stood up.
A clatter rang out as the chair toppled; every head in the hall swung toward the noise. Even as the man hurried after her he righted the chair and shot me one last glance before they disappeared out of the restaurant.
“What was that about?”
“…No idea.”
Her name finally came back to me: Nam Seo-yeong. We had gotten along reasonably well until first year, but after the guy from the neighboring school she had a crush on confessed to me, she never exchanged another word with me.
Leaving Do Ha-jin tilting his head in confusion, I speared a piece of steak. I had no particular palate for food, but the tender chew was not bad. He, too, lost interest in the other table and watched me chew with a fond look.
“By the way, let’s do the tutoring at my place.”
“Why?”
I had assumed we would use my room, so the suggestion caught me off guard. He offered a good-natured smile.
“If you keep shutting yourself in your room you’ll only get more depressed. Think of it as going out twice a week.”
“……”
“I already told your father.”
It seemed the matter was already settled. Rather than waste energy arguing, I simply nodded. His house was a drive away; I would have to give the driver advance notice later.
Having to leave the house twice a week already made me feel exhausted. I exhaled a small sigh, and Do Ha-jin leaned forward.
“I’ll wrap up all my personal appointments this month.”
“……”
“When Father calls I can’t refuse, but I’ll spend as much time with you as I can.”
“Why?”
“Hm?”
“Why are you spending your time on me?”
For a second he looked blank, then burst into soft laughter.
“Ah, so cute.”
He did not answer the question, just kept laughing to himself. Probably because he knew I was not asking out of genuine ignorance. I simply pushed another piece of meat into my mouth.
“Is it good?”
“Yeah.”
How long would Do Ha-jin’s feelings last? I idly wondered.
I was halfway down the stairs, thirsty, when a voice I never expected stabbed into my ear.
“Well, if it isn’t the princess.”
I jerked my head down. The young gardener and Unnie Heeyeon were crossing the living room side by side.
“Really, Seontae-ssi. Teasing the young lady too?”
Heeyeon laughed as if he were incorrigible. The man beside her was carrying two large boxes stacked one on top of the other.
“She is a princess, though. Locked up in a castle.”
“Stop it. The young lady doesn’t like strangers. Save the jokes until you’re closer.”
Instead of answering he tilted his head and wiped the sweat from his temple with his shoulder. Every inch of exposed skin—face, forearms, neck—was filthy with sweat and dirt.
The gardeners normally never entered the main house; their restrooms were in the annex. The boxes were probably the reason, but they were closed so I could not tell what was inside. When I looked at them curiously, Heeyeon explained.
“Watermelons and melons came up from Madam’s hometown. They were too heavy for me alone, so I asked for help. He’ll be out in a moment.”
“……”
“I’ll cut the fruit later and bring some up. Seontae-ssi, over there inside.”
At her gesture the man, who had been staring at me blankly, finally moved. I watched his receding back and Heeyeon’s sidelong glances at him in turn, then descended a few more steps.
“Oh, young lady, do you need anything?”
“Just came for water. Don’t worry about it.”
“I’ll bring it for you.”
Smiling kindly, she trotted after the man. I sat on the bottom step and watched them go. Watermelons and melons would be heavy; he must be strong. Then again, with a build like that it would be strange if he were not.
I rested my arms on my knees and propped my chin, waiting. Before long the gardener reappeared. He was kneading one swollen forearm with his free hand; the other held a single cup.
He was strolling out with that loose, arrogant gait when he spotted me and raised his eyebrows. The black hairs made the movement especially sharp. The whole time he approached, that edged gaze never left me. Looking closer, even his irises were pitch-black.
“How come you haven’t been spying lately?”
He stopped at the foot of the stairs and sneered again.
“Sulking over a little joke?”
Still speaking casually. I snorted and held out my hand, the other still supporting my chin.
“Shut up and hand it over.”
“……”
He had not expected the casual speech thrown back at him; his eyes widened a fraction. The new curve of his lids softened his face a little, but I ignored it and simply pointed at the cup with my chin.
“Give me the water.”
“Why?”
“Why else? Unnie gave it to you to pass to me.”
“What the hell is this?”
His expression sharpened again; the corner of his mouth tilted up.
“Sorry, but this is my water.”
“What?”
“Classic princess self-centeredness. Got a good look.”
Then he raised the cup to his own lips. His throat worked vigorously as he gulped the contents down. When he finished he turned the cup upside down over his head and shook it for show. Not a single drop remained.
I lowered my hand and stared at him sourly. That was almost certainly my water. If he had been thirsty he could have drunk it inside; there was no reason to bring the cup out. Besides, the gardeners always kept bottled water stocked outside.
Did he dislike me enough to steal even my water? Why? I had no intention of asking or arguing, so I simply heaved a long sigh and left it at that.