Surviving as a Maid - Chapter 1

Translator: Amy

I was cooking my ramen.

Isn’t this too cruel.

“Queen, my lady! You must stay alert!”

“Please give me one more push! Queen!”

“My lady! The baby cannot breathe! Please!”

In front of my eyes was a woman I have never seen before, lying on a large bed, holding onto the bars set at the end of the bed with all her strength. Her bloody legs were wide open, and multiple people surrounded the scene. Yes, this appears to be a birth scene. Someone blurted that they see a head. This had to be someone giving birth. I couldn’t believe it. I’ve slept through all the videos they played during sex education classes, and to think that I am seeing someone give birth in live action.

I wish someone from anywhere would come with a radar to announce that this isn’t for public viewing, block the scene, and tell me to get out, or even a dream. I really hope this isn’t the situation that I am thinking of. If I think rationally, I think this is what I am thinking, wait is it? Is this a rational thought? Does this make sense?

“Ahsee! What are you doing? At least go get the hot water!!”

I didn’t even have time to panic. Is “Ahsee” me? Then a maid holding a bloody cloth bumped into me, and dumbfounded, I found myself carrying a big basin of hot water amongst the maids.

Unfortunately, my hands and my feet both moved without my will and everything appeared extremely vivid. I could even hear the Queen’s mourns, despite her never screaming her pain aloud. I’m not sure how much pain she held, but it seemed pretty severe as everyone surrounding the Queen were earnestly watching and the Queen’s face was covered in blood sweat with her cheeks even redder due to her popped veins.

Just like that, I don’t recall how many times I carried water back and forth. When I turned around with an empty basin, I heard people cheer behind me. After a few splashing sounds, the cry of a baby burst aloud.

“It’s a prince, My Lady.”

“Congratulations!”

“Congratulations!”

Everyone who held with the birth from midwives, nannies, and women who seemed to be in higher officials, congratulated the Queen with great excitement. One of them cut the umbilical cord, wrapped the newborn baby in a towel, and handed the baby to the Queen who had been using all her strength until now.

I was finally able to see the face of the Queen, who held in her scream. Her face was hot and swollen from right after giving birth, but I could tell that she was a young woman. With a face unlike a mother who just gave birth, she accepted the baby wrapped in towel. I don’t know much about giving birth, but the face of the Queen was too peaceful for someone who just suffered through great pain to give birth. Maybe she’s exhausted?

“The King…”

“Yes, Queen. I sent a message to your Majesty, so he should be here soon.”

“Please rest until he comes, Queen. You could faint due to the amount of blood you lost.”

The conversation continued, and someone who seemed to be in charge gathered the maids into the room next door. She said they all had to stay there until the King saw his newborn prince. All the women, exhausted, sat down and I attempted to find a mirror around, but couldn’t so I grabbed one of the maids and asked.

“Is there no mirror here?”

“Mirror? Why?”

“I think my face is a mess.”

“Yeah. You should take care of your hair. There should be a big mirror in that room.”

After thanking her, I went into the room that I couldn’t see from the corner that I was at before. It seemed as if the place that we were all gathered in is a waiting area but it felt like a bathroom, and in there was a mirror.

I was there.

Despite wearing the rustic dress like all other maids outside the room, it was me. It was me, unchanged. If I opened that door and left, even if it wasn’t my room, it would feel just as me in Seoul or Incheon. No wonder everything felt vivid that my hands and feet felt like mine. Should I be glad? Isn’t my life being too harsh on me?

Yes, this is a fantasy world. Anyways, this is not Seoul, South Korea. The event that occurred in front of my eyes with a woman I have never seen before giving birth, and everyone yelling “Queen,” in dresses like the ones I’ve seen in cartoons– this cannot be a movie set and if it doesn’t feel like a dream– it must be a fantasy world. It’s okay, I am calm. No, I want to escape reality!! This cannot be real!!

When I was in middle and high school, I read fantasy novels wishing I could go into this world. Some places seemed rough, but I just wanted to leave. I wanted to go into a different place and hear from someone that I was needed in that world. While I was taking the SAT, I desperately wished there was a hole in a dark ally or something that would take me to another world, but there wasn’t any handsome man or an owl with an envelope looking for me and saying they were here to escort me away. I’ve spent my 20s and my college years accepting that there were no such things, so why now??

“And I don’t even look different!!!!”

This is too cruel.

I should calm down. If I am able to calm down here, I might not feel like an actual person, but I have to calm down to live. I want to avoid the reality, but if I really don’t want to reach my goal then I must stay alert.

Admit it. I am in a fantasy world. The world I have been dreaming to be in since middle and high school.

As an average ordinary person.

My version of the entry into such a world was an appearance in a temple pond of a country where black hair is favored, an appearance after receiving the trust of the goddess, or an appearance on the wings of a phoenix; but no, I am here as an average person, a maid perhaps it seems like. I at least hoped there would be an appearance transformation, but not even. As a last attempt, I searched all over my body, but I found no significant marks, not even one. Admit it. I am an average ordinary person. My hope to flirt around with good looking men in this world and to eventually build a passionate romantic relationship with a prince that ultimately leads to marriage was crushed; I am just me—an average ordinary person.

“Ahsee. Prepare. The King is on the way.”

The door creaked open and the maid who showed me this room hold my frustrated self that I have to go into the hallway and wait. My life doesn’t even give me the time to remorse.

All the maids quickly left the room to line up in a bowed position at the end of the hallway. In this world, you cannot just look at high officials’ faces. The maid who brought me out was already in a bowed position, and I followed her lead to adjust my body. Then I realized that I don’t even know the name of the maid that I was portrayed as. I figured “Ahsee” might be my name, but other than that I knew of nothing else.  Shouldn’t I at least have the memory of who I am so I can continue whatever it is that I have to do? I don’t even know what I should do as this maid.

The hallway, full of around 20 people all bowed down was quiet like a mouse, and the room the Queen gave birth appeared silent in the pitch-black darkness. As I counted to about 15 in my mind, I heard patterned footsteps sounds from a distance.

From my quick glance, the Queen seemed young. Young Queen doesn’t guarantee a marriage with a young King, but my curiosity on what the King might look like, how old he might be arose only for me to realize that it probably won’t be worth the risk. I barely used my peripheral vision to catch that everyone was still in a bowing down position on their knees and soon enough the footsteps that was once far appeared close. I am not sure how many guards were around the King, but as he got closer, more footstep noises overlapped and the sounds kept getting closer and closer.

Two pairs of feet, side by side, passed by. The pairs of shoes were fancy but one was overwhelmingly colorful in color and decoration compared to the other. It seemed like a collection pair rather than a pair used to walk in. In similar pace, both pairs of feet passed and following them were pairs of shoes from people who weren’t too different from us, maids. Only after what appeared to be the King passed by did the other maids raise their bodies and I followed to see the back of the King.

He looks tall. Next to him was a blonde hair who was about up to the King’s shoulder. That pair of feet next to him must have been that blonde hair’s.

“Oh lord.”

The maid next to me murmured. The King and his servants walked into the Queen’s room and as if they were released from a silence, the maid and another maid with blue eyes started whispering.

“How could he bring the blonde here?”

“I think he is out of his mind.”

“To see that right after she gives birth to the prince. I feel bad for the Queen.”

I took a moment to let out a deep sigh and looked up at the ceiling. I then turned and asked silently.

“What? What is it?”

With glazing eyes, they looked at me and they opened their mouth as if they were going to scream only to whisper back.

“Ahsee, are you crazy?”

Right. I have asked something that is of common sense here. Calm down. I can do it. There is nothing in the world that cannot be covered.

“I didn’t see it. Why? Is there a problem?”

“You didn’t see it?”

“I didn’t. Who did the King bring?”

The blue-eyed maid spoke.

“Jurgel. Who else but that wicked person?”

Before all the noises could subside, the door that wasn’t properly closed before burst open and a young man confidently walked out. Judging from the hype of everyone else, he seemed like the King, and everyone quickly went back onto their knees. This time around was different because everyone was on their knees still, but instead of bowing full down like before, they all just slightly put their heads down. Maybe a farewell is different than a greeting. Because of that, I was able to quickly glance at the King’s face.

At the speed he came back out, I wondered if he even hugged the newborn baby, and he appeared as young as the Queen. He’s a good looking man with long black hair that comes down to his waist… but I was more concerned about the guy that was dragged by his wrist next to him. In many ways, if that person debuted as an idol in Korea, he would have lived well, as his blonde hair and his outfit were beyond anything I’ve seen before. Well, since there exists a King and maids and a country then is he a newly appointed pontiff? Or like a dragon that pledged to defend the country?

Right then, the person walking in an unstable posture, who couldn’t match the King’s stride,

“Evans.”

The King called.

If a person’s hearing is amplified a 100 greater, I believe we would’ve heard the sound of anger turn on. The maid I’ve been holding conversations with seemed to have a kind expression, but everyone’s face expression including that maid’s turned stone cold.

Then the King released Jurgel’s wrist and put his arms around his shoulder to whisper, “I’m sorry.” Thanks to their pause, the rest of the servants who came out of the Queen’s room were able to step back in behind the King. The King that busted out of the Queen’s room returned back in step as he was before he went into that room. A few moments later, there were sobbing sounds coming from the room.

“Poor Queen.”

“Mina.”

Nearby, there seemed to be the maid in charge and the blue eyed maid warned to the maid next to me to be careful. But even if that maid didn’t give a warning, it didn’t seem like the maid in charge was going to take any action. I’m not sure what happened in that room, but I could definitely tell that they were sad sobs.

Dead silent, all the maids passed by the Queen’s room quietly and the maid in charge closed the door for the Queen.

The Queen had cleaned up after her messy look and appeared to be holding the prince in swaddling clothes in her arms. She still had no facial expression, not even one who would be happy because of the birth or even tired from it; she just had a face expression of a doll.

“Ouch!”

“What?”

“Never mind. Just an electric shock.”

What should I do.

I think I know what is going on.

One side of the Queen’s palace was preserved as the residence for the maids and it was two person rooms, and it seemed that my roommate was Mina, and if this was a buffer it felt like one. Why should I call this a buffer. Maybe she is more humble than what others think of her. Or maybe she could be more humble. I held onto my roommate’s hand and walked into the room carefully looking around and seeing what Mina does to put her clothes, find clothes to wear, and came to sit on the opposite bed of Mina’s.

“Ahsee, something seemed off today. Did something happen?”

“No, why? What feels strange?”

“You seem less talkative so I wondered if something bad happened.”

What would happen if I said I have lost my memories? I wanted to directly ask “Who am I and where am I?” However, no one here  would call a doctor as if I was a precious lady who hurt her head from falling down the stairs, and no one will treat for my discomfort as if I am a precious pottery.

“I have never seen someone give birth before, so I was surprised.”

“Oh wow… you have never seen it before?”

“Yes. I have never seen anyone with a child other than when I was very young.”

“Everyone experiences it like this.”

“I know… I know everyone goes through it, but I am a little scared.”

“It’s okay Ahsee. This is how everyone is born.”

From the other side of the bed, Mina pulled down her hair from inside her hair cap, and then grabbed my hand. She is a good and kind person. I have to hide that I am not the ‘Ahsee’ character in this story. Could I get more information about Ahsee’s life? Could I lie to her roommate?

“I am going to go to bed early. I am scared I am going to see it in my dream again.”

“No, no. You are going to have a good dream. I am going to go talk to Sav real quick. Go to sleep.”

“Do you want me to come with you?”

“It’s just next door.”

“Sorry.”

It was early in the day and today was the day that the inheritor to the throne, the prince, was born. Mina, as well as the other maids, probably have a lot to talk about and won’t sleep for a while. I wanted to follow Mina into the other rooms and learn more about this place and gather information, but I also need my alone time.

Mina waited until after she untied my hair and tucked me in bed. She is a kind and friendly person. She said if I can’t fall asleep or if I feel better, I am more than welcomed to join them in the other room. Then she turned off my nightstand light, reduced hers to the dimmest setting, turned around to look at me and left.

That girl is Mina. My roommate. The blue eyed maid I held conversations with is Ellie. Sav is next door. I murmured their names multiple times in an attempt to not forget the them. While Mina is still in the other room, I should visit them. I just need a second on my own to cool down.

Jurgel and Evans. I know their names.

He is a young and strong King and the Kings unconditionally loves a young and beautiful man. They overcame all adversities, hardships, loved each other without any doubts, and were willing to give up their more precious, and brilliant things for each other but nothing in the world could be more precious than their love for one another. The man preferred a flower from the King than anything else in the world and the King preferred to drink water with that man than any other savory drinks in the world. It was true love, a beautiful love. They only loved each other.

There was a novel like that.

When I read, I thought the characters’ name was a simple symbol, and I didn’t catch it at first because I have read so many books, but I now remember one book with similar situation. I remember the title as “Escape,” but the story and the title had no relation to each other. People who read it would be moved by the King and the man’s flawless love story, like a common novel. If there were one thing that was hindering their love, it would have been the Queen.

Of course the King had a fiancé when he was young and needed a heir to continue his throne, and the man that he loved couldn’t provide that. The King was able to give everything except the seat as the ‘Queen’ to the man of his love, and the man could give all his love to the King except a child. In a story like this, the fate and destiny of the female character is fixed.

Their love is so exclusive and special that there was no place for the Queen to fit in. Then what would be her role? It isn’t even to stand there as a piece of furniture in someone’s garden, let alone the dust on the ground or something of that sort?

Despite the fact that she was the Queen, she came into the palace without a wedding for the sole reason that she was selected. When his lover said the palace, the Queen was staying at was beautiful, the King, without a doubt, kicked the Queen out and gave the palace to his lover. And when his lover expressed his jealously of the Queen being introduced to the public, the King once again stepped in and announced that the Queen is banned from any public activity. After being kicked out of the palace, the Queen has been living quickly, but unfortunately, she ran into the King and his lover while they were out on a walk, and that resulted to her quarantine. In addition, she was treated poorly and when she gave birth to the prince, the King’s lover took her baby as well.

I actually read the novel in anticipation of when the Queen would fuck over the King’s lover. As I got closer to the end of the novel, I was so curious about how she was going to take revenge that the King and his lover’s story didn’t even cross my mind. Unfortunately, until the day she died of her illness, the Queen remained a wise and kindhearted woman. Nothing in my life is upfront, and in attempt to feel better I read this novel, but even in this novel it doesn’t happen… I know this is a love story between the King and his lover, but I hoped that the Queen would attempt to take revenge of some sort even if it was useless.

Okay. So this is probably a book scene. When I desired to be in a different world all through my youth, it didn’t come. Now I am in a book, as a side character, and I have a quest to complete. So what am I supposed to do?

I am no the author of this book. Am I just suppose to survive through the prince being taken away from his mom and her dying because of an illness? When I lifted my head up from washing the mushrooms for ramen, I saw a lady that I have never seen before giving birth and this is now a self-mission to complete?

Ramen is best when the noodles are cooked right. When you put in mushrooms and sliced onions at boiling point, the broth deepens, the mushrooms softens and the onions crisp, making it delicious. In honesty, I also like it when my onions are fully cooked. Don’t stir the egg. The eggs in rice cake soup is good, but I don’t like it when the ramen broth is bitter. If you ever want to be fancy, add some Vienna sausage, dumplings, or sprinkle some cheese, and it will become more luxurious.

I already put some dumplings and some sliced onions in. Now all I had to do was wash the mushrooms and sprinkle some cheese… what happened to my ramen?

I stood up from my seat. If I fell asleep like this, I really hoped I wake up in front of that sink where I was about to wash my mushrooms, but I knew it wasn’t going to happen. So I don’t have much time.

The maid’s room is not big. The room was almost perfectly symmetrical, with a bed in the center, a small side table with a stand next to it, a mirror next to it, a console that could be used as a dressing table, and a closet next to it. The space closer to the door is Mina’s and next to it is ‘Ahsee’s.’

I remember seeing Mina touching the stand. The stand wasn’t electric, but reacted with the fingers’ temperature. I turned the dim light brighter and got up from bed. I looked into the closet I briefly saw before and looked deeper at them.

On the hangers, there were only a maid’s outfit and a few simple dresses and on top of a shelf in the closet there were several shoes laying around. In the shelf, half of undergarments were folded neatly while the other half were just mixed in there. In another shelf, there were a mixture of hats, bags, and things of that sort. I dug my hand in deeply into the shelves, but there wasn’t anything special in them. It’s fine. I didn’t expect to find anything in here.

I closed the closet, this time I sat on my chair in front of the console and opened the side table drawer. When I went to a famous hotel in Japan, a Bible was in here. When I skimmed through ‘Escape,’ religion was not a big deal there. That’s why there was no Bible in here. Instead there were two palm-sized boxes.

They were music boxes.

When I lifted the heavy lid, a soft music popped up with female and male figures reaching out for each other, rotating slowly.

It’s unique. Usually, aren’t the male and female figures hugging one another? Or a ballerina? As if they were walking round and round, their legs appeared to be moving like they were walking, their bodies were faced forward, their heads were faced each other, their hands reached out towards one another, but still untouched. I put my fingers between the two outstretched hands and tried to connect the two hands. The actual distance is pretty minimal, but if this was to represent real life, would this be a far distance?

As soon as I closed the lid, the soft music stopped. The other box was also a music box. It was a scene of people having a picnic under the clock tower, and when I turned the clock’s hand back, the people figures walked, danced, and drank some tea.

A music box collection. What a cute hobby. I collect them too. I don’t have a ton because they are so expensive, but I have started collecting seasonal ones. The two music boxes are much more complex and sophisticated than the ones I have in Korea, and they seemed quite classy to my inexperienced eyes. Items that require high maintained could cost quite a bit of money. The prices here and Korea may not be the same, but given that, this would definitely not be a cheap price. Could Ahsee afford these? She barely had inexpensive clothes or shoes.

Before I put the music boxes in, I carefully checked the top and bottom of the drawer, but there was nothing unusual. In hopes that it might be a double drawer, I knocked up and down and left and right of the drawer, but nothing suspicious. I was disappointed.

There was special at the table. I quickly turned around and sat in front of the console. Since it has a mirror, it looks like it can be used as a makeup stand, but looking at the drawers and shape below, it could also be a desk. The top row was a shallow drawer with three compartments, and underneath it there was enough space to hold a chair, with three drawers on each side, and the overall design was based on wavy lines.

In front of the mirror, a writing utensil similar to a fountain pen was there, and next to it were bottles that seemed like they were used for cosmetics. I grabbed some of them and shook them and opened the lid, but I couldn’t figure out what was moisturizer and what was cream. The red cosmetics in the small jar seemed some type of lipstick, but they were not stick-shaped or brushed, so I couldn’t figure out how one would use it. What I really wanted was to fall asleep now and wake up in my own house, but to say that did not work out, then I would have to wake up tomorrow and apply this but I have no idea how to use this thing. And frankly speaking, I think I am going to wake up as a maid and not in my room in my house.

I put down the makeup and first opened up the top middle drawer. There were a few earrings and necklaces. It was similar to what I would wear, and this might be a rapid decision since I haven’t gone through all the drawers, but it seemed like ‘Ahsee’ was someone who didn’t really care too much about organization. No matter how I look at it, I feel like she just threw them in the drawer. I like it. I do that too. I won’t be caught by my roommate because she things my lifestyle has changed.

The left drawer, which is about one palm long, was filled with large and small blank papers, and the right drawer consisted of several unidentified miscellaneous items, a few coins, and a wallet. The rest of the drawers had powders that looked like herbs, medicines for emergency use, and a bunch of snacks. Nothing noticeable.

I wasn’t really looking for something specific, but I wanted a diary or something like a diary to come out, for example. I was disappointed. There’s nothing I can use to learn more about this world or ‘Ahsee.’ I even hoped that at the point when I realized I was in a book, there would magically be a pop up of a quest or something to tell me how to get back home, but there wasn’t anything.

I was making ramen. So I did not reincarnate from death or was summoned. I did not even see a conflicted devil or grim reaper, so this is not even due to be an error or a devil’s joy. ‘Ahsee’ didn’t even call me to live her life for her. So where could she have gone? If she didn’t die due to the shock of the Queen giving birth, then did we exchange bodies? But ‘Ahsee’ is a book character, not a human, so basically ink. Could she have replaced my soul and finish washing my mushrooms and finish making my ramen?

I lifted my head and finally looked at the mirror I have been avoided.

I saw my reflection in a unfamiliar outfit. There was nothing unfamiliar about my face. This is the same face that I saw this morning while I was washing my face. The same birth mark next to my eye and the same pimple on my chin. But my hair is now down to my waist. Am I here because I have the same face? I don’t know why it is ‘Escape.’ When I was reading the novel, I yelled, like I felt watching Couple Clinic: Love and War, ‘Queen, at least tug on the King’s lover’s hair and bite him,’ but I never truly considered how the Queen felt and I didn’t feel the urge to need to take revenge for her, so I don’t understand why I am in this book, ‘Escape.’ I was so much more invested in the next books of the series, so why this one?

This reminds me of my college days. It was a majors exam, and the questions were parts I’ve overlooked so leaving the page in front of me blank, staring at a blank space for around 30 minutes, I turned my blank paper around and gave myself my own question and filled out my own answer. My miserable sophomore second semester midterm. I got partial credit on that, but this has no solution.

Is the Queen even the answer? If this follows the original story, would I just let her die due to her illness or am I suppose to alter the story to help the gay King break up with his lover and help him develop feelings for the Queen. Should I write down 1 and 2 on a piece of paper and drop a pencil to determine the faith? I know that there are no answers to life, but I at least want to know the answer to this.

I leaned against the chair and stared at my/Ahsee’s face until my face in the error felt like a stranger.

I cannot do this for long. I stood up and took the shawl from the chair, put it on my back, and came out of the room. Mina said she would be next door in Sav’s. Our room is at the end of the hallway, so I didn’t have to worry about where the next door room is. My roommate is Mina, the blue eyed maid who was talking to Mina earlier was Ellie, and my next door neighbor is Sav.

I knocked next door and opened the door before I could hear a response.

“Hi Sav? Could I join you guys?”

It was still too early to go to bed. I saw a few people on the bed in their pajamas. Four… Five people. Who is going to answer?

Epilogue—–

Ramen is so good when you add mushrooms.