Munjeong - Chapter 1

Prologue Chapter 1

The mansion was built long ago on a hill densely covered with pine and cedar trees. Thus, both the estate and the imposing building resembling a castle were named Songbaekwon (松柏園), but the pine and cedar trees that gave the estate its name were mostly cut down when the mansion was constructed. Only a few remained in the forest connected to the rear garden.

The mansion was located in Geumso-dong, Munjeong City, a suburb on the outskirts of Seoul. Munjeong’s accessibility was excellent—it was just one bridge across the great river away from Seoul—and true to its slogan of being a green and livable city, it was surrounded by lush forests, making the air noticeably cleaner compared to Seoul’s city center.

However, one particular feature of the area was its large lake, which caused dense water fog to frequently form in Geumso-dong during the humid summer season. At dawn before the sun rose or at dusk as it set, the hazy landscape surrounded by thick greenery exuded both a mysterious and somewhat eerie atmosphere. The local residents considered this a unique privilege, often praising it as charming and picturesque.

Songbaekwon, where the Jun Kwang family had lived for three generations, was the most famous estate in the area. Situated at the highest point, the French-style stone mansion’s roof was visible from anywhere in the neighborhood.

Geumso-dong’s residential complex, ambitiously planned to emulate the affluent neighborhoods of Beverly Hills, featured similar winding alleyways that often confused first-time visitors. Locals would always direct them, saying, “Just use the blue-roofed mansion on the hill as your landmark.”

Chaeon first set foot in this place in late summer, just as the monsoon season was coming to an end.

—

Munjeong

01.

Swish. Swish.

She was cutting a watermelon, a gift suddenly brought by the manager, who claimed it was for the madam. While slicing it into pieces, the heavy iron gate opened, and the hot, humid air from outside rushed into the house.

“Ugh, it’s so damp. This humidity is suffocating.”

The voice, thick with heat and exhaustion, sighed heavily. Her mother, who had said she would be out for a while, seemed to have come back earlier than expected. Wiping the watermelon juice off her fingers, Chaeon stepped into the living room and saw Heejung entering through the front door.

“You’re back, Mom?”

“Yoon Chaeon. Why are you home at this hour?”

“It’s the start of summer break.”

“Oh, really? Perfect timing. It’s so hot; staying in a cool house is best.”

Dragging her right leg slightly, Heejung stumbled into the living room and plopped down in the middle of the floor.

“Wait a second. I’m cutting the watermelon.”

Chaeon quickly finished her task in the kitchen. She washed the knife and cutting board clean and placed them on the sink’s drying rack. The neatly sliced watermelon went into the fridge, while the thoroughly scraped rind was divided and discarded in a bag, which she tied securely.

“Where did the watermelon come from?”

Peeking toward the fridge, Heejung asked.

“The manager stopped by for an errand for the madam and brought it over. Apparently, the madam told him to give it to us.”

“Oh my, she thought of us again.”

“Yeah. It’s in the fridge, so eat it whenever you want. It’s sweet.”

“Goodness, thank you, sweetheart. I should call and thank the madam.”

At those words, a faintly displeased expression crossed Chaeon’s face.

“Why bother? We’re going there tomorrow anyway.”

“Come on. Proper manners mean giving thanks immediately. You should send the madam a message later. I’ll give you her number.”

“……”

Chaeon bit her lip, suppressing the words she wanted to say: She could have just passed along the thanks.

She never quite understood why they insisted on buying fruit from expensive department store markets at double the price of what they could get at a regular store. Nevertheless, she didn’t outright refuse the occasional offerings of these pricey fruits, especially since Heejung enjoyed them so much. Her mother’s gratitude was separate from Chaeon’s discomfort. Chaeon watched Heejung make the call with a look of unease.

Heejung worked as a housekeeper for Mr. Kim’s family in Hannam-dong. Their connection began when she was hired as a caregiver for Mr. Kim’s elderly mother.

As the elderly woman’s health deteriorated, she lost her appetite and energy. One day, she unexpectedly regained her appetite after tasting marinated crab that Heejung had brought. Despite barely touching hospital food, she would eagerly eat the homemade side dishes Heejung occasionally brought. Noticing how attentively Heejung cared for his mother, the family’s matron, Im Soyoung, eventually proposed a housekeeper position.

“She won’t last much longer. There’s no sign of improvement, and what can we do? She’s my mother-in-law, but she’s his mother.”

“So, you’re planning to care for her at home for the time being?”

“Yes, that’s the plan. But I was wondering… could you step away from caregiving for a while and work in our home? At least while she’s with us?”

“Ah, well…”

“My husband is such a warm-hearted person, as you know. He’s prepared to offer a salary that’s more than satisfactory by any standard. Recently, things have been going well with the new Jun Kwang office being built near the Suwon Industrial Complex, and there’s been a flood of contracts,” said Im Soyoung.

Just as Heejung had to shoulder the weight of life alone too early, Chaeon, too, had grown up much faster than her peers. Listening sharply, Chaeon easily caught the subtle boast and implied condescension in Im Soyoung’s words, suggesting, Where else could you earn this kind of pay? But Heejung, seemingly unaware, absorbed her words earnestly.

Chaeon didn’t particularly like Im Soyoung.

“Hey, if a girl with nothing but a pretty face like you goes around like that, it’s only a matter of time before you run into trouble,” Im Soyoung would say every time she saw Chaeon, frowning as if genuinely concerned. But to Chaeon, it always sounded more like a curse than a warning. It irritated her to constantly be reminded of their difficult circumstances.

And then there was her unbearable hypocrisy.

With a kind and charitable tone, Im Soyoung would hand Heejung luxury scarves or bags, claiming they were gifts. But in truth, they were merely items she wanted to dispose of—things that had gone out of style or become common counterfeits in the market.

Once, while chatting with her assistant, she had said, “Just give the outdated ones to our caregiver. A woman like her can’t afford to see such things anyway.”

To the likes of Im Soyoung and other so-called elegant women lounging in their vast living rooms or manicured gardens, Heejung was nothing more than an occasional topic of casual gossip, something trivial to chat about whenever she happened to be in sight.

“I swear, my housekeeper never contradicts me. Whatever I say, it’s always ‘Yes, ma’am. Of course.’ She’s truly remarkable.”

“Isn’t she? It’s rare to find someone like that. You’re lucky to have her.”

One day, while accompanying Heejung to work, Chaeon overheard these words. Dressed head to toe in expensive designer brands, the women spoke of Heejung as though praising a well-behaved dog, treating her compliance as a virtue worthy of admiration. The way they exchanged those comments with no malice at all in their faces was the height of deceitfulness.

“She’s too pretty for this kind of work, though. Wasn’t her husband killed in an accident?”

“That’s why I was so suspicious when my husband suggested bringing her into our home. I even wondered if he was thinking of making her his mistress. Imagine me becoming the wife who lets in a concubine!”

Unaware that Chaeon was behind the garden wall, listening to every word, they laughed loudly, their voices grating. Pretending to be so refined yet so utterly vulgar in their thoughts.

Was it money that made people so coarse? Or were these simply people of little worth living beyond their means? Sometimes, Chaeon envied their seemingly carefree lives, filled with luxuries she could only dream of. But at the same time, she despised herself for even thinking such things. After all…

As cynical thoughts swirled in her mind, Heejung’s voice broke through.

“They’re not answering the phone.”

Heejung tilted her head quizzically, placing her phone on the living room table. Stretching her legs out with a groan, she leaned back, her face contorted in discomfort.