1. White Stone
“You said you were going out, and you come back with a burden like this?!”
At the sharp, irritated voice of a middle-aged woman with a bob haircut, eighteen-year-old Jihyun flinched and shrank back.
“She’s grown up. She can pull her weight. Just needs food.”
Hyeonsook, Jihyun’s aunt, replied nonchalantly to the woman, who appeared to be the house manager. Though Jihyun had blindly followed her aunt when asked, it wasn’t really what her aunt had wanted. It was only after failing to find her only living relative—her older brother—that Hyeonsook had been shocked to discover the niece left all alone.
“You’ve been living by yourself all this time? What about your parents?”
“…I don’t know.”
Her mother had disappeared long ago, and her father… she had seen his real self two years ago for the last time. Always drinking, he had gone out one day saying he’d be back soon, and just never returned.
Since then, Jihyun had lived alone. The locals who knew her situation would drop off rice or kimchi from time to time, but attending school had become impossible. She wanted to work part-time and keep studying, but no one would hire her.
To make things worse, the house she lived in was about to be demolished for redevelopment. The landlord, though not charging rent for the crumbling place, made it clear he wanted her out soon. After hearing the rough details from Jihyun, Hyeonsook gritted her teeth.
“That idiot of a brother really messed up to the end. This won’t do. Come with me.”
“Huh? Where…?”
When Jihyun hesitantly stood, Hyeonsook stuffed her few clothes into a bag.
“Where I live, work, and sleep. A place that can take in someone like you.”
The thought that her aunt—whom she was meeting for the first time—might be taking her somewhere dangerous did cross her mind, but it didn’t matter. Jihyun, drowning in loneliness, wanted to hold her hand no matter what. She didn’t want to be alone anymore.
“You don’t even have a single decent outfit. We’ll bring these for now, but we’ll have to buy new ones soon.”
Watching Hyeonsook click her tongue with a pained look on her face felt like a ray of warmth for Jihyun. Soon, they were standing in front of a grand mansion.
Surrounded by tall white walls that seemed to say “nothing gets in,” the mansion exuded mystery and elegance.
‘No way this is her house…?’
Reading the disbelief in Jihyun’s wide, rabbit-like eyes as they darted between her and the massive gate, Hyeonsook laughed awkwardly.
“I wish it were mine, but no. I work here. You know what a live-in helper is, right? That’s what I do now.”
Jihyun just nodded, unsure what to say.
“I’m showing you the main gate in case you ever get lost. But the staff uses another entrance. Let’s go that way.”
Unlike Hyeonsook’s confident stride, Jihyun hesitated.
“Are you sure it’s okay… for me to be here?”
She was afraid her presence would become a burden.
“Don’t mind what Manager Kim says. She talks tough but has a warm heart.”
But right after they entered, they ran into the stern woman herself—Manager Kim. Her sharp eyes made Jihyun gulp nervously.
‘She said she had a warm heart… right?’
“Hyeonsook, do you even know how much rice costs these days?”
Contrary to Hyeonsook’s assurance, Manager Kim showed no attempt to hide her discomfort upon seeing Jihyun.
“She’s a poor girl. Let’s say we’re giving her a part-time job. Please, just be a little generous.”
Stepping in smoothly on behalf of a flustered Jihyun, Hyeonsook made her plea.
Her audacity had reason. Most workers at Chairman Shin’s mansion didn’t last three months. The mansion’s strange, cold air made it hard to endure. The lady of the house, who threw things when angry, was almost the least of it. Staff were treated like invisible beings—worse than the dogs brought in by the Chairman’s mistress. Most ended up quitting.
Hearing that Jihyun could work, Manager Kim’s sharp expression softened just slightly. As Hyeonsook said, they were desperate for help. Just today, another helper had thrown off her apron and stormed out.
“Can she really do the job?”
Sensing an opportunity, Hyeonsook jumped on it.
“Of course! She might not look it, but she’s sharp and hardworking.”
She nudged Jihyun in the side. Wide-eyed and overwhelmed by her surroundings, Jihyun quickly nodded.
“If you’ll let me, I’ll work hard. I’ll do whatever I’m asked.”
“How old are you?”
“Eighteen. I’ll be an adult soon.”
“She’s practically grown up,” Hyeonsook added, winking.
“An adult, huh…” Manager Kim trailed off, wavering. With resignation letters piling up, she was at her wits’ end.
She studied Jihyun. Her downcast eyes gave a shy, gentle impression.
‘At least she doesn’t seem like the scheming type.’
Her pale eyes and hair gave off a delicate charm. She’d probably blend in without causing trouble.
“Fine. Hyeonsook, teach her well. Go over the confidentiality clause thoroughly.”
“Of course.”
Jihyun felt her throat tighten. She could hardly believe she’d secured both a job and a place to stay.
“Th-thank you.”
“Save your thanks. Let’s see if you last three months first.”
As Manager Kim turned and disappeared, Hyeonsook grabbed Jihyun’s shoulders, shaking her in excitement.
“This is great!”
“It’s all thanks to you, Auntie. Really, thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. I just put out the fire. Earn money here, but don’t stick around. Got it?”
Her tone was very different from what she’d said to Manager Kim earlier, surprising Jihyun.
“Come on. I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”
Grabbing Jihyun’s thin wrist, she led her out of the main mansion and toward a smaller annex.
“That’s where the chairman and his family live. Staff stay in the annex. Live-in helpers rotate shifts inside the main house. But since you’re just a part-timer, you won’t need to.”
The annex, past a small pond, had several small rooms like a dorm. Hyeonsook threw Jihyun’s bag into an empty room and put her hands on her hips.
“Pay is below minimum wage—because you get room and board.”
Jihyun nodded. She was just grateful to have somewhere to stay.
“You heard Manager Kim, right? Three months. That means people don’t last here.”
“Why?” Jihyun asked innocently.
Hyeonsook gave a bitter smile.
“Only the chairman’s family really matter here. Staff are treated worse than the Italian furniture in the living room. And that’s hard to endure.”
“I see.”
“Just do your work quietly. No hard stuff—we have a chef and cleaners. But be careful around the Shin family.”
Be careful? If they treated people worse than furniture, did that mean insults, or something more?
Sensing Jihyun’s worry, Hyeonsook lowered her voice.
“The Madam threw a glass last month. Unfortunately, the driver standing there got hit square in the head.”
She mimed throwing a baseball to reenact the scene.
“How could someone…”
“The Chairman brings actresses over for wine parties. Never make eye contact, never acknowledge them.”
Shaking her head, Hyeonsook continued.
“His eldest son, Myungho, is a real piece of work. When he drinks, he hits on anyone—guy or girl. If you see him, just run.”
Jihyun began to wonder if this was some kind of soap opera.
“The second son, Seungho, is at least… normal.”
“That’s a relief. At least there’s one.”
“Even the Chairman prefers him. That’s why he’s being groomed as the heir.”
Hyeonsook’s tone when talking about the sons was completely different depending on who she mentioned.
“The Shins are a little off in general, but Seungho is… cold. Way smarter than his brother. That might be why he seems more normal.”
“So, both sons live here?”
“They’re rarely seen, but yes. They haven’t moved out, so they must be somewhere in the mansion. Oh, and there’s one thing you must remember…”
Before she finished, Jihyun nodded.
‘She means what Manager Kim kept emphasizing…’
“Whatever happens in this mansion must stay a secret.”
“Exactly. You’re pretty sharp.”
Hyeonsook grinned and shrugged.
“There are a lot of visitors, and the family lives here too. But the place is so big, you likely won’t even run into them.”
“That’s a relief.”
Jihyun smiled gently. It had nothing to do with her, after all. There was no reason someone like her, just a part-timer, would cross paths with the family.
So she thought.
Hyeonsook didn’t stop walking. She took Jihyun inside the main mansion, saying it might be her only chance to see it.
Art gallery-worthy paintings adorned the halls. On the second floor—where the sons supposedly stayed—Jihyun saw a display case filled with butterflies.
She instinctively held her breath.
Each one, pinned perfectly, was stunning and rare, as if it might flutter away at any moment.
“Second son’s hobby,” said Hyeonsook, standing beside her.
“Eighteen and still collecting these… shows he’s not quite grown up.”
She seemed amused by the collection, but Jihyun felt differently.
Collecting and preserving rare, beautiful butterflies with such precision didn’t feel like a childish hobby. It felt… chilling.
So this is what they meant by “odd jobs.”
Under the sharp autumn sun, Jihyun wiped sweat from her brow while sorting stones in the garden.
Her tour had barely ended when the work began. With so many staff quitting, chores had piled up.
“The Madam said the colors of the garden stones are all over the place. Sort them out.”
“How, exactly?”
“She likes white stones. Lay those in the garden. Put the darker ones in the back.”
Even complaining about stone color—this employer was definitely something else.
“All white stones won’t even look that nice…”
But she had no choice.
She focused on the task, diligently sorting by color. That’s when it happened.
Clack.
A smooth, white stone slipped from her hand.
“Oh—!”
It rolled, almost as if alive, and stopped at the toe of a polished black loafer.
Jihyun’s gaze followed it upward.
Dark navy dress pants, a crisply ironed white shirt, a long, straight neck, and cold black eyes staring down at her.
A boy her age stood there.
His red lips were firmly closed, and his gaze sent a chill through her.
She instinctively knew.
The cruel collector of beautiful butterflies.
This was the “normal” second son—Shin Seungho.
I thought I’d never run into them…
Holding her breath, Jihyun slowly reached for the white stone, hoping he would walk away.
As her fingers brushed the smooth surface—
Crunch.
The black loafer pressed down on her hand.
Startled by the pain and the shock, Jihyun looked up at him.
Auntie… you said the second son was the normal one.
