A. What the heck is this? - Contract Empress

That day the sky was very clear and bright.

The sun was showing off its presence, blazing so hard that it hurt my eyes.

There was no sign of rain.

Kim Yeo-ju. 24 years old. The only daughter of a struggling writer.

If I were to describe myself in one simple sentence, it would definitely be this one.

The Marquis, who is now nothing but a figurehead, was once renowned as a founding father, but that was only for a short time.

Soon after, it began to decline under the influence of previous generations of marquises who were intoxicated by the taste of power and pleasure.

후작부인

"I can't give it to you this month either. I'm sorry, maid."

하녀장

"I'm fine, so don't worry and get well soon."

As I listened to the small sounds coming from beyond the door, I felt a sound I didn't want to hear coming through the door and into my ears.

Months of unpaid wages had already passed, and my mother was lying in bed, wasting her time. Even with a small amount of government support, it was still difficult to feed the family of three.

In particular, I have repeatedly told the head maid who has been working for the writer's house for 20 years that she should quit and that I will give her a severance pay, but she has not even listened and has been doing her own work silently.

He said he wanted to stay here because he felt sorry for the youth he had dedicated to this place.

김여주

"I miss my father..."

He leaned against the dusty bookshelf and let out a sigh.

Maybe it was because this place, the study, was the place most steeped in my father's scent, but it felt so familiar and warm. It brought tears to my eyes.

A brown wooden desk and chair that are old and no longer useful.

I remembered sitting next to my father and chatting away while reading a book when I was little, and before I knew it, I was in tears - hot water droplets fell on the dry, worn-out cover of the book.