"Forgive me Princess, but you really should not wait anymore for The Young Master and just have your lunch now." "Dae-Jung must be busy with this stupid concubine selection that his sister came up with. I should send someone to wait for him..." "My Lady..he will most likely have dinner with the new concubine that he took from the selection process and settled her into her residence here before anyone else..." "Success is easier made than kept; did you see how she was dressed? She may as well have come here in a maid's outfit! Her body is too thin, and her hands looked worn out as if she actually carries out chores! Are you sure that she is from a prominent family? Or maybe she wasn't typically raised as one? We are all on a tight budget due to this last minute selection; maybe she will cause him to loose face by serving him such a simple meal on the first night? Why don't we help her by making some special desserts for her? Add some extra toppings, if you know what I mean. In fact, where is the maid with the good cooking skills? Call her to me immediately?" "My Lady..." "Healthy eating requires balance and self-restraint, so why shouldn't I help her, lest she makes a fool of herself and our husband? Find the maid and..." "She has already been replaced, My Lady...." "WHAT! Who dares to replace my own dowry maid!" "She caused quite a scene in front of The Princess when she accidentally knocked down a dish she was serving, and she said that dowry maids were inexperienced with menial jobs, so she 'thoughtfully' replaced her with a new inexperienced maid from The Household Department..." "You should have old her that I am already well-staffed!" "Forgive me, but she is The Princess...." "What is it that my uncle says? War is fought with wars, and politics are fought with causes? Very well, if she has taken one of my maids, then I shall take away one of her people in my husband's harem one at a time. Wait a minute, who on earth is making all of that noise outside? Just what is going on?" "My Lady; there seems to be a dispute between some new attendants in the palace." "What dispute? What is going on?" "One attendant from one of the warrior clans seems to be chastising Attendant Kim for making her drop something or another. What a loud and masculine creature; does she not know the rules and etiquette for becoming a concubine in the first place? How dare she chastise someone of her own rank? Just who on earth does she think that she is? How imperiously loud she is indeed!"
"...just what on earth is the matter with you? Who are you? What family are you from? Do you have any idea how expensive that was? How dare you pour the hot tea onto my dress? Do you intent to disfigure me as a way to interfere with my life here as a concubine! How dare you! Will you be responsible for my family's welfare in my stead then?" "M-my Lady! I am Attendant Kim...from the spice family..." "Spices! Your family makes spices and fragrances in the markets! With the merchants and lowborn! How were you ever allowed into the palace! Let alone pass the test! You should be embarrassed to even compete with the likes of us! How can an unknown family from a nameless place can raise no daughter of style and grace!" "Forgive me, I was just too nervous to pay attention as to where exactly my feet were taking me..." "Too nervous! If walking makes you nervous, then how can you think to bare children for The Lord Nam?" "I do beg your pardon for my inadvertence." "There is no chance of The Lord Nam selecting you, so what on earth do you have to get nervous about? It is already your undeserving privilege to meet him here in the palace since he is so aloof, so what else can you reasonably expect?" "If you are upset about your dress My Lady, then I shall make a compensation for you..." "This dress was gifted to us all by The Princess, how can you possibly compensate her for this lack of respect for her? Well? Your rags wouldn't be enough to cover the expense of the cuff of my sleeves, never mind this rare silk!" "My Lady..." "Do not think that you can fool me; your dress may be new but it is loosely woven, and you are wearing last years patterns. Are you going to compensate me with your rusted silver hairpin itself? Even beggars on the street will not pick them up. Or how about your tacky gold-plated bracelets? How about this? I can waive off the debt if you kowtow to me 50 times here in front of everyone? Howe does that sound? You will not need to bother your parents with such a debit either?" "I..."
"Is it really worth getting so angry over a dress?" "Oh, and who is this?" "I am Nam Yeong, the daughter of The Deputy Minister of Judicial Review." "Just a Deputy Minister? That is hardly a high position at all..." "We are talking about reason here, not high status, unless that is your only topic of conversation? Because in car you haven't noticed, you are only titled with the rank of Attendant, whereas there are more capable families that have sent their daughters here who get to be ranked Noble Lady and Concubine straight away...just like myself." "My Lady, do you really think that you can tell me what to do because of your pretty face?" "No, I think I can tell you what to do since I have already been selected by The Lord Nam and I have already got an idea about what the man looks for in a wife, which is certainly nothing that you hold at this moment. And you constantly ripping into Attendant Kim like this, are you not questioning The Lord Nam, The Princess and The Third Prince's choice rather unfairly? If her family was allowed to submit her through the tests, then who are you or I to say anything at all? Unless you hold some sort of hold over The Royal Family..." "You...!" "Forever, why should we disturb anyone about a dress? An expensive dress that you were not able to protect by the way, and you certainly would not be able to justify yourself should any of the higher ups inquire about such a minor disturbance, isn't that right? Your reputation would also be destroyed by this piece of gossip if it reached your family, s please think twice before you dare to buy anyone, especially a woman who shares the same rank as you, no matter what her background is, for there is no lack of beauty here that cannot relate you in a second!"
"T-thank you for your help My Lady, I shall never forget your benevolence..." "Think nothing of it; a lot of these women here are in competition against each other, so you must not be surprised by their spiteful nature. A girl will always by judges by how she dresses, so do not be scared to innovate yourself every single day. Here; let me take this rose and put it in your hair to make you stand out a little bit more. Not everyone is able to appreciate the elegant simplicity of your dress, you can even take my earrings as a gift as well." "My Lady! How could I possibly..." "Here, just take it. And I wish you the best of luck." "But I am far too humble to repay you back..." "Where you come from doe snot determine your abilities; get back in the line and wait to be settled in along with everyone else. And here is a hint fro me; do not display your disappointment, but you should rather express gratitude for every second you spend here in the palace to show The Lord Nam that you are unlike everyone else here who only thinks of the competition."
"Who the hell is that? Is she the little slut who has already been chosen and settled in before anyone else?" "It is Nam Yeeong, My Lady." "Well? Was her advice successful at all?" "It looks like The Lord Nam has indeed chosen that meek rose, and it was due to the flower and earrings that was gifted to her by..." "how interesting; she has yet to meet her husband and yet she is already handing out advice and help? In a cut throat place like this? How does she have the confluence to do such a thing...unless she is receiving help from someone? No, her family holds a much lower position than mine, so how could that possibly be? Living in the palace is the envy of many, so who on earth would embrace their competition so early on in the game? Request a meeting with The Lord Nam, immediately!" "My Lady, he has already passed out drunk right after today's selection and he will typically wake up before dinner." "And he is scheduled to have it with that girl today? Concubine Nam? Find a new maid with exceptional cooking skills and carry out the task in hand and gift them to this new concubine. In fact....gift this task to the new servant that I have to take in against my will and expose her when the concubine will be framed for poisoning him. Give it to his mistress in the brothel whom is proclaiming to have gotten pregnant by him." "My Lady? Even though we both know that The Lord Nam is not the father?" "If she thinks that she can become a concubine this way, then she can think again. What makes her think that she can get away with it whilst I am still a mere Mistress here in the palace?" "Are you saying that we should make her miscarry to show this farce pregnancy?" "Do you know what the worst thing is? He knows that this isn't his baby, but he cannot let his impotency show, not during this power struggle to be accepted in The Royal Family. But it cannot be her; I need to be the one to bare his child before anyone else. I have to be the only Mistress that can get to the palace and somehow get pregnant before The Third Prince finds him a main wife to marry." "Does The Lady refer to Lady Jang? I hear that she is related to his first choice of Main Wife all of those decades ago?" "I am not yet strong enough to overcome The Third Prince or his daughter, so the only thing that I can do to affect that so-called 'future relationship' apart from bearing the first child upon his succession. And as for that pregnant wench, pull her name plaque off of his table to show him that he will be putting the baby itself in danger if he continues to visit her. If only I could buy out that brothel myself and keep an eye on these women..."
"My Lady! Have you already forgotten what overcome the first- I mean second Princess Consort of The Third Prince? It was her own brothel that pulled her down, so we cannot implement these same mistakes if you wish to have a successful future as The Princess Consort of The Lord Nam!" "Very well, I shall think about that later! But this schemer...to betray her own loved one and attach herself to mine, that cannot possibly be forgiven!" "My Lady, it is time for the morning afternoon greetings along with the new concubines..." "Very well, but I will make her wait on me hand and foot this time. What of the treatments to cure his impotency? Have you found a physician that we can trust?" "My Lady, there is a new physician in the palace that everyone speaks highly of...Bo-Hyun? I think that is the name? Surely we can get him on our side if we pay him handsomely enough." I should be treated as well so that he can see my efforts into painting his position in the palace and amongst The Royal Family, hopefully they can start to take me seriously as well, including The Princess and her father." "This will include painful acupuncture and moxibustion almost every single day, are you sure that you can handle this?" "I do not have a choice, do I?" "And what if it doesn't work?" "I will try my best, but if I am unsuccessful, then I will simply have to kill all of them that he touches and even looks at. I would rather blind myself than to watch anyone take over my glory; what I have had worked so hard for. I went from being a brothel girl to being a Mistress of a powerful man in the palace with no official title, so I must work hard for the both of us to bring us the glory that we both deserve."