Saya left the palace balcony, accompanied by the maid Mina, and went to her room.
Saya entered her room and said to Mina:
"I want to be alone for a while. When I need you, I'll call you. Don't worry about me."
"Alright, Miss. Just call my name from the door and I'll come right away."
"Agreed."
After Mina left the room, Saya hurried to grab the notebook where she had been writing down everything during her talks with Nathan. She began talking to herself:
"From my first meeting with him, I can feel that he's hiding many secrets from me, and I don't think he'll tell me about them anytime soon. My initial diagnosis of his condition is severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder."
(Severe Depression):
It is a condition of intense sadness and psychological pain. It's a serious illness that may threaten a person's life, leaving severe effects on the body. A person suffering from major depression may experience physical symptoms, delusions, or hallucinations, and in many cases, it can lead to suicide. Therefore, it requires urgent medical attention and treatment.
(Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder):
It occurs when memories of a very distressing event keep coming back repeatedly to invade the mind. It lasts more than a month and can persist much longer. These memories can be terrifying, realistic, and disturbing. People with PTSD may relive the event, have nightmares, and avoid anything that reminds them of it.
"There's nothing I can do but wait until he tells me he's ready for another session."
(After a whole month)
Summer 2023 – South Korea
Saya sat in her room in front of her dressing table, thinking and speaking to herself:
"It's been a whole month since my last conversation with Mr. Nathan. I don't know why he keeps avoiding me. Every time I try to talk to him, he says he's too busy with work and has no time to talk, but I know he's just avoiding me."
"I wonder why he keeps me here in this palace when I'm of no use to him. He pays me a salary, gives me a home in a palace like this, a maid who fulfills my needs, and food and clothes of the finest quality. I can't believe all this comes without a price. Come on, Saya, think! What should I do?"
"Wait a second… I think I have an idea. I really hope it works."
During the past month, I noticed that Mr. Nathan and his assistant, Chul, leave the palace exactly at midnight and return at four in the morning. During that time, his room is empty and no one is allowed to go near it. Besides, the servants only come to the upper floor when they're called.
"That means I can enter his room while he's gone and try to find any information that might answer the questions in my head. But I must be extremely careful — this is dangerous, and if Nathan finds out, I don't know what will happen."
The clock's hands approached midnight. Saya was trembling with fear; her heart felt like it had jumped to her throat. She put her hand on her chest and said:
"Damn it, I didn't even feel this scared when I was kidnapped by those lunatics. Is this really worth being afraid of? Or am I just overly cowardly? It doesn't matter now. Ten minutes after they leave, I'll sneak into Nathan's room. It won't be long now."
Saya looked at the clock — five seconds to midnight. She began counting down softly:
5... 4... 3... 2... 1...
Nathan and Chul left the room and headed outside the palace.
Saya peeked through the keyhole, making sure they were gone. She closed her eyes, leaned her back against the door, inhaled deeply, then exhaled:
"I hope everything goes as planned. I'll wait ten minutes, then sneak into his room."
After ten minutes, she said:
"Alright, it's time. I have to do this."
She opened her door slowly to avoid making noise, tiptoeing toward Nathan's room.
To her surprise, the door wasn't locked — it was easy to enter.
She gripped the handle, opened the door quietly, and slipped inside.
She succeeded in entering but froze in awe when she saw the room's elegance.
"Oh my God, what is this? It's literally like a full apartment, not just a room! The royal design and the colors bring such comfort and peace to the soul. I really envy him for what he has."
"Wait, stop with this nonsense, Saya. Focus! I need to find something useful. But where do I start? This place is huge—it's like finding a needle in a haystack."
"Hmm, let me think. This palace is extremely secure, yet he leaves his door unlocked. That means… it's not impossible to find something important here."
Saya looked toward the bed and noticed a small table beside it with three drawers. She approached and started searching through them, hoping to find something useful.
The first drawer—nothing.
The second—also nothing.
She gathered her courage and opened the third drawer, whispering:
"Dear God, please help me find answers to my questions."
She searched the drawer but found nothing—until she noticed a false wooden layer at the bottom. Curiosity sparked in her eyes. She carefully removed the layer, trying not to make any sound or damage the wood. Finally, she managed to pull it out.
It was a book wrapped in a white cloth. Saya unwrapped it, saying:
"What's this? I didn't know he liked reading old books. This one looks ancient—like it's from my grandfather's time! Haha."
Her face lit up with excitement.
"This is the best thing I could've found! It's truly valuable, and through it, I might learn more about Mr. Nathan's personality and the kind of literature he likes."
Saya sat near the bed and eagerly opened the pages of the book, ready to discover Nathan's secrets—
But to her shock, it was completely empty. Just an old, blank book, its pages browned with age.
Disappointment and anger filled her face.
"How stupid of you, Saya! Did you really think you'd find something so secret belonging to a man like Nathan that easily? What now? Should I keep searching? Maybe I'll take a quick look at his wardrobe."
She walked toward Nathan's closet, excitement in her eyes, her pupils widening, a mischievous yet innocent smile curling on her lips. She gripped the closet handle and was about to open it when—
Nathan's loud car engine echoed as he entered the palace.
Saya almost collapsed from fear. She rushed to put everything back exactly as it was before, whispering anxiously:
"Okay, Saya, calm down. Everything's in place. He won't notice anything. I just need to get back to my room—fast."
Moments later, Nathan and Chul were already inside the palace, speaking quietly. Nathan headed to his room while Chul went downstairs.
Nathan entered his room, walking toward his bathroom while removing his jacket. Suddenly, he stopped, tilting his head with suspicion.
"Wait... what's this smell? Has someone been in my room without my knowledge?"
Fury rose within him. He called out sharply:
"Chul! Come here, and bring all the staff to the palace courtyard immediately!"
Chul was visibly shaken — it was rare to see Nathan like this, for he was usually calm and emotionless, even in anger.
Chul stammered:
"Y-yes, sir… they're waiting for you downstairs."
Next...