Author's Note:
This story is inspired by "Persuasion" by Jane Austen.
Imagine this story is set in Korea, but the culture here is like in Bridgerton.
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In this alternate universe, Korea is unified, and westernized. Set in the early 1800s, the same like the timeline in the original Persuasion novel. The people wear dresses and suits, just like the people of the U.K. at that era. There is no emperor of Korea, but a King and a Queen, with the same noble ranks like England. There are Dukes, Duchess, Lords, Ladies, Barons and Baronets, and etc.
In this story, people learn Byron, Keats and Shelley in Korea. They learn to speak English, dance ballroom dance, and have afternoon tea.
The song that I used to write this story: "Kini" by Rossa.
Warning: The main character meets after 6,000 words, you've been warned.
I wrote this for another ship 2 years ago in my WP account. This is my own work. I have not plagiarized this from anyone else.
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Busan, 1806
The Honourable Grace Kim was sitting behind her father's huge oak table, facing a dozen letters of bills, and feeling like she wanted to burn the whole world, or perhaps just her ridiculous father. However, it was clear that none of her wishes would come true, since she loved her father, his pompous air included, and would never really burn anything alive.
She was 26 years old. Some people gossiped about how Lady Grace was a spinster already. There were times she felt a lot older than that.
She's the middle child of Baron Simon Kim, a narcissistic, empty-headed man who had nothing to boast with but his title. Her mother, a sensible lady who married her father due to an arranged marriage, died soon after giving birth to the youngest daughter in the family.
Grace's older sister, Hilda, was so in love with herself that she barely noticed anything but her own self, her views and her feelings. Her younger sister was the same. Selena only cared about herself, her beauty and her well-being.
Since neither Hilda nor Selena were interested in studying and only Grace was, her father thought that it was only natural that Grace took over the whole estate management when she's fifteen.
"The baroness has passed away, and I have no son. So isn't it only natural for you, who has no beauty nor charms like your sisters and did well in your studies, to manage the estate."
These kinds of jibes were thrown at her so often, she barely got hurt anymore. The whole Busan agreed with her father. Hilda was said to be as graceful as a queen, and Selena was as beautiful as a goddess, while Grace had no beauty, just a sharp brain and fair skin.
The late Baroness Jillian disagreed. She always called her "My pretty Gracie," a memory she kept and carried within her heart like a lantern.
Years went by, and with the help of her father's solicitor and accountant, Grace managed to organize the estate. She checked her father's letters, contracts with the tenants, and handled the financial matters that Baron Kim said gave him constant headaches.
Sadly, due to her father's excessive orders to the tailors, the shoemakers and the jewelers, combined with Hilda's extravagant expenses and Selena's before she was married, the family was facing bankruptcy.
Grace had cried alone in her room, but it had to be announced. She had found a solution that would stop her family from ruin.
The next morning, during breakfast, Grace informed her decision to save her family.
"I beg your pardon? Put this Mansion Kim for rent? I'd rather die!" Hilda replied emotionally.
"Unnie, we are facing bankruptcy. The only way out is to lease this mansion for a year to anyone who's willing to pay for it. The alternative is losing this place to creditors due to your and Appa's shopping debts!!!"
"I didn't really shop that much," her father denied in a low tone.
"And I only did what a Baron's first daughter should do to keep her appearance."
"Well, what you did nearly ruined our family!!! Would you rather lose this mansion forever and live in a dingy house somewhere and barely have anything to eat???"
"I definitely can't live in a dingy house. I'd die too soon if I have to," her father answered weakly.
"One has to live properly, of course," Hilda added.
"We're leasing this place to anyone who could pay the price I ask for a year. And that's settled."
"Why talk to us if you already made your own decision," Hilda grumbled.
Grace wanted to scream that she made the decision because none of them were helping her and they were both too childish to realize it. But she didn't, and chose to just save her energy.
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Grace had been brilliant in mathematics during her lessons with their private tutor. She had counted that with the price she requested, and with the rent paid by the people who rented her father's land, they would be able to pay all their debts. So she asked the solicitor to put the mansion up for lease at the best real estate agent in town.
Once someone rented it, they'd move to Seoul and live at her father's town house for a year.
It would be hard to leave the mansion she was born in for such a long time, but it's better than the embarrassment they'd have to face if it's seized by the creditors.
Her father's solicitor, Mr. Han, visited the mansion of Kim three days later, to tell Grace, not the baron, that there's a gentleman who wanted to rent the mansion for a year, at the price that she requested.
"That's really fast, Mr. Han. I thought we'd have to wait for at least 3 months."
"No. This gentleman said he had been eyeing this property for a long time, thought that it's a splendid one, and had always wanted to try to live here. As soon as you can sign the papers, he'll pay the annual rent."
"Does he understand that we only plan to lease this house for a year?"
"Yes. He seemed to know you as well, My Lady."
"Really? What's this gentleman's name?"
"A Mr. Joseph Lee, Ma'am. A very rich merchant from Seoul."
Upon hearing the said name, Grace's legs lost their strength, and she fell to the floor.
"MY LADY!!!" Mr. Han yelled in shock, as Willa, Grace's lady's maid, hurried to help her stand up and lead her to the sofa.
The room was spinning and she saw black spots. She really couldn't breathe, lying down on the sofa as Willa fanned her with her pretty fan, saying, "My Lady, what can I do? What can I do to make you feel better?"
"It must be the stress of the family's financial condition," Mr. Han concluded. "The only thing that could help is rest and nutrition, I think. This is Mr. Lee's card. I'll come back tomorrow to show Lady Grace the contract. I hope she'll recover soon."
Willa nodded, and accepted Joseph Lee's card.
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