Inro : Marry in Money
Morning sunlight filtered softly through the curtains, gently striking the eyes of the slender figure resting on the broad, six-foot white bed. Her lovely eyelids slowly fluttered open. Though she had resided here for nearly three years, she had never truly grown accustomed to it.
A bedroom this expansive and a mattress this plush were certainly not things she had been born into.
The slender girl pushed herself up from the bed as her eyes caught the bedside clock, indicating that class would be starting very soon. She scrambled in a hurry, terrified of being late.
Rushing downstairs, she tried her best to deaden her footsteps, wary of making inappropriate noise in a place where decorum was paramount.
“Oh, leaving already, Khun Ying?”
The gentle, polite voice of a woman in her late fifties called out warmly.
Yet, it was Intra who felt uneasy hearing it.
“Aunt Jan, how many times have I asked you not to call me that?”
Despite her rush, Intra immediately offered a respectful wai upon encountering the elder.
“Aunt Jan”
was, after all, a loyal, long-serving matriarch of the palace household.
“I couldn’t possibly, my dear. You are the legal wife of Khun Ying Nalinthip, and the daughter-in-law of Their Highnesses. If I addressed you like a commoner, my head would be off my shoulders before dusk!”
Aunt Jan teased, waving her hand in a dramatic gesture.
Intra covered her mouth, chuckling softly.
“I am a commoner, Aunt Jan. I came from the slums. If anything, I am far younger than you.”
Her slender face bloomed with a sweet, genuine smile. It had been over three years since her beloved mother passed away. Everyone around here often remarked that a girl like her had ‘married into money.’
“Oh, my dear Khun Ying Intra. Won’t you have a bite to eat first? Khun Ying Nalinthip just stepped out moments ago.” The elderly woman spoke with deep affection.
Ever since Intra entered this palace, she had never once put on airs or acted arrogant. In fact, since becoming the daughter-in-law of the household, she had become even more humble and reserved.
"I’m so sorry, Aunt Jan, but I’m going to be terribly late for class. I must take my leave now!" The young woman offered an apologetic smile, bowed hastily in respect, and bolted out the door.
“O-Oh... Safe travels, Khun Ying!”
The soft voice shouted after her as Intra swung her leg over her trusty motorcycle and kicked the engine to life.
“That child...” Aunt Jan shook her head gently, a fond laugh escaping her lips. There was no denying that she was immensely fond of Intra as well.
