tired of these punk ass nobles
Taemin has always been interested in kitchen gossip, what the servants have to say about the people they serve. When he worked in the inn as a child, he knew better than to say much to the other workers, as they didn't seem to respect him much. Their dislike of him was understandable, really, though he didn't realize why at the time: he was some random orphan dropped on their doorstep, a kid who didn't know anything about the world and tended to get into more trouble than he was worth, despite how he often tried to avoid it.
But Taemin always listened to their gossip about the inn's customers. It was safer that way, to know who was kind and who wasn't, who to avoid whenever possible. Taemin figured that out quickly, and the instinct has stayed with him ever since. Even at the estate, after he was adopted, he continued to listen in on the servants' conversations whenever he got the chance. The servants at his estate never had anything bad to say, though, since they loved his family well. Taemin soon rid himself of the habit, quickly growing bored without all the interesting, hateful stuff.
When he moved to the castle, it didn't take him long to realize that many of the nobles there hated him and his family, and he soon got himself back in the habit of standing outside his chambers or the kitchens, listening to the servants within whisper to each other about him and the other nobles in the castle. It was much more difficult when he was on the other end of the gossip, for the servants hardly said a word more than "yes, m'lord" or "no, m'lord" whenever anyone of high birth was around. He figured out ways, though, lurking at doors for longer than he should and keeping his ears open whenever he could.
Now, as he sits in his chambers, he pretends to read while he watches a servant boy sweep his floor. This servant has been around for years, from what Taemin's heard. His name is Sungjong, and from what Taemin's heard him say in hushed tones to the other servants, he's jealous of the fact that Taemin's father adopted him and eventually named him heir. And it's been a fairly dull day so far, so Taemin figures he may as well spice it up with a unique conversation. And anyway, maybe he can get Sungjong to trust him, if he's lucky. It'd be nice to know there was at least one servant in the castle who didn't hate him for things he couldn't control.
He lowers his book to his lap, using his hand to cover the page as if holding his place, though he hadn't actually processed a word of it. "Sungjong," he says, hoping to surprise the other with his knowledge of his name. "I've heard what you say about me. To the other servants. And I just want to let you know that I would have died if my father hadn't adopted me. He could have chosen any other boy off the streets of that town, but I was lucky enough for it to be me."
He leans back in his seat, resisting the urge to run a hand through his hair as he meets the servant's eyes. "Do you hate me for that?"