LPPID 07

Chapter 7

That Which Must Not Be Known

Porthos was leading Safinia toward the east wing.

She followed a little behind him, head lowered, her spirit utterly broken. The sight was nothing short of pitiful.

(How wretched this is… Lady Safinia has committed no sin whatsoever. And Rose too—she was only a victim, forced by the master and left pregnant… The duke is far too cruel. Why must he treat Lady Safinia this way?)

There was a reason why Porthos’s thoughts were so grave.
The east wing was where the servants lived. The rooms there were small, furnished with only the barest necessities.

And at five-thirty every morning the bell rang out, rousing everyone for work.

(To live in the east wing means being forced to work, whether one wishes to or not. Even though she is but six years old, if Lady Safinia alone were exempted, the other servants would surely look on her with jealousy and bully her…)

In the Estman household, the youngest of the servants began working from the age of ten.

(Thankfully, Lady Safinia is only six. Taking her age into account, I can at least arrange for her to do simple tasks…)

With that thought, Porthos spoke to her.

“Lady Safinia, please listen as we walk.”

“Yes…”

“The east wing, where you will now live, is a place reserved only for servants. Everyone must work. That includes you as well, so long as you live there. Otherwise, the others will likely mistreat you. Even if… you are only six.”

“…”

Safinia listened silently.

“Furthermore, it must never be known that you are the duke’s daughter. Even that alone could become a reason for bullying. Forgive me if these words wound you, but I must be honest. If the duke cherished you, he would never send you to live in the servants’ quarters. To them, you would simply look like a daughter abandoned by her father—a likely target for cruelty.”

“If… if they know I’m Papa’s child, everyone will bully me…?”

Porthos’s words were far too heavy for a six-year-old to fully grasp. What she did understand, however, was that if people found out she belonged to this family, she would be bullied.

“Yes, that is correct. I know I am being harsh. If only I could remain by your side at all times… But as the one responsible for overseeing all the servants, my duties keep me too busy. I am sorry.”

He bowed his head.

“That is why, Lady Safinia—you must never let it be known that you are the duke’s daughter. The morning bell rings at five-thirty, and everyone must rise and work. You are only six, so I will speak to the overseers and make sure you are not given overly hard tasks. That is all I can do for you at present… I am truly sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m used to working.”

“…What? Used to… working?”

Porthos tilted his head in surprise. To hear such words from a six-year-old was beyond unexpected.

“After Mama gave birth to me, her body grew weak. So I helped her a lot. I worked hard because I wanted her to get better soon… but Mama…”

Her eyes brimmed with tears, and she rubbed them hard to keep them from spilling.

The sight of Safinia struggling so desperately to hold back her grief tightened Porthos’s chest.

(If only there were something I could do… Something within my power… Yes! If I entrust Lady Safinia to that child, then…!)

A good idea suddenly came to him.