Chapter 9
An Uneasy Heart
“Safinia, was it? Can you read numbers?”
As they walked down the corridor, Clara asked.
“Yes, Mama taught me.”
“That’s good then. Your room is number 303. It says 303 on the door, so from today that room is yours. …Here we are.”
Clara stopped walking, and Safinia looked up at the door. Sure enough, the number 303 was written on the wooden door.
“303… this is my room?”
“Yes, that’s right. Your room. Can you reach the knob?”
Safinia stretched out her hand.
“Seems like you can. Go ahead and open it.”
Click…
Turning the knob, she opened the door, and a small room appeared before her eyes. A large window faced the front, a bed pressed neatly against the wall, a small table and chair, and on the floor a large wooden chest with a lid.
(Such a small room, with nothing in it…)
That was the very first thought Safinia had when she saw it.
Even if she had only ever lived with her mother, their home had been a detached palace. Compared to that, this room was like heaven and earth apart.
“For one person, I think it’s a perfectly adequate room. From today on, this will be yours.”
“…”
Safinia stared blankly at the room, and Clara smiled at her.
(Heh heh… she must be so surprised to have been given such a fine room.)
Never imagining that Safinia was actually the Duke of Estman’s daughter, Clara had completely misunderstood.
“By the way, Safinia. Is that really all the belongings you have?”
She pointed at the stuffed toy in Safinia’s hands.
“Yes. Just this…”
“I see… so you don’t even have a change of clothes. You’ll be issued a maid’s uniform, nightclothes, and underwear, but everything else you’ll need to prepare yourself. First of all, I wonder if they’ll even have your size… Anyway, let’s head to the wardrobe room together. Come along. Leave the toy here.”
“Yes.”
Safinia placed the stuffed animal on the bed and followed after Clara—
＊＊＊＊
As the two walked down the corridor, they passed a group of maids.
“Oh? Miss Clara, who is that child?”
A maid with braided hair noticed Safinia and asked.
“This child is Safinia. From today, she’ll be working with us as a maid.”
The maids burst out in surprise.
“What!? Such a little child!?”
“Can someone that small even work?”
“She looks like she needs someone to take care of her more than anything!”
“Don’t tell me we’ll have to babysit her?”
From their conversation, Safinia realized once again that she wasn’t being welcomed here.
“…”
She looked down sadly, but Clara noticed and scolded the maids.
“You lot! That’s enough! This child is only six years old, and she’s already lost her mother. The funeral was today! She has no family left. That’s why Lord Porthos brought her here!”
Hearing that not only was she only six, but today had been her mother’s funeral, the maids fell silent, ashamed.
“Come along, Safinia.”
“Yes.”
Clara started walking again, and Safinia followed behind her.
(Will I… really be able to live here from today on…?)
The anxiety threatened to crush her, but at just six years old, Safinia had nowhere else to go.
She bit her lip, holding back the tears that wanted to spill out—
