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HANA arrived in Hylant from Hinomoto when she was seven. Her father was a trader and her mother a doctor specializing in herbal medicine.
Hana’s father bought Xingkaese medicine to sell in Hinomoto, and her parents were brought together through their work.
When her father finally decided to expand his trading operation westward, beyond Hinomoto and Xingka, to a land called Hylant, Hana had no idea what lay ahead.
Their first year in Hylant, the family rented a home down by the pier. By their third year, they had amassed enough wealth to establish a manor in the city’s wealthiest residential district. Ever since she could remember, Hana’s parents were always busy, but she believed they did it all out of love for her. Once they moved into that enormous mansion, her parents became even more distant.
The mansion was so big, she could rarely tell when one of her parents came home from work. The lessons once given to her by her mother were now handled by a private tutor.
Though their life had become more luxurious, it also felt lonelier somehow. The house might have changed, but those feelings of loneliness remained. Hana wondered when, if ever, she would grow accustomed to their new home.
Hana found herself pondering that very question one early morning when she was ten, as she strolled through their beautiful garden. Both she and her father were the descendants of pureblood vampires. While bright sunlight didn’t bring them to their knees in pain, it was uncomfortable for them.
Adults could push through such things if they had to, but as a child, Hana was less inclined to do so. When she did go for walks, it was on cloudy days or in the evenings.
After about three days in the mansion, she remembered where just about everything was. But she couldn’t seem to remember the faces or names of the people who worked there.
That day, she came across a boy around the same age as her. His hair and eyes reminded her of cinnamon, and the sharp angle of his eyebrows left the deepest impression on her. He wore an old shirt made out of hemp. It was a bit big on him, so the sleeves were rolled up multiple times. The vest and pants had been patched numerous times and were no better a fit than the shirt.
From the looks of his clothes and the fact that he was picking up leaves, Hana guessed he must be some sort of servant.
“Who are you?” Hana asked, happy to finally meet someone her age around the manor.
“Whoa!”
The boy had been so invested in his work, that he hadn’t even noticed Hana until she called out to him. The shock caused him to fall back on his bottom.
But it wasn’t the shock of her calling out to him. It was her appearance.
Her hair and eyes were an ebony that was exceedingly rare in this country. Her skin and the height of her nose made her look completely different from any Hylantian girl he had ever seen.
“Ah, I’m so sorry. I was just working here in the garden. Are ya the mistress of this manor?”
The boy was still clumsy with formal speech. Even Hana had a better handle on it than he did. Hana spoke less like someone born abroad and more like someone from a local region with a thick accent.
“I’m Hana Watoh. Nice to meet you. How old are you? What’s your name?”
“I’m Leon. I’m, uh…twelve.” The boy stood up, dusted the dirt and leaves off his pants, and introduced himself.
“Twelve? You’re only twelve and you have a job?”
It was Hana’s turn to be surprised. She couldn’t fathom why someone so close in age to her would have to work. Even when they lived near the docks, her family had been wealthy enough to own a house nicer than most.
“Ah, yah, I got a job—I mean, yes miss, I am working. I apprentice under the master gardener here, so I can learn the trade.”
“Okay, well, since I startled you, I’ll give you a hand!”
“Huh? N-No, that’s okay! It’s my job, after all!”
“Why not? You’ll get it done faster. Come on, I want to help!”
To the young Hana, someone offering to lend a hand was always a generous thing. She still had no sense of differences in social status or class.
“It’s fine. I’m all right…but thank you.”
“Aw, but I wanna help. Why can’t I?”
“Because it’s me job! If I let ya help, yer hands and clothes’ll get all dirty and they’ll yell at me!”
The more insistent Hana was, the more annoyed Leon became. He was so upset, his speech was lapsing back into an unrefined drawl.
“Hey! Leon! Why’re you bothering the young lady of the manor? You can forget about lunch!”
A deep voice boomed through the garden. It was the master gardener, Leon’s boss.
Hana looked around and saw the large man charging toward them. He was even larger than the seafaring men Hana had come to Hylant with, his grey hair accenting his sunburnt skin. He was tall, even for the comparably tall Hylantian people, and his size frightened her.
He was a boisterous, imposing man. Terrified, Hana hid behind Leon.
“I’m the one he’s mad at though,” Leon muttered in a voice soft enough so his boss wouldn’t hear. Still, Hana was afraid, and clung to his back, squeezing her eyes shut.
“Boss, the young lady is afraid. Can’t you see? Please stop.”
“Hahaha, I’m so sorry about that, young miss.” He roared with laughter and any hint of being angry with either of them seemed to disappear.
His body and voice might be loud, but it seemed that he was a good person on the inside. Hana finally peeked out from behind Leon’s back.
“Uhm, I’m so sorry. Leon didn’t do anything wrong, so please don’t yell at him.”
“He didn’t, eh? Leon, you’re lucky the young lady of the house is so generous!”
He was a good man. But he was so imposing, Hana found him too intimidating to talk to for long.
Hana still didn’t understand the position she held, that she was actually the one with the most authority among them.
The master gardener tousled Leon’s hair. It appeared to Hana to be a gesture of affection or even platonic love. Leon looked sullen, though he might have just been embarrassed.
“Miss Hana, there you are! Your breakfast is ready!” A familiar voice called from the manor. It was Walt, her father’s personal assistant.
His suit was neatly pressed and his tie perfectly secured in place. Hana had never seen even a strand of his honey-colored hair out of place. Though he was a cool-headed, logical man, he bad always been kind to Hana, like an older brother.
He was only twenty. Hana had heard from her father that he was the second son of a company the Watohs did business with and so was training under him. Even though he had plenty of his own work to do, he often doted on Hana.
“Good morning, Walt. Is it breakfast time already?”
“Yes, your parents are waiting for you.”
Hana silently accepted Walt’s outstretched hand. Despite the fact that Hana was only a child, he always treated her like a lady.
“That’s right!” Hana exclaimed, realizing as they turned to head back to the mansion that she hadn’t said goodbye to the master gardener and his apprentice. “…Leon, Sir, I’m sorry about earlier. See you both later!”
Hana gave a vigorous wave as she made her way to the mansion, and the pair bowed as she passed.
“Did something happen?”
“Uhm, well, I was so excited to find someone else my age here, I asked if I could help, but he got upset with me.”
The master gardener had yelled at Leon, who in turn had gotten angry at Hana, but she still didn’t understand why he was so reluctant to have her help. She told Walt all about what had happened, hoping he could help her understand.
“Haha, so that’s what happened? Miss Hana, do you know why he got upset with you?”
Hana shook her head several times.
“Leon said tending the yard was his job. But I don’t understand why he wouldn’t want me to help him. I thought if I did, it would make him happy because he could finish faster.”
“But it is his job. It’s how he earns his keep. And you, Miss Hana, are actually on the same level as his employers.”
“So I shouldn’t take away someone else’s job?”
“Well, that’s not always the case. For someone in a similar position as he, such as a servant, I think it would be all right for them to help.”
“…But, how is that any different?”
Hana still didn’t understand what Walt was trying to tell her.
“When that boy gets overly busy, other servants may choose to help him. And then, when someone else needs help with their work, he might return the favor. As long as both helper and helpee are on the same level, then it’s beneficial.”
“But I don’t…really have anyone on my level I can help.”
When her family had lived by the pier, Hana often played with the other children in her neighborhood. And though some children teased and bullied her for her appearance, those days still left her with many happy memories.
But ever since moving into this large mansion, her opportunities to leave the property had greatly diminished. Occasionally, she would play with the children of her father’s clients, but as each of them was of a higher social standing, she was forced to show restraint.
“Are you lonely?”
“…Yes. Just a little.”
During her conversation with Walt, Hana figured out what was causing her confusion.
Hana wanted a friend close to her age. She wanted to befriend Leon, but they weren’t of the same social standing, and so she felt lonely once more.
“But I haven’t done anything…so how come I’m better than Leon?”
That was the most difficult thing for Hana to understand. By interrupting Leon’s work, she had been selfish. He was the respectable one; she was merely a useless child. She had been given everything by her parents, with nothing to offer in return.
“You really are something, Miss Hana.”
Her parents, Walt, Leon—everyone here was working hard. Only Hana, special little princess that she was, lacked something to contribute. And meeting Leon was the first time she had ever realized that.