“She has a fever…,” the butler said, easily lifting her panting, limp body from Sienna’s arms. After glancing around, he walked swiftly toward the cottage. Flustered, Sienna followed.
“It’s an aftereffect of her wound. Burns can cause severe fever and delirium,” he explained over his shoulder.
I had no idea…
Brigitte had always apologized to Sienna with her head hanging. Afterward, she would retreat alone to her room. She must have cried there. Overtaken by fever, she must have suffered alone.
I didn’t know anything.
Tears blurred Sienna’s eyes. She hadn’t cried once when her parents abandoned her or when the head maid scolded her. But even after the butler carried Brigitte to her room and laid her on her big bed, Sienna continued to cry so hard, she couldn’t speak. The old butler leaned over and looked her in the eye.
“Sienna. I have to leave now.”
He probably didn’t want to go. She could hear the distress in his voice and see it on his face.
“I need you to prepare clean linens and ice water for the young miss. There is cream for her left hand on the shelf. She knows how to use it.”
“…”
“You are her attendant now. Can you do those things?”
“Yes…yes,” Sienna said, wiping her tears. The butler nodded with relief.
By the time she got back to the room with linens and ice water, the butler was gone. Brigitte gazed vacantly at Sienna from the bed.
Sienna walked nervously up to her. She managed to set the heavy pail of ice water next to the bed. Plunging her hands into the cold water, she wet a towel and wrung it out. First she placed the towel on Brigitte’s forehead, and Brigitte’s face relaxed slightly at the cool touch. She was so hot that the towel would probably need to be changed soon. Sienna wanted to wipe down her sweat-slick body, too, but there was something more important to do first.
“Miss, may I remove your bandage?”
The girl didn’t answer. Taking this as a tacit yes, Sienna began unwrapping the bandage on her left hand. Less than a minute later, she was on the verge of tears again.
…It’s awful…
The wound was unspeakably horrible. Pink burns ran across the white back of her hand. The skin there was swollen and inflamed. She had heard that the burns had reached almost to her elbow at first. Although they had shrunk after the priest treated her, they remained severe.
A father did this to his own five-year-old daughter.
“I’m sorry—they’re disgusting, aren’t they? You shouldn’t look too much,” Brigitte said. Sienna’s silence must have worried her.
“No…no, they’re not, miss.”
When the emerald eyes with a puzzled gaze met her own, Sienna felt ashamed of herself all over again.
“I’m sorry, miss.”
“Why are you saying sorry, Sienna?”
“Because I did something terrible to you.”
Brigitte must have still been delirious because she only blinked uncomprehendingly. Sniffling, Sienna wrapped Brigitte’s left hand loosely in a damp cloth. By the time she finished, Brigitte’s breathing had calmed slightly.
“Miss, is there anything you want me to do?”
“What?”
“If there’s anything I can do, please tell me.”
Until now, she had been defiant. Sienna expected Brigitte to be confused by her suddenly changed attitude, but for some reason, the girl frowned guiltily.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I couldn’t see Father.”
“I don’t care about that… Please don’t apologize anymore,” Sienna said earnestly.
Brigitte reacted with surprise. “Well, um…there’s something I want.”
“Yes?”
“I feel so hot and heavy… Would you hold my hand until I fall asleep?”
Sienna stared wide-eyed as she timidly held out her right hand.
That’s all she wants?
She realized that Brigitte didn’t have a mother or a father to hold her hand at night when she had a fever anymore. She’d heard that the earl was already adopting another child. But Sienna didn’t have a home to return to, either.
“Miss, this is your house now.”
Sienna knew her words might sound cruel, and she thought maybe Brigitte would cry. But she just listened quietly.
“I— We are going to make this place a home for you.”
So please, will you smile just a little?
She wanted Brigitte to be healthy and strong. She didn’t want her to suffer. She wanted her to be happy. Those were her true feelings. Sienna squeezed Brigitte’s right hand with both of her own. It was the soft hand of a young child.
“…Thank you.”
“Miss?”
“Your hand is so cool…”
Brigitte’s eyes slowly closed. Her breathing was peaceful. Sienna promised herself she would hold that warm little hand forever.
I can’t believe that was eleven years ago.
By now, watching Brigitte grow up was the most meaningful thing in her life. The other cottage servants, too, felt deep affection toward her. Nathan the cook loved preparing her daily meals. Carson the pâtissier spoke roughly, but he made her smile. Hans the gardener had planted an ash tree that grew high to hide the cottage from the main house. Little fairies gathered in the tree, delighting Brigitte.
Still, no matter how hard they worked, Sienna knew the cottage was probably far from a haven for her. After all, she did not live there with her parents.
But even so, I…
“Miss, can I help you carry those packages?” someone suddenly asked her as she walked along.
“No, thank you,” she replied curtly.
“Too bad,” the young man said as she glanced over, although his smile told her he didn’t really think it was too bad.
It was Clifford Yuize, Yuri Aurealis’s mild-mannered attendant. She assumed his job was similar to hers—looking after his master’s needs. He told her he was out shopping for Yuri.
“Would you like to join me for a cup of tea?” he asked.
“No, thank you. My mistress will be coming home soon.”
“Ah, I see,” he said, looking genuinely disappointed this time.
They had met for the first time a few days ago, introduced by their master and mistress, and it seemed he’d taken a liking to her. She couldn’t tell, though, if he was romantically interested or simply thought Brigitte’s blank-faced maid was amusing.
I suspect it’s the latter…
“Then I’ll walk you to your carriage.”
“…Thank you.”
It would probably be rude to turn him down again. She nodded modestly to the curious attendant. When she lifted her face, she found him unaffectedly taking her bags.
“Shall we go?” he asked. “By the way, have you heard? It seems Miss Brigitte will be visiting the House of Aurealis soon.”
“…Yes, she told me.”
“My master said he was going to set a date during summer vacation. Unusual for him to take such initiative!”
Walking beside her, Clifford smiled with amusement. But the truth was, Sienna felt incredibly worried about Brigitte. She had come to Sienna all red cheeks and bashfulness, saying, “Actually, you know Sir Yuri? Well, you see, he’s asked me to his house,” and now it was too late for Sienna to say she objected.
But if something were to happen to her…
Sienna knew that Yuri was a son of the illustrious House of Aurealis, and he would not likely harm an unmarried young lady. But she also knew that Prince Joseph, whose family held the highest position in the kingdom, had tormented Brigitte’s heart for years.
“I will go with her, of course,” she said.
“Yes, of course. I’m looking forward to that.”
Sienna flashed her orange eyes at him, but he only smiled with genuine anticipation. She sighed. Perhaps it was none of her business.
“Mr. Clifford, may I ask you a question?” she asked.
“And what would that question be?”
She hesitated, then said, “…Do you mind having a name like Clifford?”
“Of course I mind,” he answered without pause. But his expression remained calm. He touched his short light-blue hair. “But—what I hated was the House of Aurealis, not Sir Yuri. I understand now how meaningless it was for me to conflate the two.”
His answer was brief, but the look in his eyes, as if she were shining gold, spoke eloquently to his feelings.
It seems we’ve both ended up working for good people.
Sienna bid Clifford good-bye and stepped into the carriage that took her home to the cottage. She changed swiftly into her uniform and walked straight to the entryway, then flung the front door open.
“Welcome home, Miss Brigitte.”
Only someone who knew her very well would have detected the faint smile on her lips. Her beloved mistress, fiery hair glowing even in the twilight, smiled happily and answered, “It’s good to be back.”