After Yuri and Clifford bid Brigitte and Sienna good-bye, the girls left the Aurealis residence. As their carriage rolled slowly along the road at sunset, Sienna peered curiously at Brigitte from the seat facing hers.
“Did you enjoy yourself today, miss?” she asked.
“…I’m not sure…”
Brigitte didn’t know how to answer the simple small-talk question. After all, Yuri’s contracted spirit—the one who had invited her in the first place—had never appeared.
She had decided to take her leave before night fell, not wishing to be rude, but as she had stepped into the carriage, Yuri had looked as if he wanted to say something.
“What a day it was…”
Hesitantly, she told Sienna what had happened—although she kept secret certain things, such as her conversation with Yuri by the lakeside and how she had held his hand in the confusion of the moment. She was much too shy to tell Sienna such things.
When Brigitte finished, Sienna pressed a hand to her cheek. “A blue-haired child, and the duke’s third son, too?” she murmured. “All that happened after you ran away from the lake when you realized your slip of the tongue?”
“Yes… What?” Brigitte tilted her head, confused. That was odd… “Wait a second. How do you know that?”
“Because Clifford and I were spying on you, of course.”
“What?! Why?!”
“Because the young gentleman might have misbehaved, miss.”
Brigitte gripped her head. They had been watching?! What made them think they needed to?!
“Sir Yuri would never do something improper!”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure! He’s not even interested in me that way.”
He only thinks of me as his rival!
And that was enough for her—at least she was determined to think so.
She didn’t hear Sienna mutter, “For now.”
Presently, the carriage stopped at the Meidell residence’s back gate, which had been built to provide access to the cottage.
“Thank you, Mike,” Brigitte called to the driver. “I won’t be using the carriage anymore today.”
“Aye, miss.”
The good-natured, middle-aged driver nodded and guided the horses on to the cottage stable.
The Meidell’s main residence was located just beyond the front gate, while the cottage where Brigitte lived was hidden behind it. The buildings each had their own gate, stables, incinerator, and other facilities. Brigitte supposed it had been set up that way to hide her from outsiders and so that the residents of the main house would never have to see her. She wasn’t glad about it, but it did make her life less stressful.
I’m rather tired…
Brigitte was walking toward the front door of the cottage, imagining a hot bath, when—
“Hey!!”
She glanced back. To her shock, she saw the same blue-haired, blue-eyed child who had shoved her rear end earlier that day. They were standing with feet planted and cheeks puffed out sullenly, as insolent as before.
Sienna stepped protectively in front of Brigitte.
“Miss, is this…?”
“Yes! It’s the child I was telling you about!”
But how had they made it there? The child was small but not small enough to have hidden in the carriage without being noticed.
“We weren’t being followed by another carriage…,” Sienna whispered to her. Brigitte’s wary waiting maid had apparently been watching out for pursuers. Brigitte was grateful but now more mystified than ever. She gazed at the androgynous little face.
“Did you want to ask me something?” she asked.
“I told you, I have something to say to you. But you left without listening.”
Brigitte blinked in surprise. She thought this conversation had ended hours ago.
Wasn’t it the bit about me thinking I’d been invited over on a date?
Evidently, it wasn’t.
“You can’t properly use your spirit, can you?”
“…No, but…?”
“I know the reason. And I’ll teach you.”
Teach me…?
The word sounded odd in the small child’s mouth. As she wondered what to do, Sienna leaned over and whispered, “Miss, I think maybe…”
“…!”
That did make sense. It was very awkward to say, but Brigitte, as mistress of the cottage, had to ask directly.
“So this means…”
“What?”
“You ran away from home?”
“I— No!!” the child screamed, their face flushing.
“I see.” Brigitte nodded, all the more convinced.
The child must have been through so much, especially for one so young. After all, Brigitte had only been at the Aurealis residence half a day, and look how exhausted she was. Maybe the child’s homelife was full of hardship.
I still don’t know if they’re related to Yuri…
The child had been strutting around the mansion so confidently they could hardly be an intruder.
“If that’s the case, then no need to fret. You can stay here as long as you need to.”
“Hey! Stop mixing up the facts!”
“Don’t worry, I won’t tell Sir Yuri for a while.”
“I told you, I didn’t run away!!”
It was decided, then. Brigitte clasped her hands and said, “Let’s have something to eat first. My cooks are excellent.”
“…Food…”
The child pressed their stomach. They were probably too hungry to turn down her offer.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
“…I don’t have the kind of name I can tell you.”
The child refused to divulge anything.
Brigitte thought for a moment, then asked, “May I call you Blue?”
“…Do what you like.”
It was an obvious nickname, given the child’s hair and eye color, but she was relieved to have permission to use it. Caught up in the moment, she held out her hand, but the child refused to take it.
The next day, Brigitte was in her room with Sienna and Blue. The night before, Sienna had wiped Blue down with a cloth and let them sleep in her room. The child, who appeared to be around six or seven, was dressed in hand-me-downs from Carson. As for the aristocratic outfit Blue had arrived in, the servants had scrubbed it vigorously. By now it was probably hanging out to dry in the back garden. But judging from the way Blue was sitting on the bed and swinging their legs, the child didn’t care much about clothes.
Brigitte never had figured out the child’s gender, and since Sienna hadn’t said anything about it, she decided not to worry about it.
Early that morning, she had sent a letter to the House of Aurealis asking their thoughts on the runaway child. No doubt they were worried, but Blue would need time to think, so she had written that she would take responsibility for the child for the time being.