Episode 4: Milk Tea-Colored Hair

Fiene gazes at the soft, pleasing milk tea-colored hair in front of her, reminiscent of a warm, sunny day, and memories from the past flood back.

***

“Well, she truly is a’servant’s daughter.’ Disgusting.”

“I apologize, madam…”

A four-year-old girl, dressed in clothes no different from a servant’s, responds with hesitant words. The person she addresses as “madam” is the countess of this household.

However, despite being the unmistakable daughter of this house, the countess is not her mother.

The countess, in the vicinity, speaks audibly to her exclusive maid and the girl.

“That filthy mother of hers—it’s quite pitiful, isn’t it?”

“Yes, madam.”

“After all, being separated from one’s child.”

“But madam, it was you who separated them!”

“Oh, really?”

With a mocking laugh, the countess addresses the girl mopping the floor.

“Her mother might be lying dead somewhere around here.”

“Oh my!”

The girl hears the laughter but bites her lip, silently enduring. When the countess and the maid leave, leaving her alone, she wipes away tears with the sleeve of her dress.

***

“Fiene!”

“Yes!”

In the afternoon, after finishing the cleaning, Fiene is immediately called by the countess, who instructs her on something without giving her a chance to rest.

“You look good on the surface, so accompany me in today’s greetings and try to catch the attention of the future duke.”

“Yes.”

“Can’t you do something about that lack of amiability? Also, in front of guests, you are to address me as’mother,’ understood?”

“Yes.”

Because she’s a child, drowsiness has already set in, and even while the maid dresses her, she dozes off. Each time, her hair is tightly tied by the maid, and she is forcibly awakened.

Then she is dressed in a small dress, made to wear unfamiliar heeled shoes, and led to the room.

Upon entering the room, there are already the count, countess, guest duke, and the boy who will be the future duke.

(That milk tea-like softness…)

Fiene’s first impression of the boy is just that.

Sensing that gaze, the boy stands up and comes over to Fiene for a greeting.

“Are you Fiene?”

“Yes…”

“Call me Oz. I’d like us to get along if you’re okay with that.”

His gentle smile seems pure and innocent, yet it exudes a somewhat mysterious atmosphere.

(He seems soft, but is he a bit scary?)

And a few days after this encounter between the girl and the boy, they are engaged by their parents’ will.

##Oz is 10 years old at this time.