kscans

Chapter 12 - Milene and the Girl

To Milene, the girl was like a little sister.

She didn't remember much from before living in the hidden village. Only a faint, hazy memory of seeing a castle, like one from a fairy tale. Her father, who had been one of the royal guards when His Majesty the King was slain, had died, and she had apparently come to this hidden village with her mother. Her mother often lamented their poor life, but Milene had no memory of anything else, so her mother’s stories of the past felt as unreal as fairy tales. In between her chores in the village, her mother fanatically tried to teach Milene etiquette and other accomplishments necessary for a noble daughter, but Milene was far more interested in playing in the mud with the other children her age. She came to regret that when she was dismissed from her service to the girl.

In the year Milene turned ten, her mother dressed her in her best clothes, reserved only for special occasions like festivals, and combed her hair more meticulously than usual. Milene found herself in the village chief's residence. A noble lady—that was the only fitting description for the woman before her. Though her face was etched with several wrinkles, she was a beautiful person. Milene had seen her from time to time, but the adults had strictly warned the children that she was a person from a world above, and they must never speak to her.

"Your name?"

"My name is Milene Rohwanda Katzerni," she replied, nearly stumbling over the words. The noble lady’s already sour face soured further.

"I am Emeralda Lind Farisael, nursemaid to Her Highness the Princess. From this day forward, you will serve as Her Highness’s handmaiden. Under normal circumstances, someone of your station would never be permitted to serve Her Highness, but there are no other girls of suitable rank, so it cannot be helped. You will be deeply grateful for this excessive honor and serve her with all your heart."

Milene, who could only understand half of the unfamiliar words, stared blankly until her mother jabbed her in the back, at which point she hastily bowed.

"What is that vulgar curtsy?!"

The noble lady suddenly flew into a rage. Milene looked to her mother in confusion, but her mother was even more flustered, her face pale as she bowed her head low.

"Her education has been lacking, I am truly sorry to have offended your eyes!"

The noble lady looked at her mother with cold eyes and sighed. Milene decided she disliked this noble lady.

"…Since you, her mother, are of this caliber, I suppose I must simply accept it. I shall re-educate her myself."

"What generous words…! To be taught by the Marchioness Farisael, the very mirror of a lady, my daughter is truly fortunate!"

As Milene scowled, her mother, now in high spirits, instructed her to listen carefully to the noble lady, become a fine young woman, and serve the princess with utmost sincerity before leaving. Milene had no idea that from that day on, she would not be able to see her mother or her childhood playmates again.

Milene knew of the girl. She would sometimes peek out from the second-floor window of the village chief’s residence. On festival days, that window would be opened, and when the girl appeared, all the adults would prostrate themselves, chanting, "Long live the House of Baltus! Long live the Princess!" From the children's perspective, the pale, gaunt girl who wore black all year round didn't look like a princess at all. In fact, most of them thought she was creepy. They never said it out loud, lest they be scolded by the adults. But in private, they would mock her as the ghost princess and laugh.

And seeing her up close, the girl still didn't look like a princess. The gloomy, expressionless younger girl seemed eerie and unsettling to Milene.

Moreover, the noble lady’s education was so strict it made her mother’s attempts feel like child’s play. If any part of Milene’s demeanor displeased her, she would mercilessly whip her thighs. Milene, still a child, couldn’t bear the pain and broke down crying after just three days, screaming that she couldn't take it anymore. The angry noble lady locked her in a storeroom. If the girl hadn't slipped her a piece of bread that night, Milene would have forced her way out of the residence and run back to her mother.

Exhausted from crying, Milene had fallen asleep in a corner of the storeroom when a gentle shake on her shoulder woke her. In her drowsy state, she looked up at the person shaking her. In the darkness, lit only by the moonlight filtering through the window, she saw a faintly outlined, ghost-like figure and nearly screamed. She barely managed to stifle it when the girl whispered, "Quiet."

"Here…"

The girl, who had sat down beside her, offered something. Milene took the object, which was wrapped in what looked like a handkerchief, feeling suspicious. When she opened the bundle, a piece of bread emerged.

"…Can I eat it?"

The girl nodded, so Milene immediately took a bite. The sour, hard black bread filled her mouth with saliva. She hadn't realized how hungry she was, having cried, gotten excited, and then fallen asleep. She devoured the bread in an instant, but it was far from enough to satisfy her hunger. Having put something in her stomach only made her feel hungrier than before. She rubbed her belly as it rumbled, feeling miserable.

"…I want to go home…"

The murmur escaped her lips unconsciously. The girl snuggled up close beside her.

"You know, if you put padding in your drawers, it only hurts a little when she hits you with the whip…"

"Padding?"

"With the cloth from embroidery practice… and scraps, I make little cushions and secretly put them inside my drawers."

With that, the girl lifted her skirt and pulled out two small, longish cushions from inside her drawers, one from each side. Then, she pressed them into Milene’s hands.

"…Here."

"You’re giving them to me?"

The girl gave a faint nod.

"But… what about you, Princess?"

"I’ll make more."

After replying, the girl hesitantly took Milene’s hand.

"…So, please, don’t leave…"

"…Okay."

At the girl’s lonely voice, Milene found herself nodding without thinking.