Chapter 2
I looked at Benya with a slightly lowered chin. He still hadn't lifted his head, focused on arranging the chess pieces. Meanwhile, Lethias abruptly closed the book and stood up.
"What did you just say?"
"Was I wrong? Right now, among us, the one who keeps doing something useless is you, right, Hyung? Why do you take your anger out on a struggling kid all by yourself?"
"This brat!"
"Do not fight!!!"
I found myself screaming as Lethias roughly grabbed Benya's collar. I hadn't even realized I was yelling.
"What...?"
"Don't fight! Both of you! I can just leave!"
I wish I could put into words the bewildered expressions on both of their faces right now.
It's a scene worth remembering. After all this time, it's a bit surreal to see myself being so polite** to them.
(**Sasha has been using an informal/casual type of speech with the siblings except when someone’s around, i.e. Jerome)
It seemed certain that both of them had lost their will, so I turned around and left the library.
Eh, what, I shouldn’t be presumptuous? All right, got it. We have a master-servant relationship. As he commanded, I won't even come close to him.
With a bitter heart, I returned upstairs and settled next to Estelle. The stars in the night sky through the ceiling seemed to be laughing at me today.
Ugh, that bastard. How can a person change so quickly? Give back my little Duke who used to leave desserts for me when I was a little kid!
My heart was in tatters because I felt melancholic and reminiscent, but on the other hand, I was a little happy that Benya was on my side. Well, we did the laundry together!
Come to think of it, Benya seems to have changed quite
a bit too. In the past, I would never have imagined discussing anything with
him.
* * *
Winter was approaching, and the cool air gently touched my skin. I was grateful for the warmth generated by boiling water with the stove every morning and washing Estelle.
However, even with that warmth, I couldn't help but feel a chill after the washing was done.
"Can't I wash up later? It's so cold."
"It'll get even colder in the evening. I heated the water, so it'll warm up soon."
"Then maybe I'll just wash tomorrow. No one is watching us anyway."
As our perceived temperature dropped, Estelle became more inclined to procrastinate.
She obeyed my request but reasoned that since nobody was watching us, maybe she didn't need to clean herself as thoroughly as before, and it would be more comfortable for both of us.
"What do you mean no one is watching? I am, and your brothers do. Come on, let's finish quickly. I should also trim your nails."
I remained steadfast on the matter. It wasn't just about cleanliness for a sickly child; I believed that even in this confined hideaway, she shouldn't lose her original aristocratic dignity.
Some might call it vanity, but I feared that once she started being lazy in this place, there would be no turning back.
She might become unkempt and lethargic, and I couldn't bear to see that happen to her.
My memories from my past life reinforced this conviction. I couldn't help but think of the orphanage, which in some ways resembled this place.
"Good morning, Sasha."
"...Good morning. I think we need to change the kerosene."
As the days grew colder, the small kerosene stove became a valuable asset for all of us.
Even Benya, who initially found it troublesome to learn how to operate the stove, had changed his mind and wanted to help with the kerosene.
With the strenuous task of heating water and washing behind us, everyone became quite hungry. Considering the meager meals we received, any source of warmth was appreciated.
"I have an idea. What if we heat food on the stove? It would be worth it."
Benya's hair had grown long, covering his ears and the nape of his neck. Lethias, sitting beside him with an indifferent expression, had a similar hairstyle.
Estelle's original long hair didn't stand out as much, but the two boys were clearly unkempt.
At this rate, Benya's hair will be as long as Samson's, and he might just tear this place apart after gaining his strength... Hehe, what wild fantasies am I entertaining?
(**This sentence refers to the story of Samson and Delilah. Samson is a very strong person, but he has a weakness, his hair. If you cut his hair, he would be weakened. When he was imprisoned, his hair got longer and he regained his strength back.)
"We need to conserve the kerosene. It'll get even colder soon, so we can't just use it recklessly."
"Really? Damn, should we try to warm up with candlesticks then?"
...Tsk, tsk, my poor second young master. How did you end up worrying about such things? It breaks my heart once again.
Regardless of what happened last night, Benya seemed to be acting normally, while Lethias remained blunt and exuded a threatening aura, making the atmosphere extremely awkward.
I attempted to initiate a conversation with him, but I changed my mind and focused on eating instead.
It was at that moment that Estelle, sipping juice with Mr. Wendy (the stuffed rabbit) on her lap, blurted out:
"I don't want to be here, even at Christmas. What if everyone forgets we're here? What if I don't get any Christmas presents?"
I nearly dropped my fork. It was unusual for Estelle to express complaints, but it seemed that even she had reached her breaking point.
Humans are said to be creatures of adaptation.
I couldn't help but recall my memories from the orphanage in my previous life, where new children quickly learned that their wishes wouldn't come true, and they transformed into a state of resignation, just like the original children who had been there for a while.
It was likely for a similar reason that Estelle had stopped voicing her desire to leave.
However, we had only been here for about two months.
It was too early to completely extinguish our hopes. There was a lingering hope in me that news might arrive soon, and they wouldn't keep us here until midwinter...
"Who said we'd be here until then?"
Unintentionally, I flinched at Lethias's question, which sounded piercing without being harsh. When I looked up, Lethias was staring in my direction with a cynical expression.
In fact, he was glaring at me. Wait, why is he looking at me when Estelle asked the question?
Estelle appeared bewildered by Lethias's uncharacteristically assertive tone.
Consequently, I found myself in a very awkward situation, receiving intense stares from both siblings at the same time. No, wait...
"Sasha. Don't you dare whisper useless things to my little sister."
I was left dumbfounded and completely at a loss. Instead of me, it was Estelle who spoke up, trying to defend me from Lethias's accusations.
"Oppa, Sasha doesn't say anything useless to me. I always ask for interesting stories."
"Interesting stories? Are you talking about 'living happily ever after' or something like that here?"
"It's not like that..."
"Stop acting like a child, too. How old are you to hold a doll like that and look for interesting stories? You're not a baby. Will you just stick with a maid even if you go to Fzeia? Do you want to be bullied in the social world?"
Estelle looked stunned, and if it hadn't been for the loud sound of Lethias roughly putting down his fork, she might have burst into tears. I felt a pang of sadness myself.
"Hyung, why don’t you try to act properly?"
Benya's usually composed face looked unusually cold, and Lethias returned his brother's gaze with a sarcastic sneer. They both seemed like entirely different people.
"Are you taking her side again?"
"What if I am?"
"Do you like her? A young boy falling in love with a maid, is that what you want? Begging her to sing you a lullaby and asking her to wash you like Estelle..."
The sound of a fist landing on flesh echoed through the room.
"Kyaaa!"
Estelle screamed and clung to me. I, too, half-screamed.
Everything happened in an instant. Benya unhesitatingly punched his brother in the face, and Lethias fell back into the chair. The room became the battleground for the siblings’ dispute.
"Oppa!"
"Benya! Stop, both of you, stop it!"
Even though I tried to intervene by yelling, my pleas fell on deaf ears. Their eyes had darkened, and they couldn't hear my desperate calls to stop.
Benya had thrown the first punch, but Lethias, who was now defenseless, fought back with equal determination.
Plates crashed to the floor, and chairs nearly toppled over. They grappled with each other, trying to land punches and hurling incomprehensible insults.
"Apologize right now!"
"You do it!"
Oh, heavens, what a shameful display in front of Estelle, who was already weak and unwell!
As I somehow managed to get between the two of them, I approached them cautiously. Benya, who had been choking Lethias, got yanked back and crashed into the wall.
Everything seemed to slow down for a moment. Seizing the opportunity, Lethias swiftly advanced and delivered a powerful kick to Benya!
That's exactly where I was heading! Ouch!
“Sasha!”
Estelle's cry and scream echoed in my ears. I wanted to scream too, but all that came out was a faint moan.
For a moment, my entire body felt rigid, and my head was spinning. Oh, why do I seem to attract misfortune in both my past and present lives? What have I done to deserve this?
“S-Sasha…?”
“Sasha?!”
The brothers, who had momentarily frozen, came to their senses. I felt Benya urgently wrap his arms around me. I never thought I would spend my life doing my best for this guy. Ahahaha...
“Sasha, are you okay?! Hyung, have you gone crazy?!”
“Oh, no, I didn’t do that on purpose…”
“You're calling that an excuse now?!”
I gasped and looked up. The faces of these three siblings, their expressions a mix of shock and fear, were truly a sight to behold. Despite the pain in my stomach from the kick, I managed to speak.
"I’m… fine. I’m all right, so stop... stop fighting...!”
A moment of silence followed. As the two brothers stared at me blankly, Estelle, who had been crying and gasping for breath, burst into tears.
“Lethy-oppa was bad! I hate you! I hate you the most in the world! How could you do that to Sasha?! What did Sasha do wrong?! Why are you so disgruntled when you can't even compare to Sasha?! Why do you have so many complaints? I want to go out too! I don't want to be here either! But I'm holding it in! Even though I might stay here until I'm an old woman, even though I might end up leaving here looking like a complete fool, I'm barely holding on! Oppa, you're such an idiot!"
Indeed, my dear milk sister...! Even in this tense situation, laughter bubbled up inside me, and I had to bite my lip to hold it back.
I salute Lethias for provoking such words from Estelle's mouth.
The little duke looked flustered, unsure of how to react. I managed to get back on my feet, paying no attention to his attempts to say something.
Benya tried to lend a hand, but I quickly moved away.
"Sasha, are you all r…"
"I already said I'm fine. Let's deal with this mess first."
"Don't worry, we'll handle it."
I wished I could tell them all to leave, claiming I
didn't need their help, but I didn't mind because, in reality, I felt awful.
Ugh, how tough can this guy be? My stomach is still throbbing. Sniff.
* * *
“Sasha.”
When I feel unwell and crave solitude in this hideout, the library becomes my sanctuary.
I left the chaotic mess in the kitchen to the children and made my way downstairs, settling in between the bookshelves, when I heard a faint voice. It was Lethias.
"What's going on?"
Without lifting my head, I responded, and for a brief moment, he seemed uncertain before awkwardly sitting down beside me.
"Are you alright...?"
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