Chapter 3

            "God, you see, even if I'm not okay, can you do something about it?"

I couldn't help but lament my position as a mere maid. Tsk. If anyone were to speak to me in such a way, I expected it to be Benya. Yet, he turned out to be the most dependable of them all.

As I nonchalantly gave a dismissive response, Lethias scratched his head, his once lustrous aqua-colored hair now looking frizzy.

"I'm sorry. I..."

"Alright, enough. I'm the one who got in the way. It didn't even hurt that much."

Truthfully, the pain was excruciating; it felt like I could pass out. What amazed me was that both of them seemed fine despite the strength of their blows.

"Moreover, the things I said... I didn't mean any of it. I'm sorry."

Only then did I turn to face our little duke. His sky-blue eyes, which I had known for a short while, were filled with sadness and self-blame.

"I guess I just wanted to avoid facing the truth. I don't know how long we'll be stuck here, and it's hard to accept that we might have been betrayed..."

"..."

"And then, even though I know you're doing your best... It's difficult for me to figure out what to do... So, in my frustration, I took it out on you while wallowing in my own misery. I'm sorry."

Yeah, it seemed that way. It might sound absurd, but I wondered why they were feeling guilty. What was all this about, really?

"Oppa... If someone is intentionally keeping us locked up here, who do you think is the most likely suspect?"

Lethias groaned, pondering for a moment before responding with a melancholic tone.

"Honestly, I don't know either. When my mother and father were alive, all our relatives seemed to be on good terms with us... It's hard to reach a conclusion because they all adored us. Right now, Uncle Jerome is the most suspicious, but he doesn't have the power to orchestrate something like this."

Is Viscount Hippolyte an enemy or an ally? Or is he somewhere in between? We didn't have the answers yet. However, his demeanor when coming in and out of this place left us feeling strangely lost.

"But, Sasha... I can't believe that all the servants and vassals would betray us at once. That's why I'm even more confused."

"It could be an elaborate scheme, or maybe everyone is being deceived. What exactly did you discuss during the meeting the night before we came here?"

"Mainly, it was about my studies abroad in Fzeia... Temporary delegation matters with the head family, things like that. I signed the agreement and entrusted them with the bank signet ring, and so on."

Right. After going through all those formalities, no one would suspect anything happening at the household where the children went missing.

Although controlling Python Bank more than their respective shares wouldn't be easy, considering their successor was just studying abroad...

The big question was how they managed to fabricate their children's study abroad stories. Or was there another twist to all of this?

Whatever the situation was, our survival in this place was crucial. Acting hastily could lead us into terrible circumstances, especially with the uncertainty of how many people might have betrayed us.

"Phew, Estelle might be right. Maybe I'll end up living here until I become a really stunted old man. I don't want to live that long."

"Don’t think like that, Oppa. Even if it doesn't happen right away, there will come a day when we'll go out someday. So, even here, we can't stop growing. You are Serpente's heir. The day will surely come when you will be responsible for this family."

"Do you really think so?"

"Yes, I do. Don't forget my mom is of gypsy blood; we know how to see the future."

We had to persevere. We had to endure this on our own... Until that day two years later.

I hope the eyes of the boy I'm looking at now will remain the same until then, and I hope he keeps his current innocence and kindness...

With that wish in my heart, I smiled brightly. Lethias seemed momentarily surprised, but he followed suit and smiled. Hmm, now you're back to being the boy I first knew.

"Sasha! Sasha?! Sasha, are you okay..."

Benya, who had been making a commotion, approached where we were sitting, then paused for a moment and glared at Lethias.

In response, Lethias quickly offered an explanation with a reddening face.

"I apologized! I sincerely apologized! Aren’t we good now?!"

"Ha!"

Benya snorted with laughter and then sat down in front of me. The space between the bookshelves was so narrow that our knees almost touched.

"Are you okay?"

"To be honest, I wasn't doing well just a while ago, but I'm okay now."

"Damn, I need to know what to do in times like this; bruises are a big deal."

Isn't your face a more serious issue? Ugh, both of these guys have red faces. I smiled at Benya, who grumbled awkwardly.

"Is Estelle sleeping?"

"Yes. She's doing well back there. She seemed to have grown quite mature. Isn't that right, you idiot of a Hyungnim**?"

(for giggles, Hyungnim is the formal version of Hyung, which is how male-presenting Koreans refer to their older brothers. Benya mocked Lethias by calling him an idiot while referring to him respectfully.)

"Oh, this piece..."

"Idiot of a Hyungnim. Wow, it sticks to my mouth very well."

"Hey!"

As we laughed together, Lethias blushed and tried to vehemently protest the insult, but he fell silent because he had nothing to counter with. Instead, he sighed and stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"... I'm going to apologize to Estelle. Just to clarify that I made up with you, Sasha."

"Wow, indeed, our trustworthy and friendly eldest young master."

"Don't say anything you don't mean!"

After the reliable and affectionate idiot moved away, there was a moment of silence.

The scent of burning candles filled the air. Sunlight was always scarce through the small north-facing windows. Perhaps one day, these books would indeed be used as firewood...

"Your hair has gotten long."

Benya, who had been sitting with his back against the bookshelf and seemed to be observing me quietly, brought up the topic out of nowhere. Or was it merely because he had nothing else to say?

Since my hair was originally long, there was no way it could have grown Rapunzel-style in just two months. Even two years wouldn't be enough to escape this place with my hair's length.

"Your hair has grown a lot too. Soon, you might have to sport a bobbed-hair style like Young Master Carsave."

"Damn, that sounds terrible. I'll have to cut it soon before I end up like that idiot."

"Stop it. If you try to cut it yourself, won't you end up with hair that looks like it was chewed by rats?"

"My father always said that the beginning is half the battle."

Well, those words do stick. Shall we all try to play hair salon together? And then, I'll make huge holes at the back of both your heads. Hehehe.

"What other wicked thoughts do you have?"

"Well, I didn't think of anything like that."

"Why aren't you wearing Estelle’s clothes these days?"

What nonsense is this? Besides, who was the one who said to me that I looked like a pig putting on lipstick? Why ask such a question now?

"I wore them back then out of necessity, but now I have my own clothes. Why would I wear the princess's clothes whenever I please?"

"There's no one here to say anything about you wearing some of Estelle's clothes."

"I still care. I'm content with just wearing them that time."

Ah, when will I get a chance to try on Princess Serpente's dress again?

If I had been outside wearing it, I would have been promptly kicked out and never employed by any noble family in the imperial capital.

Though it may seem like an austere practice to alternate between only two sets of clothes, there are more significant concerns about what we'll do as everyone grows up.

How will we protect ourselves from the cold winter? Who will provide us with new clothes?

"...It looked good on you."

"What?"

"No, my head is itching. Damn, could there be something in here?"

What a terrible thing to say! I tried to keep myself clean as much as possible, but it would be a disaster if I really got head lice.

Once it latches onto one person, it can spread to everyone. So, I straightened my knees and sat down, leaning forward.

"No way. Let me see. If you truly have them, we'll have to cut all your hair."

"Don't show your evil intentions."

Apart from my mischievous thoughts and pragmatic concerns, Benya's mind seemed to be clear, thankfully. His hair also seemed to be worry-free at the moment.

Unlike Lethias and Estelle's curly and unruly hair, Benya's hair was smooth and soft, just like his mother's. I'd feel really sorry if anything bad happened to it.

"It's all clear. Good thing you don't have to lose your only strong point."

"Wow, my only strength right now is my head?"

"You have a few other minor advantages as well... Let's leave it at that for now."

I brushed my hands off and got up. Then, out of the blue, I stumbled and staggered. Benya quickly stood up and caught my arm, which was swaying awkwardly.

"Are you sure you're all right? What if you suddenly faint?"

"Fainting is something only aristocrats do."

"Really? Then, if you faint, let's consider it the declaration of you becoming part of the nobility."

"Really? If I faint, can I really become a noble lady?"

"Lady Sasha di Saloma de Serpente. Doesn't sound too bad."

"Um, thank you."

As I said it with a mischievous grin on my face, his sky-blue eyes blinked in embarrassment. Hmm, joking like this when he's usually so serious about things only makes things worse.

Well, I didn't say it to catch him off guard. It was a bit embarrassing to say it, but I wanted to express my gratitude for what he did earlier.

Thank you for getting so angry. I mean it, it made me really happy.

 

* * * 

 

After that day, the question of when we would leave this place was no longer discussed among us.

We seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement to accept our daily life here as a natural occurrence.

This atmosphere, while not a significant change, brought about some interesting developments. For instance...

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Ah, this is called swordsmanship training."

Aha, is that so? The childish act of sword fighting with fragments of a broken ladder is truly a grandiose form of swordsmanship.

With a dumbfounded expression on my face, Lethias boldly continued, "Didn't you remind us that we have to keep improving here? So, we shouldn't neglect to practice."

"Oh, indeed. We're different from them, always whining."

"That's what I'm saying."

Really, what's going on here... These snake-like rascals... The development I mentioned had nothing to do with such childish sword fighting!

"What did Sasha say to my brothers?"

At Estelle's genuinely puzzled question, I couldn't complain anymore. Oops, it's my fault. Should I say it's a relief they aren't playing with slingshots and pass it off as practice for shooting?

Of course, there were many things to do besides wild sword fighting. The possibilities were surprisingly limitless.

"Estelle, let's practice dancing."

"Dance practice...?"

"Yes. You need to keep refining what you learned in the past. It wouldn't be appropriate if you don't make your debut as a socialite later on.

"I don't want to. What's the point without music?" 

"But did the teachers instruct you while the music was playing?"

"Even so..."

Estelle insisted she didn't want to do it without music, but Lethias was equally stubborn, and eventually, a heartwarming scene unfolded where the siblings practiced the waltz alternately every day.

It would have been perfect if we even had an old piano, but despite the lack of music, they looked pretty decent while practicing in their elegant attire.

As I sat and watched them, I understood why nobility had been admired for so long.

Silk stockings, fancy dresses and suits, gloves, jewels, and graceful dances—they all transformed them into different individuals as if I was sitting in the middle of a classic movie.

Well, we are indeed part of a story, but...

"We can't continue with this pairing if the numbers don't match. Sasha, come here too."

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