Chapter 4
However, it couldn't have been solely due to my appearance; it probably had something to do with Estelle, who tragically passed away at a young age in a foreign country.
As her milk sister and faithful friend, I had been with her and her siblings since they became orphans.
In their eyes, who had lost their parents early in life and had to send their only sister away, I symbolized a last bastion of stability.
However, if I'm honest, I didn't feel it was right. Were there additional side stories that explained it? Even if there were, I couldn't recall reading them, so it was futile to dwell on it.
Nonetheless, the Lethias and Benya I had observed closely didn't seem like those cruel, cold-blooded individuals.
Benya may have been mischievous and tough, but he was a good guy, and Lethias was known for being overly friendly.
Of course, there were descriptions indicating that the two brothers had changed significantly, even beyond what one could attribute to their trip to Fzeia.
There must have been other factors at play, apart from their sister's death, that contributed to such drastic changes.
I wished I could find out more about what happened, but beyond Estelle's death and my influence, there must have been a triggering event.
There had to be a compelling reason behind that transformation.
The presence or absence of that trigger was currently gnawing at my nerves.
"Wait, you're not Karon, are you?"
Butler Karon, the esteemed head butler of the Duke of Serpente's residence, was well-liked not only by the Ducal family but also by his fellow servants.
He had always been kind to my mother and me, and I held fond memories of him.
However, contrary to Jerome's assurance that the butler would certainly come, the person who arrived with a three-tiered tray cart was not Karon.
Though he was dressed as a butler, it was clear that he was a middle-aged man we had never seen before. He swiftly responded to Lethias' inquiry.
"Please forgive me, sire. My name is Harris, the new head butler."
"You're the new head butler? Where is Karon?"
"Unfortunately, Mr. Karon... He passed away suddenly this morning due to a contagious disease."
We were all taken aback by that remarkably dry statement.
Oh my goodness, even Karon? How many lives must this dreadful catastrophe claim before it is satisfied?
"Due to the dangerous situation, only a limited number of servants are allowed to enter and exit here. Young masters and young lady, you must never leave this place. No one knows when or how you could become infected."
Mr. Harris nodded, and as everyone else grimly nodded in agreement, he turned his gaze toward me.
"You know the order. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be brought up from above."
"Will you only come once a day then?"
My tone seemed rather harsh, and unlike his predecessor, the man, devoid of any trace of warmth, had deep wrinkles between his brows.
"Surely, you understand that I cannot come in and out for every meal at your age, right? It poses a great risk to the young masters and the young lady, being exposed to various germs from outside by going in and out occasionally."
His explanation made sense. I tried to brush off the nagging feeling of dissatisfaction and inquired about what to do with the empty trays after we finished eating.
Mr. Harris replied that if we left the cart by the mirrored door, they would collect it while we were sleeping.
After that, the new butler calmly exited through the mirrored door.
Once he was gone, I approached the door and attempted to open it, but it remained steadfast as if locked from the outside. Lethias came to my side.
"What are you doing? You heard how dangerous it is out there."
"...Don't you find it a bit peculiar?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, why would they lock us in like this?"
Lethias tilted his head slightly as he looked at me, then shrugged and said, "Maybe they're afraid we'll try to sneak out because we'll feel frustrated."
It was a plausible assumption. After all, children are unpredictable in their actions. But why did I still feel uneasy?
Even though I knew the future that awaited us, I remained unaware of the details.
We were merely supporting characters, and the narrative thoroughly depicted us through a third-person perspective.
So, in the face of this unexpected situation, one that wasn't described or even remembered, I needed to stop myself from wandering around and panicking.
This would happen countless times in the future.
If I started questioning everything just because things weren't progressing as swiftly as expected, there would be no end to it. Yes, I needed to put a stop to it at this moment.
"Sasha, I'm hungry."
There were other matters that required my attention. First and foremost, I needed to prevent Estelle's demise in Fzeia.
Setting aside the need to avert the downfall of Lethias and Benya, he never wished for Estelle to die. Of course.
Trying to calm my jumbled thoughts with that resolution, I examined the tray cart. I opened the silver lids one by one, revealing three meals for the four of us.
The top shelf held pickled olives, pancakes, omelets, and apple juice, while the middle column contained brioche and boiled chickpeas.
The last column presented smoked ham with biscuits and turnip salad. Oh no, Estelle despised turnips.
"Damn it, I can't even complain about the side dishes."
Benya grumbled and muttered, to which Lethias politely reprimanded him.
"It can't be helped. We just have to endure it for a few days, so are you planning to complain?"
"What are you talking about? I only mentioned it because I'm concerned about you. Who's the one whining all the time?"
"That's quite amusing."
Regardless, we needed to have our meal in the dining room, so we proceeded upstairs to the kitchen. The tray, laden with cups and plates, was excessively heavy.
As I contemplated how to transport it, a momentary occurrence interrupted our thoughts.
"You carry it."
"Why am I the one carrying it?"
"How else will Sasha alone bring this for us to eat?"
"Isn't that something a younger brother should do?"
"Who said that?"
In the end, Lethias gave in, as always.
Grumbling, Lethias led the way with the tray, while I followed upstairs holding a bottle of juice.
Witnessing the heir of the esteemed Serpente family carrying a tray of food into the humble kitchen was a sight worth remembering.
With no windows except in the bedrooms, darkness enveloped everything, so I left the kitchen door wide open. The table adorned with colorful floral patterns was set for only four people.
It seemed as if it had been arranged that way deliberately...
Stop! Oh no, darn it, dispel these intrusive thoughts! Silently, I began setting the table, determined to banish the unpleasant musings that persisted.
As I laid out the plates and utensils, arranging the food for easy access, Benya, who I suspected had multiple personalities, whispered to me.
"Relax. Don't pout. I'll take care of it when I go down."
Tsk, something so trivial. He may be a little villainous sapling, but he's still just a child. However, at times like this, he can be quite helpful, but...
"What? The juice bottle or the tray?"
"T-the tray."
Benya rolled up his sleeves and started pouring juice into his glass, wearing a look that seemed to say he would be nice from now on. But naturally... it could have gone better.
Estelle let out a deep sigh.
"Oppa, you spilled the juice."
(Oppa: If you're a girl or female-presenting, you call your older brother "oppa")
"I didn't spill it all. If you follow me, I'd appreciate it. Why are you nagging me?"
To hear such words from the mouth of that particular aristocratic master is truly a sight to behold after living a long life. I'd say it's quite remarkable.
Meanwhile, our young duke seemed unable to abandon his usual demeanor.
"What's this? The pancake syrup is missing... Is this even logical?"
"...there it is."
"Oh, sorry."
Lethias scratched his head awkwardly, took a jar of syrup, and poured it solemnly over our pancakes.
...But it didn't go smoothly, of course.
"Ah, what are you doing? Give it to me!"
"I am doing it! You should be grateful!"
"You want me to thank you? Are you suggesting that your act of putting syrup on the table is worthy of my gratitude?"
"Ugh..."
After the commotion, our first meal in this hideout commenced. Everyone was famished, so there weren't any major complaints, despite the absence of waitstaff.
"But what was this place originally? I'm even more curious now that they say it hasn't been used in a long time. Who would've thought there was such a place in our house..."
"Do you know anything, Hyung? As the heir, you should have detailed knowledge of what's inside the house, right?"
"Oh, it's just something they haven't told me yet! That's what father said..."
As Lethias added angrily, a heavy silence fell upon us. Lethias frowned and cast his gaze downward, while Benya, who provoked him, suddenly turned grim. And Estelle whispered softly,
"I miss Dad. Mom and Sylvian too."
I longed to see them all as well. The Duke and Duchess, who were paragons of perfection, and my mother, who gave birth to me and raised me here...
Now that my memories of my past life have returned, the flood of memories with my mother, which I hold dear, overwhelmed me.
Feeling Estelle whimper, I held her tightly against my shoulder. I buried my face in her curly aqua-colored hair and suppressed the urge to cry alongside her.
The first meal in our hideout ended with a somber atmosphere. I settled Estelle on the bed in the bedroom just outside the kitchen, then returned to gather the empty dishes onto a tray.
While Lethias sat next to his sister, engaging in a low conversation, Benya, who had been silently pretending to help me for some reason, suddenly spoke up.
"That room downstairs, that peculiar room, whether it's a study or a storage room. Should we explore it? Aren't you curious about what we might find?"
"We'll be leaving in a few days, so why bother exploring?"
"That's exactly why we should do it now. Once we leave, we won't be back here for a while."
Well, what is it with boys and their desire to explore dark, musty, and unpleasant places?
Nevertheless, I was also curious. So, what exactly was this place originally?
Apart from the furniture, it was evident that there was a bathroom and a kitchen. However, it was too small for nobles to use and too grand for servants to use.
A perfect hiding place... Could there be a clue to something in that storage room?
Benya led the way, carrying a tray of tableware. I grabbed an empty juice bottle and followed him downstairs. The tray cart beside the mirrored door appeared like a sentinel.
Shortly after, Lethias, who seemed to have been conversing with his sister for a while, hurried down the stairs.
"What are you guys doing?"
"We're exploring. It's making me curious."
"Well, that's true... Oh, but it's really dark here."
Unlike the upper floor, which had ceiling windows, this floor was completely dark, even in the middle of the day. We first lit a match and ignited a candle holder on the table.
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