Chapter 65
Day by day, time passed—one day, two days. Before she knew it, a week had gone by, and Flita had grown accustomed to life in the annex. In fact, she might have adapted even better than when she had lived in the main mansion.
In the main mansion, she rarely went anywhere other than her bedroom. But in the annex, she had spent just a week busily exploring every corner of the building, eventually learning it inside and out.
Much of this was thanks to the attending physician’s treatments and Rose’s devoted care. The child’s condition was improving more quickly than expected.
“Phew…”
Flita let out a deep sigh as she played, arranging her cloth dolls across the bed. She picked up a little dog doll and climbed down from the bed.
Her destination was the window, which offered a view of the outside. Of course, she was short and had to stand on tiptoe.
“Ugh…”
After a few tries, Flita managed to prop her chin on the windowsill and peeked outside. The sunlight was so bright it nearly hurt her eyes. Just then, she squinted at the scene beyond.
Chirp, chirp.
A small bird had landed on a branch not far from the window. Flita’s light green eyes widened. The bird, seemingly unafraid of humans, perched there, spreading its wings and preening itself.
“Wow!”
The little dog doll in Flita’s hand fell to the floor with a soft thump. It was something Rose had made for her, and she treasured it more than anything—but for the moment, her attention was elsewhere.
Chirp, chirp.
The small black-eyed bird fascinated her from such a short distance.
“Wait! No, no, don’t go!”
Flita coughed, then hurried back to the bed. Rose had left a snack tray on the bedside table for her while she went to do laundry, and Flita quickly grabbed a cookie with both hands and turned back toward the window.
“Cough! Cough! …Whew, thank goodness. You’re still here?”
She coughed but smiled brightly at the little bird still perched in the same spot, curiously observing the room. Its dark eyes showed no fear.
“Here, cough, eat, little bird. It’s a cookie. It’s tasty. Rose and I baked it together, see?”
Flita poured all the cookies she had brought onto the windowsill. Something she could never have done while living in the main mansion with the nanny. But over the past week, through Rose, Flita had experienced a childlike life—and had grown used to it.
A life where it was okay to play and cause a little mischief.
“Too big to eat? Should I break it up for you?”
Standing on her tiptoes again, she began breaking the cookies into smaller pieces so the little bird could eat them easily, until the windowsill was covered in crumbs.
Chirp, chirp.
Perhaps the bird appreciated her efforts. It tilted its head, then fluttered closer to the windowsill and pecked at the cookies. Flita’s eyes went wide with surprise, unable to believe what she was seeing.
“Wow… wow…”
She could only watch in awe. Seeing the little bird eat the cookies she had given it left her speechless.
“Oh! Rose should have seen this too.”
Flita stamped her foot in disappointment. The bird paused, tilted its head as if asking, Why?, then flapped its wings a couple of times and flew into the room.
“Huh? Eh?”
Flita’s eyes widened to their fullest. The bird flapped around the room, flying here and there, and finally exited through the open door.
“No! Don’t go, little bird!”
Flita ran after it, panicked. Luckily, the bird didn’t fly far; it landed in the corridor and scurried toward the stairs.
“Come on, little bird! Cough! Come with me! Where are you going?”
She paused to cough, then followed. The bird seemed as interested in exploring the annex as Flita and headed toward the first-floor stairs. She followed down. The bird glanced back at her, then fluttered onward.
“Huh?”
Flita followed the bird with her gaze, then frowned. The bird had flown near the first-floor entrance. Perhaps the physician hadn’t closed the door properly—it was slightly ajar.
“Going out? I can’t. I’m not allowed.”
Flita pouted and shook her head as the bird landed near the entrance and looked at her. But the bird didn’t understand and scurried outside.
“…Hiiing.”
Flita, watching the bird with envy, slumped her shoulders. She moved toward the stairs again, when suddenly the bird chirped from outside.
Chirp, chirp.
“Huh?”
Flita whipped around. The bird was right outside the entrance.
“Still here?”
She brightened and ran to the entrance, squatting down right at the doorway.
Sunlight streamed in warmly. The scent of flowers and grass carried on the breeze.
Chirp, chirp.
The bird stayed nearby, as if inviting her to play. Flita clenched her hands in excitement.
“If I just step outside for a bit… hmm, when no one’s around, I can go out to the entrance and come right back. I haven’t been coughing much lately. The physician said I’ve gotten much better.”
She muttered excuses to the bird and stepped outside.
Though her father had warned her not to go out, and Rose had suggested staying inside the annex for fun, she couldn’t resist the little bird chirping in the warm sunlight.
Still, Flita didn’t step further outside. That was the limit she could restrain herself.
Then—
“Kyah!”
A piercing scream made Flita jump. She looked toward the source and saw a maid passing near the annex, screaming at her.
“Oh no! The young lady came outside! I thought there was a plague!”
Flita turned pale. Startled by the scream, the bird flapped its wings and disappeared.
Flita watched the maid flee, her throat tight with emotion. She turned, closing her eyes, and ran across the first-floor hall.
“Ah!”
She hadn’t gone far before tripping over her own feet and tumbling to the floor with a loud crash.
“What’s that noise… young lady!”
Rose, doing laundry in a corner of the first floor, heard the scream and the thud and immediately rushed over, not even wiping her wet hands on her apron.
“Are you alright? Did you fall? Let me see if you’re hurt.”
Rose hurriedly helped her up, but Flita shook her head.
“…I’m okay. I’m fine, cough! Cough!”
Flita’s cough sounded worrisome. Before, it hadn’t been this severe. Rose’s expression stiffened as she checked her condition.
“Did something happen? I heard a scream a moment ago.”
It hadn’t been Flita screaming, but an older woman. But no maid working in the main mansion could have screamed that loudly.
Could it be…
Rose finally noticed the annex door was half-open. She realized what must have happened: Flita had gone outside and probably encountered someone from the Grand Duke’s residence.
The person must have screamed in surprise upon seeing her… no doubt it frightened the child.
“You went outside?”
Rose asked gently, but Flita shivered and lowered her head.
“…I was wrong, Rose. But I just wanted to step outside to the entrance and come back.”
The bird had invited her to play. She had just wanted to play for a moment. But as she tried to explain, tears streamed down her face.
“Waaah!”
After being brave and cheerful despite illness and fear for a week, the child now cried freely. Rose held her and patted her back.
Of course, Flita had done wrong. She wasn’t supposed to go outside. Even a single step was wrong.
But Rose didn’t want to scold her. She wanted to be the one who understood and shared in the child’s sorrow.
“There were others to scold you… but you just stepped outside, and someone saw you and got startled.”
“Yes. The maid was passing by, saw me, screamed, and ran away.”
Flita sniffled, still in Rose’s arms, then looked up, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Am I… a bad person?”
