Chapter 16

Aretha slowly opened her eyes and glanced at the door.

The tapping sound not far from the room stopped her from her rest. She tidied up herself before she heard the knocking on the door. The person knocking outside voice out, "My lady, may I come in?"

Aretha approved, "You may."

The door opened up and Pomona with another two young maid walked in. Pomona bowed and warmly informed Aretha, "My lady, Master had assigned a room for you."

Aretha asked for more inquiry, "How about my siblings?"

Pomona whispered in her heart, 'Our lady is such a kind and family-oriented person. She will make such a good wife and mother for our master.'

Pomona smiled at Aretha and answered, "Master has decide to allocate my lady's siblings at the south building. My lady do not need to worry. The south building is not far from main building, my lady can visit them whenever you want with master's permission."

Aretha nodded. Although she do not want to be separated from her siblings, they still need a place where they could move freely.

Aretha, "I understand."

Pomona courteously guided Aretha to the room she was assigned, "Allow me to guide my lady to the room. All your belongings had already been placed at that room." 

Aretha followed Pomona with the two young maids walking behind them.

...

"This is my room?" Aretha questioned.

Pomona confirmed with delight, "Yes, my lady." 

Aretha turned to look at the door of the room next to hers, "May I know, who is using the room next to mine?"

Pomona followed Aretha's line of sight and smiled brightly, "That is our master's room."

Aretha baffled and asked, "You mean to say that my room is next to Lord Vladimir's room?"

Pomona confirmed with a proud face, "That's right."

Aretha's suspicion earlier was right. That man really planned to keep her near him. However, being placed closer than she thought makes her feel uncomfortable. She also knows well that in this empire, husband and wife sleep separately with their room next to each other. Which mean, the room she will be inhabiting in is the future Grand Duchess's room.

Aretha thought in her heart, 'Such disrespect.'

Even if the lord had no plan to take a wife at the moment, he should not give out the room to a woman with no status like her. Aretha already felt sorry for the future Duchess of this house.

Aretha with a restrained face, "Is it fine like this? This room is supposed to be for the future Grand Duchess, right?"

Pomona grinned, "Of course it's fine. Master is the one who give the order for this room to be used by my lady."

Aretha had to reluctantly agree with the arrangement, "I understand."

Pomona opened the door for Aretha. Aretha walked in and thought, 'Guest room is big, now the Duchess's room is much bigger and spacier. Such wealth is truly tempting. Is this what Maria had always dream of? No wonder.'

Pomona introduced the two young maids, "My lady, this is Nika. My lady had met her earlier. This is Yua. The two of them will attend to my lady as your personal maid from today onward."

Nika and Yua bowed down politely, "We will be at your service, my lady."

Aretha felt troubled with the way she is being treated, "You guys don't need to be so formal with me. I am not from nobility to be treated as such."

Pomona refuted, "Master had already announced my lady as someone that would be treated with the utmost respect. Please, my lady, you do not need to worry yourself."

Aretha could feel the headache that will come at her way in the future. 'Definitely troublesome' she concluded in her heart.

Aretha sighed with a heavy heart, "Alright. Do as you pleased."

Pomona exclaimed in her heart, 'It seem we need to make my lady feel more welcomed here. She must felt insecure being with our great master. Where does our master found such a timid little bunny like the lady?'

Pomona said, "My lady, you just need to enjoy yourself. Leave everything to me."

Aretha does not sure how else should she explained herself. She swallowed her word and only uttered a word of appreciation, "Thank you, Pomona."

She turned toward the two you maids, "Thank you to the two of you too, Nika, Yua. I will be troubling you all after this."

Pomona chuckled silently in her mind, 'This is fine for now. I will do my best to make sure my lady become more confident as the future Grand Duchess.' She said, "It is our duty, my lady."

She added, "My lady. Master invited you to have a meal together with him this evening."

Aretha, "Alright."

"Please have a rest for now." Pomona left with Nika and Yua.

Aretha sighed. She looked around the room. She thought, 'Such big space for only one person. Typical noble. Typical wealthy noble. Such grandiose room.'

She walked toward the balcony and stand behind the railing.

Divine blue sky adorned with fluffy white cloud. Dazzling sun shines and the light breezes of the wind greets the skin. Exquisite colorful buildings neatly arranged in it place unlike the dull and almost collapsing pile of old building in Rosaceae City. This breathtaking scenery feels aliened to her.

The smells of wind, flowers and trees. The scents of fresh-baked breads and cookies, coffee and tea. It was as if she had gone back to her childhood, where she was surrounded by nature and care. 

Those five years being in the dark, trapped within human's desire. The eyes that saw filth and corruption. The ears that heard lies and deception. The nose that smell drugs and medicine. The mouth that concealed truth and uttered misconception. A life full of trickery and betrayal.

"Truly different." She murmured. 'Grandpa, grandma. We had gone out from that place. Wait for us. We will go back one day. To our home.' She vowed with determination in her heart.

...

At the south building.

A group of five children escorted by a number of maids and guards, walking toward a beautifully decorated building. As they approaching closer and closer to the building, A boy voiced out his concern.

"When do you think sister will come to see us?" A boy wearing thick frame glasses looked at the three girls and another boy in front of him.

The other boy sighed, "I just hope sister will be fine."

A girl chirped in, "Sister will be fine. After she has settle in, she will come to us. I am sure about it."

The shortest girl interrupted, "While we wait for sister, it will be better for us to settle down. Let's organize our things first. And…" She look at the boy with thick frame glasses, "…you stink. Better go take a shower before you pollute sister's sense of smell."

Cole, the boy wearing the thick frame glasses shouted, "You are the one who stink! You shorty!"

Diana, the shortest girl angered, "What did you say? Repeat that again if you dare!"

Cole replied with a mocking gaze and gestured, "Shorty~ Shorty~ You are the shorty~"

Diana fuming and her face reddened with anger. She took a step toward Cole but stop by the other boy, Peter.

Peter said sternly, "Enough! If sister see this right now, she will be disappointed with both of you!"

Daphne, the tallest girl among the three girl, chuckled, "Sister will start her speech on mannerism if she's here right now."

Lucy, the other girl, giggled, "Be careful, she might heard about this and will come specifically to give a preach." She pointed to the maids walking in front of them and guards that are walking a few meters behind them.

Peter glanced side eye toward Cole and Diana, urging them to keep quiet as they are under supervision right now.

The two flinched when they met Peter's gaze and quickly shut their mouth.

The corner of his eyes saw a tiny blue bird on the tree looking at their direction. Peter urges the maids and guards to hurry because the children needs to take a nap.

Cole, Diana, Lucy and Daphne read the signal. One by one yawn and start complaining that they are getting tired and sleepy.

The maids look at the children with a motherly gaze and want to hurriedly put the children to sleep.

Meanwhile the guards unsettled with the sudden attitude of the children. One moment they were arguing and another moment they suddenly feel sleepy at the same time.

One of the guard observed their surrounding with nothing to be found.

They got into the building and was greeted by an another maid that look a bit older than the maids that were escorting the children.

The children was shown their room one by one. After they finish seeing the room, they told the maid they want to take a nap in one room because they are still unfamiliar with the place.

The maids was not suspicious because it is normal for children to be alert when they are in new environment, thus the maids leave the children in one room for a nap.

After the maid left, Peter looked at Cole. Cole turned and walked toward the window. He opened the window and something flew in front of him.

It was a the little blue bird Peter saw.

Female voice transmitted through the little blue bird, it said, "Make yourself at home first. Play as much as you want. Eat whatever you want. Explore as much as you can. Understand as much as you can. I will come to you guys in a few days."

Peter shrug his shoulder, "Now you guys know what to do."

Lucy and Daphne exchanged look meaningfully.

Cole murmured, "Need to find a perfect place for that too."

Diana nodded, "Understood."

__________________________________________________________________________________

*Little Theater*

Nika : "Our lady is so beautiful!!! Our master is so lucky! I also feel so lucky to serve the lady. ☆*: .｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆"

Yua : "It is indeed our luck."

Pomona : "Our lady seems to be so timid. Look at how small she is. We need to feed her more delicious cruisine." *determined look*

Nika : "That's right! Our lady must had been mistreated before. We need to give a lot of care to cure our lady's heart."

Yua : "Don't forget the children too."

Nika : "Right! Our lady's siblings. My lady is so kind. Despite being in hardship, she still take care of her siblings."

Timid, kind, 164cm tall Aretha : (￣_￣|||)

Author : "HA HA HA!!! They truly should not judge people by their appearance and young age! They have my condolecense."