Welcome to the Family

They entered the dining room and Elaine couldn't help but be amazed. The dark wooden table was so long it could fit twenty people and the chairs, likewise out of dark wood, were elegantly carved and the seat cushioned. The dining room was bigger and way better than the one which she once helped her parents clean. She looked around the room and on the walls hung paintings of wine, fruits and olives, all of them with a golden frame.

The Duke sat her down on one of the chairs just beside the edge where he himself sat. The cutlery were made out of silver and the glasses looked like crystals. The servants brought food on a serving cart and placed them on the table. There were all sorts of bread, fruits and jam. There were also eggs cooked in different ways, yoghurt and fruit juices. She just couldn't decide what to eat first. The Duke placed some fried eggs on her plate and gave her a bowl with yoghurt and berries. He wanted to feed her food with more nutrients to make up for what she had missed for a year.

"Here, try these."

"Okay," Elaine replied.

She put her hands together and chanted the prayer. She was about to grab the food with her bare hands out of habit, but remembered how her parents taught her how to use a knife and fork. However, she doesn't quite remember how. She took them in her hands and looked at them with a troubled look on her face. The Duke realized this and took his own cutlery in his hands and began to eat. Elaine watched him and imitated him the best she could. The Duke was satisfied and he smiled.

Elaine gobbled up the food in front of her. She found it amusing to pop open the egg yolk and giggled softly. She got some yolk around her mouth as she ate it but didn't realise. The Duke took a napkin and wiped her mouth for her. She squeezed her eyes closed as he did and opened them again when he finished. She smiled at him and thanked him.

"My pleasure," replied the Duke. He looked at her thin arms and frowned. "Elaine, how did you feed yourself on the streets?"

"I looked for food in the trash."

"You didn't steal anything?" He asked and she shook her head. He was surprised to hear this and was sure this was how she had gotten so thin. "Not even when you were very hungry?"

"Mommy said stealing is very bad."

"I see, what a good girl you are." The Duke smiled at her. But all he could think of was how he wished she could have just stolen something.

She finished the egg and grabbed the bowl. A servant nearby handed her a spoon that was meant for children and immediately went back to her position. Elaine looked flustered and searched for the servant behind her. She was never served like this before, so she wasn't used to it. She only knew how to serve and not to be served.

"Thank you," she finally said.

The servant opened her eyes in surprise and looked over to the Duke, not knowing what she should do. There was an unspoken rule not to speak while the masters dined. But the Duke nodded at her to give her permission.

"You're welcome, my lady." The servant bowed politely.

Elaine went back to eating her food. She scooped a spoonful of yoghurt and berries from the bowl. She looked at it and tilted her head. She knew what it was since it was served to the baron she used to work for along with her parents, but she never tasted it before. She tried to imagine what it would taste like.

'Sweet, sour or bitter? Maybe salty?'

She finally put it in her mouth and found it to be sour. But she liked the combination with the berries that popped with every bite. Even if it would have tasted bad, she would have eaten it anyways. She had learned not to be picky with food. She was glad as long as she had something to feed her hungry belly.

Then she began to wonder. There was so much food on the table and there was no way the Duke and her could finish it. She saw the leftovers being thrown away at the old master's house. Even if the servants wanted to take it instead, they were forbidden to do so. If they were caught, they would be hit a hundred times on the palms. Elaine began to worry. She looked at the Duke.

"What will happen to the food we don't finish?" she asked. The Duke was perplexed and couldn't answer her question right away.

"Well..."

"Please don't throw them away." She pleaded. "You can give them to the kids on the street instead."

"I understand your concerns, Elaine." The Duke looked at her gently. He was proud of her kind-heartedness. "However, I think they wouldn't like leftovers from nobles. Don't you hate them too?"

"Yes, they are greedy and selfish." Elaine frowned. Those were words she had learned from her parents and other servants. But then she remembered the Duke was a noble too. "But I like you cause you're kind. You're not like them at all!"

"I'm glad to hear that." The duke was reminded of good old memories. He snapped out of it and smiled brightly. "About the food, the servants are allowed to eat the ones that are still on the serving plate."

"Really?" Elaine asked. Since it was the Duke, the servants are probably well treated. She was relieved to know that. She continued to eat without any worries.

The Duke wanted to ask her some questions, but decided to wait till she finished eating. Once she finished, the servants cleared up the table and left them alone as per the request of the Duke. A bell was left behind in case they were needed. Elaine had a glass of apple juice in her hands and sipped little by little.

"Do you have any friends that you stayed with on the streets?" He finally asked. "They might worry that you disappeared."

"Oh." She looked down at her glass. "I had friends, but now not."

The Duke felt sad for her. He expected her to have many friends with such a lovely and sweet personality.

"What happened?"

"They didn't want me," she replied with a dejected look. "They wanted to tell on me."

"What do you mean?" the Duke asked, confused.

"The bad guys were looking for me, so I ran away." She fiddled with her fingers nervously.

The Duke understood what she was trying to explain. She ran away from her former master's house and was being tracked down. Her friends must have wanted to give her to them in exchange for money. This was probably how she ended up alone.

"Don't worry," the Duke said. "As long as you're with grandpa, the bad guys won't be able to get you."

"How?" She asked. She couldn't comprehend how he was to achieve that.

"Well, if you start living with me, I can protect you."

Elaine smiled with excitement. However, her smile disappeared almost immediately. She was grateful to him for all the things he did for her, but she couldn't understand why he wanted to take her in. They didn't even know each other for that long. Moreover, she believed she would only be a burden.

"But I-I'm," she stuttered. Since she was still young, she couldn't quite explain what she really wanted to say. "I'm dirty and filthy."

"But you are a precious child to me, Elaine."

The Duke disagreed, but she avoided eye contact and looked sullen. She squeezed her clothes in her hands. The Duke sighed. It was obvious she wouldn't budge with just that and he knew a similar approach wouldn't work either. But he couldn't just put her back on the streets, now that he had taken her home.

"I just saved your life this morning, so you owe me your life," He said firmly.

Elaine slowly looked up. What he said had made so much sense to her and she couldn't deny what he said. She was glad she had met him but didn't know if she deserved all of what he had given her. And he wanted to give her more.

"T-Then I can be your serv-" she tried to say, but the Duke cut her off.

"I would never allow that."

"B-But," Elaine tried to counter. She was flustered as she didn't expect him to not want that.

"You already called me your grandpa," He said, trying to look as sorrowful as possible. "How could I make my granddaughter a servant."

Elaine had nothing to say back. She didn't want to make the Duke even sadder.

"Instead, I want you to work hard on your studies." He said gently this time. "You will learn how to act, eat and talk properly. Everything you need to know as a duke's granddaughter. This is what you can do for me."

Elaine reluctantly agreed and nodded. She was determined to work hard not to be a disappointment and a burden. She balled up both her hands into a fist and looked at the Duke with determination.

"I-I will do my best, Grandpa!"

The Duke was overjoyed and couldn't help but let out a jolly laughter. He was glad she had ambition and energy in her. It would be nice if she smiled and laughed more too. He held out one of his arms, gesturing for her to come to him. She struggled to get down from the chair and quickly went over to the Duke. He picked her up and placed her on his lap to hug her.

"You make this grandpa very happy," He said to her with a big smile on his face. Elaine blushed and felt the same.

"Then when can I start studying?" She eagerly asked. "Now?"

The Duke laughed out loud again and had to wipe off some tears from his eyes.

"No, you can rest for now." He petted her on the head. "We will leave for my real house in a few days. You can start learning there."

"Uhm...okay." Elaine replied. "But why are you not at your real house?"

"I had some business to take care of," He answered her question. "But it's done now, so I can go back home."

"Oh, okay!"

The next days were spent to prepare for their departure. It was a week-long trip after all. The Duke bought Elaine clothes and shoes in her size and some toys for girls her age too. He wanted to give her some of the joy she had missed. Elaine only looked troubled, so he tried to keep it to a minimum, although this was very difficult for him. And so came the day for their departure and a new chapter to Elaine's life.