Chapter 14

Early the next morning.

Esther woke up to the bright sunlight flooding the room.

– Bright ... – the girl stretched and rubbed her sleepy eyes.

The bright, sunlit room was unfamiliar to her, and Esther stared blankly out of the window.

'Is it because I left the temple? I didn't dream anything last night. I don't know how long it's been since I had such a refreshing morning...' – the girl stretched again, and the blanket fell to the floor.

Esther's sleeping place was far from a bed. Her habit of the temple has not gone away, so she habitually fell asleep on the floor.

The girl could only fall asleep by sitting on the floor and hugging her knees, leaning against the wall. So she understood that she was not in prison.

'It was the best dream in a very long time,' – Esther thoughtlessly stretched out her hand to the sun and looked at the transparent warm light enveloping her palm.

'This extremely calm moment seems so alien to my life… How long will it last?'

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

It turned out to be the maid who came to wake Esther up for breakfast:

– Miss! Are you awake?

– Oh, wait a second! – Esther jumped up and, grabbing the blanket, ran to bed.

The girl didn't want anyone to know that she slept on the floor, not on the bed. And all because she knew better than anyone that if she showed even a drop of weakness, she could be attacked.

A few minutes later, Esther, having finished putting the room in order, opened the door. Dorothy, waiting for her outside the door, smiled happily at the girl:

– Miss, did you sleep well?

– Yes, I had a great night's sleep.

Hearing Esther's answer, Dorothy frowned and shook her head:

– Miss, again. After all, you decided that you would talk to me more comfortably.

– Oh, I'm sorry. I'm still embarrassed, – Esther was embarrassed, stuck out her tongue and immediately hid it.

'I didn't have all this before, so I often get lost and speak too formally…'

– You'll get used to it.

Dorothy was the maid that Duke Dehsin assigned to Esther, and had a cheerful, laid–back and quick–witted personality. She was also polite to Esther and didn't say anything superfluous.

However, Esther, who was unaccustomed to all this, felt extremely uncomfortable in the presence of the maid.

The thing is, if you can take care of yourself on your own, then you shouldn't involve someone else.

However, Esther could only get used to it, because she would no longer be able to stay alone.

– Thank you.

With Dorothy's help, the girl washed and dressed. Now she looked much cleaner than the day before, because yesterday she had been thoroughly washed in a large bathtub.

When Esther took off her pajamas and changed into a dress, Dorothy clapped her hands as if she had thought of something, and then led the girl to the dressing table:

– Miss, could you sit here for a few minutes?

The maid sat Esther down on a chair, and then picked up a comb to comb the girl's wavy hair.

– Can I braid you?

– Yes.

Dorothy's hands turned Esther's head several times, and then began to create. Partially collected hair, gently swayed, collected and secured with a beautiful red ribbon.

– Dorothy has very skillful hands, – Esther said admiringly, touching the ribbon.

– I have three younger sisters. They often tell me, do this, do that. This hairstyle is very light and it doesn't give you a headache, – Dorothy smiled, oiling the girl's hair.

Esther liked the hairstyle Dorothy had done for her.

After finishing dressing, the girl went down the spiral staircase to the first floor. After walking down the corridor and turning several times, Esther saw the door to the dining room on the right.

The girl stopped in the doorway. Thanks to Dorothy's instructions, Esther easily reached the dining room, but her legs refused to go any further.

'There is no place for me here.'

The table was set for only three people, but no one was there yet. Seeing this, Esther could not bring herself to enter the dining room.

While she stood and looked at the set table, the feeling of joyful excitement, for some reason, instantly faded. The girl realized her situation, and she felt sad.

'What did I expect? I'm not here to play family,' – Esther forced herself to distance herself from her feelings.

'I have to die before I'm declared a Saint,' – suddenly, Esther felt dizzy and nauseous.

When the girl was about to fall due to her dizziness, someone squeezed her shoulder tightly.

– Why are you standing here?

It was Judy who first saw Esther and crept up to her to take her by surprise. However, the girl's face was too serious, so the boy stopped laughing.

Judy stood next to Esther and looked straight ahead, wondering what his sister was looking at. And since their height was about the same, their field of vision did not differ much, so Judy immediately noticed dishes for three people placed on the table.

– You fool. You haven't decided on your place yet, – realizing what excited Esther, Judy gently pushed her in the back.

– No, wait!.. – in confusion, Esther entered the dining room.

– Oh! Are you here already?

– Good morning, young Master, Miss, – the maids in the dining room immediately greeted them affectionately.

They had much warmer views than Esther had expected. From the outside, it seemed to the girl that she was being rejected, however, when she entered the dining room, she realized that this was not the case.

There was no contempt or undisguised disdain in their looks. These glances were warm and sincerely welcomed the girl.

'Is this really the power of power?

Even though the Grand Duke has accepted me as his daughter, all this is only nominally. I have lived my whole life in contempt and neglect, and here I am welcomed…

Even if it's all because of my changed status, I'm still not comfortable, but on the other hand... I like this warmth.'

– This is my place, and in front of me is my father's place. Whatever you decide, sit next to me, – Judy, who was the first to take his seat, patted the next chair.

Esther, who didn't have her own seat anyway, sat down next to Judy.

– But you really are thin. You have nothing but bones, right? Haven't you eaten anything? – Judy giggled and joked.

Esther gave him a tight smile because she couldn't answer his questions.

'At the temple, the candidates were given very small portions of food because of our training. And when I was in prison, they only gave me liquid porridge. I was fed just enough so that I wouldn't die, so I don't even remember when I ate my fill,' – Esther shook her head, wanting to get rid of painful memories, and felt an unfamiliar energy.

The girl's gaze darted to the door by itself:

– Ah!

A boy was coming into the dining room. Esther knew at a glance that it was Dennis, Judy's twin brother.

'It's the first time I've seen him,' – Esther woke up from her amazement:

– Greetings, – the girl bowed her head, and Dennis nodded slightly in response.

It was a completely calm reaction for someone who unexpectedly encountered a «sister».

'His aura is completely different,' – Esther took a moment to get a better look at Dennis.

First, he was much taller than Judy.

The sharp gaze and facial features were exactly the same, however, his aura was completely different. Unlike Judy, whose hair was cut short, Dennis' hair was much longer and intertwined with short strands.

He also wore thin silver–rimmed glasses, which, despite his young age, gave him away as an intellectual.

– I'm Esther.

– Yeah, wait a minute.

The tense Esther carefully introduced herself, but Dennis walked to his seat without even looking at her.

– I need to drink water in the morning, – Dennis said monotonously, taking a cup from the table.

It was a delicate and cautious movement, like a person who was going to do something important.

When Dennis lifted the cup, the maid immediately filled it with water from the jug, and then lowered the rosemary leaf.

– Thank you, – Dennis habitually began to drink water.

Despite the fact that the maid poured quite a lot, the boy drained the cup in one gulp.

Every morning, Dennis always went down to the dining room and drank water. It was very important for him, a man who always acted strictly according to plan.

Dennis put his empty cup on the table, wiped his lips with a napkin and spoke, adjusting his bangs covering his eyes with a natural gesture:

– For good blood circulation, you need to drink water in the morning. Why don't you make it a habit too? Judy doesn't listen to me, no matter how much I tell him about it.

– …good, – Esther nodded, not taking her eyes off Dennis.

– Now, – Dennis looked at Esther and a cup of water was immediately poured for her.

– Hey, you can see that she's not at ease! Esther, you don't have to drink this.

– Don't stop her. Why don't you drink water in the morning?

Judy and Dennis, raising their voices, began to quarrel.

Esther thought for a moment and drank the water that Dennis offered her.

'I don't know what the problem is, but drinking water is not difficult at all.'

Dennis watched Esther with his arms crossed.

'The father really brought his younger sister home.

Father is always ready to do what we ask, but I did not expect that a younger sister would appear so quickly,' –Dennis's gaze, directed at Esther, sparkled with curiosity.

'Is there something special about her?

The child that the father brought cannot be someone ordinary,' – the desire to find out everything became even stronger and Dennis, turning his head, spoke:

– Esther.

– Yes? – the girl instantly responded to Dennis's call.

– What are you good at?

'What am I good at?' – Esther turned her head thoughtfully. 'In my past lives, I have never received anything like praise. Even though I was a candidate for the Saints, as a lower class, I was obliged to work in the temple.

One of my duties is to sew and sew clothes.

Although my divine strength is weak, like my hands, I was more than able to sew.'

– I sew clothes well.

– Sewing? Then will you show me when you do it next time?

– Sew clothes? – Esther's lips rounded in a funny way, she was confused by Dennis' incoherent speech.

– Why do you need to learn this? Why don't you fight me with swords? – Judy asked irritably, not understanding what was happening.

– I hate childishness, – Dennis always calmly ignored Judy, who was always extremely hot–tempered, especially during their quarrels.

It couldn't be considered a quarrel or a fight, because it was one of the ways they played. These two were best friends and wonderful brothers, so all their quarrels and arguments were not serious.

'Should I stop them?' – Esther's gaze darted from one to the other.

Fortunately, the argument between the two ended quickly, because Darwin entered the dining room.

– Good morning, – even though it was morning, Duke Dehsin appeared in immaculate attire, quickly toА ok his seat and met the gaze of his children.