Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Maresa winters were mild. It rarely snowed, and the cold never bit too hard. But human nature was a funny thing; once people grew accustomed to comfort, they clung to it. The staff living in the cozy villa hated stepping outside the second the weather turned even slightly foul.

Maresa’s roads were unpaved. Rain or melting snow turned the ground to thick mud. Paradoxically, those were the best days for running errands. Last winter, Olivia had pocketed a decent handful of coins just by handling trivial requests for the villa staff.

The other kids in the village were green with envy over the pocket money, but the “snobby staff” only ever dealt with Olivia. Besides, the adults constantly warned their children to stay away lest they make a mistake and offend someone. She had zero competition.

The errands themselves were easy: fetching supplies or dropping off mail. It hardly took any effort. She gave a bright nod.

“Yep, I’m free. Should I come by every other day like last year?”

“Yeah. The butler didn’t say otherwise, so that should be fine. But, um…”

Merlin trailed off. Her warm smile faltered, replaced by a look of deep discomfort.

It was obviously an awkward subject. Olivia kept her smile in place.

“It’s okay. You can tell me.”

“Well, it’s just… You’re such an honest, hardworking kid. You never slack off on your errands, you clean beautifully, and we all love that. But… do you think you could dress a little neater from now on?”

Merlin felt terrible.

The girl was always sweaty from running around, but her nails were neatly trimmed. Her hair was frizzy, but clean. Her teeth were perfectly fine. Her clothes were a patchwork of old scraps, yet they were completely free of grime or stains. People from poor, unwashed environments usually carried a distinct, musty odor. Olivia didn’t smell at all.

For a young girl without a proper guardian, Olivia kept herself remarkably tidy. But the nobility cared deeply about outward appearances. Young Master Adrian, in particular, was sensitive to the point of neurosis. If he found out a scruffy village girl was running errands for the villa, he would be furious.

In truth, ever since Adrian arrived at the villa, the staff, who usually loved lazing about the warm mansion, suddenly wanted to be anywhere but inside.

Adrian rarely left his room, but he was so high-strung that the slightest noise sent him into a nervous rage. He hated seeing people gathered in groups. Everyone felt like they were walking on eggshells.

If any of the staff were sent out on errands in this tense atmosphere, they would definitely use it as an excuse to slack off. With a long sigh, Rodney had decided to hire Olivia again. It was always wiser to prevent a problem than to clean it up afterward.

Everyone knew Olivia was flawlessly honest, which made the choice easy. There was also a secondary calculation: since the girl wasn’t officially employed by the Sheliak Family, Adrian wouldn’t be able to lash out at her directly.

The Sheliaks were powerful, yes, but they couldn’t just abuse a free commoner who wasn’t a slave or a beggar.

The other village children hadn’t even been considered. Olivia was a hard worker, but more importantly, no one else cared as much about personal hygiene.

Still, her clothes were undeniably shabby. Merlin hated having to point this out to a young, sensitive girl. She’d volunteered to do it herself, figuring it would be better coming from a friend than from Rodney or the others. She just prayed the girl wouldn’t be too embarrassed.

She looked at Olivia. Sure enough, the girl’s ears and cheeks were flushed. The red was visible even through her deep tan.

Olivia shifted on her feet.

“Do I look that messy…?”

“No, no! I just meant your clothes. Like, something a little more intact than what you’re wearing right now…”

Merlin waved her hands frantically, then bit her tongue. She was just making it worse.

Commoners in the Capital cared about their attire. The cost of living was high, but they earned enough to manage it. Out here in the country, though? Clothes didn’t matter.

Merlin hadn’t understood that when she first arrived. But after a year in Maresa, she’d seen how the villagers lived. As long as a garment fit and was easy to work in, they wore it. The village didn’t even have a tailor.

Fortunately, Olivia understood what she meant. The villa staff all wore uniforms, but the fabrics and cuts changed with the seasons. She’d also seen them strolling around in their casual clothes.

Those casual clothes were pretty blouses, skirts, dresses, and high-quality shirts and trousers; outfits she’d never seen in Maresa. She knew people from the big cities cared a lot about fashion.

The outsiders who occasionally passed through the village always dressed nicely, too. It wasn’t a strange concept to her.

The problem lay elsewhere.

Every piece of clothing Olivia owned was handmade. Every few months, the villagers would travel to the nearest city, buy massive bolts of fabric, and divide them up, each family paying for their share.

That fabric was used for everything: clothes, curtains, blankets. To ensure it matched whatever it was used for, they only bought plain white, green, or black. Once a piece of clothing was made, it was patched and repatched until it fell apart. The clothes Olivia wore every day were years old.

Hers were more worn out than most because she washed them so often. Her father had always drilled it into her that cleanliness kept sickness at bay. Scrubbing her sweat-soaked clothes every single day had left the fabric pilled, frayed, and practically reduced to rags.

Everything she owned looked like this. She didn’t have a single outfit that wasn’t falling apart. And even if she tried to sew something new, her skills were limited to basic, shapeless shirts and skirts with holes for the head and arms.

Besides, mild climate or not, winter clothes had to be stuffed with cotton or goose down. Both were far more expensive than the fabric itself. She had used every scrap of stuffing she’d managed to gather to make a blanket for her mother. Spending money on new clothes just to earn errand money would defeat the whole purpose.

Olivia looked down at her faded, threadbare clothes. She offered an awkward smile.

“I’m sorry, Merlin. You went out of your way to get me this job.”

“You don’t have anything else? Nothing at all?”

“No…”

Merlin chewed her lip at the girl’s dejected response.

“Can you wait here for a second? Let me go ask the butler. Or you can come back later if you’re busy.”

“No, it’s fine! I’m done with work for the day. I can wait.”

“Okay. I won’t be long.”

Merlin gave Olivia’s head a gentle pat and hurried back toward the mansion. Olivia stood by the wall, watching her go. A sudden creak made her turn. A window was opening.

Sheer curtains fluttered in the gentle breeze. Through the gap, she caught sight of an unfamiliar boy. He wore a deep scowl, but his face was so startlingly pretty, his skin so pale, that Olivia’s jaw went slack.

Their eyes met. Olivia beamed.

“Hi!”

Adrian had been lying in bed, bitterly chewing over his wretched life. The faint murmur of voices outside had put him in a foul mood. He’d thrown open the window to scream at whoever it was to get lost. But faced with that sudden, innocent smile, the words died in his throat.

Judging by her shabby clothes, she was a village local. No matter his rank, he couldn’t just hurl unprovoked abuse at a free commoner. Adrian swallowed his curses and forced his voice level.

“Who are you? This is all our land. Stop loitering.”

His tone was sharp. His narrowed eyes held a distinct glint of contempt. But between the distance and the glare on the half-open window, Olivia missed the hostility entirely. Only the words our land stuck in her head.

Was he part of the master’s family? Or maybe a staff member’s son? Either way, she wanted to talk to the pretty boy. She gave him a wide, sunny smile.

“I’m Olivia! I live in the village, and I’m twelve. The butler asked me to come by today, so—”

The window slammed shut before she could finish her sentence. The curtains swished, blocking her view. Olivia tilted her head.

Is he just shy?

His tone had been a bit prickly, but she didn’t mind. She didn’t work here, so it was only natural for him to tell her not to loiter. Besides, out here in the country, people threw around much harsher words on a daily basis. Compared to the village boys, this one was practically overflowing with refinement.

It was a shame they hadn’t gotten to talk properly. But if she kept running errands for the villa, she’d probably get another chance.

She was still nursing that quiet hope when Merlin returned, her face bright.