I Am a Child of This House

Chapter 3: F*cking Nice

“Excuse me…”

“Yes?”

“What’s going to happen to me now?”

“First, you’ll be going to His Grace’s mansion. We’ll be there soon. Then, His Grace will decide what to do with you.”

“All right,” I answered, nodding.

I don’t exactly know the value of 20,000 gold, but even I could guess that it was worth a lump of sum. Or… was it a mere small sum for the rich and the noble?

‘Maybe I’ll become a maid.’

 

Yes, it might’ve been better to become a maid. At least I’ll have the freedom to go out and have three meals a day.

‘I’m so sick and tired of oats.’

The food that I was so used to eating was prickly and tasteless. It looked just like dog food. There were so many stones and shells, so I had to eat very carefully.

So, while my mother was asleep, I would eat her scraps and leftovers she had with her guest. Rarely did I find any freshwater, so I drank whatever I could find. I vomited once because I drank too much alcohol. Since then, I have refrained from drinking as much as I could.

‘The more I think about it, the more I can survive.’

Feeling proud of myself, I imagined life as a duke’s maid.

‘Any situation would be better than it is now.’

 

To work and receive fair pay seemed much better than my life now.

After a while, the carriage stopped. Kelson stepped out of the carriage before helping me out. 

“I thought about it a lot earlier, but you’re a lot like a straw doll,” Kelson said.

I felt my cheeks turn red at his remark. I knew fully well that my appearance was ugly. My mother had never done anything like combing my hair.

I used to comb my own hair with a hairbrush, but my hair looked like a broom because of my lack of nutrition. It was always falling off or tangling together. If I hadn’t washed up the days before I went to see the duke, I would have smelled pretty bad, too.

“You’re very light. Children should be heavier than they look,” Kelson added, probably because he noticed my look of shame. 

I glanced at my hands. I could clearly see the joints of my fingers.

‘I look like a stick.’

“Now, welcome to the house of Castiello.” Kelson gently grabbed me by the shoulder, and I took attention off my hands and focused it on the castle right in front of me.

“Wow!” unconsciously, I burst with exclamation. 

The house of Castiello was made up of pearly white stones, which matched nicely with its decorative interior. Reflected by the sun, the building shined brightly. Its high, arched ceilings with its beautiful marbled floors were endless!

With a light push on my back to snap me out of my shocked state, Kelson began to walk deeper into the house. 

“Come this way,” he said. 

I followed after him with hurried steps. I felt happy viewing the beautiful paintings and wallpaper in the hallways. 

While walking up the high stairs, Kelson explained the structure of the house in detail as I tried to hurriedly remember them all.

“This is your room,” Kelson said as he stopped before a door and then opened it.

“Here?” I said with doubt in my voice. 

As soon as I took a peek inside, I was blown away. The room was filled with shiny furniture and ornaments, a beautifully embroidered bed, and a fluffy green rug.

“Do you not like it?”

“No, I f*cking love it!” I exclaimed with a twinkle in my eyes.

“…What?” 

“It’s f*cking nice!” I said again without noticing the shock on Kelson’s face.

My biological mother always said “nice” when she looked at ornaments, but whenever she saw something really pretty, she’d always say, “f*cking nice.” 

Kelson coughed. “Miss, it’s best if you try not to use that word anymore.”

“Is it a bad word?” I asked.

“It’s better to use the word ‘immensely’ instead.”

‘Immensely… immensely.’

I repeated the word in my mind several times.

“It’s not the nicest room in the house, so don’t worry too much and make yourself comfortable. I’ll get someone to help you clean up,” Kelson said while I repeated the new word in my head. 

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I nodded in response.

 “Then I’ll leave you alone.” 

“Excuse me.”

“Yes?” He replied as he stopped in his tracks and turned around to face me before heading towards the door.

“Thank you.”