5
“Now, now, wrong? You’ve got it backward. The one at fault here is you, my lady. Keep interfering in our work and we’ll report you to the master, have him give you a proper thrashing. Honestly, do you even know what the word means before you use it?”
“You didn’t hear me? It’s not wrong, it’s wront! Wront!”
When the servants showed not the slightest change in their attitude, rage flared hot through me. Arms crossed, I marched right past them.
“This won’t do. You’d better all be ready for punishment.”
At that, one of the larger men seized me off the ground as though I weighed nothing.
“Why, you little–!”
“P-put me down!”
Though it was only a light lift, being held at a grown man’s chest-height was a grave threat for such a small body. Desperate, I turned to the maid who usually brought me my meals, silently pleading for help.
Her face was stricken, on the verge of tears, but all she did was scrape away the part of my bread they had spoiled, lips clamped shut.
That told me everything at once. That maid was a slave. And those louts who stole my food? Commoners. That’s why she didn’t dare raise her voice.
“I said put me down!”
I shouted and kicked the man square in the stomach.
“Y-you little brat!”
He doubled over, and at last my feet found the ground again. The moment I was free, I clenched my teeth and bolted.
I’ll tell. I’ll tell! I’ll make sure of it!
Forgetting even that I was supposed to be hiding, I dashed wildly through the halls until a courtyard opened before me. A broad-chested chestnut tree caught my eye, and despite myself, I grinned.
***
“Stop right there!”
The man I’d kicked swung his arms, but they sliced only empty air, the nimble child was already out of reach. His fellows chuckled, treating the scene as a farce.
“Quit wasting time. Just grab another bite while you can.”
“Yeah, what’s the fuss? The kid’ll be tossed aside anyway. No need to get worked up.”
Just then, a bell rang twice, marking the end of the break. The workers, knowing the overseer’s temper, cursed and flung their half-eaten food onto the floor.
“There goes our good time.”
They started crowding toward the entrance, noisy as ever.
“Well, at least the brat gave us a laugh – gah!”
The first man to step across the threshold slipped with a cry.
“What the, ahhh!”
Those behind him stumbled and fell in a heap.
“Aaagh! It stings! What is this?!”
The ground was scattered thick with spiky chestnut burrs.
“What in..?”
Not far off, a glazed jar lay on its side, the last sheen of olive oil still glistening where it had spilled.
***
In a rush, I’d gathered burrs from the garden and strewn them at the kitchen entrance. That should have taught them at least a little lesson.
‘But this isn’t enough.’
If I wanted the servants properly chastised, I would need the help of Lord Tiverius himself, the one who had brought me here.
So I crept behind a massive urn near the master’s office, waiting. The rumor that he was furious with me for being powerless lingered in my mind, but still, I chose to believe in the man whose deeds filled our clan’s chronicles.
The Annals of Ignitus, the definitive history of our house, told in exhaustive detail from the clan’s mythic birth to its golden age. Volumes 26 and 27 were devoted entirely to Lord Tiverius, a paragon of order, a guardian of principles.
He was not the kind of man who, simply because he disliked me, would stand idle while Lady Calidora and her parents were scorned by commoners.
‘So I’ll tell him. I have to. I can’t keep living like this.’
I clenched my fists and waited. At last, Lord Tiverius emerged from his office with several retainers in tow.
Good. This was my chance.
“Lord Patriarch!”
The moment I revealed myself, gasps rippled through the hall.
“M-my lady…?”
“How – how did she get out? We were just told she was safely in her chambers—”
Even Lord Tiverius wore shock plainly upon his face.
“My lord, I have something to say–”
“Take her back. Quickly.”
“Forgive us, my lady.”
Before I could utter another word, a strong servant swept me up as though I were a bundle of cloth.
“No! Lord Tiverius!”
But I was carried straight back to my chamber.
“You mustn’t come out, my lady! Especially today, never today! Guests will be arriving soon!”
“I… but–”
My protests died on my lips when I saw how flustered the servant was, sweat beading on his brow.
“It’s dangerous. Please, just stay quietly here!”
The door slammed shut, and I was left alone once more.
***
The next morning.
“Hi-yah!”
With the aid of the tablecloth, I once again wrestled the door open, only to despair at the stout inner gate barring the corridor.
“No…!”
If I forced that open, it would surely draw everyone’s eyes. I paced in anxious circles until a cool draft brushed the nape of my neck.
It was the window. The open window let in the morning air.
I thought quickly.
‘If I throw the curtain outside and use it to climb down…’
Amazing, how sharp the mind grows when doing exactly what one ought not to do. Even with an ancestor’s soul inside me, some things never changed.
Without hesitation, I hurled the crimson drapery out the window, grabbed hold, and began to lower myself.
“Uh…?”
I had managed to cling to it, but a sudden gust of wind caught the fabric, whipping it violently.
‘Th-this is higher than I thought!’
Dangling helplessly, I cried out.
“Help meeee!”
“A child’s voice? What in– my lady!”
“Who put her up there?!”
Luckily, slaves working in the garden spotted me. With their aid, I was brought safely down, though my knees trembled too hard to hold me.
At once, household servants came running, shouting furiously.
“My lady, why are you causing so much trouble since yesterday? We thought you were a docile child, but if you keep this up, there will be serious consequences!”
“H-hhnngg…”
“Don’t raise your voice so. Just take her back to her room. I’ll inform the master myself.”
I froze at those words. I had no desire to go through another ordeal of escape. And if they barred the window this time, I’d be trapped completely.
“Come along now. Just endure this busy season, and the lord will surely resolve matters. Bear with it a little longer, do you understand?”
Seizing a moment when the maid’s grip loosened, I tore free and ran.
“M-my lady!”
“Catch her! Stop the young mistress!”
“No! I have something to say, I told you!”
I darted around the building and slipped into the outer courtyard, thick with summer growth. The grasses, taller than I was, offered perfect cover.
“My lady! Where are you, my lady!”
Voices searched for me, but I crawled in the opposite direction, sweat stinging my eyes and nettles scratching my skin raw.
‘Ancestors, why is it so hard to find you? We live in the same house, yet we never meet. I’m starting to… get discouraged slightly…’
When at last the shouts faded, I paused, exhaling heavily.
“Haaah…”
Exhaustion weighed me down. Never in life had I felt such—
“- Uhh?”
At the end of my sigh, a spark leapt from my lips. Small, flickering, it died within seconds but it was fire.
“Th-that was…”
Startled, I sprang upright.
‘It was fire. I’m sure of it.’
I seized a handful of weeds, blew upon them…
‘Fwoosh!’
The blades kindled instantly.
What in the world… So I can use my power.
