Chapter 2
****
"What on earth were you doing to hurt yourself like this?"
Lou, the head maid, clicked her tongue and uncapped the vial. A pungent herbal scent stung Dana's nose.
"It'll sting a little."
Lou began to apply the medicine to the wound. The thick ointment bubbled white against her skin. Dana had to bite her lips tightly.
"Good girl."
Lou laughed and applied the bandage. The head-splitting pain subsided by the time the knot was tied.
"You can't just leave the wound alone. You'll get tetanus if you do."
"Yes...."
Dana replied, and just as she did, a hooded stream of water poured down from the window.
"Ugh, why is it raining like that...."
Lou muttered to herself, then looked back at Dana.
"From now on, if you get hurt, you're going to clean yourself up right away. Do you understand?"
"Yes...."
Lou stared down at the tiny girl as she obediently replied.
Her light brown hair, her small, slender face, and her deer-like eyes.
She was the kind of girl who made her smile whenever she looked at her.
Lou had liked Dana Bodan ever since she was a little girl knocking on her door six years ago, clutching an old tin bag.
When she asked her if she'd walked all the way from the harbor, she nodded slowly and looked scared, like she was wondering what she'd done wrong...
A wistful smile crossed Lou's face as she reminisced. She pulled something from her basket and placed it in Dana's arms.
"Here, take this. It's the last of the Vermit apples."
Dana's eyes widened a little, but then she smiled sheepishly.
"......Thank you."
Lou watched her tuck the apple into her pocket.
"By the way, you guys are going mushroom picking in the Corinthian Forest soon, so I'll save you some medicine just in case. You can use it if you need it."
"Sure."
"What else do you think you'll need? Oh, bandages."
Dana diligently stuffed the items Lou handed her into her pockets. After a while, her apron pockets bulged out to either side like a squirrel storing acorns.
Lou choked back a laugh that threatened to burst out and patted her small shoulder.
"There, now you go. Don't forget to sanitize your wounds once a day."
"Thank you."
Dana bowed and left the room.
***
The rain had stopped by afternoon. Dana threw the window wide open.
Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, tinkle...
Listening to the cheerful rhythm of the rainwater in the gutters, Dana rested her chin on the window sill and looked up at the sky.
The sun was poking its head through the clouds, eagerly clearing the gray sky.
Her face turned to the window sill directly in front of her.
Something was there. It was a snail, a small, round house on a pale apricot-colored body.
Dana craned her head forward, her eyes following the tiny, slow trajectory it made.
Ding, ding.
The chiming clock jolted her awake.
Dana gathered up the apple she'd gotten from Lou earlier and threw her shawl over her shoulders. She turned to walk toward the hill where Seyfried lay.
"What are you staring at?”
The icy voice struck her ears again. Dana's brow narrowed and her pace slowed.
Why did she have to be so stupid? To stare at a nobleman like that...hadn’t she just blurted out something about Master Edwin?
In truth, there was a reason why Dana was acting so stupid that day.
As she stood there, facing the man's stern question, she had only one thought.
What if he heard everything she said? What then? What if he told Master Edwin everything...?
".........I don't think so."
Dana muttered through the long grass. If he did, she wouldn't be wandering around so leisurely right now. Hastings House was strict about their servants.
Servants were not allowed to speak to their masters without a specific reason, and interaction or romance between male and female servants was strictly forbidden.
The mere fact that a lowly maid had taken a special liking to the eldest son of the Hastings family was reason enough to be sent away.
'Don't forget, Dana. There is nothing wrong with your heart. It's never a sin if you keep it in a drawer and lock it up.’
Dana remembered her late grandfather's words and vowed never to make that mistake again.
Before she knew it, she was at the tree. At any other time, she would have climbed it, but instead she stared upward for a long time.
Surely there wasn't another man there?
She looked around nervously.
Thankfully, no one was there. All she could see through the lush foliage was blinding sunlight.
Relieved, Dana began to climb the tree. She stretched out her arms, grabbed a firm branch, and pushed herself upward.
She had finally arrived at her secret place, a place where she could look down on the world.
She looked up and saw a familiar view.
In the midst of a blue sky and black ocean, Dana seemed to be floating in the sky.
She leaned against a sturdy post and took a bite of the apple Lou had given her. It was crisp and sweet, and the juices flooded her mouth.
The sky was blue and the breeze was cool. The sunlight streaming through the lush foliage was dazzling and warm.
She was happy.
Dana leaned back and basked in the peaceful sunlight.
***
"Like clockwork!"
"As precise as a machine, and as natural!"
"We are proud housemaids. Perfect servants of House Hastings in the service of our master."
The maids' chorus echoed through the master's hall. Head maid Rosi looked around at them with satisfaction.
"Yes, you are the proud House Maids and General Servants of House Hastings. You are to move like clockwork, and work with the precision and perfection of a machine."
Finished, Rosi walked over to the wall and tacked up a piece of paper.
"Today, as announced, is mushroom picking day in the Corinthian Forest. We've organized you into groups of two, just in case anything goes wrong. Please identify your partner."
The maids laughed and linked arms with their mates.
Except for one couple.
The maids' eyes fell on Dana and Dorothy.
"Oh, my God, Dana, I'm so sorry."
"I'd rather be on my own......."
Dana walked up to Dorothy with a straight face.
"Take care of yourself, Dorothy."
Dorothy didn't say anything. Dana didn't know what to do in the face of her angry, open-mouthed expression.
"Look at her."
"How could she do that? I don't want to see her."
Once again, it was the head maid, who calmed the commotion.
"Come on, everyone, gather around. I'm sure you're all familiar with the rules, but let's check the shape and color of the poisonous mushrooms one more time before we set off."
It wasn't just a simple mushroom hunt. It was about traveling to every nook and cranny of the forest and removing poisonous mushrooms along the way.
There was an old and very gruesome story at Belvida's cottage.
Hundreds of years ago, when Hastings was not the owner, a crazed laborer poisoned the entire family and their guests with poisonous mushrooms from the forest.
Ever since, mushroom picking had been a monthly ritual at Belvida, both to prepare for any unfortunate events and to reassure the manor's guests.
"Now depart. At two o'clock, the bell in the clock tower will ring. Fill your baskets with mushrooms by then."
The maids, each with a basket at their side, walked with their partners toward the forest.
"Oh, I hate mushroom picking the most in the world."
"Exactly. How can you do something so futile with a story that's hundreds of years old?"
Leah and Betsy's whining words rang out. Dorothy had a disgruntled look on her face, as if she was thinking the same thing.
Unlike most of the maids, Dana loved the mushroom hunt.
The Corinthian forest was a treasure trove.
Walking alongside the centuries-old trees, listening to the cool stream, it was like being in a secret forest in a fairy tale, especially at this time of year, when butterflies danced in colonies. Deeper into the forest, there were jade-colored pools of water and small waterfalls to cool off in.
"Shall we go that way?"
"We'll go that way."
The maids formed a circle and soon scattered in different directions. Dana quickened her pace and caught up to Dorothy, who was leading the way.
"Over there...."
A lifeless, grayish face looked back at Dana.
"Why don't we go by the waterfall? I know where there are a lot of mushrooms there, and with all the rain we've had lately, there should be more sprouting."
Dorothy stared at Dana for a moment, then nodded.
The stream gurgled behind them. The smell of earth rose with each step on the damp leaves.
Unlike Dana, who was soaking up the forest atmosphere, Dorothy's face grew grim and she sighed incessantly.
As was often the case when a weak person was forced to do something they didn’t like, they didn't make it halfway before they were dead.
"Ah!"
Dorothy, limping along, stepped on a mossy stone and slipped. Dana rushed to her aid.
"Ouch...."
Dorothy sobbed, holding her ankle.
"Can you stand up?"
Dana held out her arms to Dorothy. She managed to pull herself up, but she couldn't stand on her own.
"No, I can't. I can't........"
Dana helped Dorothy up and sat her down on a wooden stump. Dorothy pulled her knee-high stockings down to her ankles. Blood trickled down her skinned knee.
"You go alone."
Dorothy said bluntly and kicked an empty basket aside.
"That's ...... why everyone hates me, I'm dirty and messy and a nuisance to people."
Instead of answering, Dana pulled out an ointment and bandages and handed them to Dorothy.
"You can get a disease called tetanus if you don't sanitize it right away…."
"Never mind. Don't pretend to care."
The venom in her tone sent a chill down Dana's spine.
"Go."
Dana turned her head toward the trail. The waterfall was just a short distance away.
"Okay, I'll go by myself."
Dana replied, picking up Dorothy's empty basket. Dorothy, who had been stiff and rigid, looked a little surprised.
"I'll be right back. Sit down and get some rest."
The road to the waterfall was flat. But yesterday's rain was a problem. Dana had to step very carefully to avoid slipping.
Instead, the path was lined with poisonous mushrooms.
Red antlers, yellow plates, blue spotted... Dana diligently collected them in her basket like she was on a treasure hunt.
How much time had passed?
She was sweating and her legs ached. She could hear the distant sound of water. Dana pushed forward through the undergrowth.
Finally, Cologne Falls came into view.
It was about as tall as two grown men combined.
It was actually too small and low to be a waterfall, but the water was turbulent and the pool at the bottom was quite deep, so everyone just called it a waterfall.
Dana climbed the steep slope to the top.
As expected, there were plenty of mushrooms growing along the damp stone crevices. Dana squatted down and rolled up her sleeves in earnest.
Most of the poisonous mushrooms were creepily colorful, but some were small, round, and cute. The ones in front of Dana's eyes were like that. What's more, their location and shape made them look like a family.
In human terms, it was as if a terrifying monster had appeared and wiped out the entire family.
‘I'm sorry, kids.’
Dana whispered in her mind.
"Marcus, you idiot!"
A rustling sound came from the grass opposite, followed by a shout.
"What did you do, jump on Teddy like that?"
“Yes, you poor bastard. Teddy is hell-bent on beating Prince Harrison next season, and don't you know he's changed all the horses for the race this time?"
Dana froze like a rabbit caught by the ears at the familiar name of Teddy. The sound of rustling footsteps grew closer.
She should have run, but strangely, she was frozen in place. The bushes opposite opened and men poured out. At the head of the line was Master Edwin.
***
To donate for extra chapters for my series or to tip me visit my personal kofi page
Write a comment