Chapter 3

Unaware that Erica’s face was gradually reddening with anger as she blinked in bewilderment, Pechenik laughed heartily. “Little maid! How did you know it was my birthday and prepare a candle? How thoughtful!” “…Eek.” Erica gnawed on her lips. Given her worn, dirty clothes and unkempt hair, it was understandable to mistake her for a maid rather than the young lady of a count’s family. But blowing out someone else’s birthday candle was impolite. For a grown man to behave more childishly than a child, where had his manners gone? “…It’s not your birthday, mister.” “Huh?” However, looking at the extinguished candle, Erica couldn’t bring herself to get angry and ended up saying weakly: “It’s my birthday.” She wanted to express her anger, but she wasn’t used to it. She didn’t know how to express it. Instead, only a sigh-like sorrow filled her heart. “This is my wish… The day I make my wish, only once a year…” It felt as if the small, thin, blackened candle was whispering to her. Silly girl, today isn’t your birthday after all. Feeling like she might cry, she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. Now that someone else had stolen her birthday wish, Erica couldn’t make a wish anymore. “I… I’m sorry.” Pechenik scratched his beard. Even drunk, his comprehension wasn’t completely muddled. This must be that young maid’s birthday. “Instead of the birthday candle, I’ll grant your wish. How about that? I’m rich, so I can buy you any gift you want.” Pechenik pointed at the old teddy bear next to the girl. “How about a much bigger and cuter rabbit doll than that dirty ball of cotton?” Erica didn’t answer. Pechenik misunderstood this as agreement. “I’ll send it to the Count’s manor as soon as it’s light tomorrow. Which room do you work in? The kitchen? The laundry? I’ll just send it to the Head Maid, so you can pick it up, alright?” “…” Erica clutched the egg tart in her right hand. She hugged the teddy bear with her left arm. “I don’t need it. That’s not my wish.” Erica stood up from the fountain. “You make a wish, mister. You stole my wish, after all.” “No, no. I don’t have a wish.” “Liar. How can anyone in the world not have a wish?” “I used to, long ago.” The drunken Pechenik began to ramble about his personal history without being asked. “I can’t tell you how much I prayed just to see my sweet daughter grow up and get married.” “…” “One day, I thought maybe I was being too greedy, so I reduced my wish. Just for my daughter to live one more year.” “…” “Do you know how much money I donated to the temple when I prayed? They probably built two mansions like this with the offerings I made.” “…You must be really rich.” “Of course. There are no poor among the Teneuarha.” “…” Teneuarha. Erica raised her head at the familiar word. She couldn’t believe this foolish-looking middle-aged man belonged to the same Imperial Knights as her father. “So, tell me anything. What shall I buy you?” Pechenik asked again. It didn’t feel right to just walk away after snatching the birthday candle from a dirty little maid and making her cry. So he intended to promise a birthday gift and leave with a clear conscience. “…Help me leave the Count’s manor.” Erica opened her mouth. “Please help me.” Clear eyes looked up at Pechenik. “That’s what I was going to wish for.” She had to tilt her head back as if looking at the sky; the man was so tall. Pechenik didn’t have the manners to bend his knee for a mere young maid. Their gazes met. Pechenik was silent for a while. His eyes now scrutinized the child thoroughly. …She must be bullied among the maids. The scars around her eyes and on her forearms. At first glance, he had simply thought that Count Hereis’s manor was quite strict in training young maids. But even for a maid, her appearance was excessively shabby. It wasn’t polite to casually judge the standards of a count’s servants, but on days like this, when guests came, even young maids were usually dressed in clean clothes. Yet the child looked no better than a beggar from the slums. This is too much. For a young maid to want to leave the Count’s manor of her own accord, something must be seriously wrong. He knew well enough that Count Hereis neglected his family affairs entirely. Probably an issue with how the Countess or Head Maid managed the servants— “…That would be difficult.” Pechenik couldn’t interfere. There were unwritten rules in the world of nobility. Being close friends with Count Hereis, he could probably get one young maid out if he spoke carefully, but the trouble involved in ‘speaking carefully’ was considerable. “If you don’t need a gift, I’ll be on my way then.” “…” “Are you sure you don’t want anything? A rabbit doll?” “…” “I’m going?” “…” Erica still did not answer, and Pechenik finally turned away. “…” Erica stared blankly at his broad back as he walked away. There was no particular meaning to it. After a few steps, Pechenik suddenly stopped. His bear-like broad back turned around. “Oh, happy birthday.” He said, awkwardly scratching his nose. It might have already been past midnight. “…Mmm.” Erica hugged her teddy bear tightly. She felt shy. “Thank you.” It’s the first time I’ve heard that. It wasn’t my birthday yesterday or today. It was just a day I decided on my own. She hid the feelings welling up in her throat. “Happy birthday to you, too, mister!” Erica smiled for once. Her smile, with eyes curved into crescents, was so lovably childlike. “Dad, happy birthday!” Pechenik felt as if someone had struck the back of his head, suddenly reminded of his dead daughter. “…Right.” That’s when he realized he was in big trouble. “…Thank you.” It was a disaster. The box of memories he had kept closed for so long was forcibly torn open. It was undoubtedly a disaster. How had he managed to forget how much he had loved his daughter, only to wake up to a life left alone? The resurrected nightmare engulfed Pechenik like the plague that had killed his wife and daughter long ago. “…” Even as he returned to drink until dawn, even after falling into a dream, Even when he grasped his sword at the knights’ morning training, which began without fail. “…Damn it.” Longing easily gouged his heart. Like a fragrance already scattered to the wind from a wide-open box, people who could never return. A life that wasn’t fun at all, whether holding a sword or smiling stupidly. The emptiness that had begun was an endless abyss. One year later. Erica met that stranger again. Pechenik held his birthday party at Count Hereis’s manor this time too. The Count’s family was dumbfounded, but from the Countess’s perspective, it was fortunate that he had given notice in advance this time. “Madam, did you know? The little maid here has the same birthday as I. I found out by chance last year.” “My, how interesting. I should tell the Head Maid to give that child a piece of cake.” The Countess replied, wearing a mask of kindness. She had no interest in knowing the birthday of a manor maid, but showing off noblesse oblige at times like this was easy. Of course, the Head Maid couldn’t find any maid whose birthday was today, so in the end, the cake wasn’t delivered to anyone. Erica, whose actual birthday it was, secretly stole a small piece of bread and stuck a candle in it. She now knew that for her 8th birthday, she should put 8 candles, but she couldn’t get that many candles. Not wanting to miss the chance like last year, she quickly blew out the candle and made a wish. Please help me leave the Count’s manor. It was a wish spoken rapidly, whoosh. Then Erica spotted Pechenik in the corridor. He was the person with the same birthday as her. Feeling glad, she ran up to him first and spoke. “…Mister.”