“...My feelings.”
Elysia thought back to what she had felt when looking at Sheyla.
That emptiness she had never expected to see on a child's face.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, twitching several times, but she couldn't bring herself to write.
After staring at the screen for a long while, she finally began typing one letter at a time.
『The moment I saw Lady Sheyla's expression, I couldn't help being shocked.
Even if she is a young lady, she is still just a child. Yet the face of that small child looked so empty, as though she had given up on everything.
Almost like someone standing on the verge of giving up on life itself.
I still don't know why she is suffering, or why she refuses to speak and communicates only through writing.
But one thing is certain. Lady Sheyla has gone through something incredibly painful.
I don't know whether it's even appropriate for someone like me to try to learn the reason behind it.』
After taking her hands off the keyboard, Elysia let out a sigh.
The reason she hesitated wasn't simply because Sheyla was young.
There was a deeper reason.
The moment she thought of it, memories she didn't want to recall surfaced, and she rubbed her forehead.
Just then—
『Counseling Log No. 01 has been registered!』
“Registered?”
Snapping back to attention, Elysia looked at the screen.
『Friend in need of a story: Sheyla May Demint』
『Friend's condition: Selective Mutism, Paranoid Personality Disorder (partially applicable), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder』
“What... what does that mean?”
Selective? Disorder?
Did that mean Sheyla had some kind of illness?
Unable to hide her confusion, Elysia leaned closer to the screen.
The words slowly began changing.
Following the text as it shifted, Elysia eventually slumped back into her chair.
She couldn't fully understand everything written there.
But by reading the terms and explanations, she could make a rough guess.
Lady Sheyla wasn't simply choosing not to speak.
Something had happened that caused her to stop speaking.
Leaning helplessly against the chair, Elysia stared blankly at the screen for a long time.
One particular sentence stood out.
『Possible common causes: Violence, abuse, parental upbringing, difficulty forming relationships with peers』
Unable to bear it any longer, Elysia shut the laptop.
Even after seeing it with her own eyes, she found it hard to believe.
"I've heard it before too."
She remembered Sheyla writing those words on the paper.
That expressionless face appeared in her mind once again.
The next moment, Elysia fled to the bed as if escaping.
After checking that Joshua was asleep, she lay down beside him.
Sensing her presence even in his sleep, he instinctively snuggled closer.
“Noonaa...”
Without saying anything, Elysia gently patted him.
Afraid he might drift away, she pulled him into her arms.
"He can't hear."
"Can he not talk either?"
"He's pretending to be normal by just talking loudly."
"That's because his sister..."
The memories crept into her mind like smoke.
Elysia squeezed her eyes shut.
It's okay.
Ignoring the memories, she focused on the warmth in her arms.
Repeating the words to herself again and again.
It's okay.
Thud.
“Move out of the way. You're getting on my nerves.”
She had expected it, but the bullying from the maids who disliked her first impression continued all day.
Even if she was Sheyla's personal maid, Elysia was still a newcomer.
A maid with no status, no money, and no family connections had suddenly become the young lady's attendant.
To them, she wasn't just unlikeable.
She was a thorn in their side.
Whether she was collecting laundry or cleaning, Elysia tried her best not to attract attention.
But the more she avoided them, the more openly they targeted her.
One day became two.
Then three.
Nearly a week passed.
Now it had gone beyond simply bumping into her shoulder.
They would strike her back with objects while walking past.
Some even hooked her legs with brooms to make her trip.
“Isn't this getting a little too much?”
“What can you do?”
The other maids knew the situation was becoming worse.
But nobody stepped in.
There was nothing to gain from helping her.
Small injuries gradually accumulated on Elysia's body, though thankfully they remained hidden beneath her clothing.
Should she be grateful for that?
Elysia became even more determined not to react.
What they wanted was a reaction from her.
And more importantly, Joshua and Sheyla were spending a great deal of time together.
"It seems Lady Sheyla likes your younger brother."
"Lady Sheyla?"
When Hillmayton had said that, Elysia had been surprised, but she couldn't completely deny it.
Every time she brought meals to Sheyla's room, Joshua was there.
The strange thing was that they never actually seemed to do anything together.
They always sat some distance apart.
Whether Joshua was sleeping or chatting endlessly, Sheyla simply watched him.
Almost as if she were observing him.
Her attitude was closer to curiosity than hostility.
At first Elysia tried bringing Joshua out of the room.
But Sheyla firmly refused.
[Leave him.]
[Bring his meal here too.]
Joshua seemed happy to have someone his age around.
But Elysia couldn't understand Sheyla's intentions.
“Elysia, Lady Sheyla's dinner is ready. Take it upstairs.”
“Yes, Chef!”
Elysia quickly finished what she was doing and headed to the kitchen.
She loaded the meal onto a serving cart and began pushing it toward the second floor.
Then—
Clatter!
“Ah!”
Someone suddenly bumped into her shoulder as they passed.
The cart shook violently.
Fortunately, most of the food remained in place.
But one thing didn't.
The soup sloshed over the edge and splashed directly onto the back of Elysia's hand.
The burning sensation made her flinch.
The person who had hit her stopped and looked back.
“Oh my, sorry. But you're making a big fuss over nothing.”
Giggle.
The woman laughed and walked away.
Elysia stared after her.
Branda.
That was her name.
She was the leader of the group bullying Elysia.
Linked arm-in-arm with another maid, Branda laughed cheerfully as she walked away.
Elysia quickly wiped the spilled soup from her hand, the cart, and the tray using her apron.
There wasn't much time before dinner had to be served.
At the very least, she wanted everything to look neat.
She moved the soup to the lower shelf of the cart and rearranged the dishes so the main course sat on top.
That was the best she could do.
Lady Sheyla will definitely notice...
Feeling nervous, Elysia knocked on Sheyla's door.
When it opened, she smiled as she always did.
“Lady Sheyla, I've brought your dinner.”
Sheyla nodded slightly and opened the door wider.
Inside, Joshua closed the book he had been reading on the bed.
“Noona!”
“Joshua. Your meal is here too.”
Acting as naturally as possible, Elysia began setting the dishes on the table by the window.
Joshua and Sheyla sat facing each other, eagerly watching as the food was laid out.
While Elysia poured water into their cups, Joshua suddenly sniffed the air.
Then he tilted his head.
“Noona, did you eat soup?”
“Huh?”
Elysia froze.
“You smell like soup. You ate some without me!”
“Come on, no way. I was just in the kitchen.”
“But there's no soup today...”
Joshua pouted when he noticed soup wasn't among the dishes.
Elysia smiled innocently.
Meanwhile, Sheyla, who had been silently observing everything, shifted her gaze.
After finishing the table setting, Elysia stepped back.
“I'll go ask the kitchen for more soup. It seems I accidentally forgot it. I'm sorry, Lady Sheyla.”
Sheyla simply stared at her.
Taking the opportunity, Elysia quietly left the room.
Fortunately, it seemed they hadn't noticed the soup hidden on the lower shelf.
Perhaps she could just return to the kitchen and ask for another bowl.
At that moment, the door opened slightly.
Sheyla stepped out.
“Lady Sheyla?”
Still staring intently at her, Sheyla suddenly grabbed Elysia's hand.
The very hand that had been burned when the cart was struck earlier.
