“What?”

The old lady narrowed her brows, tugged at the summer shawl around her shoulders, and snorted.

“Look here, young lady. I should be the one saying that.”

“……”

“This is my house. Who are you?”

Despite being startled by the aggressive attitude, Eloise didn’t back down. Instead, she widened her glass-bead-like blue eyes even more.

“I am the granddaughter of Simon’s niece. I came from Maybery, and my mother’s name is Catherine Bailey, oh, her maiden name was Fairban.”

She added a word with a composed face.

“You must have received the letter my mother sent.”

“Ah, that one.”

The old lady’s eyes gleamed as if she just remembered. It was the moment a glimmer of hope was about to appear on Eloise’s face as she clasped her hands together.

“I threw that letter away.”

“You threw it away? Why?”

When Eloise asked in a reproachful tone, the lady suddenly got irritated as if it were bothersome.

“It’s been over ten years since I bought this house! What do I care about letters sent to the previous owner?”

“What? That’s……”

The person living in this house was not Uncle Simon. At the unexpected answer, Eloise felt her legs weaken and her vision darkened.

Who would have thought this would happen?

If it weren’t for the existence of a kind uncle in the first place, she wouldn’t have made the reckless plan to go to the capital.

Now, what should I do?

“I don’t remember well, but I think it was written to take good care of the child……”

The old lady mumbled as she pushed up her glasses with her dry, branch-like fingers.

But there was no way Eloise, who was lost in serious worries, could properly hear that sound.

“Sending a child to someone who hasn’t been in contact for over ten years, are they in their right mind? And such a young lady alone at that?”

Tsk, at the sound of the tongue clicking, Eloise abruptly raised her head.

Although her face was still pale white, her voice carrying a clear emotion was quite firm.

“I begged to go to the capital on a whim. Mother had no choice but to give in. So please don’t speak carelessly.”

“Well……”

The wrinkled lips of the lady twisted crookedly.

Maybery, you came from far away.

The old lady muttered softly, scooped up the meowing cat rubbing its face against her ankle, and asked.

“So, now that you have nowhere to stay, are you going back home like this?”

“No, I can’t……”

Eloise trailed off, clutched her skirt for no reason, and soon picked up the square luggage bag she had put down at her feet.

“I’ll have to find a way from now on. I apologize for the inconvenience. Then……”

“Wait, young lady!”

A sharp voice stopped Eloise as she turned around.

“Wandering the streets at night with the appearance of an obvious outsider is not a good idea. It seems like it’s your first time in the capital.”

“That’s true, but I think I need to find a place to stay before it gets too late.”

Indeed, while talking to the lady, the evening sky had noticeably darkened.

Moreover, the wind was so cold that it wouldn’t be strange to say it was autumn. Nevertheless, Eloise was so anxious that she was about to break out in a cold sweat.

‘For now, there won’t be a carriage to return right away, so I need to find a place to stay first. Of course, even if I can’t find one, I can’t go back like this……”

Still, this was the royal capital of Brightnum. Surely there would be a place to rest for a night.

She remembered passing by several inns and boarding houses on the way here.

For now, she just wanted to lie down her body that felt like collapsing at any moment.

If she found a room to stay, she would sleep deeply today, and from tomorrow, she planned to look for a place to live in the future.

‘Come to think of it, I’ll have to look for a job starting tomorrow since I have to pay for unexpected lodging.’

Eloise sighed heavily, forgetting that she was standing in front of someone else’s house.

‘If I look, there might be jobs that provide room and board, right? This is the capital. So maybe……’

But nothing could be solved just by thinking. First, she had to hurry and find a place to stay before it got darker.

I shouldn’t be discouraged by something like this. Considering that I’ll be going to look for a job starting tomorrow, this much is……

“Hey, young lady. What’s your name?”

Eloise, who was shivering with a serious face, suddenly looked back.

The old lady with a gruff expression was leaning against the doorway, looking at her.

Her eyes were strangely observant, just like the skinny cat she was holding.

“……Eloise Bailey. But why are you asking for my name?”

“Miss Bailey, how about boarding at my house?”

“Boarding?”

The two eyes that had been gloomy suddenly opened wide.

“You’re in trouble now, aren’t you? You’ll have to spend an unexpected large sum of money. It seems you have circumstances that prevent you from going back, so why don’t you stay at my house for a lower rate than the market price? It’s bothersome to find a place to stay, isn’t it?”

There was nothing wrong with what she said.

However, it was also true that it was somewhat suspicious for the lady, who had been cold the whole time, to suddenly change her attitude.

“Why are you making such a proposal all of a sudden? Have you been taking in boarders originally?”

“I’ve been thinking about doing it these days, but I was hesitant to let a complete stranger into my house. But I think it would be fine with a young lady like you.”

“……”

As Eloise hesitated, the old lady hastily added a few words.

“It’s a house with only me and a cat, so it will be comfortable for a young lady to live in! There’s a room on the second floor that my son used to use, so I’ll give you that. He’s my only family, but he left for Chatham two years ago.”

Chatham. It was definitely a place name she had heard in the carriage. Eloise’s lips moved on their own.

“That’s where the military academy is.”

“You know about it? I guess its reputation is well-known even that far away. But there’s nothing there except for that.”

Eloise blamed herself for thoughtlessly recalling Ansel and rubbed her tired face.

“So, what are you going to do?”

“I’ll do it.”

It was an immediate answer when she thought it wouldn’t be. The old lady let out a wind-like chuckle.

“Huh? Without even seeing the room?”

“As long as it’s a room where I can just sleep, it’s fine. It’s a room your son used, so it should be okay. If it’s boarding and meals are provided at a lower rate than the market price, there’s no reason to refuse.”

She had a face that had lost all hope, but her attitude in accepting the offer was quite energetic.

The old lady nodded her head in satisfaction.

“That’s right, you made a good decision. However, as you can see, I’m old and there’s no one to help with the housework. It’s better not to expect too much of a meal.”

“Yes, I don’t mind.”

“Good. The wind is cold, so let’s go in now.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Call me Mrs. Mullitch.”

“Yes, Mrs. Mullitch.”

The house she entered following the old lady who swiftly turned around was dim with only a few candles burning.

Inside the house, there was a musty smell that seemed to come from old tea leaves.

It wasn’t very pleasant, but Eloise was just happy thinking that she could finally get a proper night’s sleep in a bed.

Closing the door behind her back, Eloise followed the strict landlady up the stairs.

“……Ah.”

That’s when the lady stopped as if she remembered something.

“What is it, Mrs. Mullitch?”

“You have to pay a deposit, Eloise.”

“Ah, of course, usually.”

She had unintentionally forgotten, but paying a deposit, that is, paying a month’s rent in advance, was a common practice.

Although her heart sank at the sudden fact, the deposit was money she would have had to pay even if she went somewhere else.

‘It’s okay. If I add the allowance my father gave me to the money I brought, I think I can manage to pay the deposit and somehow get by until I find a job.’

Eloise, who had barely regained her composure, asked readily.

“I just need to give you a month’s rent, right?”

“No. I’ll have to receive two months’ worth. The rent will be paid afterwards.”

It was a strict attitude with no room for negotiation, let alone a needle to slip through. A dumbfounded voice involuntarily escaped.

“What? Two months’ worth?”

“I have my own circumstances. Why? Don’t tell me you don’t have money?”

However, Mrs. Mullitch stood with her arms crossed, showing no sign of backing down.

The cat in her arms was also glaring at Eloise with a sullen face.

If she said she didn’t have money, it seemed like the lady would look for another boarder and tell her to get out at once.

It felt like she would be ruthlessly driven out into the cold, windy street.

“No, they sent you here without even giving you that much money? What kind of household is……”

“I have it!”

Eloise closed her eyes tightly and quickly stopped the lady’s words.

It wasn’t a lie. It would definitely be insufficient with just the money she had brought, but if she added the emergency funds she received from Sarah, she could pay the price without any shortage.

“……I can give it to you, ma’am.”

However, Eloise’s voice inevitably choked up. She hadn’t intended to spend it so simply like this.

I really can’t do without my sister. I didn’t expect to suddenly realize that obvious fact in such a unfamiliar place.

It was only natural for her to immensely hate herself for running away because it was painful to watch the happiness of that sister.

Out of habit, Eloise bit her lips hard as her eyes became hot.

‘No. I came here to find my place. So let’s stop thinking negatively.’

She couldn’t suddenly start crying in front of the landlady she met for the first time today, so Eloise decided to think about something else.

‘Hmm…… I should probably start looking for a job right from tomorrow, right?’

What kind of work will I do? Nothing will be easy while staying here, but whatever it is, I’ll work hard.

While doing that, my lost and wandering heart will also find its place someday, and then I……. will be happy next to my family……

“Haa.”

Can it really be like that? The distant sorrow and fatigue felt like they would collapse under her feet at any moment.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to unpack?”

“No, I’m coming.”

Now she really wanted to rest.