Maiana chuckled softly, patting Ariante’s shoulders as if sympathizing with her.

“Well, of course, Lady. And he won’t bother you. Jemero said he’s a good child.”

“Do I have to call him ‘brother’?”

“He’s older than you, Lady. But you don’t have to call him ‘brother.’ You can be friends. Isn’t that right?”

“If another child comes, will Maiana have to take care of him now?”

Maiana replied, “No, not necessarily. I came here to take care of and look after you, Lady. Even if that child comes, another servant will take care of him. Well, maybe we can play together occasionally. But you will be there too, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

Ariante said, “Would he like climbing trees? Playing games? Running or playing hide-and-seek?”

“If he likes it, maybe you can play together?”

Ariante bowed her head, lost in thought. Her silky hair flowed as she shook her head.

“If he wants to learn to climb trees… I can teach him.”

A brighter smile appeared on Maiana’s lips.

“You are kind and amazing, our Lady Ariante. Probably, there’s no younger sister who can teach tree climbing to her brother other than you?”

“I can teach hiding too. I’m good at hiding. No one can find me.”

“That’s right, of course. In hide-and-seek, no one can beat you, Lady.”

Ariante’s slightly sulky face finally brightened a bit.

Amidst the reality that ‘another child’ would appear, a sense of expectation arose that there might be a nearby peer with whom she could play. She seemed to have found her own compromise.

It wasn’t a relief to think of her as a wise child. It was unfortunate for a child to be forced to act like an adult due to the circumstances of adults.

However, if Ariante could find something she could accept on her own, something that could comfort her, then it was necessary to nurture that feeling.

In the early morning, just before the bright sunlight entered the eastern part of the Valtminster mansion.

“Hello, Lady! It’s a beautiful morning, isn’t it?”

Still groggy from sleep, but Maiana, Ventis, and even Ariante, instantly woke up at the loud voice. The sound of the door opening echoed three times, and the three of them, equally surprised, emerged from their respective rooms.

The first to speak was Ventis.

“Bridget?”

Then Bridget laughed heartily, her cheeks reddened, with a smile as bright as the sunlight that suddenly poured through the clouds after a spring shower.

Ventis spoke again, “Why are you screaming so loudly early in the morning? What are you doing here?”

Bridget, with an expression as if she didn’t understand what Ventis was talking about, widened her eyes and looked at Ventis as if asking what he was saying.

“What are you talking about, Ventis? It’s already time for the sun to rise, and you’re still sleeping. That’s unbelievable… Oh, Maiana. You too? How late do you people wake up?”

Maiana, holding the doorknob, let out an almost inaudible sigh.

“Bridget… right. From today, you’re supposed to be on the east side. I forgot about it.”

Maiana and Ventis woke up a little later than the other employees in the mansion.

Since Jocelyn and even the housekeeper, Kosa, completely lost interest in the eastern part of the mansion, there was no one to blame them for their late wake-up time.
Bridget, who was unaware of this fact, like other employees, woke up before sunrise, completed her grooming, and came to the eastern part of the mansion early.

In fact, she was very pleased when she heard that she would be working in the east. While it was pleasant that Ariante had become much quieter than before, the fact that she became the ‘eastern part manager’ itself was even better.

Other maids had to wander around the mansion all day to find work to keep their hands busy.

How delightful it was not to have to do that anymore! The fact that Jocelyn, the head butler, rarely set foot in the east was also pleasing. Housemaid Kosa was okay, but Head Butler Jocelyn was someone Bridget, no matter how easygoing, couldn’t like.

“Who is it…?”

Ariante, with a face not fully awake, blinked with a slightly annoyed expression. Recently, forcibly waking up at this early hour had become more challenging for her, as she hadn’t been awakened abruptly from her sleep for a long time.

Maiana said, “Lady, it’s Bridget. I told you yesterday, right? From now on, Bridget will also take care of you.”

She blinked at Bridget. Then Bridget approached Ariante, bowed her knees, and said in a lively voice, “Starting today, I am Bridget, newly in charge of Lady Ariante. Lady, please take good care of me!”

It was still a loud voice. Moreover, surprisingly lively. Ariante, who hadn’t fully awakened yet, stared at Bridget with wide-open eyes.

“Yesterday, Ventis called you a fool.”

Ariante suddenly said. Then Ventis, who had subtly returned to his room to sleep a little longer, appeared with his face wide open.

“Lady!”

Bridget turned slightly towards Ventis, then looked back at Ariante with another bright smile.

“It’s okay, Lady! The person who calls others fools is the real fool. Do you know why?”