“Miss! Between pink and yellow, which color do you prefer? Oh! There’s also lavender!”
“What kind of curtain fabric do you like? Do you prefer a fancy lace curtain or a simple and neat chiffon curtain?”
“Well, um…”
Amidst the maids bombarding her with questions, Thiel rolled her eyes and tightly grabbed Lia’s sleeve.
What on earth is going on?
She was certain that after waking up late this morning, she had enjoyed a warm bagel, a cup of hot cocoa, and a bit of fruit while resting in Lia’s embrace.
Suddenly, the maids, full of enthusiasm, had come to Thiel, nodding their heads and asking to know every detail of the child’s preferences, promising to decorate a perfect room for her.
While she appreciated the intention of creating a beautiful room, Thiel was reserved and found these questions burdensome.
‘And I don’t even know what I like…’
Of course. Thiel had only worn the clothes that Rowan had cast aside.
The room where Thiel had been staying was a small attic where mice occasionally scurried about, and the food she ate was always cold soup or hard bread.
Having grown up in such a place, it was natural for her to be flustered when asked, ‘What do you like?’
Unable to answer or ignore the question, Thiel looked at Lia with an expression of helplessness, silently seeking assistance.
Just as Lia was about to tell the maids to leave, someone knocked on Thiel’s door.
The heads of the maids, who had been staring intently at Thiel, simultaneously turned.
The door opened, revealing Sophia, the head maid of the Asterian Mansion.
“I told you not to gather like this because the young lady is shy, yet you turned a deaf ear to me.”
Sophia clicked her tongue and looked at the maids. The maids, with dismayed expressions, glanced around, then smiled faintly and took a step back.
Thiel, still in Lia’s embrace, looked up at Sophia and politely bowed her head.
“Hello.”
“Hello, Miss Thiel. I am Sophia, the head maid of this mansion.”
Sophia’s sharp gaze fell on Thiel’s small hand, which tightly held Lia’s dress.
In that brief moment, Sophia caught on to the fact that Thiel was greatly flustered by the sudden influx of maids and gracefully bowed her head to Thiel.
“Please forgive the rudeness of these girls, Miss. It seems they got carried away while decorating your room and committed some breaches of etiquette.”
As Sophia spoke, the maids standing behind her nodded and respectfully bowed their heads.
After confirming the lowered heads of the maids, Sophia slowly met Thiel’s gaze and smiled warmly.
“Everyone in the mansion is excited about your return, Miss. So, even though everything in the mansion may still feel unfamiliar and unsettling to you, please bear with us a little and understand.”
In response to Sophia’s kind tone, Thiel, who had gradually relaxed, cautiously nodded and spoke up.
“Umm, Sophia. I didn’t consider it rude. I’m glad they asked about my preferences. But…”
The child hesitated, as if trying to find words to say, then blushed and averted their gaze.
“I, I don’t know yet what colors I like…”
Even though she was already seven years old, she still didn’t know what colors she liked.
Thiel suddenly felt so pathetic about herself.
At the same time, fear crept in, worrying about what would happen if the people in this room considered her pathetic.
But the fear quickly faded away, thanks to Lia’s kind voice.
“Miss, it’s okay not to know yet. You can discover your favorite colors from now on. Don’t worry, many adults also don’t know what they like.”
“Really?”
“Yes. First, shall we decorate the room… as we see fit? And later, when you’re sure about your favorite colors, we can change it.”
Lia reassured Thiel in a familiar manner. The child’s big eyes glanced at Lia’s face, then at Sophia’s, and soon enough…
“Yes.”
Thiel smiled. The corners of her eyes curved beautifully.
Everyone present in the room closed their eyes tightly, enchanted by the angelic and lovely sight.
‘It’s unbelievable…’
‘So unbelievably cute…’
Although no one uttered these words aloud, it seemed like they could hear each other’s thoughts.
Even Sophia, the renowned and cold-hearted head maid of the Asterian mansion, was blushing as if her face would burst.
“Ahem…”
Sophia, who had rarely seen such an adorable child, was flushed with embarrassment.
Seeing the maids struggling to contain their overwhelming cuteness, Lia gently smiled and embraced Thiel tightly.
While everyone felt the urge to break down walls with their fists due to the overwhelming adorableness, Thiel alone looked at the maids with a puzzled expression, not understanding what was happening.
***
Thiel’s room was completed at an incredibly fast pace, thanks to the enthusiastic maids and skilled furniture craftsmen, who received generous compensation.
To ensure the child’s safety, they placed wooden furniture with rounded edges, and the large bed was layered with soft, plush blankets.
Pillows custom-made to fit the child’s size were adorned with lovely pink covers. In front of the window, which bathed the room in sunlight, they hung ethereal silk curtains and sun catchers that reflected light at various angles.
On the floor, they laid warm carpets to ensure the child’s feet wouldn’t feel cold, even if she walked barefoot.
Right beneath the bed, where the feet would first touch, they placed a luxurious, fluffy rug made of the finest wool.
Under the orders of Cassius and Alpheus, Thiel’s room was meticulously furnished with only the highest quality items, creating an incredibly exquisite appearance at first glance.
Upon being guided to her own room for the first time, Thiel could only open her mouth in astonishment and remain speechless for a while.
“This is my room…?”
Thiel, who managed to find her voice, looked up at the butler, Parden, with an expression of disbelief.
The room was excessively spacious for a small seven-year-old child to use alone.
Although Thiel was still young and couldn’t discern whether the woodwork was of the highest quality or the fabrics were the finest, she could tell that everything was exceptionally well-crafted.
‘I can see that it’s decorated with really nice things…’
Among all the rooms in Nestian Manor where Thiel had lived until now, the most lavishly decorated ones were Grandfather Zender’s study and Rowan’s bedroom.
However, even Rowan’s bedroom was not as spacious as this.
Thiel’s new bed appeared to be twice the size of Rowan’s bed, and the plush bedding and decorations scattered throughout the room seemed to be of superior quality compared to Rowan’s.
Feeling overwhelmed by the room that seemed too extravagant for her, Thiel hesitantly opened her mouth while looking at Parden.
“Um.”
Parden, who quickly noticed that the young lady wanted to say something, respectfully bent his waist and lowered his gaze, bringing his ear closer to Thiel.
Thiel, after hesitating and looking around cautiously, whispered carefully into Parden’s ear.
“I really don’t need to stay in such a nice room. This, this room, is too extravagant for me.”
On the day she first arrived at Asterian Manor, Thiel’s sincere words were that she would be fine staying in a barn if it meant being able to stay here.
Thiel had even considered living on the streets, as long as she didn’t have to go back to Nestian.
But to have such an extravagant room!
The thought of a room that didn’t match her circumstances made Thiel’s small shoulders round-up involuntarily.
Seeing Thiel like that, Parden briefly pondered where things had gone wrong, then looked directly into Thiel’s eyes.
“Young lady, there is nothing too extravagant for you in this manor.”
“…”
In the shimmering golden eyes, transparently, Parden’s figure reflected.
“As Lord Cassius mentioned, with your unique golden irises, you are the rightful owner of this mansion. Nothing is too extravagant for you. If there is something you desire, please let us know, and if there is something you wish to do, please tell us.”
Parden’s gentle voice tickled Thiel’s ears.
Though the phrase “rightful owner of this mansion” still felt unfamiliar to Thiel, she nodded her head while tightly holding onto the hem of her dress.
“Yes.”
“Shall we take a look around the room then? There are other beautiful rooms that perfectly suit you. If there is anything you don’t like or if there’s any discomfort, please feel free to let us know. We will address it immediately.”
With Parden’s gentle touch gliding along her back, Thiel cautiously stepped into the room.
