"Lucy, gimme." Anastasia innocently said to Lucy, raising her hands and asking for another small piece of chocolate.
Lucy sighed, knowing she could never say no whenever Anastasia acted like this.
Anastasia had a habit of making herself look extra adorable whenever she wanted something, and Lucy, as always, gave in. With a soft shake of her head, she handed over the last piece of chocolate.
"This is the last one, promise me. This chocolate is our last stock, and we don't know when Enrique will visit again and bring us more."
Anastasia nodded repeatedly, signaling that she understood, before taking the chocolate with her small hands, eating it hungrily. Seeing how messy she was, Lucy wiped Anastasia's face with the handkerchief she was holding.
Enrique was one of the knights of the Winston family who frequently visited the castle where they lived to bring her chocolates he had bought. He was Lucy's childhood friend, which was why he was kind to them. He was also the one she often borrowed money from whenever Anastasia's food budget fell short.
Lucy sighed deeply once more when she noticed that the sleeve of Anastasia's old dress was torn. It was so worn-out that it should have been thrown away or turned into a rag, but since they had no money, she simply kept patching it up.
"Hehehe, Lucy, can I play?" Anastasia asked with a wide, cheerful grin, her voice filled with excitement as she tried to charm Lucy into letting her go.
She was already clutching her favorite doll-a simple handmade toy crafted by Lucy herself. It was the same doll Lucy had given her as a gift when she was just three years old.
Over time, it had become worn and tattered, but Lucy had carefully stitched and patched it back together each time it broke, making sure it lasted as long as possible.
"Of course," Lucy replied. "However, make sure you don't get lost again, and don't let Gina or Henri see you, okay?"
She was referring to the two children of the head maid and butler of the main mansion, where they all lived. Anastasia often wandered off while playing, sometimes even ending up in the back garden of the mansion-a place strictly off-limits to them.
The mansion and its gardens were restricted areas, especially for Anastasia, and Lucy had always been firm about keeping her away from there. She couldn't risk Anastasia crossing paths with the Duke or the young masters.
"Okayyy!" Anastasia chirped excitedly before dashing off, her small feet carrying her away in a flash.
"Hehehe! Good day, Celio!"
"Good day, Glenn!"
"Good day, Rio!"
Anastasia cheerfully greeted the gardeners, her voice filled with enthusiasm. However, out of all the people she greeted, only one returned her smile-Celio, an elderly gardener from the main manor who occasionally visited the old castle.
"Good morning, young miss!"
"Hehehe!"
Anastasia's smile widened even more at the warm response. It was rare for someone to acknowledge her greetings, so when they did, it made her heart swell with joy.
With light steps, she quickly ran toward the large tree where she often played. That spot was her secret hideaway-secluded and hidden from sight. It was her little haven. However, just as she was about to reach it, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
She wasn't alone.
Someone else knew about her favorite place.
There, sitting against the tree trunk, was a young girl who appeared to be around the same age as her. She wore an elegant dress, much finer than anything Anastasia had ever owned. Her head was bowed, her small shoulders shaking as she quietly sobbed.
Anastasia hesitated, wanting to approach, but before she could take a step, she noticed movement from the corner of her eye.
A boy, likely around twelve years old-maybe older-was making his way toward the girl.
Not knowing who they were or what was happening, Anastasia quickly ducked behind a bush, peeking through the leaves as she curiously observed the two of them.
"Are you okay, Ingrid?"
"Hicc... N-no... My m-mom and d-dad are d-dead. Do you think I will be o-okay?" the young girl sobbed, her voice trembling with grief.
Hidden behind the bushes, Anastasia felt a pang of sadness as she listened to the girl's broken voice.
She's too young... And just like her, the girl had also lost her mother, making Anastasia feel even more sorrowful for her.
"T-that's... I mean, that's not what I meant..I'm sorry... I just wanted to comfort you because I know how hard this must be for you. Even I... I feel sorrowful about their passing. That's why I came here-to c-comfort you."
Anastasia carefully peeked through the leaves, her small hands gripping the branches as she observed the two.
The girl, Ingrid, sat with her knees drawn to her chest, her face buried in them as her platinum-white hair fell over her shoulders in soft waves.
The boy, on the other hand, stood stiffly before her, his fists clenched at his sides. He was slightly taller than Ingrid, probably around twelve years old, with a noble bearing that matched his refined clothing. His platinum-white hair shimmered under the dappled sunlight, and his deep-set eyes held a look of concern.
She didn't know why, but something about them felt... familiar.
Their physical appearance-especially the boy's-felt oddly similar to her own.
Sniff...
Ingrid continued to cry, her small frame trembling with each sob. Seeing this, the boy finally stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. The moment he did, she broke down even more, her quiet sobs turning into uncontrollable weeping.
Anastasia, who had been silently watching, felt her own eyes sting with tears. The sorrow in the scene before her was so overwhelming that she didn't even realize she had started crying as well.
...Rustle...
"Who's there?"
The sound of a quiet sniffle and shifting leaves made the boy freeze. His arms loosened around the girl as he quickly turned his head in the direction of the noise.
Anastasia froze. Her hand instinctively flew to her mouth, trying to muffle her sniffles. Panic surged through her as she carefully stepped backward, hoping to retreat unnoticed. But before she could take another step-
Thud!
The boy suddenly appeared right in front of her, his sharp gaze pinning her in place.
"Who are you?!"
Anastasia gasped, stumbling backward and falling onto the ground in shock.
"How did you get here?!" he continued, his piercing eyes locked onto her. "Are you a young servant? Who let you in?!"
Tears welled up in Anastasia's eyes. The sudden sharpness in his voice startled her, making her chest tighten in fear. The boy, seeing her frightened expression, hesitated for a moment.
Then, something about her caught his attention.
He took a closer look at the small girl before him-her delicate features, her tattered dress, and the old, worn-out doll clutched tightly in her hands. But most of all, it was her platinum-white hair.
His breath hitched.
Only one family possessed that distinctive shade of hair-the Winston family.
Realization struck him, his mind quickly piecing everything together. His expression darkened, his brows furrowing deeply as he scowled.
He did not like what he was seeing.
And he certainly did not like seeing her there.
"Who let you in here?! And why are you wearing a rug? Are you trying to act pitiful in front of me?"
His voice was cold and emotionless, making even the crying Ingrid beside him pause, her attention now drawn to the young intruder.
Anastasia, though startled and confused by his words, slowly offered him a small smile. She gently grasped the hem of her dress and bowed politely, much to the boy's surprise.
"Greetings to you, brother! I'm Anastasia Winston! It's a pleasure to meet you!"
She recalled what Lucy had told her-that if she ever encountered nobles with platinum-white hair, she should show them respect. She also remembered the etiquette lessons Lucy had taught her and was eager to put them into practice in front of her new acquaintances.
"What the-w-who are you calling brother!?"
The boy's reaction was far from what Anastasia had expected.
She had thought he would return the courtesy since, according to Lucy, nobles were well-versed in etiquette. But instead, he looked at her with disbelief and irritation.
"I-I'm sorry... I didn't know your name, so I called you brother..."
The smile on Anastasia's face gradually faded, replaced by deep confusion as she noticed the growing annoyance and anger in the boy's expression.