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Chapter 16
3. Anna Keating
I walked until the sky darkened. It had seemed so quick when I drove by car, but on foot, it felt like no matter how many hours I walked, it would never be enough.
Part of the reason was my slow pace. Even though I had eaten to build my strength, I still wasn’t particularly healthy. Just managing to walk this far without resting was an achievement in itself.
On top of that, I didn’t even have shoes. Walking barefoot on uneven ground quickly cut the soles of my feet. Still, I had to endure it. There was no way I could return to the mansion.
The Solzburg estate was deserted. I didn’t encounter a single soul until I could just make out the nearest village in the distance. That was fortunate, in a way, but it wasn’t exactly comforting. If even a cart had passed by, I could have asked for a ride.
Finally, when I left Solzburg and reached the outskirts of the village, the sun had already disappeared from the sky. Only the light from the buildings and the gas lamps illuminated the world. I trudged forward with my injured feet.
I had managed to get this far, but now that I had arrived, I was at a loss. What should I do first? I didn’t know how ordinary people lived. Not that I had always been treated like a noblewoman, but this was the first time I had been thrown into the world completely alone.
After walking for so long, I was hungry, and wearing only a thin chemise, I was freezing. I was completely defenseless. Even if I gave up on food, I needed somewhere to warm myself.
I slightly regretted leaving the coat Giles had given me. I hadn’t wanted to risk being seen in it—anyone could immediately recognize it as belonging to the revolutionary army, and it might have tipped Giles off—so I had left it behind. Winter was approaching day by day. Being out in this outfit for long periods was suicidal.
As I wandered aimlessly, I suddenly stopped. There was a bakery nearby. Through the glass window, the bread on display caught my eye. I thought that with a gold coin, I could buy it all. But then I shook my head and kept walking. Gold coins? I was a barefoot girl.
I hadn’t thought the situation could get worse, but I was wrong. Something thudded over my head, and then it started to rain. I tried to shelter against the wall of a building, but it was useless. My clothes began to soak through.
At this rate, I could really freeze to death.
“Hey! What are you doing there?”
A girl about my age called out as she entered a house. She was holding a bag of bread in one hand and an umbrella in the other. I was so stunned I couldn’t say a single word.
“You’re not trying to kill yourself, right? Standing out there in the rain like that is just asking to become a corpse. Come on inside. I don’t want to run into a dead girl as soon as I step outside tomorrow morning.”
Shivering, I entered the house. It was a fairly large two-story home. Judging by the luxurious wallpaper and furniture, it was undoubtedly wealthy. I barely managed to speak.
“Th…thank you.”
The freckled girl, after briefly sizing me up while water dripped from me, put down the umbrella and bread nearby. Then she led me to the bathroom.
“There’s a lot I want to ask, but first, wash up. Hospitals and clinics are packed with sick people these days. If you catch a strong cold, you’re done for. You don’t need anyone to help you, right?”
I nodded. She left me to handle it on my own. Left alone, I looked at the bathtub. Oh my. A bath in a proper tub. I had no reason to refuse. I immediately took off my wet chemise and stepped into the warm water.
Warming myself in the bath helped a lot. I couldn’t put my wet chemise back on, so I wore the thick blouse and skirt the girl had left. They were slightly loose, but wearable.
When I came out of the bathroom, the girl was setting the dinner table. It was the very bread that had caught my eye earlier.
She gestured for me to sit.
“What are you doing? Come on, sit down.”
I sat at the table as she instructed, though I couldn’t help but be suspicious of her kindness. Eventually, I asked her directly.
“Why are you helping me?”
“Do you mean you’d have preferred I leave you out there to die?”
She seemed annoyed by my question. I remained silent, but my thoughts couldn’t stop. If I died, it really wouldn’t affect her at all, right?
Then she continued.
“Besides, we Ipswin people are supposed to help each other. Why be cold to our own? Ever since we chased out the Beldam scum, everything here belongs to us. At least there shouldn’t be girls wandering around outside wearing nothing but thin clothes.”
Ah, now everything made sense. She had assumed I was from Ipswin. I finally knew how to act.
“My name is Sheila Carlton. Just call me Sheila. What’s your name?”
On the way here, I had already decided on a name to use. I confidently said it.
“Anna. My name is Anna Keating.”
“What on earth were you doing wandering around in such thin clothing? You could have ended up with a crazy person… I’m sure you had your reasons, but…”
Sheila didn’t press for details. She had probably seen many wanderers like me before. To maintain her trust, I kept up the appearance of a pitiful Ipswin girl, lowering my expression and speaking in the language of the lower class.
We dipped bread into a thin soup as we ate. Sheila told me various things during dinner.
“This house originally belonged to the Beldam family. As you can see, they were fairly wealthy. But even after the revolution gave us freedom, they couldn’t live in luxury. I was recently assigned this house. Another family was supposed to move in, but they’re a little late.”
“So I’ll be living with that family?”
“Of course! I can’t take up this whole house alone, can I? Sharing a home has always been normal, and I don’t mind at all.”
I nodded eagerly. The thought of sharing a home with strangers I didn’t know was shocking, but I tried not to show it.
Anyway, because the family was delayed, I was able to stay temporarily. It was an incredible stroke of luck.
I asked cautiously.
“When will they arrive?”
“Not exactly sure, but probably the day after tomorrow. Why? Do you have nowhere to go?”
Before I could answer, Sheila continued.
“Go there tomorrow, show your name and ID, and fill out some forms, and they’ll assign a home for you. Until then, I suppose staying here is fine. The family won’t mind. Your family probably once lived in a smaller house anyway, so one extra girl shouldn’t matter.”
The mention of the revolutionary army sent a chill down my spine. This village was right next to Solzburg. If Giles noticed I was missing, he would probably search here first.
I tried not to show my panic.
“Take your time, I guess.”
“If you knew how backlogged the applications are, you wouldn’t say that. It took me three months to get into this house. I was lucky. Some people can’t move in for half a year.”
“Actually, my family will probably come looking for me soon. They’ve already applied for a residence.”
“Really? Then no need to apply twice. Stay here until you meet them. Even in a free era, the outside world is still dangerous for women.”
Sheila talked for more than ten minutes about all the crazy people she had encountered in her life. I had no stories to match. Of course, I had met dangerous men, but I couldn’t mention the Duke Meyer in front of her.
“Anyway, if you’re in trouble, ask others for help. Most will help. We fought against the Beldams and won. We’re all comrades by blood. So don’t stand outside in the rain anymore.”
“Thanks for helping me.”
“Thanks, nothing. It’s the right thing to do. Like I said, I couldn’t leave you out there to freeze.”
We finished the bread and soup quickly. I hadn’t said much, so the meal didn’t last long.
Sheila guided me to the room I would stay in until the other family arrived.
“Stay here until they come. I don’t think you’ll stay here long anyway. Hey, I tried the bed once—it’s super soft. You’ll like it.”
When she left, I sat on the bed. It wasn’t as soft as she had described, but compared to nothing, it was luxurious. I had experienced the softest sheets used by nobles, after all.
I lay under the blanket, looking out the window opposite. Just a few hours ago, I had been shivering and wandering barefoot. Now I was lying in a cozy bed. It almost felt like a sweet illusion.
All of this was probably possible because I appeared to be a pitiful Ipswin wanderer. Sympathy had saved my life many times. It had worked in the mansion, and it still worked outside. But I wasn’t sure how long I could survive on shallow sympathy alone.
Was Giles chasing me? Or had he given up? If he was searching nearby, unable to give up on me, that would be funny. A frail, shabby girl running away wouldn’t cause him any real trouble.
Even if he had given up, my path forward remained uncertain. What should I do? There was nothing I could do…
Lying in the soft bed for the first time in a while, my eyelids grew heavy. I should think, but my mind felt empty, as if wiped clean. I closed my eyes.
Sleeping well would also be a good strategy for tomorrow.
