“Hey, you little brat. It’s you, isn’t it?”

Hannah called out in a sharp, vicious tone.

“Get yourself through that gap right now.”

Alisa tried not to tremble as she pushed herself through the opening. The moment her head came through the other side, her hair was grabbed.

Ow — a cry escaped her lips before she could stop it. It hurt terribly.

“What is this? Open it.”

The gift box, which Hannah had kicked, came flying toward her knees.

Her vision blurred. She knew exactly what would happen next if she opened it. But what could she do. What was she supposed to do.

“Stop wasting time thinking and open it.”

Alisa pulled the ribbon with trembling hands. The knot came loose, and the clothes inside were revealed.

On top was the traditional costume for the festival. And beneath it, the corner of the dress the gentleman had bought her peeked out.

Alisa apologized quickly.

“I’m sorry I’m late. I’ll be back sooner next time, Hannah.”

Hannah’s eyes narrowed, and then she shoved her face close. She looked slowly over the new dress, the shoes, and the hat inside the box.

“Where exactly have you been, and what have you been doing?”

“Well……”

“Hand that over first. And take out the coin purse.”

“I didn’t steal it. T, today is my birthday, and…… a friend bought it for me……”

“Your friend bought you clothes? Honestly, don’t lie to me. Who in the world knows it’s your birthday? Who would spend this kind of money on you?”

Hannah couldn’t wait for Alisa to hand over the purse and reached out impatiently. Those rough hands began rummaging through her pockets.

But the coin purse she was sure she’d kept safe was nowhere to be found. Alisa’s face went white as she realized. At the same moment, Hannah’s expression turned thunderous.

“It’s not there!”

Hannah screamed directly into Alisa’s face.

Startled by the force of it, Alisa fell back onto the floor. The candy in her pocket tumbled out and rolled across the floorboards.

Alisa stared at it with blank eyes. The bright orange surface that had gleamed in the sunlight was now coated in dust, its edges chipped and uneven.

Hannah, apparently not yet satisfied, ground the candy under her heel where it had rolled to her feet. Bang, bang. Two stamps and the candy shattered into powder.

“Honestly, what a nuisance. If I’d known there’d be a senile old woman and a brat to deal with, I wouldn’t have come to a place like this no matter how good the pay……”

Hannah’s hair was tangled as though someone had grabbed it and pulled.

Great-Aunt Elizabeth was generally quiet, but every so often she threw fits like a small child and turned the house upside down. When that happened, both maids had to rush in together and hold her down, and even then she usually managed to smash a piece of furniture or two before she calmed.

It seemed there had been quite a scene today as well.

Alisa drew in a slow breath and let it out. The rapid rise and fall of her chest gradually settled.

Bad luck. It happens.

Just as wonderful things could appear out of nowhere, bad things could happen at any time. It was sad, but there was nothing to be done. She could eat candy again someday — so it was truly all right.

“You stupid girl! I thought you didn’t take after your parents, but now I see you’re just like your idiot father who threw everything away gambling!”

“N, no……”

“No? Then do you take after your mother? Are you planning to run off with whatever money’s left in this house, just like that witch?”

Hannah grabbed both of Alisa’s ears and yanked upward. Alisa rose onto her heels, barely holding herself up against the pain of her ears being torn off, and let out a sob. The pretty floral dress had long since fallen to the floor and been stepped on.

“I didn’t! I didn’t, I really didn’t steal anything, Hannah!”

“Then did this expensive dress fall from the sky, you little demon.”

Hannah shook Alisa back and forth by the ears, then threw her to the floor. Still not satisfied, she screamed at her to go get herself locked away in the attic where she couldn’t be seen.

Alisa watched Hannah carefully and crept up the ladder into the attic.

But from below, she felt a prickling gaze. Mary was staring up at her with a blank expression.

“Mary?”

“You, kid. Don’t even think about coming down until Hannah cools off.”

Mary moved the ladder leading up to the attic with her large arms and walked away. Trapped in the attic with no way out, Alisa’s eyes went wide.

“M, Mary!”

“If you go a week without eating, you won’t make the stupid mistake of losing money again…… Hannah said so…… mm……”

Mary muttered this, set the ladder on the floor, and left.

Left alone in the attic, Alisa stared blankly at the spot where Mary had disappeared, then reached up and touched her own ears. The cartilage Hannah had yanked with all her strength was hot and swollen.

“Ow, ow, ow……”

Rubbing her sore ears, Alisa bent down and made her way into the attic.

In the far corner, household items lay covered by a worn curtain. The attic had once been crammed full of old furniture, but over the years everything of any value had been sold off. What remained were things that couldn’t fetch even a pittance.

She pushed the thick red curtain up and crawled underneath. There was a desk there, just the right size to hide beneath.

Curled up under it, Alisa thought of the gift box and the candy she’d left downstairs.

‘The dress…… Hannah and Mary have probably taken it.’

They might have torn it to shreds in a fit of spite by now. The thought made her chest ache.

Alisa hoped, instead, that Hannah had sold it, and curled herself into a ball. Her cheek was cold against the floorboards.

She took out the radio and switched it on. She pressed one earphone to her ear out of habit and tuned the frequency. A whirring sound from inside the set was followed by a voice.

—Tonight, keep your eyes on the Royal Globe theatre company. The schedule for the first season of ‘The Prince of Sinor,’ directed by Sir John Robert, has been announced. Starting tomorrow, seats can be reserved by visiting the theatre’s booking office or by post……

No news of her mother today either. In truth, from a month after her mother’s disappearance onward, her mother’s name had never once been mentioned on the radio.

She still listened every day out of nothing but habit.

Alisa pulled the earphone away and blinked slowly. The sun was still high outside the window, but there was no particular reason to stay awake.

‘Fall asleep fast and the day ends fast, and you get a little closer to the day you grow up.’

So whenever she had the chance, it was better to fall asleep as quickly as possible.

Alisa squeezed her eyes shut and pulled the blanket close. It was cold against her shoulders, and she shivered slightly.

Once she was grown, Alisa intended to become someone very, very famous. Famous enough that people would talk about her in radios and newspapers and everywhere else.

‘If word of me reaches my mother’s ears, she’ll surely come back.’

Through heavy eyelids, a memory surfaced — a picnic she had gone on with her parents.

August, when the sun didn’t set until past nine. The beach stretching long along the edge of the village. A basket holding a freshly baked, fluffy baguette, a buttery croissant, fried potatoes, and freshly squeezed orange juice.

Her mother and father sitting on the beach, and Alisa running barefoot across the sand.

The wind blows. Shallow waves roll in and tickle her toes. Each time the white foam breaks apart, she curls her toes and spreads them again.

Open your eyes and it will all be gone.

The cold of the floor against her cheek felt like the temperature of seawater. Alisa imagined the rhythm of waves rolling in and pulling back. Beyond the sound of the tide filling her ears, she thought she could hear a familiar song.

Her thoughts scattered. The images before her blurred and faded until only the song remained, and it was only then that Alisa realized it was a lullaby. A lullaby her mother had once sung to her.

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗

Alisa’s eyes flew open.

From outside came a loud bang of something falling. Then thunder cracked overhead and a downpour began to hammer the world outside.

She startled awake and scrambled out from under the desk.

“Rain, all of a sudden.”

She had to close the window before the water got in.

The moment she hastily raised the lantern,

“Huh?”

Alisa’s body went rigid.

In the middle of the attic, a dark-haired boy lay collapsed on the floor.

‘A thief?’

She shook her head and dismissed the thought. There was nothing in this house worth stealing.

But he didn’t seem like a guest, either. There was no reason for an invited guest to be up in the attic.

Alisa drew a steady breath and raised the lantern a little higher. The sight of the intruder in its light only deepened her confusion.