Chapter 4 (2/2)

As a round the more I moved away from the main characters, and this was exactly what I wished It would be fine to gain an adequate aonist, but it would be troublesome if I went beyond a certain level of involvement

I knew all this, but then rationality went over one’s head when swayed by useless e in tur tea across from where I sat Her movements were fluid and refined, but an undeniable anxiety hovered above her elegance

In the roo its prey

Alicia and Rosetta usually had lessons with her every other day, and today we ain

“Alicia,” the older woman crooned, her voice laced with an i tea flinched at the sudden mention of her naht, straining her waist, and answered Katie with evident terror in her eyes Her teacup shook dangerously as the liquid that it held almost spilled

As I recall from Rosetta’s hazy memories, Alicia’s hands would always tremble whenever Katie was in front of her

Katie scanned her sparingly Alicia gripped the cup’s handle tighter

“You shouldn’ttea”

Did sheAlicia was evidently tense, but other than her expression, she drank her tea perfectly

However, Katie’s blithe size, Nanny”

As Katie rose froitated In her hurry to cover for a nonexistent htly

Alicia gasped loudly, then immediately folloith the automatic utterance of ‘I’m sorry, I’m very sorry’ The way she said it seemed like it was out of reflex, like a firrained for years and years

Further a hard ti

The sa her right now—every ti grew e

A hazy dust stored my mind

An unknown acrid substance rose up ain As if soed up my throat

“Please stand up”

“I-I’m sorry, please, I made a mistake, I-I’ll be careful from now on”

“Please stand, Lady Alicia”

The girl’s apologies did nothing to change the nanny’sIt would be better if her tears would not fall

Without having to use rabbed Alicia’s arm and moved her from the table toward the carpet

When I first woke up here, that’s the exact spot where Alicia had been flogged

“This is because you made a mistake, Alicia,” Katie whispered in a pleasant tone “I a you so that you don’t ain, understand?”

“Yes”

Alicia was blamed for a mistake created out of the older wo to everything

I looked down at my own teacup and saw Katie’s reflection there, distorted I picked up a spoon and stirred the tea until what it reflected disappeared in a sh the air, and it was followed by the sharp, resounding crackle of a whip It was louder than the clatter of a teacup that ensued this ordeal

Alicia closed her eyes tightly, and at this, Katie smiled faintly

But the smile soon disappeared

Crash!+

“Ahh!”

Alicia’s brief shriek followed the sudden sound of glass breaking To her surprise, she sank to the ground while covering her ears

Katie, too, was stunned

Before her are arc, the older woman turned her head to the direction of the sound

What caught her attention was a teacup, shattered on the floor A small puddle soaked the area around it, especially those red shoes

Katie’s infuriated glare lingered on the shoes she wore, now drenched with tea

“Rosetta”

The golden eyes of a Valentine met with the nanny’s dark blue

With eyes arched like half ht line now relaxed into a gentle curve, a fair coolden irises—Rosetta, as sitting upright with perfect posture, was as beautiful as a ht before her,at the well-drawn painting in front of her, what brought her back to her senses was the sound of Rosetta’s voice

“Why did you call my name, Nanny”

‘Why did you call my name, Nanny?!’

She couldn’t believe what she heard, and so with twisted lips, Katie cackled

Her anger, which she had forgotten for one hot rew exponentially and blew up like a volcano Katie strode over towards h Katie’s rinned back

She grabbed h, it’s like a reenactment of the first day’

The only difference noas that, instead of Katie, it was me who donned a smile