Side story 6 - Having met you + (2/2)

For academics, I asked my home tutors questions for as long as time permitted, and I worked sometimes until very late at night. It was the same for my etiquette lessons, I repeated things over and over again until I got it right. As for dancing which I was really bad at, I practiced until blood soaked through my shoes from how much they were rubbing against my feet.

At seeing how desperately I was trying, my older sisters laughed at me.

“Even though you have no talent, it’s so disgraceful that you’re working so desperately.”

“It’s embarrassing as a noble daughter to be that desperate.”

“Because her social status is lower, her abilities must be lower too.”

Those words mercilessly pierced my heart, and I felt a pain in my chest.

Even so, if I’m spending time with Katarina, that pain will be significantly lessened. One day, this happened.

“……”

“What’s the matter? Mary, are you alright?”

Because I suddenly stopped and squatted, Katarina was peeking at me worriedly. I had come to Katarina’s house to play, and we were walking through the garden on our way to Katarina’s field. I had felt a severe pain in my foot. When I looked at it, I could see a faint blur of blood.

“Oh no! Mary, you’re injured! Did you bump it somewhere!?”

To the panicked Katarina, I also hurriedly replied.

“……I, I’m fine. It must be that, yesterday, I practiced dancing for a little too long.”

“Practiced dancing?”

“Yeah. Since I’m bad at dancing, I have to practice twice as hard as others……”

After saying that much, I didn’t know what else to say. This is, if I don’t desperately practice to the extent where I rub my feet raw, I wouldn’t be able to do even one dance well is what I thought. Will Katarina laugh at me…… When I looked up at her, I saw her anxiety. Her face wasn’t like my sisters that were making fun of me, her eyes were sparkling instead.

“Trying your best to overcome your weaknesses, Mary’s really so great. I really respect you. I also have to learn from you.”

No matter how hard I worked…… I was only made fun of with cruel words. “How desperate” is what they said and laughed at.

But, I’m okay now no matter what they say. After all, because I can come here. Because there’s a person here who says I’m great and that she respects me.

As Katarina took me by the hand and said “let’s go back to the house and treat your wound,” this is what I thought strongly over and over again.

I’m really glad to have met Katarina Claes.