An old carriage came to a stop in front of the Lambert estate.
Vivian, who had been playing in the garden with Kiki, jumped in fright and hid behind a pillar.
There was no father left to return home now. No guests who would ever come looking for them, either.
“Eek…”
Could it be Ron, Mary, and Peter coming back?
The moment the thought crossed her mind, Vivian’s face turned deathly pale and her body began to tremble violently. Seeing her like that, Kiki puffed up all his fur and glared warily at the stranger.
[Vivian. Do not be afraid! What is there to fear when I am by your side?]
“B-But… what do we do if mister and missus…”
[Those insignificant humans are nothing! I am a divine beast! All humans should kneel before me—]
The baby monkey spoke with overflowing dignity, but he looked anything but reassuring.
Before Kiki could become offended by the realization that he had earned absolutely none of Vivian’s trust, the carriage door swung open.
“Hup!”
Vivian reflexively held her breath.
A pair of slightly worn but neatly polished shoes.
Above them, the hem of a full skirt and a large travel bag.
Before Vivian’s gaze could rise any further, a lively voice burst forth first.
“So this is the Lambert household!”
The woman had neatly braided hair tied close to her head and freckles sprinkled across the bridge of her nose.
Relief flooded Vivian for a moment when she realized it wasn’t the people she feared.
But only for a moment.
Having grown up in a tiny village where strangers rarely visited, Vivian stared at the unfamiliar guest with wary eyes.
Perhaps sensing the gaze, the woman’s head whipped toward her.
“Eep!”
Vivian had hidden herself—or at least she thought she had—but to an adult, it was an embarrassingly clumsy attempt.
The woman’s eyes lit up the instant she spotted the little girl peeking out suspiciously from behind the pillar.
Step. Step.
The woman strode toward her without hesitation, and Vivian froze stiff.
Just as Kiki was about to leap forward to protect her—
“Hello!”
The woman crouched down in front of Vivian and greeted her at eye level.
“Y-Yes… huh?”
“My name is Anne. I’ll be working for the Lambert family starting today. Are you perhaps the young lady of the house? Oh! And what is this animal? It looks like a terribly skinny puppy… no, maybe not? Please tell me it doesn’t bite! It looks ready to attack me any second!”
Kiki, who had been making the fiercest expression he could manage, immediately deflated and began smoothing down his puffed-up fur.
“U-Umm. Y-Yes, that’s right. This is Kiki. He’s not a puppy, he’s a monkey… I think? He’s never bitten anyone before, but he can attack people.”
[Hmph. Not “a monkey,” but a divine beast. However, the big human told me not to reveal it, so I shall overlook your ignorance.]
“A monkey? I’ve never heard of such an animal before! He’s very tiny and… hmm, I feel like if I call him cute, he really will bite me.”
“Viv? Who’s there outside?”
Hearing the chatter, Jean leaned out from the window.
The instant Anne saw his face, her eyes widened dramatically.
“Oh my! A handsome man!”
“M-Me…? Haha. You must be Miss Anne? I received your letter saying you’d arrive this afternoon, but you came earlier than expected.”
“Yes! It’s lovely to meet you. Are you Lord Lambert? I only heard you were a young gentleman—I had no idea you were this handsome! Ah, but please don’t misunderstand me when I say that. I’m devoted to staying single. I simply appreciate beautiful people!”
[I have never seen a human who talks this much.]
Father and daughter alike felt dizzy listening to Anne’s endlessly moving lips.
She truly was an unbelievably lively young woman.
Why does she talk so fast, too?
Still, Jean tried his best not to show his bewilderment as he guided her inside.
“You may continue playing here, Viv. Miss Anne, this way please. …As I mentioned in my letter, I would like us to spend about a month getting acquainted before making any final hiring decisions.”
“Yes, of course! After all, that adorable, beautiful, lovable young lady might not end up liking me. Though I fell in love at first sight! Truly, I’ve never seen such an angelic little princess before. Children her age are all adorable, of course, but I’m certain your daughter is the cutest of them all. Anyway! I understand what you mean!”
The corner of Jean’s mouth twitched.
Though mentally he already felt like a middle-aged man, even he found Anne’s boundless energy difficult to handle.
Still, there was no such thing as hearing too much praise about one’s child.
“R-Right. I’m glad you understand. Please, let me take your luggage.”
“How considerate!”
Vivian secretly followed behind the two of them.
The stranger she’d been so wary of was actually the family’s new servant.
Ignoring the burning curiosity bubbling inside her would have been a betrayal of childhood itself.
After guiding Anne into the sitting room, Jean prepared some simple refreshments himself.
The estate was certainly nicer than an ordinary commoner’s home, but far smaller and more worn-down than the mansions of wealthy nobles.
Watching the owner personally bring tea, Anne tilted her head.
“You don’t employ any other servants?”
“The notice only mentioned childcare duties, but if necessary, I can help with household chores as well for a small additional fee!”
“We’ll be moving to a new house soon, so I intend to hire more staff after that. I couldn’t leave the child home alone while I traveled, so I decided to bring you in first.”
“Ahh, I see! Then you’re placing quite a responsibility on me. Still, until the others arrive, I’ll gladly help with cooking and cleaning too. I’d feel more comfortable that way.”
“I would appreciate that. We should move houses and hire new people within the month, so I ask for your help only until then.”
“Yes! I look forward to working with you. …And with the young lady too!”
“Eek!”
Anne suddenly whipped her head toward the window where Vivian had been secretly spying.
Startled, Vivian lost her balance and landed flat on her backside.
Jean walked over, lifted the fallen girl into his arms, and brushed the dirt from her clothes while scolding her at the same time.
“Viv! I told you to keep playing—honestly, listening in on other people’s conversations is bad manners.”
“Ahaha. She’s at the age where she’s curious about everything.”
“Even so, wrong is wrong. Miss Anne, please make sure to teach her proper etiquette as well. Though I must say, I’m impressed you noticed Vivian eavesdropping.”
“I have very sharp ears! Thanks to that, I’m also quite confident in stopping children before they get into trouble!”
Anne smiled proudly.
Vivian instinctively shrank back.
In all her seven years of life…
She had never met a human like this before.
Several days passed after Anne arrived.
Though her first impression had been somewhat overwhelming, Anne proved herself to be highly competent, and while Vivian still felt uncertain, Jean had clearly grown fond of her.
“Then I’ll leave Viv in your care. Viv! Daddy’s heading out. I’ll be back before nightfall, all right?”
Jean trusted Anne enough now to leave Vivian alone with her while he traveled to another village for errands.
“Please don’t worry and have a safe trip!”
“Mhm. Come back quickly.”
Only after repeatedly reminding him to return soon did Vivian finally wave goodbye.
She stood there until Jean’s horse disappeared into the distance like a tiny speck, then glanced nervously at Anne.
After watching her for several days, Anne didn’t seem like a bad person.
In fact, she was the first adult Vivian had ever met who spoke politely even to a child like her and treated her kindly.
But once her father left, being alone in the house with another grown-up inevitably brought back unpleasant memories.
[Why are you shrinking into yourself like that? Straighten your back, Vivian!]
If Kiki hadn’t been there, she probably would have thrown a fit insisting on following Jean.
It was only because the tiny, arrogant divine beast stayed beside her that Vivian managed to muster some courage.
‘E-Even if big sister turns into someone like Uncle Ron and Aunt Mary, it’ll be okay. Kiki will teach her a lesson!’
And she would definitely tell Jean too.
Once she decided in advance to tattle on Anne if anything happened, her heart felt much lighter.
“Now it’s finally just the two of us!”
“Huh?”
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long!”
“W-Why were you waiting for it…?”
“Ufufufu. Fufufufufu!”
Something about Anne’s laughter filled Vivian with dread, and she instinctively stepped backward.
“K-Kiki…!”
She called Kiki’s name like someone clutching at a lifeline.
But then—
“Kiki?”
Kiki, who had been perched on Vivian’s shoulder, suddenly hopped down…
And climbed right onto Anne’s shoulder instead.
Vivian’s world shattered.
