Sweaty, after spending hours hunting in the city's outskirts, Mila leaves the fruits of her labor at the house's entrance. Today's hunt was spectacularly successful; she completed her goal for the week earlier than expected, and after taking a little break, she will process all the creatures she killed.
"Aimel, I'm home! Have you behaved?" She said, looking for the little girl, but only receiving an unsettling silence.
"Aimel? If you're playing hide and seek, now is not the time. Answer me." Again, there was no answer, and this worried her. Aimel used to go out alone in the previous city where they lived. However, this is a new city, and its architecture can confuse a child. Even adults get lost because they aren't used to how similar the houses are.
She searched the entire house, under all the furniture, inside closets, and other possible places where the girl could be hiding, but she was nowhere. Where could she be? If she left the house, she could get hurt or worse. Without wasting time, Milla left the house and started calling for her.
"Aimel! Where are you?! Please, Aimel, answer me!" Her concerned voice attracted some neighbors, who gently volunteered to help look for her.
An hour had passed since she started; her worries increased, and fear took over. Even though they had not been together so long, Milla developed a bond with Ghord's family. She always babysat Aimel when the couple was working on the workshop. She would return from her morning hunts before she could feel any loneliness or boredom. They would play together, clean the house, and walk around the city. Since they moved to Minorian, she was so focused on organizing things and creating a new routine that she forgot to maintain her fun hour with the little girl.
"Aimel! Aimel!" Her tone changed from pure concern to frustration; the feeling of guilt was eating her inside. If something happens to that girl, she will never forgive herself.
"Milla! Milla!" The gentle and distant voice of Aimel calls for her. She looks around in despair and smiles when she sees the girl running towards her.
Milla hugs the girl like she were absent for years; all her fears slowly wash away, leaving only the frustration. She gave a light slap on her head.
"Where have you been, you little rascal?! Do you want to give me a heart attack? I told you to wait for your father and mother!"
Aimel was crying and explaining herself when Milla noticed someone approaching, following the girl. Her mind starts racing; she never thought she could meet him here, Eizel. It had been a little more than a year since she had seen him; would he recognize her? If he did, what could she do? She doesn't want that life back, not for now. The taste of freedom is too sweet to go back to the darkness inside Manila's mind.
He approached with a smile and explained the situation. When he was close, it looked like he was spacing out. She felt a shiver down her spine. Hiding her fears with a smile, she thanked him for finding Aimel, but his eyes stayed out of focus, and her fear increased.
"Is something wrong, sir?" Maybe she will need to kill him. The thought alone made her head throb in pain.
"Oh... no... nothing, I'm sorry." He explained that he didn't sleep well and was sorry for his lack of attention. Using this opportunity, she carried Aimel in her arms and said goodbye.
After leaving Elzen alone in the street, they went to the home with the groceries Aimel brought. Milla started to scold Aimel with an angry look and stern tone.
"How could you leave the house without anyone at home? Did you forget that we are not in Faelin anymore? Imagine if it were not a guard that found you, but a stranger with bad intentions? You would have caused a great sadness to your parents and me!"
"I am sorry. I just wanted some snacks." She still had tears in her eyes, and her voice was low.
"No matter what you wanted! Your safety is more important than any childish desire! How would I tell your parents that you were lost in this city? You could have been hurt or worse!"
Aimel started to cry, feeling sorry for her actions and the harsh words coming from Milla.
"Don't do that again, Aimel. You can cry all you want, but that could be disastrous to your parents and me. We would be at a loss if something bad happened to you. Now go to your room and stay there until your parents arrive. I will tell everything that happened to them."
Defeated, the little girl went to her room as ordered. Her tears continued to fall, but it was not enough to convince Milla not to punish her. Tired, Milla sits on a wooden chair in the kitchen, looking at the "snacks" Aimel bought.
"Ham and bread. This girl is a bottomless pit." She laughs, wiping the sweat off her forehead. "I need a long bath, I still smell like blood and guts."
She goes outside to collect firewood to heat the bathtub. It takes a few minutes for the water to reach the perfect temperature. After removing her clothes, she slowly soaks her body in the warm water, which is the best part of her day. The bird singing outside and the silent atmosphere of the bathroom were enough to make her drowsy. With slow movements, she cleaned the blood stains, and memories of the past flooded her brain, filling it with emotions she had forgotten.
Memories from her past, well, Manila's past. No matter where she was, she was always alone. It was for the best; if there were servants nearby, they would probably try to impair her efforts. Those were the orders from Luccio and Amiliath. Her only time of peace was in her room or the guard's barracks.
Everyone there who went to talk with her was gentle or respectful, no matter their social titles or ambitions; none would see her as a lesser for being a maid. She grew fond of them; everything she needed to do there was made with care and her dedication. Those memories bothered Milla. While Manila had all this attention and care, she was inside her host, surrounded by darkness and random images of what was happening outside.
"I don't want to go back to that..." She sighs, worried. Her time is limited, and she knows it. As soon as Manila's conscience starts to awaken or she wants to be in control, she will lose all the freedom she has gained.
"Milla?" Ailliah's charming voice comes from outside the bathroom. "Are you okay? Aimel told us what happened and that you were here for quite some time."
"Oh, sorry, I guess I was just rambling. I'll be out soon."
"It's okay, honey, take your time. I was just worried about you. Come to the kitchen when you get out, and we'll be waiting there."
"Okay, I'll be there soon." She finished her bath shortly after and changed into her casual clothes. A delicious smell came from the kitchen. A hot meal was all she needed to recover. Her family was there waiting.
"Look who decided to join us, the bather." Ghord laughs at the joke, making Alliah and Aimel giggle as they roll their eyes.
"Sit down, my dear. I made some warm vegetable soup and toasted some bread to go with this wonderful ham. I suggest you spread butter on it and then a slice of ham."
Milla then sat down with them and began her meal. The thick, well-seasoned soup was perfect for calming her thoughts, and her satisfied smile made Alliah happy. They talked about their day. The shop was getting more and more orders each day, and many customers personally asked for items made by Milla.
"I will need your help in the next few days. Could you come in the morning as well?" Ghord asked with a piece of ham in his mouth.
"Sure, I had a good hunt today, so I don't think we will need resources so soon." Slowly eating the soup, savoring as if it were her last. This was unusual for her, and Alliah noticed.
"Dear, everything is okay? Sorry if I am presuming something, but you look different today, like your head is in the clouds."
"Oh..." She looks at her bowl. "Yeah, well...I'm okayish. I never talked about my past, but one thing I can say is it's a time of my life I don't want to go back to, and today I saw someone from that time, and my mind went flying, so I'm sorry.
"You don't need to say sorry, my dear. We understand if you don't want to talk about it. I was just worried about you." She gently smiled at Milla, bringing comfort.
Milla smiles, and the lunch continues without any other problems. The afternoon was busy with the many orders at the forge, and the continuous sound of the hammer hitting metal brought some peace to her. After helping to forge five weapons, her personal best record in one afternoon, she prepares herself for her night job.
"Wonderful job today, Milla, thanks for the help, I was getting overwhelmed!" Ghord says while wiping the sweat off his face with a towel.
"Thanks, it helped me a lot, now I'm feeling much calmer. I'm ready for my shift at the tavern. Maybe some good ale and nice music will make my day better." She smiles while cleaning herself with a towel.
"You know, Lass, we haven't known each other for long, but since you joined our little family, I can say one thing to you." He puts a hand on her shoulder.
"No matter what you do, or what you will get into, you have a place in our house anytime. In all my years traveling with my family across this continent, your company gave us the desire to establish ourselves in this city."
"But...you don't know me enough to say this..." Milla interrupted with a shaken voice.
"I don't need to know what I already know about you is enough. Alliah has the same opinion as I, and we know you are a good person, you work hard, follow instructions like no one else, and help everyone when you have the time. So no matter what you think about yourself, or others that don't know the real you can think, we know, and that's why you will always be part of our life."
She kneels at his side and gives a tight hug, surprising him. He responds in kind and starts to chuckle.
"Lass, I appreciate the gesture, but you are far stronger than I, and I think I will pass out." He jokingly laughs while tears roll down her face; all her sorrows, worries, and feelings fall through her tears. She knew now what she needed to do; she would live her life until the end, so there would be no regrets.
"T-thank you, Ghord. Thank you so much. I appreciate the care both of you gave me during this time. I am glad I can call your house, you guys as family. Thank you." Her serene smile made Ghord happy; he didn't know what was happening in her head, but at least he knew he offered some support.
Milla went to the adventurers' guild. This gigantic facility was one of the most visited places daily, equipped with everything that adventurers and traveling merchants need for their journeys. One of the services inside is the tavern, where Milla got a job as a waitress. When she arrives, a friendly face smiles, smitten by her.
"Good evening, Milla! How was your day?" Milton Ashbay, one of the bartenders, is a man with a good reputation and impeccable dress code.
"Good evening, Milton. My day was okay, not the best, but I can't complain." She smiles, going to the employees' changing room.
"Don't forget, today we will have a full house again! Bring the best smile you can give, and I'm sure more people will be smitten by your beauty!" Milton waves, making her giggle.
Loud noises, laughter, and good music were part of this place's routine. There was not one night when the house was not full, which meant a lot of money for the staff. Milla was serving a group that arrived in the city this afternoon. They came from the capital, bringing goods and news.
The last harvest festival failed because of the turmoil in the Felnatus House. Bandits, raids, and tolls created chaos and a sense of insecurity, canceling the plans of many villages and small towns throughout the entire south. As the temporary head of the House, Lady Amiliath Felnatus sent a letter of apology to the king, explaining the situation of the archdukedom after her father got sick and promising to restore order for the next year and make a donation to the royal treasury for all the damages. Hearing this made Milla angry, but she hid with a big smile.
While serving, she saw a new group of people enter the tavern. All familiar faces to her, especially Elzen. The memories struck her again, the moments she saw through Manila's eyes, and the turmoil of emotions started again, but now the words of Ghord made her stay firm and support all this with a smile. She approached the table.
"Hello, my friends! What can I do for you tonight?