Morning had not yet arrived when Reina opened her eyes. The sky beyond the tall glass window was still gray, the light thin and uncertain as it slipped through the garden outside. For a moment she remained lying still, listening carefully.
No footsteps.
No voices.
No commands.
Slowly, she sat up.
Habit moved her before thought did.
She folded her bedding neatly, smoothing the tatami where she had slept. She adjusted the edge of the mat so it aligned perfectly with the floor seam.
Then she stood.
The house was silent. Not the silence of sleep. The quiet stillness of a large home resting before the day began.
Reina stepped into the hallway with careful feet. The upstairs corridor stretched long and polished beneath soft morning light filtering through the mansion's large glass windows. Beyond them, the courtyard garden lay still, its pine branches barely moving in the faint breeze. Reina did not call for anyone. She did not wait for instructions. She simply began.
She wiped the corridor railings first, her cloth moving slowly along the polished wood. Then she dusted the window frames. After that came the low tables placed along the walls and the decorative shelves that held small ornaments and books. Her sleeves hung long over her wrists, absorbing faint traces of dust, but she did not push them back.
She never did.
Her steps made no sound.
Her breathing remained light.
Her presence barely disturbed the air.
By the time the first servant entered the hallway, the work was already done. The maid stopped. Her eyes moved across the clean corridor.
Then she looked at Reina.
"You woke early," the maid said.
Reina bowed her head.
"Yes."
The servant hesitated. Her expression showed neither annoyance nor displeasure. Only quiet surprise.
"You don't need to do this," she said.
Reina lowered her gaze.
"I don't mind."
And she meant it. Working meant usefulness. Usefulness meant safety.
The servant studied her for another moment before nodding once and continuing down the hall. Reina remained where she was. Her hands folded quietly in front of her. Her fingers loosened slightly inside her sleeves.
No scolding.
Her chest eased.
I did it correctly.
The thought settled softly inside her.
Only then did she allow herself to breathe fully. A knock sounded nearby. Reina straightened immediately.
"The lady requests your presence," a servant said.
Reina bowed toward the voice.
"Yes."
Her mother-in-law stood waiting in the front already dressed for going out. A pair of gloves rested neatly in one hand.
"I thought," she said kindly, "we should buy you proper clothing for the season."
Reina blinked.
Clothing?
"For... me?" Reina asked, unsure.
"Of course." Mother-in-law said.
Reina bowed quickly.
"Thank you."
Her voice was small but sincere.
She did not ask why.
She did not ask how many.
She did not ask whether she deserved them. She simply followed.
The town streets were lively when they arrived. Voices drifted from open storefronts. Bolts of fabric hung from wooden racks, swaying slightly as people passed. Glass windows reflected sunlight and the movement of pedestrians. The warm scent of roasted chestnuts lingered in the air.
Reina walked half a step behind her mother-in-law, her gaze lowered and her hands folded inside her sleeves.
Shopkeepers greeted the older woman warmly. They nodded politely to Reina.
No one mocked her.
No one scolded her.
The absence of cruelty felt unfamiliar.
They entered one shop.
Then another and another.
Silk.
Cotton.
Soft colors.
Gentle fabrics.
"These will suit you," her mother-in-law said thoughtfully as she selected several bolts.
Each time, Reina bowed.
"Yes."
Then suddenly the woman paused.
"Oh."
She checked the small watch pinned at her waist.
"I must return to the company," she said. "I forgot documents that must be signed before noon."
She turned toward Reina with a gentle smile.
"I will return shortly. Wait for me here, alright?"
Reina nodded.
"Yes."
"I won't be long." She said as she ran towards the motorcar with the servant inside.
Then she left.
Reina stood quietly where she was.
Still.
Waiting.
After a moment she stepped outside the shop to stand near the entrance.
The street bustled softly around her.
Her gaze lifted slightly.
Glass.
A shop window.
She froze.
Her reflection stared back at her, warped. The glass bent the image slightly. Her face looked uneven. Her skin seemed dull. Her features twisted in the reflection like melting wax.
Her breath caught.
Someone passed behind her reflection. Whispering. She heard it.
"What is that?"
"Strange girl..."
"Don't look at her."
Her fingers trembled.
Another window.
Another reflection.
Still ugly.
Still wrong.
Still horrible.
Her thoughts began to spiral.
They're staring.
They're whispering.
They know.
They see it.
Her chest tightened painfully. The sounds around her grew louder.
Footsteps.
Voices.
Laughter.
Whispers.
Too loud.
Her breathing quickened. She stepped backward.
Then turned.
Then walked.
Then hurried.
She did not know where she was going. Only that she needed to get away. She turned one corner.
Then another.
Then another.
Gradually the noise faded behind her.
A narrow gap appeared between two buildings where sunlight barely reached. Shadows pooled along the ground, and a tied trash sack rested against the wall.
Reina stumbled into the narrow space. She dropped into a crouch.
Her back pressed against the cold wall. Her hands covered her face. Her breathing came fast and shallow.
"It's okay," she whispered. "It's okay. It's okay."
Her voice trembled. But her chest would not slow. Her thoughts would not stop. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears. She curled herself smaller, trying to disappear. Yet the whispers continued to echo inside her mind.
Hiro was standing in the entrance of the company after escorting guests out when he crossed paths with his mother. She was walking quickly, her steps hurried, her expression unusually tense.
"Hiro," she called.
He stopped. She approached him without slowing, papers held tightly in her hand.
"I need you to go into town," she said. "Reina is there alone. Please go accompany her."
Hiro's expression did not change.
"I'm busy," he replied flatly. "I have work to attend to."
"I know," she said quickly, almost breathless. "But I cannot stay. There are important documents that must be reviewed and signed before the deadline. I have no choice."
He did not move.
"Then send a servant," he said.
"There was no time," she answered. "And she is unfamiliar with the town."
Her voice softened, but urgency remained beneath it.
"She is alone, Hiro."
He remained silent.
"What if something happens?" she continued. "What if she gets lost? What if there are people who take advantage of her? She would not know what to do."
His gaze shifted slightly.
Still, he said nothing.
"I will return as quickly as I can," she added. "But until then... please."
The word lingered between them.
Hiro exhaled slowly, irritation flickering across his expression.
"...You are asking me to leave my work for this."
"Yes."
A pause. He looked away briefly, jaw tightening.
Then he sighed.
"...Where is she?"
Relief softened her expression immediately as she told him the location. Hiro did not respond further. He simply turned and walked away. And so he went.
He arrived in town minutes later and scanned the street.
No sign of her.
He stepped into the nearest shop.
"Have you seen a young woman with long hair covering her face?" he asked.
The shop owner nodded slowly.
"She went that way."
He checked another shop.
"Yes," someone said. "She looked frightened."
At the third shop, the owner pointed down the road.
"Toward that alley."
Hiro turned immediately. At first he saw nothing. Then he noticed a shape.
Small.
Curled.
Still.
He approached slowly.
"Reina."
There was no response. He crouched beside her and touched her shoulder lightly.
Nothing.
He tried again, gentler.
Her head lifted.
Strands of hair shifted.
And for the first time he saw her eyes.
Brown.
Clear.
Bright.
They were not different like how he thought it will be.
Not strange.
Not frightening.
They were actually... beautiful. For the briefest moment he glimpsed at the rosey cheeks under the curtain of her hair.
His breath stilled.
The world seemed to quiet. Reina blinked slowly. Her breathing began to slow. Her shoulders loosened. Because she saw him.
"My lord," she whispered.
Her voice trembled. But the panic that had gripped her began to fade. Hiro did not understand why. He only knew she looked calmer now. And he did not understand why that made something inside his chest loosen.
"You're safe," he said quietly.
The words surprised even him. Reina nodded faintly. Somehow she believed him.
In the narrow space between two buildings, for the first time, Reina felt both hidden and found at the same time.