Why was I asleep? It doesn't ring a bell, and I rack my brain.
As I recall, I wanted to go outside, and the gardener's men invited me to join them.
I remember. I remember the kind man, the gardener man, grabbing my hand and pulling me. I remember that he was so bothered by me that he threw rough words at me. That he tried to take me away even though I didn't want to and resisted. --That the maid of honor found out and pushed me away.
When I got up, I felt a pain in the area where I had been hit, and I became more aware of the reality of what had happened. At the same time, my body shook with a shudder.
I was terrified.
What would have happened to me if the maid had not found me at that moment? Thinking about that, thinking about that, I was really afraid.
How could that kind gardener have done this to me? Or had he originally hired me as a gardener because he wanted to do something about me? Was it because I had deceived the godson?
I want to see Master Ninaev. I felt that if I saw him, I would feel a little less anxious. With this feeling, I tried to get off the bed. But my body throbbed and I could not move it any further.
Just when I was wondering what to do, the door to my room opened.
"Alice! You are awake, thank God!
It was the maid of honor who had seen me about to be kidnapped and called out to me. The mere sight of her was a relief to me.
I'll go get Master Ninaev!"
And with that, the maid of honor left the place in a flurry.
After a while, Nyunayev came in.
Alice, I am so glad you are all right.
Nyunayev smiled at me, as if he was relieved from the bottom of his heart. I was glad to know that he was really worried about me.
Until I became aware of it, I had taken it for granted that I deserved to be treated kindly and to be worried about myself, but now I was happy just to be worried about myself.
Ninaev, ......
Alice, I am so glad you were not taken.
"...... Master Nynaev, why did that man take me?"
"......"
"Because I was deceiving him about his godson. ......?"
I asked the silent Ninaev-sama fearfully. I thought that it was because I had deceived him into thinking that I was a godchild, and that is why he was about to do that to me. But Ninaev shook his head.
Alice is beautiful. She is so beautiful that I can say even now that she will be called the most beautiful woman in the future. Even I, as a man of the same s*x, can't help but be impressed by her beauty. With such beauty, there are many who would try to take you away with evil feelings. There are many malice in the world that want to take you, or sell you as a slave.
"Malice. ......"
"Yes. Alice has probably not been exposed to much malice in her life. And after she was taken in as a godchild, she was strictly protected from malice. But now, here, you don't have that kind of protection. You need to protect yourself. Alice needs to know ...... how beautiful she is and how much of a potential target she is. If you want to do someone a favor for all the trouble you've caused, that's even more important."
Lady Ninaev said.
He said that my appearance could attract such ill will. That is why I must defend myself if I have a wish to hear someone's request of me.
'...... Is that why Master Ninaev did not let me out?
'Yes, that's right. The fact that Alice tricked the godchild and the fact that she is beautiful looking. The two things are that there was a big possibility that you would be targeted if you went outside. I was wondering if I should dare to show you the reality or if you should stay in the mansion for a while and learn little by little. It was my fault for hiring that gardener. I am sorry, Alice."
No, Ninaev-sama, it is not your place to apologize.
Alice, you have learned this time that there are people who have evil thoughts about you. You must have felt terrible about it. But if you go out, the probability of encountering such a being will increase. Of course, not all people in the world are like that. But there are those who have definite malice toward Alice. But do you still want to go outside? If you don't want to go outside, I think that is an option. In that case, I can't fulfill Alice's wish to fulfill someone's request, but ......"
Lady Ninaev asks.
If you go outside, there is a possibility that you will be exposed to bad intentions. But do you still want to go outside?
I think about it.
I was afraid that I was going to be kidnapped. I was afraid that I was going to be abducted. I was afraid that someone would suddenly speak roughly to me.
But....
I wanted to go outside. After all, I was always selfish, so I want to ask you for a favor instead."
That's what I thought.
I was afraid, but I had lived my life as I wanted to. That is why I wanted to become someone who can fulfill the wishes of those around me.
Ninaev laughed at my words.
If so, let's go out a little at a time, thinking together about what we should do. At least, if you go around saying, 'I want to ask you a favor,' you might get into trouble.
I nodded to Ninaev-sama's words.
---Sister, since you woke up.
(The sister of a godchild girl wakes up. And she was faced with a choice, and she made it.)