Snow falls, one cold day.
I was saved by the goddess.
That was sudden.
Father, mother and I. An unhappiness that suddenly poured down where the three of us lived happily in a long house, even though we were poor.
My parents got all epidemic, and I fell asleep.
I was only eight at that time, but still desperately looked after my parents. Because my parents couldn't move because they were sick, and I just had to do something about it.
I couldn't see a doctor. No, I couldn't see him, but he's right.
Because I don't have any extra money in the house. It was finally my life for my parents to work hard and eat my three parents and children. How could I have prepared that it was money to pay the doctor?
I can only apologize to my father and mother, who are getting thinner and thinner, "I'm sorry".
In time, I ran out of money to buy food.
This is nothing more than what I work for. I walked around visiting a lot thinking that any job would be good, but I can't even get a job with just an eight-year-old boy. I sold flowers on the road, carried luggage, and let them work down the dining room, but I could only earn a small salary.
Buy food with that money, put yourself behind you and give it to my father and mother. I went on living like that for about six months, but it wasn't worth it, and my parents died.
There were no tears. It was so dead.
Sad, hard. Before I thought so, I thought, "Oh, now I don't have to take care of you anymore". 'Cause six months is a long time.
For six months, I took care of myself with my parents by myself. I'm only eight years old.
That was too hard and a harsh reality.
So I'm sure it was something I couldn't help thinking, "I don't have to take care of you anymore". But I couldn't forgive myself.
I was too dirty to think about that for a moment to my parents who gave birth to me and raised me, desperate for myself. And at that time, there were zero tears.
I didn't have the money, so I can't even prepare a grave for my parents. He buried it with the help of his neighbors in the church's joint cemetery and ended it all.
In a small house.
Until now, it seemed cramped, but it felt wide open to the cucumber. It seemed like cancer, something chilly attacked me.
- Oh, I'm the only one in this world.
Suddenly, reality pushed over.
I haven't heard that my parents have relatives that I can rely on. I mean, really, I'm all alone.
- How are we going to live this way?
Nevertheless, there is only one path we can take.
In the meantime, I grew old and turned nine, but I don't think there's more I can do. As always, I just have to help, like a day job, that can't even be called a job, get paid with compassion, and manage to eat up.
Still, given the time when we had to feed the three of us, wouldn't it be pretty easy?
I can do anything about my own food support.
That's what I thought, and I heard voices coming from outside. This long house, equal to no soundproofing or anything else, can often be heard both next door and outside.
"Open it."
It's apparently the landlord calling me. Open the entrance door in a hurry. The landlord, older than his deceased mother, looked at me and said in a pitiful voice, but in a resolute tone.
"I'm sorry. I'm way behind on my rent."
"Huh."
Hear the word rent and blink your eyes. "I knew you didn't know," the landlord frowned.
"This long house is rented. Every month, I lend them by asking them to pay the promised money. I don't want to tell a little one like you, though. Just since your parents got sick, they've been late for rent. I'm not a ghost either. I was hoping you could pay me when I got better, didn't say anything, and I've been waiting for you. But you two are dead."
"... Yes"
My voice was dry from the tease. What will they say next? Somehow I had predictions.
"If you can't pay the rent, it's pathetic, but you have to leave."
Too much for words as expected, but I said desperately.
"Please wait. If they kick me out of here, I'll lose my home."
"That's what I thought, I've been waiting for. More than six months. I'm not doing charity, either. If the money doesn't come in, I want to lend the house to someone else who's gonna pay me right. Or are you saying you can pay the rent?
"Oh, that's..."
I can wolf at the horrible stories that have come to me where I wish I could only earn what I eat.
The landlord said relentlessly.
"If you want to keep living here, you'll have to pay what you've been late for. But you won't be able to do that with that. So get out of here. If you say you're going to walk out of here, I'll make sure you're up to date with your arrears."
……
What the landlord said to me, it's probably broken. As long as you leave, you don't have to pay the rent you were in arrears. Talk so thankful to me that I don't have the money.
But if I do, I'm out of places to live.
I can't rely on anyone. Who says there's no one better than me? What am I supposed to do if I lose my place to live?
"... Yes. Ok. Thank you so much for everything."
"Right! You're a smart kid with a good sense of purpose. Thanks!"
In the end what I said was the word 'leave'.
Because I don't have any money to keep living here. I don't have a choice from the start.
After that, it's badly ambiguous.
Maybe it was too spicy and my brain refused to remember.
I had minimal baggage and left the house. That's not true, just keep walking.
Pick flowers and sell them and manage to buy food for a day.
Anyway, it was the night that was hard.
Cold street. Bring it to the wall, over night. The season is winter. For once, I came out dressed as warm as I could, but I can't even keep the wind out of my cheap jacket.
"Kushi-kun"
Apparently I caught a cold. But no one can worry about me.
Well, then yes. 'Cause I'm, like, alone.
He's an unaccompanied child that no one can see.
◇ ◇ ◇
It's been about a week since they kicked me out of where I lived.
It was already the limit of everything. The lack of a place to rest your body is much tougher than you can imagine. It was also bad that it was cold winter.
Sitting on the ground wasn't supposed to make a recovery or anything, anyway, I just prayed that the night would dawn every day.
"Ha... oh..."
Walk like a drag on your leg.
Bad luck.
It snowed last night. The snow didn't stop coming down in the morning, and it piled thin on the road.
From a thin sole of shoes, molten snow stains. I'm about to cry over the stabbing cold.
At some point I also lost the luggage I had.
I don't have anything. Just walk without even going.
"I... am I going to die"
I lost my strength and fell on the spot.
I didn't get hurt because of the snow, but I also don't have the strength to stand up. Cold snow takes away the wind's temperature. My body hurts so much.
- I wish I could die easy.
I hope I don't meditate my eyes like this and wake up like that.
I'm sorry it's hard and cold already.
That's what I thought, I closed my eyes. This will make it easier. That's what I thought.
"- Well, dirty. I want you to stop dead bodies in front of people's houses."
Pickle and move your body to the voice you hear from overhead. Is anyone looking at me?
Squeeze your strength without and turn your face towards you. A girl as beautiful as I've ever seen was staring down at me.
Thick, I'm wearing a coat that looks warm to see. He also wore boots made of fur.
A noble lady.
I also saw occasionally in town, a presence that clearly draws a line with the civilian population.
Everything you're wearing and its presence is different from ours.
Such an aristocratic lady stared at me.
"Oh, I thought it was a corpse, but it was alive."
"Ah... ugh..."
"It's dirty. Hey, you. Oh, but if you look closely, you look beautiful. Heh."
After staring slightly at me to observe, the girl punched her hand with joy.
"That's right! Let's do that! Hey, you, falling down here means you got kicked out of the house, orphan? You don't have a place to go home anyway, do you?
"Huh!"
Words that were said to be sayin 'were true, but I choked my chest badly. But I shake my head slightly vertically.
"I knew it," she smiled, "then" she said.
"Can you be my butler and swear to serve me for the rest of my life? I will not allow you to disobey any of my orders. If you can swear it, I'll pick it up from the bottom where you are right now."
"Huh..."
All of a sudden it took me a few seconds to understand the words I was told.
I wonder what this girl has just said.
Pick me up? Me in this state? Is it a nobleman-specific joke or something?
The girl's face staring at me sounds fun but serious.
So, maybe this isn't about lying. My head wasn't so exhausted that I could judge things normally anymore, but still, I only understood that if I missed this, I would really be dead.
A little, hesitate.
Until earlier, I wanted to die. But if you really want to help me,
Yeah, but I want to talk to the devil.
"I swear. So... please help me."
"Fine. Then from today on, you're mine."
The words I said with desperation were accepted lightly.
As soon as the girl entered the mansion in front of her, she brought in several servants.
"Take this kid inside the mansion and give him a hand. I'll make it my own butler."
"Ma'am, but..."
"That's what I decided to do. Any complaints?
"... no"
To the voice of the girl's crane, the servants bowed their heads.
I was transported into the mansion by them, taken to the bathroom, received allowances and received clothes several times warmer than what I had ever worn. They are fed a meal and even given a private room.
"... is that good? This..."
The private room I was given was about the size of the long house I lived in. Inside there was a fuzzy bed, desks, chairs, and even a fireplace that I had never seen in a long house.
I can't believe the sudden downpour of broken treatment. The servant who brought me to my room told me to open my eyes.
"You're not the only one with special treatment. In this mansion, all servants work under the same conditions. It's up to the butler to give him a private room."
"Yes... what is it..."
"Don't forget the thanks you got picked up, too. If it weren't for the lady's whim, she would definitely be dead, wouldn't she?
"... Yes"
I nod honestly to that.
It doesn't have to be said. I know myself better than anyone, such as that she would have died if she hadn't helped me.
"The lady is on a whim, my dear, but she does not raise her hand. Anyway, don't disobey orders. You get it?
"Yes."
I was thankful that I couldn't raise my hand. I've never been beaten or kicked too often in the lower work I've been allowed to do from time to time. That's all, I think I got lucky.
"Sincerely, I serve you"
The life you picked up. I thought I'd use it for her.