After my mother finished washing herself, she joined me in the bathtub, and we warmed up together.
Carro and Koruko were relaxing in a bucket placed right next to the bathtub.
Carro was using its little hands to clean its body.
โCarro, youโre so skilled!โ
โKyuu!โ
Carro stood up straight in the bucket, looking at me with a smug expression. It seems Carro has a habit of standing up when showing off.
โKoruko, youโre skilled too!โ
โKoko!โ
Koruko shook its body like it was taking a dust bath, splashing water in the bucket.
โMother, chickens donโt usually like water baths, do they?โ
โThatโs right. Generally, chickens prefer dust baths.โ
โHmm, Koruko is quite different.โ
โKoo-ko-ko!โ
It sounded like Koruko was saying, โIโm a guardian beast, after all.โ
โKo-ko.โ
Apparently, Koruko dislikes water but enjoys bathing in warm water.
โKyuu-kyuu!โ
Carro also dislikes cold water. Maybe Carro and Koruko are more like Sara and me than I thought.
โCold water is unpleasant, huh?โ
โKyuu.โ โKoo.โ
I stepped out of the bathtub and moved to Korukoโs bucket.
โLet me help you wash up.โ
โKokko.โ
I poured warm water over Korukoโs head and gently washed its feet.
โLetโs make sure your comb is clean too.โ
โKoo.โ
I scooped up water with my hands and gently scrubbed, washing between the feathers.
โDoes it hurt?โ
โKoo.โ
Koruko seemed to enjoy it, so it was fine.
โNow itโs Carroโs turn.โ
โKyuu.โ
I washed Carro with warm water as well.
โYou both are so clean, Carro and Koruko.โ
โKyuu.โ โKok.โ
Carro and Koruko were naturally clean, so washing wasnโt necessary most of the time. Still, I made sure to clean the dirt from Carroโs claws, as it tended to dig holes and get dirt stuck there.
Meanwhile, Daru floated on its back in the water, like it was doing a backstroke. I didnโt know how it managed that, but perhaps it was a special ability of guardian beasts.
As for Sara, she was being held by Mother. Resting her head against Motherโs ample chest, Sara twitched her ears as Mother gently embraced her from behind.
โSara, how are you feeling?โ
โIโm fineโฆ really.โ
โGood. But if you feel even a little unwell, let me know, okay?โ
โOkay.โ
Mother probably checked Saraโs body to ensure there were no signs of red pox as well.
โIs there anything you donโt like to eat, Sara?โ
โNope!โ
โAre you sure? Donโt hesitate to tell me.โ
โOkay.โ
While I washed Carro and Koruko, I listened to Mother and Saraโs conversation. Sara still seemed a bit tense.
But after chatting for a while:
โUm, Sara is really fast at running!โ
Saraโs tone lightened up.
โOh? Really?โ
โYeah, Mama said I was really good at it!โ
โThatโs wonderful!โ
โEhehehe.โ
Sara blushed from Motherโs praise. Perhaps feeling Motherโs kindness reassured her.
I hoped Sara could feel even more at ease.
โA blessing amidst misfortune?โ
Before Sara met many people, it was good that she could recognize Mother as someone she could trust.
Father, my brothers, my sisters, and the servants were all kind. But to Sara, just being surrounded by many adults must be overwhelming.
Apparently, Sara tends to freeze up when sheโs startled. If there are too many people around, thereโll inevitably be more opportunities for that to happen.
Now that Sara seemed less tense, this was a chance.
โSara, Iโve been wondering.โ
โWhat is it, Luria-sama?โ
โThat! You donโt have to call me โsama.โโ
โEh, butโฆโ
Sara looked a little troubled and glanced at Mother.
โMother, she doesnโt need to use โsama,โ right?โ
โThatโs right. While itโs necessary in formal settings, itโs not needed casually.โ
โSee? Just call me Luria.โ
โR-Luria -chan?โ
โThatโs perfect!โ
Being called โLuria-chanโ felt really nice.
After warming up thoroughly, we all left the bath before anyone got dizzy.
The hardest part after leaving the bath was drying Daru. Since it was so big, we had to use many towels.
Later, we were taken to Motherโs room, where many clothes were laid out.
โWow, thereโs so much!โ
โThese are clothes Lydia used to wear.โ
Apparently, these were clothes my sister Lydia wore when she was younger and had been stored at the villa.
โThis outfit would look lovely on Sara.โ
โIt does!โ
โReally? Ehehe.โ
The clothes suited Sara so well; she looked adorable. Together with Mother and the maids, we dressed Sara up like a doll.
โMaybe the light blue dress suits her better?โ
โHmm, both look great!โ โThey both suit you wonderfully, Miss Sara.โ
โEhehehe.โ
It was great that we found so many outfits that fit Sara. Now she wouldnโt have to worry about clothes until her custom-made ones were ready.
After our dress-up session, we folded and put away the clothes that didnโt fit Sara.
โMother, what about these?โ
โOh, those are clothes Gilberto used to wear.โ
โOh?โ
I picked up some of my brother Gilbertoโs clothes. They looked like they might fit me.
โShould I try wearing them?โ
The clothes looked practical and had lots of pockets, which I liked.
As I started changing:
โLuria, do you want to wear Gilbertoโs clothes? Fine, Iโll help you.โ
Mother helped me change into them.
Once I was dressed, I spun around. The clothes were very comfortable to move in.
โMother, how do I look?โ
โLuriaโฆ this is even cuter than I imagined.โ
โHehe.โ
โLuria-chan is so cute!โ โYou look adorable!โ
Being praised by everyone made me feel great.
Maybe Iโd wear my brotherโs clothes for a while.
That night, I climbed into bed with Sara. After the maids left, we turned off all the lights. The spiritsโ glow provided enough brightness for Sara, me, and the guardian beasts.
โTomorrow, letโs write a letter.โ
โOkay, but isnโt writing hard?โ
โItโs a bit tricky, but donโt worry. Iโll teach you.โ
โOkayโฆ Luriโฆa-chanโฆโ
Before finishing her sentence, Sara drifted off to sleep.
It had been a long day, so it was no wonder she was tired.
I hugged Sara tightly, just like my brother and sister used to do for me.
โDid she fall asleep?โ โShe did!โ โHow cute!โ
The spirits, seeing Sara asleep, began chattering. Sara could see spirits, but she couldnโt hear their voices.
They mustโve stayed quiet earlier to avoid interrupting our conversation.
โLady Luria, can we talk now?โ
โIโm sleepy too.โ
โAwwโฆโ
Being five years old, it was only natural for me to feel tired.
โLetโs talk tomorrowโฆโ
โGood night, Lady Luria!โ โSweet dreams!โ โSo cute!โ
โWhere did Kuro goโฆ?โ
Among the many playful spirits, the black cat Kuro was missing.
Perhaps it had gone off to play somewhere.
Still, I wasnโt worried. Kuro was a powerful spirit, and few things could harm it.