“Sooo… I just have to check the cottage in the forest?” Alice asked, tilting her head as she eyed Sheila across the table.
“That’s right,” Sheila replied nonchalantly, her fingers tapping against the wood. “If you take care of that, I don’t mind switching duties with you right now.”
The moment the words left Sheila’s lips, Alice’s eyes lit up like a festival bonfire. Her excitement was practically tangible. This was it—her first escape from the exhausting kitchen. She didn’t stop to think, didn’t hesitate. She saw an opportunity and jumped.
But not everyone shared her enthusiasm.
Leah, standing nearby, tugged at the hem of Alice’s skirt with growing concern. “Are you sure about this?” she asked in a hushed, urgent voice. “What if you get scolded by Senior Hana—or worse, the Head Maid?”
Alice gave a mock-pensive expression for half a second before flashing a carefree smile. “It’s fine. I’m just switching duties with a senior maid. What could go wrong?”
Leah sighed in frustration. Alice was brushing this off far too easily. She remembered Hana’s warning from their very first day: “Stay away from the forest.” No one explained why, but the sternness in Hana’s voice back then was chilling.
And now? Now the senior maids were murmuring rumors about a ghost—a violent one at that.
Leah opened her mouth again, wanting to push back, but Jane was already beside her, laying a steady hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t bother,” Jane muttered. “She’s not going to listen.”
“But what if something happens?” Leah whispered, watching Alice joke with Sheila like it was just another game.
“Then that’s her problem.” Jane’s voice was flat, tired. She’d had enough of trying to keep those two grounded. “Let her learn.”
Leah didn’t answer. She bit her lip and stared at Alice—so cheerful, so full of life, so utterly reckless. Leah felt a gnawing sense of responsibility. After all, she had joked about switching jobs. She never thought Alice would take it seriously.
Shaking Jane’s hand off, Leah stepped forward. Her decision was made.
“I’ll go,” Leah said firmly, cutting through the noise of the kitchen.
Both Jane and Alice turned to her in surprise.
“I was the one who suggested the idea… even if it was a joke. I’ll take responsibility.” She paused and looked Alice in the eye. “You two can swap tasks, but I’ll take the forest errand.”
Alice blinked. For a moment, she thought Leah was trying to steal her long-awaited escape route. She opened her mouth to object, but Leah spoke first—her tone unshakable.
“I’m not swapping duties with anyone. You’ll still take Sheila’s job, and she’ll take yours. But I’ll go to the forest for this task.”
There was no room for debate in Leah’s voice.
Alice stared at her, stunned into silence. Leah—who was always soft-spoken, careful, and kind—suddenly felt larger than life. There was steel in her eyes, quiet but powerful.
“I can do it, really,” Alice muttered, her bravado softening.
“I know. But I’m doing it,” Leah repeated.
Alice hesitated. She wasn’t usually perceptive, but even she could sense there was more to Leah’s decision than kindness. Leah had a reason—a quiet resolve burning under the surface.
In the end, Alice simply nodded. “Alright. You promise, okay?”
Leah smiled. “Promise.”
From across the kitchen, Jane rolled her eyes and stood up. “You’re both hopeless,” she muttered, walking away to return to her duties. At this point, it was easier to focus on peeling vegetables than the emotional circus playing out around her.
Later, before the dinner prep started, Leah was preparing for her errand. She packed a heavy sack of raw potatoes—why potatoes, of all things?—and slung it over her shoulder with effort. It weighed her down, but she didn’t complain.
The senior maids stood at the edge of the courtyard, watching her form disappear into the shadowed path that led toward the forest. They didn’t say anything—just watched, making sure she actually went and waited for her to come back.
While Leah was inside the forest, Alice was anxiously scrubbing dishes, trying to focus while Sheila worked in the kitchen to cover for Leah. Alice was kind of worried Sheila would back out of their deal if she learned how difficult working in the kitchen was but contrary to what she thought, Sheila was completely okay with it. She was moving faster than Alice without breaking any sweat, and Alice seemed pleased with this.
So now, instead of worrying about Sheila, Alice was more worried about Leah who took on the errand for her. Alice kept glancing toward the door. She hoped Leah would be okay.
***~~***~~***
Meanwhile, inside the forest, Leah’s pace was slow and cautious. The deeper she walked, the cooler the air became. Sunlight filtered through the dense leaves in patches, casting soft green shadows all around her. It was quiet—almost peaceful. Not what she expected at all.
No ghosts. No monsters. Just wind and trees.
She breathed in the earthy scent and began to relax, her grip on the sack loosening.
Then her foot caught on something.
She tripped and fell forward, the bag of potatoes thudding beside her. Dirt and leaves clung to her arms. She groaned, turning to see what had caught her foot.
That’s when she saw it.
A teddy bear.
It sat creepily under a bush, barely visible, a faded string clutched in its plush paw. Something about it made her skin crawl.
And then—it moved.
Its head turned. Slowly. Deliberately. To look at her.
Leah froze. Her breath hitched. Her entire body turned cold.
For a second, her mind refused to believe it. Maybe it was a trick of the wind, or—
No. No, that head moved.
With a cry, she scrambled to her feet, tore the sack off her shoulder, and bolted.
The forest blurred past her as she ran, heart pounding so hard she couldn’t hear anything else. Branches scratched her arms, leaves tore at her dress, but she didn’t stop—not for one second.
There was only one thought racing through her head:
“The ghost stories… were real.”
Comments (0)
See all