2nd Day (6) | The Start of A New Life in "Hell" (5)

The Noble Duke House of Rosavich.

Their emblem was the Red Rose of Florentia—one of the ancient flowers said to have been brought forth by the First King of Florentia, a hero summoned from another world, as he united Florentia under his banner.

The many flowers were given to many of his allies, who, in turn, used them as the symbol of their households.

And one particular flower was the Red Rose... a flower given to the First King's greatest ally, who then established the Rosavich household and swore eternal loyalty to the First King.

The emblem of the red rose... was marked on one of the supply crates that Anastasia found.

The redheaded noblewoman couldn't believe her eyes upon seeing this familiar rose emblem.

It was an emblem she had worn proudly as the eldest daughter and, more importantly, as the heiress of the Rosavich household...

But...

She was not a Rosavich anymore.

She had been disowned for her crime... her sin against the Crown, and was practically exiled from Florentia.

She no longer had the right to bear the Rosavich name...

And yet, she now bore witness to the emblem of her former household on one of the supply crates.

No other household, nor even the common man, was allowed to use that red rose symbol—lest they find themselves tried for treason against not only the Duke but also the Kingdom itself.

'...Did Father... did the Duke send me this...?' Anastasia thought, reminiscing about the beloved figure who had raised her with his utmost care.

Anastasia's fingers trembled slightly as they hovered over the emblem, her breath caught in her throat.

'...Why...?'

She clenched her fist, frustration and confusion stirring inside her heart.

She should have been grateful... she truly was... but she could not let go of the guilt that plagued her. The disgrace she had brought upon her former household.

Then... her eyes shifted toward the cart—toward the enigmatic butler of hers.

Anastasia knew that Sebas was hired by her former household.

It made sense why he was able to procure this many supplies in just one night—the Rosavich household must have had a hand in this.

She didn't exactly know who he was or where he had come from, but...

She was... truly grateful for his presence here. If not for him, Anastasia... and her two loyal aides as well... would not be alive right now.

But at this moment, the fallen noblewoman found herself in a dilemma.

How was she supposed to move forward with this much help given to her... when this mistake had been her own doing?

< | X | >

"Alright... I think that's all~!" Sebas declared atop the giant, empty wooden cart.

In his hands was the last crate of supplies, filled with dried seasoning—the distinct aroma of spice drifting from it.

Martha was also helping with handling the supplies, placing them in a designated area near their campsite. Despite her injuries, she was managing well.

"Phew... finally finished," she sighed, satisfied with her work.

The knight turned toward her mistress... and found Lady Anastasia staring blankly at the supplies they had just unloaded.

"Lady Ana...? Is something wrong?"

"...! Ah, yes, Martha...!" Anastasia jolted slightly, broken from her reverie. "It's nothing. I was just thinking about the supplies and what to do with them."

"Are you sure, my lady...?"

"I'm sure," Anastasia replied with a small, reassuring smile.

Martha fell silent. She couldn't exactly press her mistress, even though she could tell that something was troubling her. If only she was bold enough to ask...

"Oi~, Lady Ana~, Miss Knight~."

A call interrupted their exchange, coming from the butler himself. They turned to see Sebas approaching, carrying several large crates in both hands... with ease.

"S-Sir Sebas, is there something you need?" Anastasia asked, a small sense of relief washing over her at the timely distraction he had provided.

Thud, Thud, Thud.

With a few heavy thuds, he placed the last crates of supplies alongside the others before turning toward Anastasia.

"Well, firstly, I'd like to report that all the supplies I bought from Florentia have been accounted for, my lady."

"I see. Good work, Sir Sebas. And you as well, Martha," she said, acknowledging both of her servants.

Sebas simply gave a thumbs-up, while Martha nodded awkwardly.

"Anything else, Sir Sebas?"

"The second thing I wanted to discuss is what you'd like to do with the current supplies." He gestured toward the stacked goods.

"We've got wood for infrastructure, construction tools for building, farming supplies, provisions, rations, and a lot more. So... anything come to mind?"

"You said yesterday that we could survive three hours without shelter, correct?"

"Haha, well, that was a rather extreme parameter coming from me," he chuckled, "but of course, having a proper rooftop over our heads would be a welcome comfort."

"Very much so, Sir Sebas."

"So, I can safely assume that you want to prioritize building a shelter first?"

"Yes... I would like that, please."

The thought of having a proper house reassured her. It finally felt like progress was being made in this forsaken region.

"Hmm, is my tent not good enough for you, my lady~?" Sebas smirked, his teasing nature surfacing.

"W-well, I wouldn't say I hate it... but..."

Anastasia hesitated, flustered by his teasing, recalling the simple cloth bed that, despite everything, had been surprisingly comfortable.

"Sir Butler... please don't tease our mistress," Martha huffed, shaking her head at the butler's antics.

"Ahaha, sorry, sorry~. Well then, my lady, it's settled. We'll build you a good house to live in, right?"

"Y-yes, please do so, Sir Sebas," Anastasia ordered. "And not just for me—I want a place where even my servants can live comfortably."

"As you wish, my lady," he bowed, a small smile of appreciation crossing his lips at her consideration.

But then, a thought crossed his mind.

"Lady Ana, I'd like to excuse myself for a moment."

"Hmm? What is it, Sir Sebas?"

He didn't answer right away. Instead, he walked over to the supplies... and picked up an axe...

An axe made specifically for lumberjacking...!

"Before we build a house... how about we build ourselves some walls first~?"

"...Pardon?"