The memories after my mother committed suicide in prison are hazy.
It’s like a canvas smeared with black paint—messy and chaotic.
It might sound strange, but even my life before possession is blurry and hard to remember.
Moreover, every time I tried to recall those hazy memories, my head would throb, so I just lived thinking I must have led a mundane life.
But the memories before my mother went to prison are cursed with clarity.
My childhood world was always the same. The small single room my mother locked me in—that was all.
Sometimes, when my mother went out, the world would expand a little. At those times, I could roam freely, whether it was the kitchen or the living room with the TV.
Ah, by the way, my favorite program was the cooking show. Just seeing the foods I could never taste in real life on the screen made me happy.
Anyway.
Except for my mother, who came home every night clutching something in her hand, the only person I could talk to was my childhood friend who appeared in the mirror.
My meals were always expired packaged foods, and the only thing I could drink was tap water.
Maybe because of that, we hardly ever used dishes at home. Our house was filled with piles of trash instead of dishes to wash.
So, I had never done the dishes.
And after being transported to this world as a noble, there was no reason for me to bother with such chores.
So, it’s not like I couldn’t do the dishes.
“If you’re going to do it half-heartedly, then don’t do it at all! Look at those grease stains! Can you even call that clean?”
I shouldn’t have to endure nearly 10 minutes of ear-splitting yelling like this.
“I-it’s my first time…! And is it really worth yelling this much just because I didn’t rinse a plate properly?”
“Even if it’s your first time, a ten-year-old could do better than you. Well, I guess it’s no surprise that a spoiled noble brat who knows nothing about the world can’t handle such tasks.”
Spoiled, you say?
What do you know about me…!
“Someone who can’t even do a simple task like this properly, what do you expect them to do later… tsk tsk, kids these days…”
“Don’t try to give me life lessons over something as trivial as dishwashing!”
Unbearable anger surged, and without realizing it, my voice rose.
Grandma Miranda stared straight at me. Her gaze wasn’t just filled with anger but also disappointment and pity.
“If that’s what you think… well, it’s just dishwashing, after all.”
She slowly approached, pushed my shoulder aside, and took the dishes I had placed on the rack, dipping them back into the sink.
“Go back. Don’t waste your time here.”
“Huh?”
For a moment, I was so stunned that I blinked blankly.
Just a moment ago, she was pouring out all sorts of nagging and insults, and now she’s acting like she has no attachment at all.
“Tell Princess Viviana that she’s mistaken. You’re not meant for this kind of work.”
“……”
“Instead, use that pretty face to swindle people’s wallets. That would be easier for you.”
Her words stung.
It probably wasn’t intentional, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was unnecessarily sharp.
“You’re telling me to leave?”
“Yes. It was short, but nice meeting you, kid.”
Grandma Miranda turned her broad back to me and started scrubbing the dishes.
After that, only the clattering of dishes filled the silence.
“……”
I wanted to just walk out.
There was no reason to force myself to do the dishes in freezing cold water.
Viviana sent me here to help, but honestly, I still don’t see how this is supposed to atone for my sins.
If the goal is to earn money to repay the noble ladies, there are countless ways to make much more money in the world.
If the goal is physical suffering, there are countless more effective methods than dishwashing.
As Grandma Miranda said, no matter how I think about it, Viviana’s judgment seems wrong.
“If you mention my name, you might even get a carriage ride. It won’t be much, but I’ll send your wages to the princess separately.”
“……”
There was no reason to stay here.
Yet, strangely, I didn’t want to leave.
I don’t know what this feeling is, but ever since I saw Grandma Miranda’s disappointed gaze, my heart has been aching.
‘I don’t want to.’
A voice echoed inside me.
I bit my lip and approached Grandma Miranda.
“What are you still doing here?”
I reached out to snatch the dishes from her hands.
But due to the overwhelming difference in strength, instead of taking the dishes, I ended up flailing around, holding onto her fingers.
“G-give it to me…!”
“Well, well, what are you doing?”
Her black eyes looked down at me with pity.
I glared back at her with fierce eyes.
“I haven’t even had a proper chance yet! If I put my mind to it, I can do it quickly, so give it back!”
“Hmph.”
No matter how much strength I put into it, Grandma Miranda’s arm didn’t budge.
As she lifted her arm, my body naturally dangled from her wrist.
“G-give it to me…!”
“……”
After staring at me with a meaningful gaze for a while, Grandma Miranda let out a short sigh and lowered her arm.
“If you make me waste my time again, I’ll kick you out immediately.”
“Got it, so give me the dishes…!”
As Grandma Miranda placed the dishes back, I quickly grabbed them and plunged them into the cold water.
But the moment the cold gripped my hands, I realized I had forgotten to put on gloves.
“Eek…!”
“Goodness. I’ll take a look around the tavern, so finish by the time I get back.”
Grandma Miranda tossed the gloves beside me and turned away.
As she disappeared from the kitchen, I shivered and put on the gloves.
I looked at the dishes in my hand. The greasy dishes. The stains that, as Grandma Miranda said, weren’t properly cleaned.
I gritted my teeth and glared at the stains as if I were about to execute them.
※
“Clean, right?”
“……”
“Huh, huhu…”
My lips trembled, and my voice wouldn’t come out properly.
My clothes were soaked from the cold water splashed during dishwashing, and with no heating in the kitchen, it felt like I might catch a cold any moment.
Yet, I felt relieved. Seeing Grandma Miranda speechless in front of me, a warm feeling of satisfaction filled my chest.
Look at those shiny dishes. This isn’t the result of ordinary dishwashing.
You won’t find a single speck of dust. Every grease stain, every tiny spot, I caught them all with hawk-like precision and cleaned them thoroughly.
“It’s funny to see you making such a face over something as trivial as dishwashing.”
I gave a triumphant smile to Grandma Miranda, who was looking at me with a bewildered expression.
She must be boiling inside, unable to find fault.
She’s probably struggling to scold me for somethi-
“You did well.”
“Huh?”
“I thought you’d give up out of pride, but you’re surprisingly stubborn. I take back what I said about you being worse than a newborn.”
“……”
“Are you deaf, kid? Why are you standing there like a fool?”
“N-no… it’s nothing, really.”
For some reason, I found it hard to meet Grandma Miranda’s eyes.
I turned my gaze aside, trying to hide the awkwardness creeping up my face.
Fidgeting with my fingers, I didn’t know what to do with myself.
‘What’s this? Why is she suddenly praising me?’
Just a moment ago, she was scolding me to death. This is just embarrassing.
After hesitating for a while, I coughed a few times to suppress the lump in my throat.
Come to think of it, I also yelled at Grandma Miranda earlier without thinking.
I shouldn’t have done that. It was clearly my fault for speaking to her, who is much older than me, in that manner.
“I-I’m sorry for yelling earli—”
“Then I’ll leave these to you too.”
Before I could finish, Grandma Miranda’s hand moved first.
From who knows where, she brought out more dishes covered in food scraps and grease, piling them up beside me.
After all that effort, the mountain of dishes I had just cleared was now back in front of me.
“Huh…?”
“Did you think dishwashing was a one-time thing? It’s almost dinner time, so you’ll have to do these even faster.”
“W-what, again…?”
“Of course! Can’t you move faster?!”
“Eek!”
The familiar scolding pierced my ears.
The warm atmosphere from earlier vanished without a trace, and the wrinkles on Grandma Miranda’s face deepened like a witch’s.
“Move faster! Did you come here to play?!”
“O-okay…!”
The dishwashing I thought was no big deal.
Honestly, it was a bit tough.
