The Unlucky Villainess Small Fief

Chapter 1

"Ortezca-sama, a small carriage containing a family of 6 is by the gate. Shall we permit them inside?" A woman in her mid 20's asked after she knocked on the door to gain her lady's attention. Truth to be told, the said lady is sitting on her chair, in front of her work desk full of mountains of papers, and is currently busy checking one.

"Hmm..have you thoroughly checked them and their belongings? They might be thieves you know?" Ortezca asked without lifting her gaze from the paper she was holding. The maid sighed.

'This lady here always thinks of ridiculous things...' the maid thought and she shooked her head to answer her lady's question. "No. Based from their state, it seemed that they were fugitives, who merely escaped the raid done by the bandits from their village according to the head of the family." She replied which made Ortezca to finally take her eyes off from the paper.

"How are the children?" She asks and is getting off from her seat as she waits for her maid to reply. She hurriedly looked at the window behind her to see the carriage. The maid sighed once again. "Among the four of them, two were injured-especially the youngest one, while the other two might be quite in a 'traumatized' state as you speak of." 

"Hm-hm, I see, I see. Good work once again, Melody." Ortezca walks toward her maid and pats her shoulder and goes out of the room, leaving Melody inside.

"Oh dear, she is pushing herself too hard once again.." Melody said to herself as she glanced everywhere in the room- it was a total mess- full of papers. She knew that building a fief is not that easy and she has been telling Ortezca to choose to be a nun, but instead, here they are- living in a small wooden bungalow house, with three rooms, situated just beside a small makeshift wooden gate-looking like a guard house.

It has been one month since Ortezca Holminne was banished from the kingdom and was sent to the most secluded area of the country. She was left on top of the mountain along with her maid, Melody. During that one month, Melody watched her lady build house from scratches and get sick almost everyday. She almost thought 'that day' would be the death of them both but thanks to her lady, she survived too. But still, she could not help but weep for her lady- afterall, getting disowned means being an orphan. 

Melody looks at the window to see Ortezca carrying a wounded four year old boy- and seemed to be ordering some men to help carry the wounded eldest child as well. Melody could see it well- compassion towards others shine in Ortezca's eyes, a characteristic a great empress should possess.

'Well, it doesn't matter now, does it? As long as my lady's happy, I am happy too. I pray for my lady's happiness, my Lord,' Melody looked at the sky, as if communicating with some unseen being before snapping back to reality for her name was being called by the front door of their house.

"Coming, Ortezca-sama!" Melody shouted back and leaves the room.