# Chapter 2
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Episode 2
To remember my first encounter with Lancelot, I have to go back 10 years.
The year I just turned fourteen.
It was late spring, when the early summer rainy season was falling that year.
Anita accompanied her father to the biggest banquet of his life.
"Anitta.
There are many scary and dangerous people here.
"You must behave carefully today."
"yes."
I have never seen such a wonderful mansion and such a splendid banquet hall in my life.
The mansions she visited with her father so far were much simpler than her home, or even though the grounds were large, they were old and looked quite worn out.
But doesn't this place look like a prince's castle from a storybook?
Anita couldn't contain her curiosity and asked her father.
"Is this His Majesty's palace?"
“Palace? no.
This is the Edenbahir Mansion.
"We are now invited to His Excellency the Duke of Edenbahir's birthday banquet."
"I've never seen a house more beautiful than ours."
The father discreetly scolded Anita.
"You can't say things like that.
Always be humble, Anita.
Especially in front of people here."
"why?"
"The nobles here are reluctant to have untitled rich people like us.
"It's foolish."
Because my father always says the right thing.
It was tough advice, but it was clear he intended to be careful.
I promised myself I wouldn't do anything that would get me caught, like you used to say.
The banquet was noisy and boring.
A lot of time had passed, but the adults still seemed to have a lot to say.
Anita, who stayed by her father's side the entire time, ended up being pushed into a large room with other children her age.
That was when Anita entered the room, looking at the ceiling painting richly decorated with colorful paints.
"You can't."
Suddenly, a stern voice saying that there were no exceptions interrupted her.
"My mom told me not to go out with you.
Then you come back.
Anita blinked blankly.
Then I quickly looked at my clothes.
Far from being dirty, it was clean, without a single wrinkle.
What does not leave mean?
I took a deep breath and calmly asked back.
“Ho, did I do something wrong?
I apologize if I made a mistake.
"It wasn't intentional."
I thought it was a polite question.
The girl suddenly burst into laughter.
"Look at him.
"He said he would apologize to us!"
Ahaha.
With that scream, the children surrounding Anita followed suit and started laughing.
It was an obvious mockery.
"Are you stupid?
"I think you think that if you apologize, your family's level will rise."
"My mother said that.
"We should have nothing to do with people who sell their dignity for money."
"that's right.
"My grandmother said their father was a sewer rat with a gold necklace off topic!"
Anita's heart started to pound.
'Sewer rat.
My father was a sewer rat...
.'
Even though I hadn't committed a crime, my shoulders shrugged.
I wanted to escape the malicious gaze poking my cheek.
My father is not a sewer rat.
He's a cooler, smarter, more wonderful adult...
.
The girl stepped forward and pushed Anita's shoulder with an excited expression on her face.
"Your father is a worthless, senseless and baseless mongrel.
Of course, a daughter born to a hybrid will also be a hybrid, so it is right to stay away from her so as not to tarnish.
Do you understand now?"
Yes, I understood too late.
The fact that there is an invisible line drawn between the girl and Anita.
A bright red line that separates those of noble blood from those who do not.
But Anita couldn't admit that sentence.
Especially if the line was drawn to mock my father.
"right...
."
I can't admit this.
He is not someone who should be treated like this by you.
With my shaking hands clenched tightly, I summoned the courage to deny it.
"My father is not a mongrel."
Mom, he said.
Now you know that the word "nasty mutt" is a misnomer, right?
"...Phew."
The girl laughed, exposing her throat.
I was breathless with embarrassment. what?
Did I say something wrong?
Was my voice too low?
Anita's face turned red at the sound she soon heard.
"Ooh, my father is not a mutt!"
The children began to imitate her.
"Wrong!
My father is a stray, no, no.
This is right."
"You have to look more foolish there."
It was shameful.
I want to escape to a place where there is no one around.
"I think it's stuttering.
"It's so unfortunate that he's a stray and stutters."
But his legs felt frozen and didn't move.
My heart was pounding like it was going to explode, but my legs couldn't move.
All Anita could do was lower her head to hide her face, which was as red as an apple.
I'm not a stutterer.
This is just, just...
.
'It's because I'm ashamed, because I'm ashamed.'
Tears came to my eyes.
"Look at him!
"He's crying!"
Cuck-cuck.
The girl, who was laughing excitedly, gently pushed Anita's forehead with two fingers.
The girl warned Anita with a bright and innocent smile.
"If you understand, go away.
I know that if you pretend to know anything about us from now on, you will die.
Well, if you are bored, you can go out with maids of the same level as you.
Several children gathered in a circle passed by, banging their heads and arms.
After being rushed to the room, she was the only one left in the hallway.
'...ah.'
The last boy pushed Anita, causing her body to fall limply to the ground.
Sigh.
The door in front of Anita slowly closed.
The pure white face seen through the opening had a clear sneer.
"Goodbye, mongrel."
widely.
The door was closed.
Even a ray of light disappeared and the children's joyful laughter disappeared beyond the buzzing.
Anita was left alone in the cool, silent hallway.
My shoulder that was pushed down and my knee that hit the ground were numb.
What hurt more than that was the fact that I was so scared in front of the kids who were making fun of my father that I couldn't even respond properly.
"Tsc...
."
It felt like hot desert sand was getting into my chest and throat.
But you can't sit still for too long.
There was a noise coming from a nearby staircase.
He got up like he was on fire and ran away like he was on fire.
Anita kept running and running, staying as far away from the room as possible.
The mansion was tall and wide even when I was out of breath. thank God.
If I get this far, my father won't find out.
But when my father's face came to mind, my nose went cold again.
'No, if you cry...
If you cry, your father can hear...
.'
I pursed my lips and pushed open the nearest door.
Unlike other rooms, it was a cold room with no feeling of heat.
Then I felt sadder and more relieved.
So much so that tears welled up and started streaming down my face.
"Black."
Anita fell against the door and buried her face in her knees.
"Huh."
I want to go home.
"Black.
Yuck...
."
As I thought about my warm home, the tears that had gathered at the tips of my eyelashes began to fall.
"Sniff."
I really want to go home.
Let's go home and do this with our nanny, our Mary, our Berry...
.
"Noisy."
At that time, Anita stopped crying.
It was a voice that could only be described as sudden.
Anita got up from her chair and looked around.
'Someone just said noisy...' .'
what?
U, is it a ghost?
Immediately after goosebumps appeared on my forearms, an unknown voice was heard again not far away.
"Don't cry in the office.
"Because it's a problem."
library?
I looked around blankly.
That was right.
I didn't realize it because I was too busy crying, but the space I entered was not just a simple bedroom, but a large office.
There were book spines everywhere, carefully organized on each shelf.
The books lined up along the stairs just below the ceiling looked clean and without a trace of dust.
Anita rolled her red eyes and exclaimed in admiration.
'It's very spacious.'
Then, he asked the voice with an expression that said, "Oops."
"Well then where can I cry?"
Then, a cold voice was heard.
"Is it my business?"