1707
The Mansion sat in ruins in that era; not a soul resided within.
The grandeur of the house was lost to the ages. It was in perpetual decline.
Not a flower grew in the garden; dust and dirt blackened the plaster; cobwebs blanketed the corridors; ivy shrouded the outer walls. It was not a pleasant sight.
As hard as I tried to fight it, I could not stop the mansion's descent into disrepair.
The depth of the previous owner's grief–or perhaps despair–was far too much.
After the beautiful, flaxen-haired family, people stayed away from the mansion.
They had no heirs, so their bloodline simply vanished into the depths of history.
It had been about fifty years since the house last had a resident.
The forlorn property appeared as though it had been abandoned for centuries, and the occasional villager who stumbled upon it did not remain there for more than a day.
My time there was rather solitary. That was perhaps the loneliest time of my life.
Everyone who visited the mansion feared it, and it was left without anyone to become its master.
I even came to believe that my time serving as a maid would come to an end in this era.
However, one day, I noticed something out of the ordinary.
As a servant of the house, I am almost immediately aware of any new presence within its walls.
And there appeared to be someone downstairs.
Can you imagine just how delighted I was?
Though part of me was anxious about what kind of person I might find, the possibility that it could be you had my heart aflutter.
So, resisting the urge to rush, I headed for the basement.
The cellar was where red wine, smoked meat, and other preserved foods were kept.
By that point, the wine was practically antique.
As I had expected, a man had made his way into the cellar.
—Is anyone there?—The Maid called out.
Although, I am unsure if referring to him as a "man" is entirely accurate.
—Oh my.—Her face scrunched up.—This is quite something.
—*********************
The very first thing I sensed was an almost unbearable stench.
The odor emanated from the man, heightened by the food he had carelessly rummaged through.
Blood-red liquid spilled from wine barrels, soaking the floor.
His sunken eyes had a piercing, wolf-like glimmer in them. His teeth were sharp and yellowed, visible as he ripped into a chuck of meat. He grumbled in a seemingly inhuman tongue.
I was looking at a beast. Or perhaps a half-beast.
There was another source of odor in the room, though. It had something of a kind of metallic tinge to it, and when I noticed this…
I nearly passed out. The red liquid was not just wine, as I had assumed.
The beast had, I presume, stolen a weapon from the village. A sword far too nice for him lay on the floor by his side.
I could hardly imagine how many people's lives he had taken with that blade. It was visibly wet with blood, even in the darkness of the cellar. But at the same time, it had an imposing gleam.
The fine, luscious aroma of the wine could not mask the stench of blood and the beast.
Holding my breath, I took a few moments to ponder.
Ponder what? Oh, Master, you know…
—Tell me, were you summoned here by the mansion.—The Maid said calmly.
—*********
—Did you come here knowing what kind of place it is?
—**********************
—Hehehe…—The Maid was calm as ever.—If you are in want of money, you are welcome to help yourself to some of the furniture. And I imagine the villagers would be willing to welcome you if you dressed yourself up a bit more like a person. Then you can trade the furniture for food and make your way to a larger town. The wolf was able to fool the innocent little girl simply by putting on clothing, after all.
—********************
—Oh dear, I was afraid you wouldn't understand.—Her face turned more concerned.—What am I to do?
I was in quite the predicament.
Nevertheless, it meant a great deal to me then that I had found someone who did not fear the mansion–be they human or beast.
So I decided I should give him my assistance, while doing my best not to agitate him.
—Say… could you, perchance… be my new master?
The mansion sat near the ocean.
To say it was perched upon a cliff might make it sound rather intimidating…
but you could see the beautifully clear see through the windows–gliterrng expanse of emerald and turquoise.
If the mansion had been in proper condition, it would have been breathtaking against that backdrop.
I even wanted to plant orange trees in the garden.
Oh yes, perhaps I should give you some more background information. At that period of time, a war had just drawn to a close.
The once gorgeous wetlands were infested with crows picking at decaying remains. Bodies of soldiers fallen in battle continually washed up on the shores of coastal villages.
The people wanted nothing more than for the curtain to draw on that deeply political contest.
And when it finally did, the kingdom, with its richly fertile shores, was stripped of its independence, beginning a new era under new rule.
The people were exhausted, their spirits wasted away.
And the splendor of the ocean and sky did nothing to help.
In my mind, the beast was emblematic of the times–emaciated and enveloped in the scent of blood.
But the way came to an end. Thus the beast did not have to remain a beast, I thought.
Did he?
And so, I endeavored to make the beast more human-like.
First, I needed to do something about his appearance.
I would draw a bath, scrub away all the filth, and dress him in clothing left in the mansion.
However, having sat unused for fifty years, and majority of garments had been devoured by insects and were of little use.
So I searched the mansion top to bottom for anything the beast could wear, heated up some coals, and set to work ironing what I found.
At the time, steam irons had not yet been invented. We used plates of iron heated with coals.
They somewhat resembled kettles.
I even prepared meals for the beast, in order to teach him proper table manners.
Although, with the mansion in a nearly uninhabitable state of disarray, there was only so much I could do in the kitchen.
And the only supplies I had to work with were what was left in the cellar.
As such, I was not able to put to use the cooking skills I had learned in the flaxen-haired family's time.
—Now, now. You mustn't eat with your hands. Do you want to get your fingers and face dirty?—Her expression is a bit embarrassed because of the view.
—*****************
—You eat using a knife and fork.—Her face lightened. See, like this. Hehe… I feel like I am teaching a young child.
—***************
—Oh my.—Her gaze darted away.—What are you holding your head for?
—**************************************
—...Oh dear.—The Maid's mouth fell a bit. Perhaps I should be teaching you to speak before table manners.
—*********************
—Worry not, we have plenty of time.—Her expression is soft again.—You needn't act so frightened.
—***********************
—Or perhaps you do not want to be understood at all?
—***********************
—Would you be so kind as to tell me your name? You are, for now, still a guest; it is too soon for me to call you "Master."—She closed her eyes with a tiny smile.—Or am I mistake?
—*******
—Your name… That is, what people call you. How about I start by telling you my name? I am called–
—****B****E**** … B****E**S******T**I*****A***
—Bestia. Your name… is Bestia? Hehe… I see. Then that is that I shall call you, Bestia.
My, you seem to be rather perplexed as to how I was still alive.
He had, in fact, attempted to cause me harm. However…
I am a servant of the house. Hehehe.
The beast called himself Bestia. It is a curious thing–when I learned his name, he seemed to take on new importance in my mind.
He was not a mere beast, but the thing called Bestia.
Master.
Should I ever have the chance to hear your name, I am certain you too shall become more substantial a presence.
But you must always remember, Master…
that even if you do not remember your name, and even if you never know mine…
you have always held a special place in my heart.
And thus began my tranquil days with Bestia. Slowly, he began to learn the human tongue.
And I was, to be quite honest, rather thrilled.
To be certain, I was afraid of the beast…
but my fear was not so strong as my elation that there was someone else in the mansion, someone to whom I could speak…
and someone that might become my master.
—Come now, you must pull weeds out at the roots or they will soon grow back. This is a task that requires perseverance. You do it like this, see? There you go.—The Maid expression seemed easy.
—************** *****G*****R****A****S***S****
—Oh, did you not expect that? Hehehe… What appears to be many plants on the surface is actually all connected within the soil.
—*******
—This is a task that requires a man's strength. If there were other servants, they could do it… So I apologize for making you tend to the garden, future Master. Or perhaps, now that you are all dressed up, do you wish to leave the mansion and find someone to fool, as the wolf did the sweet little girl? Have you no interest in remaining in such a disheveled house?
—*****NT**********
—...Go on.
—N*****OT**WANT******LEAVE****
—Oh my…—She closed her eyes with a smile.—is that so? Hehehe.—Her expression returned to normal.—If you wish to say, then I shall not stop you. On the contrary–I will gladly attend to you. I am waiting for the person who is to become my master. Forever waiting… I should be able to watch over you until the day you depart this world, old and wrinkled. Do you not believe me? Hehe… Are you interested… in becoming the master of this house?
—****W****WILL******BE
—I have to wonder if you know what you are saying. Although it matters little whether you do or not… Oh my, look at that… Now this brings back memories. This is called a "rose." Do you know what a rose is? It is a type of flower.
—****N-NOT**KN***O*W**** **DO**NOT****KN*******KNOW**
—I see. Then allow me to teach you. What you have here is not a real rose. The real roses wilted and are sleeping in the soil. This is called an "accessory"... It is something women wear.
The beast held an ornamental white rose in his hands–an object someone, sometime, meant to give to someone else.
Curiously, the white rose was just as stunning as it had been the day it was made, despite being buried in the earth for so many years.
—I hear… roses make wonderful gifts. Hehehe…
He stared intently at the decorative rose.
I had presumed the beast would either discard it disinterestedly or destroy it…
but much to my surprise, Bestia held it gently in his hands, as though it were something precious to him.
—Are you, perchance… considering giving it to me?—After no response, her face fell a bit.—So you are not. Very well.—Her expression back to easy.—Is there someone else you would like to give it to?
In that moment, a thought floated through my mind.
The thing I found in a pool of blood in the cellar was a monstrous creature indeed, but perhaps that was not–at his core–what he truly was.
So I asked him a question:
—What is it that you desire, Bestia? This mansion fulfills people's desires. If you yearn for something–
—**W-****ANT******** LIVE, PEACE.
Look at that filthy thing!
A beast! It's a beast!
It's eating goddamned sand…
You really that hungry?
Beast! You foul creature!
Stay the hell back!
Get any closer–
Filthy beast!
–and I'll kill you!
Several days passed by.
As Bestia began to act more like a person, the mansion followed suit, slowly becoming more habitable–though not yet back to its former glory.
No flowers grew in the garden, but neither were there weeds infesting it.
The duty corridors, shattered windows, rust-covered kitchen gradually returned to their proper states.
Bestia learned how to change his own clothes, and how to draw a bath.
No longer did I have to wait on him hand and foot; he could take care of a number of things all by himself.
What we lacked for food, he acquired from the forest.
Never did he go to purchase supplies from the village; rather, he captured hares and gathered herbs hidden in the overgrowth.
They were days without incident.
And though such a life may be want for excitement, peace is something that you mustn't take for granted.
Those who have it cast it aside, finding the leisurely flow of time dull. Only those who have never experienced it truly know how precious it is.
Bestia appeared to be content. He wore an expression of solitary serenity.
—Someone… Is anyone there?!
And then one day, crack formed in the uneventful tranquility.
—Is anyone… in there? Could you part with some food? I don't need much… Some food and water… Just a little… that's all I need.
Bestia looked over at me, as if seeking my aid.
Ironic, no? It was the visitor who was truly in need of aid.
I pondered it for a few moments, deciding that I should not simply turn away someone calling upon the mansion.
Had Bestia ordered me to not let him on, I would have followed his instructions, but he said nothing.
—Oh, thank God… someone's here. I was afraid it was deserted…
—You said you were in need of sustenance?—The Maid asked the visitor.
—Y-Yes… It doesn't have to be much. Anything to quench this thirst… I got lost, and it's been several days…
—Give me a few minutes, I will find–Her words then got interrupted.
—Let him in.
A firm, deep voice came from behind me.
I was quite startled. When had the beast learned to act so much like a human?
When had he learned to speak so clearly, and to behave so much like a master?
—Ah…
Upon seeing Bestia, a look of terror appeared to cross the wanderer's face for a moment.
To my eyes, Bestia was the very image of a head of house, but to an outsider, he probably appeared to be nothing more than a beast in man's clothing.
—Prepare him a meal and a bed. I suspect he is quite tired.
—Th-Thank you… very much.
But in time, the fear drained from the man's face. Bestia sat precariously on the border between man and beast.
Though he still had his doubts, the wanderer revised his first impression, deciding Bestia was human.
As the wolf had fooled the little girl in the forest, he too had succeeded in playing the role of a man.