Patience has never been a problem for Sal. The maids and the old woman have tried to wrench her out of the room and invite her outside. The caretakers talked amongst themselves 

then about how Sal was trying to draw attention the more she refuses to partake in meals at the communal dining table. She did as she was told, eat at the communal table. After all, Ren told her she should not draw attention to herself for the time being. 

The rest of the day she contented herself to be alone in the room since only the meal was the affair everyone fussed at about. There are no books in the bedrooms. The braided woman and the constable don’t seem to own one either. So Sal contented herself with watching and listening to the children play on the yard. 

They told stories with their games. They would play tag. 

Someone would always be a hero and a villain and a dramatic storyline would unfold as the children imitated fairy tales and changed plots and characters as they please. It was the little amusement she had. 

The little ones played with wooden sticks as swords as they recited grand, poetic lines they must have heard from a sarsuela and continued on to botch every story Sal knows and they do not seem to care. 

A child playing the villain held a stick above the shoulder of another child who knelt on the ground after being tagged as ‘it’. “I order the execution of this man-” 

“The Count should have a name.” 

“I Count Signor Cuorre, order the execution of this man.” 

One child pounced and play stabbed the villain. The children cheer. 

Sal did not need to watch to know that the children were scolded by the caretakers for the noise. Much more for the harsh, extreme play. She buried her face in the bed as the caretaker lectured the children on treating everyone with kindness. Strange. That was clearly the voice of the same caretaker who had gossiped about Signor Cuorre’s incarceration. 

“It’s high time that people like him get punished.” 

They never stopped talking about it. All the caretakers gossiped by the hallways whenever they thought no one could hear. The man needs to be punished. It was a horrible crime. He was a cruel man. Justice needs to be served. And mostly she would bury her head in the pillows. Sometimes, she would put her ear by the door to hear more. But no matter what they said, no matter the vitriol she heard in their voice, it was unmistakable truth. And it was scary to think of such things. 

Nothing was left to amuse her anymore so she laid on the floor. At the side of the room where Lea slept,a small letter peeked out from her abaca sack. Sal snatched it up and held it up in the air. The instant she did, the letter fell from the envelope. The penmanship was pretty albeit a bit crude. There was a glimpse of Caligarian. 

She put it back on the basket. Ren had explicit instructions. Wait for him. Do not garner much attention and- 

“Hey! Princess. Awake yet?” the braided woman banged the door open and proceeded to hoist Sal to sit up. The woman then placed the back of her palm against Sal’s cheeks, forehead and arms. 

“Your stomach? Does it ache? Your head. Is it heavy?”  

Sal shook her head. “Any pain? Injuries?” 

None. 

The woman grabbed her arm, “ Good! Because it is high time you pay me back and help me.” She dragged the stumbling Sal out of the room and into the long hallway down into the grand staircase. 

Sal cannot be seen. Ren had explicit instructions. Obey or else. Sal let out a small screech. 

“What?!” Lea hissed. 

Sal shrunk and pursed her lips at the other woman’ response. 

“ Last time, you ran towards those Mercantile like a pig with target on its butt. Now, you’re afraid of going out. What do you want me to do?” 

It would be nice to be back in her room right now. 

“You are not afraid of me, are you?” Lea grabbed Sal’s hand and put her face close, too close at Sal. 

She averted her face at the close contact. “Yes,” 

“Why would you? Ridiculous!” The woman stood back and held a finger towards her. “ Of all people, you should understand. 

Who can rely on each other but us-” She rambled on. 

Sal covered her ears. This creature in front of her was that one goose who had wandered off the neighbor’s gates and has gone squawking and waddling out on the road. 

“Goose!” 

“Goose?” 

“A goose…you sound like one.” 

The woman paused and leaned towards Sal. She held eye contact for long, torturous minutes. She waved her hand. “ That’s a whole minute I didn’t speak. Are you fine now?” 

Sal took her hands off her ears and gave a little nod. She calmed herself and braved an inquiry. “Why?” 

The woman crossed her arms across her chest. “ Those folks wanted me to help out in the kitchen because they think it will be enough to keep me busy.” She grinned. “ I’ve been out on… excursions.” The woman grabbed Sal’s hand again. “ It will also be better if you come with me. The maids won’t have any reason to pick on you. Besides, you’re not a signorina, are you? Your hands were too soft so it got me thinking, but that would be impossible.” She ended her statement with a laugh and with that, should Sal even ask? She is a
Signorina. Signorina. 

The woman’s hand around Sal’s shoulder was like a cage. Sal wanted to speak but the close proximity and the sheer contact made her will wilt. Does she know? No one has called Sal a signorina for a long time. “I am-” Sal trailed off. The hold felt like squeezing than holding. 

It struck her. Signorina’s are only so because of the Signor. And where is he? In Gran Gapoz, no less. Could this woman have known? 

Sal followed into the kitchen where nothing more could be more assaulting to the senses. The room was warm, hot that the place was even hotter than the sunlight. Noise barged in from all sides. 

Boiling water, crackling firewood, and clanging pots were accompanied by giggles and murmurs of the caretakers that were interrupted by a woman’s sharp scolding voice. The damp smell mixed with the smell of strong herbs and oil. It was a big place. 

A different voice boomed to her right. “ My! Good thing you are here. Quite late you are, kid. ‘Nay Rosa wanted you here.” 

The woman was another of those caretakers. She spoke to the braided woman. Now that she’s looking at it. It is not easy to miss the braided
woman from her hair. 

“I know. Tied to the kitchen.” The braided woman’s speech sounded more singsong and her voice went an octave higher. “I am a responsible kid and I will do my duty in the kitchen to make amends.” 

“Just stay here and we will handle the cooking. Fetch some ingredients, nothing else.” 

Lea nodded and as soon as the caretaker got busy, she nonchalantly grabbed a basket and knife and threw the onions at Sal. The woman proceeded to snoop around the kitchen but not before leaving Sal with a knife and an order to chop onions. The last time Sal has been to a kitchen was at the Casa where the maid immediately deemed her unworthy to stay. 

Sal muttered at the woman, “Did you-”Did you really call me Signorina? 

The braided woman sighed heavily before she grabbed the onion and prepared it herself. “ Haven’t you ever?-” She stopped. “Forget it.” 

Was she now certain of it? “ In the stairs. Earlier, did you-” The woman was not even paying attention. 

“What?” 

“Nothing.” 

“Alright then, just do these herbs. No knives needed so you won’t hurt yourself” 

The braided woman then left her with the job of handling the herbs and it seemed she was not satisfied. “Hey! You want to poison everyone?” She rummaged across the pile of leaves. “Everyone knows these,” She pointed at the bright, purplish bulbs. “ Are especially dangerous when eaten. Gosh! I won’t want to be on toilet duty when that happens.” 

Sal shrunk to herself as she held the small thing in her hands. “I’m sorry.” Sal asked the basket and proceeded to throw the whole thing. 

“We only remove the bulb, This herb, you see this leaf? This thing is particularly delicious. Also, a useful medicine at that. One bad bulb does not mean you throw the whole thing.” 

Sal apologized, words out of impulse. There was no use in staying. 

“Don’t leave me here,” Lea pleaded. “I’ve got no else here to help. Rocco is out during these hours and to be honest. “ Lea sighed as her voice died down to a whisper. “Nobody here likes me.”