The New Maid

???: ............ell.

Mell: Mnnnnh...

???: Wake up—

Mell: .........

Nellie: Get up, Mell!

Mell: ...Wha?!

Mell: Huh?! ...It's morning?

Nellie: You disappoint me, dearest Mell! It's very much long since morning!

Nellie: I didn't see you at breakfast, so I came to find out what was the matter.

Mell: I've really been asleep that long?

Nellie: And Father is too lenient on you, dearest Mell. Oversleeping is hardly proper behavior for a firstborn son!

Mell: I-I know...

Mell: But before that...

Nellie: Yes, dearest Mell?

Mell: What are you doing in here?! You can't just go prancing into a boy's bedchamber! Leave that to the servants!

Nellie: I did send one for you. You're the one who refused to wake up.

Nellie: Besides, it's not like we're strangers. We used to sleep together all the time.

Mell: That was long ago. Things are different now.

Nellie: Oh, you're overthinking it, silly. Now hurry up—out of bed, sleepyhead!

Mell: All right, all right, I'm getting up. So you can see yourself out—

Nellie: Oh my, you look awful, dearest Mell!

Nellie: For someone who overslept, you look like you didn't get a wink last night!

Mell: Y-You think so?

Nellie: You didn't go out on the town last night, did you? Naughty, naughty boy!

Mell: I-I-I-I would never! You know that!

Nellie: You squeaked. I don't think I believe you.

Mell: I didn't go out last night or anything... I'm tired because... you had me playing cards until late, Nellie.

Nellie: Heeeey, we weren't playing for that long! Besides, look at me! I got up just fine!

Mell: A-Anyway! Shoo! I can't get dressed with you in here!

Nellie: Fiiiine, I'm leaving.

Mell: ...Phew.

Nellie: Oh, I almost forgot, dearest Mell!

Mell: Wh-What now?!

Nellie: Come on! No need to be mean!

Nellie: I'm sure you'll be quite surprised at the news.

Mell: ...Oh?

Nellie: At breakfast—which you missed—Father told us...

Mell: Told you what?

Nellie: Do I really want to say? It sounds like you want me out of your room, dearest Mell.

Mell: Please, Nellie. 

Nellie: Hehe.

Nellie: We got a new maid today, from a house we have ties to, supposedly.

Nellie: I've never seen anyone like her before.

Nellie: For supposedly coming from a good family, she isn't very graceful, and I've never seen her at social gatherings.

Nellie: But that's not the surprising part.

Mell: Does that maid...

Nellie: She's peculiar! Has a very unusual appearance, that one...

Mell: ...have white hair?

Nellie: Wha— How do you know that, dearest Mell?

Mell: ...!

Mell: Thanks, Nellie!

(Mell hurries out of the room.)

Nellie: H-Hey! Get back here!

Nellie: Oh, for goodness' sake, what's gotten into him?

Nellie: ...Bah.