The sun was shining high in the sky. Victoria was curled up on the dark blue armchair by the large window in her small room—one of the few modest spaces within the grand, darkly decorated Blythe manor. On her lap lay an open book, but she was leaning over a sheet of letter paper, trying to put her thoughts into words.
Toward the end of her first year, she had borrowed something from someone—a simple favor, really—but never found the chance to return it. Recently, she had asked one of the girl’s close friends for her address. She couldn’t be sure if it was accurate, but even so, she wanted to write and ask if she could send the item back.
She gently spun the quill between her fingers, hesitating. She wasn’t sure what exactly to write.
Dear Yuki,
I hope I'm not bothering you.
I'm writing this letter to let you know that your quill is still with me. I forgot to return it, and I want to sincerely apologize.
I also want to confirm whether this is your correct address, as I received it from one of your friends. I just want to make sure I have the right place before I send your quill to you.
With all my respect,
Maybe the quill wasn’t anything important to Yuki—but to Victoria, returning something she had borrowed mattered. She was determined to do so, no matter how small the item seemed.
