They were sent back by their mothers.
The room was bright.
It was also very quiet.
Fifth Madam sat beside her daughter, utterly lost.
Her hand clasped the girl's cold one.
Tears pattered down.
The voices of the master, Old Madam, and the other madams all sounded muffled to Fifth Madam, as if they came through a veil.
She could barely make them out.
Nor did she want to hear them clearly.
Her eyes saw only her daughter.
Her mind, a complete muddle, held only her daughter, too.
Fifth Madam didn't know when the master, Old Madam, and the others had arrived.
She didn't know when they had left, either.
A ray of sunlight falling across her brow and eyes roused her.
She instinctively squinted and turned her head.
Then she realized...
Ah.
It was daylight.
While Fifth Madam sat in a daze, all the arrangements for Sixth Girl's funeral had been made.
Fifth Madam nodded blankly.
"Please accept my condolences, sister."
Sixth Madam, who was on good terms with Fifth Madam, took her arm.
"Sixth Girl is gone."
"Let her rest in peace."
Fifth Madam's lips began to tremble violently.
Her whole body shook along with them.
Tears welled up again in her swollen, red eyes.
"Stop crying."
Old Madam spoke.
"Hurry and lay the child to rest."
"That way, she can be reborn sooner."
"And into a good family..."
Fifth Madam's body went still.
Then she slowly reached out.
A cloth was laid over Sixth Girl's pale face.
Fifth Madam turned away and covered her face, sobbing uncontrollably.
Sixth Madam held Fifth Madam.
She gently patted Fifth Madam's back, trying to comfort her.
The arrangements for Sixth Girl's funeral proceeded in an orderly fashion.