A Peek into Charlotte's Past

Here's a little backstory I wrote with this illustration in mind. It's from a time where charlotte was still human. I hope you like it!

The pleasant smell of old wood reached Charlotte’s nose as she went about her duties as a housemaid, placing cushions on the chairs.

Charlotte liked the charming atmosphere of the waiting room in Dr. Bernfeld’s private practice and once again found herself enchanted by the simple, rustic style of the space. The room, adorned with green stained-glass windows, created a welcoming ambiance that invited Charlotte to daydream.

Lost in thought, she gazed out the window into the pretty garden, enchanted by the beautiful view. Her eyes caught sight of Dr. Bernfeld’s children, Phillip and Marie, who were frolicking between flower beds and bushes. When the two saw Charlotte, their faces lit up and they dashed over to the window to greet her. With a dreamy, shy smile, the maid returned the greeting, a warm feeling rising in her chest. She couldn’t help but think how incredibly lucky she was to be serving this family.

At first, the Bernfelds didn’t quite know what to make of their new maid. Charlotte had the odd habit of pausing mid-sentence, as if her soul had left her body. On some days, she could be found standing motionless in the room, staring absentmindedly at a single point. These and many other peculiar habits gave her a bad reputation, and in the past it had been impossible for her to find work.

Back then, she was living a life marked by poverty.

The weekly flea market, where she sold her homemade soup, was her only source of income. But business was poor—Charlotte’s strange manner once again made life difficult for her.

Nevertheless, her little soup stand had one loyal regular: the Bernfelds.
After tasting Charlotte’s soup for the first time, they instantly fell in love with the rustic, harmonious flavor tinged with a touch of nostalgia.

But the soup stand alone couldn’t keep Charlotte afloat, and she hit a new low in her life. Just as she was on the brink of despair, Dr. Bernfeld reached out and asked, “Would you like to come cook at our home?”

Soon after, Charlotte became the Bernfelds’ housemaid, helping not just in the kitchen but also with the household and even in Dr. Bernfeld’s clinic.

Her meals were proper comfort food—like balm for the soul and the highlight of the day for the family.
Behind the maid’s strange quirks, the Bernfelds gradually discovered a very different person: a kind, caring, and dreamy soul—who was also extremely insecure.

Charlotte’s attention drifted back to her task in the waiting room — once again she had spaced out during work — and she placed the last few cushions on the chairs. Then she took one final glance out the window—the children were no longer in the garden. A melancholic feeling spread within her, and she thought:
“Is all of this just a dream?”