Contrary to what I first thought, this is not Minnie. It's an NPC in one of the towns, no idea what her function in the game is.

Most likely she's Valentina, the daughter of the fortune teller Kaldersha who gives you a lengthy subquest in the first town, Farebury.

isn't Valentina's hair purple?

Ha! finally found a reference. In Toriyama's character designs, she shows up simply as メイド (meido). So I've called her maid (dq8).