First, Young Lady Briggs hates red roses.
Second, Zark tried to hide the cursed ring in a candle made of red roses.
Third, the Baroness who loved red roses had a baby.
I got caught up in a very complicated case.
Since it was not clear what had happened, it was wise to retreat for the time being. I changed my original plan to meet the Baron and escaped from the Baron's residence.
“Time is of the essence, but I ask you to take good care of me, Miss Harrington.”
“I will do my best.”
I, who was escorted out to the door by the butler, turned straight towards the market.
“Miss Harrington.”
How many steps had they taken? I bit my lip at the voice I most wanted to hear.
“Haha, Mr. Zark, it’s nice to see you here. I guess you’re on your way to see the Young Lady.”
I tried to smile and greeted Zark naturally.
“No, I’m just coming out after seeing you.”
“Oh, then I guess you are on your way back home.”
“No. I was waiting for Miss Harrington.”
“Is this because of the item you ordered previously? It’s almost finished.”
It was not yet the appointed time for the appointment with Zark. Before I could even ask him to wait a little longer, Zark waved his hand.
“No, that’s not why.”
Zark smiled as if nothing was wrong and pointed diagonally across with his hand. A carriage was standing there.
“The Young Lady Briggs wishes to see Miss Harrington.”
Why didn't she call me when I was at the Baron's residence, but instead called me from outside? I couldn't answer right away because of the ominous feeling that was creeping up on the back of my neck.
“Let’s go.”
Zark came close to me. It seemed as if he would drag me away if I didn't go. I also took steady steps, as it seemed suspicious that she was resisting.
“Why did Lady Briggs come to me...”
“Well, I don’t know. You just have to hear it for yourself.”
This makes me even more anxious. It was a very short walk to the carriage. There was no space to push Zark aside and run away.
As I recalled the proverb from my previous life that if I just kept my wits about me, I would survive even if I was bitten by a tiger, a stone came flying around and hit the toe of my shoe.
What is it? I looked in the direction the stone had rolled from and flinched.
“...!”
Sir Erne? You haven't left yet?
He blended in naturally with the crowd and looked at me, then turned his head when his eyes met mine.
“Let’s ride.”
Zark opened the carriage door for the coachman. I quickly got into the carriage so that he wouldn't look at Erne.
Young Lady Briggs greeted me as I entered the carriage. I sat down opposite the Baroness, hesitant.
“Welcome, Miss Harrington.”
Is it because I'm feeling down that the voice of the young lady, who calls me so friendly, sounds cold today?
'I don't know why he was there, but Sir Erne should have followed me.'
The carriage wasn't very fast, but the windows were covered with curtains so I couldn't see where I was going.
“Has Ms. Harrington ever done anything bad?”
The eyes of the Young Lady Briggs, who had seemed round and innocent, had turned cold and cold.
"Yes?"
I blinked at the unexpected question.
“I also found out this time that when people do bad things, they become very sensitive. How should I put it, even the smallest things feel like big things and they start to have suspicions about various things.”
Why do you confess to me that you have done something bad? I am not a confessor.
Even though we were sitting quietly and talking, I felt myself being pushed into a corner.
“I wondered why Miss Harrington came today. I asked the maid, and she said that my mother had not called you specifically.”
“Oh, I have a new candle that I wanted to show the Baroness.”
I tried to take a small, bluish candle out of the basket without making a fuss.
It was a small candle that I had brought with me to light in case I ran into Zark inside the Baron's residence.
“Can’t you show me that when you bring me the candles I ordered next time?”
“I want to show you quickly.”
“Do you know that Miss Harrington has never once come to our house to show us a new candle?”
I was very busy with the influx of orders, and I would often include my newly made candles as a freebie with each delivery of ordered goods.
“But why on earth did Miss Harrington do that after Mr. Zark made his special order?”
“Haha, Mr. Zark said it was a surprise gift, I guess Youngady knew that too.”
“Of course, I know. I think Miss Harrington would know by now.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about...”
“You can’t ignore it, Miss Harrington.”
The expression on Lady Briggs's face, who had been smiling gently, hardened into a cold one.
As Young Lady said, it had gotten to the point where I could no longer pretend not to know. Damn it. I chewed on the tender flesh in my mouth.
“We’re so unlucky, Miss Harrington.”
“We?”
“I thought Miss Harrington knew the identity of the ring and came to tell me. If a man who is about to get married gives a ring like that to his lover in secret, it is usually suspected of adultery.”
I nodded, not saying that I planned to report to the Baron.
“But then you went to my mother’s room.”
“I couldn’t help it because the maid took me away.”
“I know. That’s the sad part. Miss Harrington heard that my mother was pregnant. And then you went out instead of coming to me, which was your original purpose.”
I didn't say anything this time either, saying that my original intention was not her but the Baron. I felt that saying it would only offend the Baron's daughter.
“I thought Miss Harrington noticed something there, didn’t you?”
This time, I could only nod obediently.
“I wish Miss Harrington had met me first today instead of my mother.”
“Then what will be different?”
“At least I wouldn’t have to deal with Miss Harrington.”
The carriage rattled. For a moment, I could see outside through the curtains that were shaking violently. It was a remote place with no way of knowing where it was. I bit my lip.
“That’s a shame. I really liked the candles Miss Harrington made.”
“Are you trying to kill me?”
“I can’t help it. Miss Harrington knows what bad things I’m about to do.”
The young lady of Baron Briggs looked Judith up and down. Her eyes seemed to be contemplating how to kill me, and my mouth gulped.
“What to do with one Miss Harrington is no problem to me.”
I know. We are both from the Baron family, but the Harrington family, who have fallen into ruin and have no name value, and the Briggs family, who live in luxury in the capital, are as different as heaven and earth.
Killing one Judith and covering it up was nothing to Baron Briggs.
The carriage had already gone quite a distance, and it would be difficult for Erne, who had no horse, to catch up with it.
Even if he follows, I will already have been taken care of.
Now that it had come to this, I couldn't just wait for Erne. I swallowed hard.
“I guess Young Lady doesn’t want a younger sibling.”
“Yes. I guess I look like a bad person to Miss Harrington.”
Layla Briggs.
She was born as the only daughter of Baron Briggs and was raised as the sole heir and successor to the family.
Although she wasn't happy with her stepmother, who was too young, Layla had gotten along with her for the past ten years. She had gotten used to it.
If it weren't for 'that incident' half a year ago, they might have been able to celebrate her pregnancy.
“I received a letter from my mother half a year ago. Not my current mother, but the mother who gave birth to me.”
In Layla's memories, her mother was always lying in bed. So she believed her father's words that her mother had died from illness. However, the contents of the letter were different.
“Her condition worsened after she witnessed my father’s affair.”
The affair itself was a problem, but the affair partner was also a problem.
“She was a woman my mother sponsored. She was too poor to even have a debutante, but my mother became her chaperone.”
Layla's mother paid all of her debutante fees and tried to find her a groom, unaware that she was seeing her own husband.
When Layla's mother found out about the affair much later, she collapsed in shock. She had a chronic illness and knew that she would not live long.
“That woman came to my mother and said, ‘I’m sure I can do better than you when I become a Baroness, so don’t worry and close your eyes.’”
Seeing the woman brazenly acting without any sign of remorse, Layla's mother wrote a letter worried about her daughter being left alone.
The letter containing the truth was left with her mother's old friend.
“She told her friend to tell me when I was old enough to handle the truth. When she heard about my engagement, she thought it was time.”
The feeling of betrayal when Layla saw the woman's name in the letter.
“You don’t need me to tell you who that ungrateful woman is, right?”
As I nodded, Layla continued her explanation.
“I tried to get revenge after I got married.”
But then suddenly, the new mother got pregnant. She had not had a baby for 10 years.
Second, Zark tried to hide the cursed ring in a candle made of red roses.
Third, the Baroness who loved red roses had a baby.
I got caught up in a very complicated case.
Since it was not clear what had happened, it was wise to retreat for the time being. I changed my original plan to meet the Baron and escaped from the Baron's residence.
“Time is of the essence, but I ask you to take good care of me, Miss Harrington.”
“I will do my best.”
I, who was escorted out to the door by the butler, turned straight towards the market.
“Miss Harrington.”
How many steps had they taken? I bit my lip at the voice I most wanted to hear.
“Haha, Mr. Zark, it’s nice to see you here. I guess you’re on your way to see the Young Lady.”
I tried to smile and greeted Zark naturally.
“No, I’m just coming out after seeing you.”
“Oh, then I guess you are on your way back home.”
“No. I was waiting for Miss Harrington.”
“Is this because of the item you ordered previously? It’s almost finished.”
It was not yet the appointed time for the appointment with Zark. Before I could even ask him to wait a little longer, Zark waved his hand.
“No, that’s not why.”
Zark smiled as if nothing was wrong and pointed diagonally across with his hand. A carriage was standing there.
“The Young Lady Briggs wishes to see Miss Harrington.”
Why didn't she call me when I was at the Baron's residence, but instead called me from outside? I couldn't answer right away because of the ominous feeling that was creeping up on the back of my neck.
“Let’s go.”
Zark came close to me. It seemed as if he would drag me away if I didn't go. I also took steady steps, as it seemed suspicious that she was resisting.
“Why did Lady Briggs come to me...”
“Well, I don’t know. You just have to hear it for yourself.”
This makes me even more anxious. It was a very short walk to the carriage. There was no space to push Zark aside and run away.
As I recalled the proverb from my previous life that if I just kept my wits about me, I would survive even if I was bitten by a tiger, a stone came flying around and hit the toe of my shoe.
What is it? I looked in the direction the stone had rolled from and flinched.
“...!”
Sir Erne? You haven't left yet?
He blended in naturally with the crowd and looked at me, then turned his head when his eyes met mine.
“Let’s ride.”
Zark opened the carriage door for the coachman. I quickly got into the carriage so that he wouldn't look at Erne.
Young Lady Briggs greeted me as I entered the carriage. I sat down opposite the Baroness, hesitant.
“Welcome, Miss Harrington.”
Is it because I'm feeling down that the voice of the young lady, who calls me so friendly, sounds cold today?
***
'I don't know why he was there, but Sir Erne should have followed me.'
The carriage wasn't very fast, but the windows were covered with curtains so I couldn't see where I was going.
“Has Ms. Harrington ever done anything bad?”
The eyes of the Young Lady Briggs, who had seemed round and innocent, had turned cold and cold.
"Yes?"
I blinked at the unexpected question.
“I also found out this time that when people do bad things, they become very sensitive. How should I put it, even the smallest things feel like big things and they start to have suspicions about various things.”
Why do you confess to me that you have done something bad? I am not a confessor.
Even though we were sitting quietly and talking, I felt myself being pushed into a corner.
“I wondered why Miss Harrington came today. I asked the maid, and she said that my mother had not called you specifically.”
“Oh, I have a new candle that I wanted to show the Baroness.”
I tried to take a small, bluish candle out of the basket without making a fuss.
It was a small candle that I had brought with me to light in case I ran into Zark inside the Baron's residence.
“Can’t you show me that when you bring me the candles I ordered next time?”
“I want to show you quickly.”
“Do you know that Miss Harrington has never once come to our house to show us a new candle?”
I was very busy with the influx of orders, and I would often include my newly made candles as a freebie with each delivery of ordered goods.
“But why on earth did Miss Harrington do that after Mr. Zark made his special order?”
“Haha, Mr. Zark said it was a surprise gift, I guess Youngady knew that too.”
“Of course, I know. I think Miss Harrington would know by now.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about...”
“You can’t ignore it, Miss Harrington.”
The expression on Lady Briggs's face, who had been smiling gently, hardened into a cold one.
As Young Lady said, it had gotten to the point where I could no longer pretend not to know. Damn it. I chewed on the tender flesh in my mouth.
“We’re so unlucky, Miss Harrington.”
“We?”
“I thought Miss Harrington knew the identity of the ring and came to tell me. If a man who is about to get married gives a ring like that to his lover in secret, it is usually suspected of adultery.”
I nodded, not saying that I planned to report to the Baron.
“But then you went to my mother’s room.”
“I couldn’t help it because the maid took me away.”
“I know. That’s the sad part. Miss Harrington heard that my mother was pregnant. And then you went out instead of coming to me, which was your original purpose.”
I didn't say anything this time either, saying that my original intention was not her but the Baron. I felt that saying it would only offend the Baron's daughter.
“I thought Miss Harrington noticed something there, didn’t you?”
This time, I could only nod obediently.
“I wish Miss Harrington had met me first today instead of my mother.”
“Then what will be different?”
“At least I wouldn’t have to deal with Miss Harrington.”
The carriage rattled. For a moment, I could see outside through the curtains that were shaking violently. It was a remote place with no way of knowing where it was. I bit my lip.
“That’s a shame. I really liked the candles Miss Harrington made.”
“Are you trying to kill me?”
“I can’t help it. Miss Harrington knows what bad things I’m about to do.”
The young lady of Baron Briggs looked Judith up and down. Her eyes seemed to be contemplating how to kill me, and my mouth gulped.
“What to do with one Miss Harrington is no problem to me.”
I know. We are both from the Baron family, but the Harrington family, who have fallen into ruin and have no name value, and the Briggs family, who live in luxury in the capital, are as different as heaven and earth.
Killing one Judith and covering it up was nothing to Baron Briggs.
The carriage had already gone quite a distance, and it would be difficult for Erne, who had no horse, to catch up with it.
Even if he follows, I will already have been taken care of.
Now that it had come to this, I couldn't just wait for Erne. I swallowed hard.
“I guess Young Lady doesn’t want a younger sibling.”
“Yes. I guess I look like a bad person to Miss Harrington.”
Layla Briggs.
She was born as the only daughter of Baron Briggs and was raised as the sole heir and successor to the family.
Although she wasn't happy with her stepmother, who was too young, Layla had gotten along with her for the past ten years. She had gotten used to it.
If it weren't for 'that incident' half a year ago, they might have been able to celebrate her pregnancy.
“I received a letter from my mother half a year ago. Not my current mother, but the mother who gave birth to me.”
In Layla's memories, her mother was always lying in bed. So she believed her father's words that her mother had died from illness. However, the contents of the letter were different.
“Her condition worsened after she witnessed my father’s affair.”
The affair itself was a problem, but the affair partner was also a problem.
“She was a woman my mother sponsored. She was too poor to even have a debutante, but my mother became her chaperone.”
Layla's mother paid all of her debutante fees and tried to find her a groom, unaware that she was seeing her own husband.
When Layla's mother found out about the affair much later, she collapsed in shock. She had a chronic illness and knew that she would not live long.
“That woman came to my mother and said, ‘I’m sure I can do better than you when I become a Baroness, so don’t worry and close your eyes.’”
Seeing the woman brazenly acting without any sign of remorse, Layla's mother wrote a letter worried about her daughter being left alone.
The letter containing the truth was left with her mother's old friend.
“She told her friend to tell me when I was old enough to handle the truth. When she heard about my engagement, she thought it was time.”
The feeling of betrayal when Layla saw the woman's name in the letter.
“You don’t need me to tell you who that ungrateful woman is, right?”
As I nodded, Layla continued her explanation.
“I tried to get revenge after I got married.”
But then suddenly, the new mother got pregnant. She had not had a baby for 10 years.
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment