Episode 21. To Baron Castler
“Wipe it off, you’ll catch a cold.”
Tanya quickly held out a handkerchief in the carriage.
But Adele just sat there blankly. She had been like this ever since Tanya found her in the rain in the palace garden. Even though her whole body was soaked by the sudden rain, she didn’t even think about running away, and seemed oblivious to the rain.
“If you’re sick, it’s more difficult for me.”
Tanya had no choice but to wipe her with her own.
Her hair, which had been beautifully wavy in the morning, was now wet and unsightly. That expensive silk dress was also wet and tangled.
But what was most disastrous was Adele’s face. Her pale face and empty, dark green eyes.
It was just like when she was at the Oswalds.
“What on earth... happened to you?”
Tanya asked, carefully holding Adele’s hand.
“Nothing happened.”
Adele forced a smile.
But how many years have they been together...
“Has Miss Seira done something bad again?”
“No. I’m just a little tired.”
Adele closed her eyes, leaning her head against the carriage window. It was a silent request not to tell her to say anything more.
Tanya had no choice but to cover Adele’s shoulders with her coat and just watch anxiously.
Crunch!
“Ouch!”
The carriage suddenly stopped as it was running for a while outside the city.
“What happened? We almost got hurt!”
Tanya shouted at the driver’s seat.
“I’m sorry. Someone suddenly collapsed.”
Only then did Adele open her eyes and look out the window.
Outside, a fierce rain was pouring down, and there was a person collapsed in the middle of the road. Startled, Adele quickly got out of the carriage, and Tanya also grabbed her umbrella and got out.
Upon closer inspection, she saw that it was a boy of about ten years old. The boy’s entire body was covered in bruises and blood.
“It wasn’t hit by the carriage. This child suddenly jumped in and fell.”
Adele shouted at the coachman and Tanya, who were insisting on her innocence.
“Get the child in the carriage! Tanya, where is the nearest clinic?”
“The closest one will take more than 30 minutes. And it’s already closing time.”
Adele thought for a moment and asked.
“Baron Castler’s house is around here, right?”
“Yes, if you turn onto the zelkova road in front of here, you’ll see it right away.”
The two had taken urgent patients to Mark’s house a few times before. He was a veterinarian, but he also treated poor or critically ill patients.
“Let’s go there.”
“Madam Marchioness?”
Mark’s bewilderment was evident when he saw Adele.
A guest who came unexpectedly during dinnertime. And Adele was the first guest he had greeted wearing an apron.
“I’m sorry for coming without notice. I have an urgent patient.”
Mark’s face hardened when he saw the bloody child the coachman was holding.
“Let’s move to the clinic!”
One side of Mark’s mansion was used as a clinic. It was a small space, but it was filled with patient beds, all kinds of medicine, and medical equipment.
“Is it really that serious?”
Adele asked worriedly, looking at the child lying on the bed.
Mark felt somewhat relieved as he examined the child.
“Fortunately, there are no serious injuries other than bruises. There was bleeding from the torn arm, but I think it will be fine if we suture it and treat it well.”
“But why is he unconscious?”
“It must be malnutrition.”
The child was so skinny that anyone could tell he was malnourished.
Now that he looked at it, Adele was familiar with the child. The child’s father was known as a drunkard, and he would beat his son mercilessly while telling him to get him alcohol. The neighbors had stopped him several times. This time, he must have been beaten by his father.
Adele felt angry as she thought of the child running away in the rain with blood dripping from his torn arm.
“Tanya, can you go back and meet that child’s father with Henry?”
“Yes?”
“Tell him that he’s going to stay with us for a while, and if he hurts him again, I’ll do whatever it takes to put him in prison. I’m sure if you tell Henry he’ll sort it out.”
Even though she was a powerless Marchioness, the Oswald name was still a threat. Henry could probably use that better than anyone else.
“Yes, Ma'am!”
Tanya turned back with the coachman.
Only then did Adele notice a boy of six or seven peering out from behind the door. He had cute brown curly hair and bright blue eyes.
It was Mark's son, Jade.
"Hi, Jade. Come here."
When Adele held out her hand, Jade shook her head slightly.
"Oh, you shouldn't be rude. You should greet me politely."
Mark, who was treating the child, scolded her.
"No. Sorry, Jade. For suddenly coming here."
When Adele smiled kindly, Jade also smiled bashfully and came out from behind the door.
"I know."
"Yeah, what?"
"The cookies you made were delicious. Aunt Mia told me."
"Oh, really? I'm good at baking, too."
"Really? And soup and beans?"
"Of course."
Then Jade stared at Mark with his clear blue eyes.
"Daddy, can I ask her to make it?"
"No, Jade. It's rude to a guest."
"Ugh, Daddy's cooking is really bad! It tastes like socks."
The child's tongue sticking out and his face frowning was so cute.
Mark explained, embarrassed.
“The maid who used to do housework quit a few days ago. So I’ve been preparing meals lately.”
“So the apron...”
“Oh, no!”
Mark realized he was still wearing the apron and hurriedly took it off.
“It suits you better than I thought.”
He furrowed his eyebrows in embarrassment.
“Are you kidding me?”
“I’m serious. Then I’ll prepare meals while you see me.”
“No! You don’t have to!”
“Since you helped me, I should help you in some way. Where’s the kitchen, Jade?”
Adele was startled when she entered the kitchen.
The counter was a complete mess of food ingredients and cooking utensils. She couldn’t figure out what kind of food Mark was trying to make.
“You must have been at war with cooking.”
Adele cleaned up the counter first.
At that moment, Jade, who had disappeared for a moment, brought something.
“This.”
It was a white linen blouse and a red checkered skirt.
“Why?”
“Your clothes are wet. You’ll catch a cold if you do that. Put them on.”
By the way, Adele's silk dress was soaking wet, as if she had just washed it.
"Jade, you're really smart. Thank you."
"What are you doing with this?"
Adele eventually laughed out loud, watching Jade act modestly.
As she quickly changed her clothes and started cooking, Jade helped her with his little hands.
The child kept laughing and didn't know how to leave Adele's side, wondering what was so good about it. Thanks to that, Adele was able to forget about Christine for a moment.
As Adele was setting the table, Mark came in with a cheerful smile.
"Is this really the smell that comes from my house?"
"I made it roughly with the ingredients I had. Please sit down."
However, Mark just stood there for a while, looking at Adele. Adele was flustered because his expression was unusual.
"What's wrong?"
"Those clothes..."
"Oh. My dress got wet, so I changed it."
Jade quickly shouted.
"I gave it to her! It's just like Mom!"
Only then did Adele realize that these were Jade’s dead mother’s clothes. After all, there was no way another woman’s clothes could be in a house where only two men lived.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I made a big mistake.”
When Adele was embarrassed and didn’t know what to do, Mark shook his head.
“No, you did a good job. Now, let’s eat quickly. It’s torture to just watch.”
In a short time, Adele had prepared a decent table with mushroom soup, bread with pea puree, salad, and chicken.
“How’s the kid?”
“He fell asleep. I’m going to feed him soup when he wakes up.”
At that moment, there was a rustling sound. When she turned around, she saw the wounded kid standing in front of the restaurant, hesitating.
“Good. Let’s eat together.”
Adele quickly went to get the kid.
“Really... can we eat together?”
The surprised kid looked at her in bewilderment.
“Then, let’s eat before it gets cold.”
Mark smiled kindly and placed the kid’s soup and utensils.
When all four of them sat down at the table, Mark shouted loudly, holding a fork and spoon in both hands.
“Then, enjoy!”
Jade and he followed suit with his hearty voice.
“Enjoy!”
The three men quickly began to eat.
The sound of dishes clanking on the simple table, their conversation, and the sound of chewing food naturally blended together.
Adele remembered the time when she had been with Christine a long time ago. He and she ate the food prepared by her mother as deliciously as possible in the world. She felt like she could understand her mother’s feelings as she watched her quietly smiling.
It was raining hard outside, but the meal was warmer and more affectionate because of that.
After finishing the meal, the two children went up to the second-floor room, saying they were sleepy.
Now, Adele and Mark were the only two people in the dining room.
As the surroundings became quiet, thoughts about Christine invaded Adele’s mind again.
“Actually, I was the one who told him to become close to the Marchioness.”
“So the Count approached her on purpose to find that document?”
“Yes. So pretend you don’t know. In a month, he will find that document and have a grand engagement ceremony with April.”
Was Christine really approaching me on purpose?
To find the Marquis’ blank document?
Didn’t he forgive me after all?
How excited was she alone, not knowing that? Even though she called him her younger brother, and said she hoped things would work out with April.
Adele felt more ashamed and miserable about herself for falling for him without being able to do anything about it, rather than hating him.
“I was rude to you last time.”
Mark’s voice finally brought her out of her thoughts.
“Yes?”
“That... kissing you on the cheek...”
Mark scratched the bridge of his nose in embarrassment.
He wondered how such a shy man could have done something like that back then. And in front of the terrifying rumored Count Weiss.
“No. I feel more sorry for the Count being rude.”
“Would you like a drink?”
Mark had already brought a bottle of wine and a glass.
“No, alcohol...”
“You look like you need alcohol.”
Adele smiled weakly. Well, maybe she needed alcohol on a day like today.
“Then just one glass.”
Slurp...
The red wine filled the clear glass.
“What about Adele?”
Christine asked as soon as she got out of the carriage after returning home.
Henry, who came out to greet him with an umbrella, answered politely.
“She’s at Baron Castler’s mansion.”
At that moment, a deep wrinkle formed between Christine’s smooth eyebrows.
Tanya shouted at the driver’s seat.
“I’m sorry. Someone suddenly collapsed.”
Only then did Adele open her eyes and look out the window.
Outside, a fierce rain was pouring down, and there was a person collapsed in the middle of the road. Startled, Adele quickly got out of the carriage, and Tanya also grabbed her umbrella and got out.
Upon closer inspection, she saw that it was a boy of about ten years old. The boy’s entire body was covered in bruises and blood.
“It wasn’t hit by the carriage. This child suddenly jumped in and fell.”
Adele shouted at the coachman and Tanya, who were insisting on her innocence.
“Get the child in the carriage! Tanya, where is the nearest clinic?”
“The closest one will take more than 30 minutes. And it’s already closing time.”
Adele thought for a moment and asked.
“Baron Castler’s house is around here, right?”
“Yes, if you turn onto the zelkova road in front of here, you’ll see it right away.”
The two had taken urgent patients to Mark’s house a few times before. He was a veterinarian, but he also treated poor or critically ill patients.
“Let’s go there.”
***
“Madam Marchioness?”
Mark’s bewilderment was evident when he saw Adele.
A guest who came unexpectedly during dinnertime. And Adele was the first guest he had greeted wearing an apron.
“I’m sorry for coming without notice. I have an urgent patient.”
Mark’s face hardened when he saw the bloody child the coachman was holding.
“Let’s move to the clinic!”
One side of Mark’s mansion was used as a clinic. It was a small space, but it was filled with patient beds, all kinds of medicine, and medical equipment.
“Is it really that serious?”
Adele asked worriedly, looking at the child lying on the bed.
Mark felt somewhat relieved as he examined the child.
“Fortunately, there are no serious injuries other than bruises. There was bleeding from the torn arm, but I think it will be fine if we suture it and treat it well.”
“But why is he unconscious?”
“It must be malnutrition.”
The child was so skinny that anyone could tell he was malnourished.
Now that he looked at it, Adele was familiar with the child. The child’s father was known as a drunkard, and he would beat his son mercilessly while telling him to get him alcohol. The neighbors had stopped him several times. This time, he must have been beaten by his father.
Adele felt angry as she thought of the child running away in the rain with blood dripping from his torn arm.
“Tanya, can you go back and meet that child’s father with Henry?”
“Yes?”
“Tell him that he’s going to stay with us for a while, and if he hurts him again, I’ll do whatever it takes to put him in prison. I’m sure if you tell Henry he’ll sort it out.”
Even though she was a powerless Marchioness, the Oswald name was still a threat. Henry could probably use that better than anyone else.
“Yes, Ma'am!”
Tanya turned back with the coachman.
Only then did Adele notice a boy of six or seven peering out from behind the door. He had cute brown curly hair and bright blue eyes.
It was Mark's son, Jade.
"Hi, Jade. Come here."
When Adele held out her hand, Jade shook her head slightly.
"Oh, you shouldn't be rude. You should greet me politely."
Mark, who was treating the child, scolded her.
"No. Sorry, Jade. For suddenly coming here."
When Adele smiled kindly, Jade also smiled bashfully and came out from behind the door.
"I know."
"Yeah, what?"
"The cookies you made were delicious. Aunt Mia told me."
"Oh, really? I'm good at baking, too."
"Really? And soup and beans?"
"Of course."
Then Jade stared at Mark with his clear blue eyes.
"Daddy, can I ask her to make it?"
"No, Jade. It's rude to a guest."
"Ugh, Daddy's cooking is really bad! It tastes like socks."
The child's tongue sticking out and his face frowning was so cute.
Mark explained, embarrassed.
“The maid who used to do housework quit a few days ago. So I’ve been preparing meals lately.”
“So the apron...”
“Oh, no!”
Mark realized he was still wearing the apron and hurriedly took it off.
“It suits you better than I thought.”
He furrowed his eyebrows in embarrassment.
“Are you kidding me?”
“I’m serious. Then I’ll prepare meals while you see me.”
“No! You don’t have to!”
“Since you helped me, I should help you in some way. Where’s the kitchen, Jade?”
***
Adele was startled when she entered the kitchen.
The counter was a complete mess of food ingredients and cooking utensils. She couldn’t figure out what kind of food Mark was trying to make.
“You must have been at war with cooking.”
Adele cleaned up the counter first.
At that moment, Jade, who had disappeared for a moment, brought something.
“This.”
It was a white linen blouse and a red checkered skirt.
“Why?”
“Your clothes are wet. You’ll catch a cold if you do that. Put them on.”
By the way, Adele's silk dress was soaking wet, as if she had just washed it.
"Jade, you're really smart. Thank you."
"What are you doing with this?"
Adele eventually laughed out loud, watching Jade act modestly.
As she quickly changed her clothes and started cooking, Jade helped her with his little hands.
The child kept laughing and didn't know how to leave Adele's side, wondering what was so good about it. Thanks to that, Adele was able to forget about Christine for a moment.
As Adele was setting the table, Mark came in with a cheerful smile.
"Is this really the smell that comes from my house?"
"I made it roughly with the ingredients I had. Please sit down."
However, Mark just stood there for a while, looking at Adele. Adele was flustered because his expression was unusual.
"What's wrong?"
"Those clothes..."
"Oh. My dress got wet, so I changed it."
Jade quickly shouted.
"I gave it to her! It's just like Mom!"
Only then did Adele realize that these were Jade’s dead mother’s clothes. After all, there was no way another woman’s clothes could be in a house where only two men lived.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I made a big mistake.”
When Adele was embarrassed and didn’t know what to do, Mark shook his head.
“No, you did a good job. Now, let’s eat quickly. It’s torture to just watch.”
In a short time, Adele had prepared a decent table with mushroom soup, bread with pea puree, salad, and chicken.
“How’s the kid?”
“He fell asleep. I’m going to feed him soup when he wakes up.”
At that moment, there was a rustling sound. When she turned around, she saw the wounded kid standing in front of the restaurant, hesitating.
“Good. Let’s eat together.”
Adele quickly went to get the kid.
“Really... can we eat together?”
The surprised kid looked at her in bewilderment.
“Then, let’s eat before it gets cold.”
Mark smiled kindly and placed the kid’s soup and utensils.
When all four of them sat down at the table, Mark shouted loudly, holding a fork and spoon in both hands.
“Then, enjoy!”
Jade and he followed suit with his hearty voice.
“Enjoy!”
The three men quickly began to eat.
The sound of dishes clanking on the simple table, their conversation, and the sound of chewing food naturally blended together.
Adele remembered the time when she had been with Christine a long time ago. He and she ate the food prepared by her mother as deliciously as possible in the world. She felt like she could understand her mother’s feelings as she watched her quietly smiling.
It was raining hard outside, but the meal was warmer and more affectionate because of that.
***
After finishing the meal, the two children went up to the second-floor room, saying they were sleepy.
Now, Adele and Mark were the only two people in the dining room.
As the surroundings became quiet, thoughts about Christine invaded Adele’s mind again.
“Actually, I was the one who told him to become close to the Marchioness.”
“So the Count approached her on purpose to find that document?”
“Yes. So pretend you don’t know. In a month, he will find that document and have a grand engagement ceremony with April.”
Was Christine really approaching me on purpose?
To find the Marquis’ blank document?
Didn’t he forgive me after all?
How excited was she alone, not knowing that? Even though she called him her younger brother, and said she hoped things would work out with April.
Adele felt more ashamed and miserable about herself for falling for him without being able to do anything about it, rather than hating him.
“I was rude to you last time.”
Mark’s voice finally brought her out of her thoughts.
“Yes?”
“That... kissing you on the cheek...”
Mark scratched the bridge of his nose in embarrassment.
He wondered how such a shy man could have done something like that back then. And in front of the terrifying rumored Count Weiss.
“No. I feel more sorry for the Count being rude.”
“Would you like a drink?”
Mark had already brought a bottle of wine and a glass.
“No, alcohol...”
“You look like you need alcohol.”
Adele smiled weakly. Well, maybe she needed alcohol on a day like today.
“Then just one glass.”
Slurp...
The red wine filled the clear glass.
***
“What about Adele?”
Christine asked as soon as she got out of the carriage after returning home.
Henry, who came out to greet him with an umbrella, answered politely.
“She’s at Baron Castler’s mansion.”
At that moment, a deep wrinkle formed between Christine’s smooth eyebrows.
“Baron Castler’s?”
Tanya, who was standing with the other servants in the mansion, answered cautiously.
“There was an injured child, so she was taken there.”
“Took the injured child to the vet?”
“The clinic was already closing time, so there was nothing we could do.”
Even though Christine didn’t say anything, Tanya felt scared for some reason. It was strange. He was still as handsome as usual, but his blue-gray eyes felt like they were strangling her.
“Yes, I suppose it was an unavoidable situation. But why hasn’t she come back yet?”
It was already completely dark in the evening. However, on the outside, Adele was with Mark. So her late return meant that the two of them were having a good time.
However, Christine looked very uncomfortable.
“That is... I think she is waiting to see the child recover.”
Tanya was hesitating as she answered.
“Butler, isn’t it your duty to protect your master’s safety and reputation?”
Christine didn’t raise his voice, but rather spoke softly than usual. However, he was filled with a chill that made the other person feel intimidated.
Henry, whom Adele had been having a hard time with, also looked visibly intimidated.
“I’m sorry, master. I will go and get her.”
Henry quickly lowered his head and prepared to go out, but Christine quickly jumped on the horse and shook the reins.
“Ha!”
The horse carrying him galloped fiercely through the rain.
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