Episode 48. Shall we sleep together?
“Then what is a mark?”
The voice sounded eerie, perhaps because of the low-lying sky.
“A mark...?”
Adele asked as if she knew nothing.
But her heart was pounding.
‘Did you hear the conversation with Stone?’
‘Should I tell you everything right now? Yes, let’s....’
At that moment, Tanya came running from over there.
“Miss!”
Then Christine kissed the back of her hand and smiled as usual. As if the serious look from a moment ago had been Adele’s illusion.
“Go ahead. I have to go back.”
Adele hesitated as she watched Christine turn around.
‘Should I grab him and tell him everything right now?’
In the meantime, Christine returned to his companions, and Tanya approached her.
“Get in the carriage quickly. I think something’s going to get off soon.”
The carriage carrying Adele and Tanya soon started moving and moved away.
Christine, who had keen ears, could hear the conversation between the two in the carriage. She also clearly heard the conversation between Stone and Adele.
“Adele, you haven’t even shown him your back yet? And you’re his woman?”
“I was wondering. Did he know about the mark on your back? Did you two sleep together?”
“You were waiting for me?”
The mark on her back...
In addition, Stone smelled very strongly of the ominous blood that came from the handkerchief.
Was that the man who had been watching Adele through the restaurant window last night, Stone?
He said it had been a while since he returned home, so he hadn’t been seeing Adele in the meantime, had he?
And Adele had avoided sleeping with him... Could it be?
Damn it!
Christine frowned.
Once he had doubts, he had doubts about everything about Adele.
***
Meanwhile, Adele, who had returned home, was not easily at peace.
Stone had appeared.
If she wanted to prepare for something before he did something, she felt she couldn’t do it alone.
Moreover, if she were to waste time like this, shr might end up misunderstanding Christine.
Judging from the fact that he asked about the 'mark', she wondered if he knew something. But she wondered if he didn't ask because he wanted her to tell him first.
'Okay, let's tell him everything.'
'Chris will still be on my side.'
If not... It would still be better than deceiving him and being misunderstood.
However, he didn't return until late at night.
Snow began to fall in the evening from the lingering sky, and it piled up on the windowsill.
All the servants had gone to bed, and only a few guards who were on guard were awake.
While waiting for him, Adele read a book in bed. Because her mind was so complicated, she couldn't take in a single word of the content. As she was halfheartedly turning the pages, she heard the guards greeting her.
Adele, who was in her pajamas, quickly put on a red robe over it and went outside.
"You're late."
She ran into Christine on the stairs, who was just coming up to the second floor.
"Hmm."
"Is it snowing a lot outside?"
Adele quickly went down the stairs and reached out to brush away the snow that had piled up on his shoulders and head.
However, he pulled back and brushed it away with his own hands.
“Yes. I’ll do it.”
Adele, who had smiled and reached out, clasped her hand in embarrassment.
But she smiled gently again.
“Aren’t you hungry? Should I bring you something to eat?”
“Thank you, but it’s okay. You must be tired. Go to sleep.”
“What did I do to make you tired? I couldn’t sleep, so I was reading a book.”
“Then go in and read the book. I have something else to do.”
“You've been working so far, and now?”
“There’s a lot to prepare for the royal equestrian competition soon.”
“Oh, I see. But I’ll rest a bit and do it.”
“Thank you for worrying about me. Then.”
Christine’s voice was as gentle and soft as usual. However, she had a strong feeling that he was not going to let her go. That alone made her feel distant, and she couldn’t approach him.
“Yeah, good night.”
Adele gathered her courage again and tried to kiss Christine’s cheek as usual.
“A goodnight kiss would be okay?”
But just before their lips touched, he turned his head away.
“Zimmer.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I don’t think the confirmed list of participants has been posted yet?”
“Yes, there were a few additional people, but the overall plan didn’t change much, so I was going to tell you during the final report.”
“Go up and report right away.”
“Yes, sir.”
Christine passed Adele and went up the stairs with Zimmer. He kept giving Zimmer instructions and talking to him as they went up.
As she watched him getting further and further away, Adele felt like she had to say something. But she couldn’t bring herself to open her mouth.
“He must be really busy.”
She shrugged and muttered to herself.
It was a big event at the palace, so it was natural that Christine, the person in charge, would be very busy. It was natural that he couldn’t pay attention to her because he was so absorbed in her work.
Adele consoled herself like that. However, her feelings of disappointment didn’t easily go away.
‘No matter how busy you are, you can’t not see me right next to you.’
No, just a moment ago, he had clearly rejected her.
‘Why...?’
A strange sense of anxiety came over her.
***
Christine entered the second-floor office with Zimmer. He roughly hung his coat on a chair and took out the strongest vodka from the display case.
Meanwhile, Zimmer reported in a restrained manner.
“Marquis Stone Oswald has also applied to participate in the horse race.”
“Stone, that guy?”
“Yes, it was a bit unexpected that he came back to the country and participated in the horse race so suddenly.”
“Well, you said that Stone won the horse race nine years ago, too?”
“Yes, the Oswalds are confident that he will win.”
“Yes, let’s go ahead.”
But Zimmer hesitated and said carefully.
“So, if you are also participating, His Majesty...”
“Who will be His Majesty’s escort?”
“If you are only attending the race, there will be no problem. His Majesty was disappointed. If you could flatten Stone’s nose on this occasion...”
“Why should I do that?”
When Christine spoke as if it were someone else’s business, Zimmer was dumbfounded.
“You know that you were very childish toward Miss Adele, right?”
“What?”
Zimmer clicked his tongue at that fierce expression.
“I can’t say more because I have one life to live, but at this time, charging ahead might be a better strategy than jealousy.”
“Yes, get out of here.”
Christine frowned and warned.
“I felt bad for Miss Adele earlier. I know you’re feeling bad too, Captain.”
“Zimmer Crichton!”
Zimmer shut his mouth at his angry voice.
Now was not the time to provoke him.
Zimmer knew it, having watched him for a long time.
“Then that’s all.”
As Zimmer stepped aside, Christine drank the entire bottle of vodka.
The high-proof alcohol cut through his empty stomach like a blade.
“Damn it!”
The more he did, the more the conversation he had with Marvin from earlier lingered in his ears.
In fact, it was more like an interrogation than a conversation.
***
“D-Did you call, Count Weiss?”
Marvin, who had been called in front of him, had a stiff face.
“I wanted to say thank you for taking care of my fiancée’s health.”
“It’s okay. That’s my job.”
“But Adele seemed a little strange during the day? She seemed to have trouble standing up properly.”
“T-that... I gave her some medicine to help her get better quickly, but it must have been a bit strong.”
“So it was because of the medicine that you gave her?”
Marvin answered, wiping the sweat forming on his forehead.
“No, that’s not necessarily true... Medicine works differently for different people...”
“Bring me the medicine you gave her right now.”
“She’s already finished it.”
Then Christine got up and approached him.
“Sir Marvin, you like gambling so much, don’t you? You even mortgaged your house.”
“That was all in the past!”
“But it wasn’t until recently that the Oswalds signed on as guarantors for a loan. And to pay off the debt, you’re also performing unlicensed surgeries on prostitutes in Hell Valley.”
“H-how did you...!”
“You’ll have to speak properly from now on. Otherwise, the palace doctor could have his head cut off for treating prostitutes.”
Christine reached out as if to draw his rapier.
“Please save me, Count!”
Marvin clasped his hands together, kneeling hard enough to make a loud thud.
“Tell me. What’s the mark on Adele’s back?”
Judging from Adele’s conversation with Stone, there was definitely a mark on her back. And that must have been why Adele had gone to see the doctor in Hell Valley.
“That, that is...”
“Should I cut off your wrist first?”
“8-It’s a tattoo!”
“A tattoo?”
“It’s nothing special, just two letters. Miss Adele really wanted to erase it.”
“Two letters?”
“Yes, it seemed to be an initial for something.”
Two letters.
An initial for something.
Christine remembered the initials engraved on Stone’s handkerchief. He heard that he carves his initials into his belongings to an almost pathological degree.
Could it be that he had carved them on Adele’s back, too?
If the mark on her body really was Stone’s initials...
***
Christine, who had emptied half a bottle of vodka, left the office.
Despite the alcohol, he was sober. Or maybe he thought he was sober.
In fact, he wasn’t a heavy drinker. Since he had to lead rough men, he pretended to be strong and held on with his willpower.
Even now, he thought he was sober, and his complexion didn’t change, but his expression was a little loose. Those who usually watched him closely would have noticed.
His steps continued straight to Adele’s bedroom.
Knock.
He knocked on the door, but there was no answer.
It was already past midnight.
Adele seemed to be asleep.
Christine would have turned away normally, but he didn’t want to do that today.
“I’m going in.”
Christine muttered as if talking to himself and opened the door. However, the bed with the lace canopy was empty.
Instead, he heard the sound of water from the bathroom. The door was half open, so he might have heard it better.
Christine followed the sound of water and headed to the bathroom as if he was possessed.
***
Adele was soaking in the bathtub with her eyes closed.
The moonlight streaming in through the large window mysteriously illuminated her wet, white skin.
A beautiful creation made by God.
If people had seen Adele now, they would have definitely praised her.
No, she was so beautiful that they might have said she borrowed the power of the devil.
‘Yes, maybe that’s what it was.’
This beauty was not the price of joining hands with the devil, but it could be that the devil, who fell in love with her beauty, reached out his hand.
And the price of joining hands with that devil was the suffering she was suffering now.
Stone seemed determined to bring Adele back to the Oswalds. He would use any means necessary to do so.
Adele was afraid that Christine would be hurt in the process.
He was strong, so she believed it would be okay, but he was not cunning enough to deal with the devil.
'But I will not let that happen.'
Clink.
Adele came out of the bathtub, wrapped her wet hair in a towel, and dried it. She put on a chemise that was so light that her skin was visible.
As she stood in front of the mirror that was clouded white with steam, her slender neckline and shoulders were clearly visible.
Adele took a deep breath and turned her body to look at her back.
Stone's initials were still engraved between the shoulder straps of her chemise.
Every time she looked at it, she hoped it might disappear, but instead, she had the illusion that it was getting bigger and clearer.
“...!”
Then Adele realized that there was someone else reflected in the mirror besides herself.
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