Episode 16. Come with me tonight
“...Can I help you?”
“Yeah, bring me some flour bags from the basement.”
“Not that one.”
"Uh?"
Christine's gaze penetrated so deeply that Adele was taken aback. At times like these, it was as if he could read people's minds. As if he knew what she was afraid of.
“No. Can you just bring me the flour?”
Luckily, Christine averted his gaze first.
“Yeah, it’s a bit heavy for a frail me to lift.”
“Ha, that can’t be.”
“Who said I was nothing but bones?”
“Yes. I’ll bring it to you.”
For some reason, Christine gave in so easily and went down to the basement.
“I heard that the Oswalds called you the Basement Lady.”
He remembered what he had heard from Zimmer a little while ago.
“Basement Lady?”
“Yes, she married the Marquis Oswald, but her bedroom was in the basement.”
“Basement? Was that the Marquis’s order?”
“No. The Marquis couldn’t move on his own, and he was not fully conscious because he had been given strong medicine to relieve the pain. Madam took care of the Marquis’s meals and took care of him while he was conscious. Other than that, it is said that she lived with his maids.”
“Did the other maids also live in the basement?”
“That... there’s only Madam there.”
“Why?”
“It was probably to seize the initiative. To prevent her from acting like his mistress.”
It was understandable. Adele, the daughter of a baker in a mining town. She had become the mistress of a noble family at the age of only eighteen. Moreover, most of the Marquis's children were older than her. To the nobles who were arrogant to the core, she must have been a child who could be used and discarded as they pleased.
“So in the end, they killed the Marquis and blamed her for a crime she didn’t commit?”
“That is not certain. Stone and the Marquis indeed quarrelled that day, but Madam did not claim her innocence either.”
“I guess she was threatened.”
“But Stone is currently on assignment as a diplomat for the Kingdom of Orbis. She could have defended herself at any time, but she continues to remain silent...”
“So she killed the Marquis?”
Christine's voice became more agitated than ever before.
“No! But if Madam doesn’t tell you, we’ll never find out who killed him.”
He couldn't understand. Even if she married the old Marquis, why did Adele stay there and receive such treatment? And why did she remain silent?
“Thank goodness. I was worried about how I would bring this up.”
As Christine set the sack of flour down on the kitchen counter, Adele smiled brightly, having been so trembling just moments before.
“What else can I help you with?”
“The hero of Calamity will help with the kitchen work?”
“Even the heroes of Calamity need to fill their bellies.”
“Are you going to say you’re hungry again...”
Christine, sitting on the counter, nodded with a leisurely smile.
“Why do I get hungry whenever I see you?”
“Do I look like something to eat?”
“Yeah, you look really delicious.”
He looked like he was going to eat Adele at any moment. At that moment, all of a sudden.
“Ugh, what are you doing!”
Adele grabbed Christine's cheeks and stretched them.
“If you keep making that weird face, I’m going to kick you out of my house.”
Adele let go of his cheek after a stern warning.
“Are you crazy?”
Christine bristled, touching his cold cheek, but Adele smiled brightly.
“If you don’t get angry and wait quietly, I’ll make you pancakes. I can do that in no time.”
“Ha, just some pancakes...!”
But just seeing Adele, wearing a white apron and preparing to cook, made him feel unbearably hungry.
“Ha, that’s what it was? The reason you were there while being treated like that. The reason you stayed silent even that you were falsely accused of being a murderer. Wasn’t the rumor that you seduced him just a rumor?”
He couldn't control the venom pouring out of him. He hoped it wouldn't be true. Finally, Adele covered her face with both hands. And her shoulders began to shake as she sobbed. Damn it...!
“Adele...”
At that moment,
“Phuhut!”
Suddenly, there was a sound like air escaping from between her lips, and then she burst into loud laughter that made the kitchen seem like it was going to burst apart.
“I’m sorry. This is just so funny, I can’t stand it. Me, that guy? That’s ridiculous! I get goosebumps just thinking about it!”
Adele shrugged her shoulders as if she found it creepy.
“...Or else.”
Christine was embarrassed, but strangely relieved.
“Chris, you really have a great imagination. How could you come up with such a ridiculous idea? After all, that horrible man was also my son.”
“It was just one of the hypotheses.”
“Do you know how much that guy has treated me? I prayed countless times that lightning would fall on his head every time it struck. I hope he never comes back from the Orbis Kingdom.”
“Then should I kill him?”
“If you do that, I’ll give you all my money!”
It was so obvious that Adele hated him to the core. Christine was a little taken aback when he realized that the twisted feeling had disappeared.
“Yes. Now turn around and I'll tie your hair.”
He tangled Adele's hair in one hand and tied an old ribbon with the other. Then, after a while, he cautiously confessed.
“Adele, somehow... your hair seems alive.”
He was confident that he could do anything quickly and skillfully. But tying up a woman's hair seemed like the most difficult thing in the world.
“No way. It only comes to life on nights when the moon is full.”
“But why are they all sticking to my hands?”
“It’s because of static electricity. Just tie it so it doesn’t come loose... Ouch!”
“Oh, it wasn’t a mistake, it was intentional.”
"Chris!"
“Hold on tight. It’s almost done now...”
Christine, who was struggling to tie a ribbon around Adele's hair, stopped. The white nape of her neck, with its neatly arranged hairs, and the slender neckline came into view. His mouth watered involuntarily, as if it would taste sweet and languid, like milk mixed with sugar.
“Are you done?”
Adele felt his gaze and turned her head, stroking the back of her neck with her hand.
“...Phew!”
Christine burst out laughing the moment he saw her. Adele, who saw her reflection in the window, was also dumbfounded. Half of her hair had fallen out and was sticking out in all directions due to static electricity.
“If anyone saw me, they’d think I was grabbing your hair and fighting.”
Meanwhile, Christine couldn't stop laughing. Then she started laughing too, as if his emotions had been transferred to her.
“You couldn’t tie my hair properly, so please do me one more favor.”
Christine, who had been laughing, quickly became serious.
“Didn’t you say it was the last?”
But Adele stubbornly approached him and grumbled.
“Come with me tonight.”
Christine's throat gurgled.
“What, what are we doing with you tonight..?”
He was so surprised that even his voice came out strangely.
“Come to think of it, the wound on my hand hasn’t healed yet.”
Adele showed her hand, which was wounded from swinging a dagger. It wasn't a big wound, so she wrapped it in gauze and tied it with a cloth.
“You knead the dough. Since you have strong arms, the dough will become chewier if you knead it.”
“Oh, by the way, I forgot that I had an appointment with Zimmer...”
She smiled faintly as she blocked Christine's path as he tried to run away. In fact, the smile attack wasn't Christine's only special move.
“You do it, Chris. You will, right? Yeah?”
And then the second attack of the push.
“I can't hear you.”
He looked away, but it was no use.
“Ah, Chris... Yeah, do it... Please do it, yes? Yes?”
The moment she unleashed the three-step combo of aegyo, everything was over.
“...Can I help you?”
“Yeah, bring me some flour bags from the basement.”
“Not that one.”
"Uh?"
Christine's gaze penetrated so deeply that Adele was taken aback. At times like these, it was as if he could read people's minds. As if he knew what she was afraid of.
“No. Can you just bring me the flour?”
Luckily, Christine averted his gaze first.
“Yeah, it’s a bit heavy for a frail me to lift.”
“Ha, that can’t be.”
“Who said I was nothing but bones?”
“Yes. I’ll bring it to you.”
For some reason, Christine gave in so easily and went down to the basement.
“I heard that the Oswalds called you the Basement Lady.”
He remembered what he had heard from Zimmer a little while ago.
***
“Basement Lady?”
“Yes, she married the Marquis Oswald, but her bedroom was in the basement.”
“Basement? Was that the Marquis’s order?”
“No. The Marquis couldn’t move on his own, and he was not fully conscious because he had been given strong medicine to relieve the pain. Madam took care of the Marquis’s meals and took care of him while he was conscious. Other than that, it is said that she lived with his maids.”
“Did the other maids also live in the basement?”
“That... there’s only Madam there.”
“Why?”
“It was probably to seize the initiative. To prevent her from acting like his mistress.”
It was understandable. Adele, the daughter of a baker in a mining town. She had become the mistress of a noble family at the age of only eighteen. Moreover, most of the Marquis's children were older than her. To the nobles who were arrogant to the core, she must have been a child who could be used and discarded as they pleased.
“So in the end, they killed the Marquis and blamed her for a crime she didn’t commit?”
“That is not certain. Stone and the Marquis indeed quarrelled that day, but Madam did not claim her innocence either.”
“I guess she was threatened.”
“But Stone is currently on assignment as a diplomat for the Kingdom of Orbis. She could have defended herself at any time, but she continues to remain silent...”
“So she killed the Marquis?”
Christine's voice became more agitated than ever before.
“No! But if Madam doesn’t tell you, we’ll never find out who killed him.”
He couldn't understand. Even if she married the old Marquis, why did Adele stay there and receive such treatment? And why did she remain silent?
***
“Thank goodness. I was worried about how I would bring this up.”
As Christine set the sack of flour down on the kitchen counter, Adele smiled brightly, having been so trembling just moments before.
“What else can I help you with?”
“The hero of Calamity will help with the kitchen work?”
“Even the heroes of Calamity need to fill their bellies.”
“Are you going to say you’re hungry again...”
Christine, sitting on the counter, nodded with a leisurely smile.
“Why do I get hungry whenever I see you?”
“Do I look like something to eat?”
“Yeah, you look really delicious.”
He looked like he was going to eat Adele at any moment. At that moment, all of a sudden.
“Ugh, what are you doing!”
Adele grabbed Christine's cheeks and stretched them.
“If you keep making that weird face, I’m going to kick you out of my house.”
Adele let go of his cheek after a stern warning.
“Are you crazy?”
Christine bristled, touching his cold cheek, but Adele smiled brightly.
“If you don’t get angry and wait quietly, I’ll make you pancakes. I can do that in no time.”
“Ha, just some pancakes...!”
But just seeing Adele, wearing a white apron and preparing to cook, made him feel unbearably hungry.
“If it doesn’t taste good, I might actually eat you.”
“Hey, I’m scared. First, can you crack an egg over there? Then open the left cupboard door and take out some butter. And on top of that, vanilla essence and maple syrup.”
“Can you order just one at a time?”
He raises his eyebrows and frowns,
“Excuse me, can I have just one more thing?”
Adele smiled coquettishly, carefully extending one finger.
"No!"
“Hey, since you’re being kind, why don’t you spend a little more?”
“Then there’s just one thing.”
Christine was still impressed, but it didn't seem to work on Adele, seeing as she was even asking him to do something like this.
“There should be a hair tie in my apron pocket. Tie my hair with it.”
“What do you want me to do with your hair?”
He had never had his hair tied up, although he had cut it off before. But Adele raised both hands cheerfully.
“There’s flour on my hands. Tie them up roughly. Make sure no hair gets caught in the dough.”
“Why am I like this...”
Grumbling, Christine took a hair tie out of her apron pocket. A faded green ribbon hair tie. He didn't know much about women's hair ties, but he didn't think any woman would wear such a worn-out ribbon in her hair.
“How long does it take to wear it out like this? It’ll break if you pull on it.”
“Has it been about 10 years?”
Christine's hand, which was sweeping Adele's hair, stopped.
“Throw it away and buy a new one right now.”
“It’s still usable.”
“Not being able to throw something away is also a disease.”
“No. It’s precious because it’s dirty.”
“Don’t give meaning to trash and don’t obsess over it.”
“Oh my, how come you say the exact same thing as Tanya?”
“It’s fortunate that even the maid is smart.”
“That kid says I’m obsessed. I can’t throw away even old things. Now that I think about it, I guess I do have that tendency.”
Adele chuckled playfully.
“Then what about the old people?”
Suddenly, a soft voice was heard from above her head.
"...Yes?"
When she raised her head, she met Christine's sunken eyes.
“10 years ago... I wonder if there was a special reason why you left like that. If you’re the type of person who can’t throw away even one old thing.”
Adele lowered her head and bit her lip.
“I told you. I wanted to become a noble.”
“So you became the noble you wanted to be?”
Christine's voice, low and deep, seemed to be questioning. Of course, with his intelligence, he might already know. How miserable her life had been in the Marquis' household.
“In short, I was fooled. I thought I would become a Marchioness and live a life of luxury.”
Adele answered as if nothing had happened, pretending to be cool. Her mood was becoming an uncontrollable mess.
“But why didn’t you run away from there? You could have easily done so.”
“If I run away, is there a place to go?”
“Our house.”
At those words, Adele's eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and she bit her lips tightly. It sounded like she had been waiting for him even though she had left him. She was so warm and thankful that he had called her home without hesitation. Christine turned her around and faced her.
“Adele...”
“Sorry. I’ll make the pancakes later.”
Unable to hide her feelings any longer, Adele tried to push him away and run away, but Christine wouldn't let her go.
“Tell me. What are you hiding? Did you really kill the Marquis?”
His voice was so affectionate and soft that Adele felt as if she would break down at any moment.
“Don’t you hate me? I abandoned you when you needed me the most.”
“I hated you. I hated you for a while. But back then, you and I were young.”
So tell me everything, Adele. Maybe I can understand you.
“He sold his illegitimate daughter for money. I felt sorry for the Marchioness who had married at a young age without knowing anything.”
Adele looked at Christine, barely able to catch her breath. Her eyes were bloodshot.
“Yes, I didn’t kill the Marquis.”
“Is it really Stone’s doing?”
She nodded slowly.
“But I pretended not to know what he was going to do. So you can’t say I’m not guilty.”
“But there’s no need to go out of your way to falsely accuse me. I’ll help you.”
Adele shook her head.
“I wasn’t punished at all, it’s just a rumor. If you really want to help me, just tie my hair up quickly.”
Adele shook her flowing dark brown hair, but Christine just stared at her sharply, like a still picture.
“What are you doing? Hurry up. I don’t have time to go to bed after finishing the dough to be fermented.”
He asked in a low, hushed voice to Adele, who was urging him on.
“You... did you like Stone?”
“...!”
Adele's expression hardened noticeably. At that moment, Christine felt something inside his twist.
“Hey, I’m scared. First, can you crack an egg over there? Then open the left cupboard door and take out some butter. And on top of that, vanilla essence and maple syrup.”
“Can you order just one at a time?”
He raises his eyebrows and frowns,
“Excuse me, can I have just one more thing?”
Adele smiled coquettishly, carefully extending one finger.
"No!"
“Hey, since you’re being kind, why don’t you spend a little more?”
“Then there’s just one thing.”
Christine was still impressed, but it didn't seem to work on Adele, seeing as she was even asking him to do something like this.
“There should be a hair tie in my apron pocket. Tie my hair with it.”
“What do you want me to do with your hair?”
He had never had his hair tied up, although he had cut it off before. But Adele raised both hands cheerfully.
“There’s flour on my hands. Tie them up roughly. Make sure no hair gets caught in the dough.”
“Why am I like this...”
Grumbling, Christine took a hair tie out of her apron pocket. A faded green ribbon hair tie. He didn't know much about women's hair ties, but he didn't think any woman would wear such a worn-out ribbon in her hair.
“How long does it take to wear it out like this? It’ll break if you pull on it.”
“Has it been about 10 years?”
Christine's hand, which was sweeping Adele's hair, stopped.
“Throw it away and buy a new one right now.”
“It’s still usable.”
“Not being able to throw something away is also a disease.”
“No. It’s precious because it’s dirty.”
“Don’t give meaning to trash and don’t obsess over it.”
“Oh my, how come you say the exact same thing as Tanya?”
“It’s fortunate that even the maid is smart.”
“That kid says I’m obsessed. I can’t throw away even old things. Now that I think about it, I guess I do have that tendency.”
Adele chuckled playfully.
“Then what about the old people?”
Suddenly, a soft voice was heard from above her head.
"...Yes?"
When she raised her head, she met Christine's sunken eyes.
“10 years ago... I wonder if there was a special reason why you left like that. If you’re the type of person who can’t throw away even one old thing.”
Adele lowered her head and bit her lip.
“I told you. I wanted to become a noble.”
“So you became the noble you wanted to be?”
Christine's voice, low and deep, seemed to be questioning. Of course, with his intelligence, he might already know. How miserable her life had been in the Marquis' household.
“In short, I was fooled. I thought I would become a Marchioness and live a life of luxury.”
Adele answered as if nothing had happened, pretending to be cool. Her mood was becoming an uncontrollable mess.
“But why didn’t you run away from there? You could have easily done so.”
“If I run away, is there a place to go?”
“Our house.”
At those words, Adele's eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and she bit her lips tightly. It sounded like she had been waiting for him even though she had left him. She was so warm and thankful that he had called her home without hesitation. Christine turned her around and faced her.
“Adele...”
“Sorry. I’ll make the pancakes later.”
Unable to hide her feelings any longer, Adele tried to push him away and run away, but Christine wouldn't let her go.
“Tell me. What are you hiding? Did you really kill the Marquis?”
His voice was so affectionate and soft that Adele felt as if she would break down at any moment.
“Don’t you hate me? I abandoned you when you needed me the most.”
“I hated you. I hated you for a while. But back then, you and I were young.”
So tell me everything, Adele. Maybe I can understand you.
“He sold his illegitimate daughter for money. I felt sorry for the Marchioness who had married at a young age without knowing anything.”
Adele looked at Christine, barely able to catch her breath. Her eyes were bloodshot.
“Yes, I didn’t kill the Marquis.”
“Is it really Stone’s doing?”
She nodded slowly.
“But I pretended not to know what he was going to do. So you can’t say I’m not guilty.”
“But there’s no need to go out of your way to falsely accuse me. I’ll help you.”
Adele shook her head.
“I wasn’t punished at all, it’s just a rumor. If you really want to help me, just tie my hair up quickly.”
Adele shook her flowing dark brown hair, but Christine just stared at her sharply, like a still picture.
“What are you doing? Hurry up. I don’t have time to go to bed after finishing the dough to be fermented.”
He asked in a low, hushed voice to Adele, who was urging him on.
“You... did you like Stone?”
“...!”
Adele's expression hardened noticeably. At that moment, Christine felt something inside his twist.
***
“Ha, that’s what it was? The reason you were there while being treated like that. The reason you stayed silent even that you were falsely accused of being a murderer. Wasn’t the rumor that you seduced him just a rumor?”
He couldn't control the venom pouring out of him. He hoped it wouldn't be true. Finally, Adele covered her face with both hands. And her shoulders began to shake as she sobbed. Damn it...!
“Adele...”
At that moment,
“Phuhut!”
Suddenly, there was a sound like air escaping from between her lips, and then she burst into loud laughter that made the kitchen seem like it was going to burst apart.
“I’m sorry. This is just so funny, I can’t stand it. Me, that guy? That’s ridiculous! I get goosebumps just thinking about it!”
Adele shrugged her shoulders as if she found it creepy.
“...Or else.”
Christine was embarrassed, but strangely relieved.
“Chris, you really have a great imagination. How could you come up with such a ridiculous idea? After all, that horrible man was also my son.”
“It was just one of the hypotheses.”
“Do you know how much that guy has treated me? I prayed countless times that lightning would fall on his head every time it struck. I hope he never comes back from the Orbis Kingdom.”
“Then should I kill him?”
“If you do that, I’ll give you all my money!”
It was so obvious that Adele hated him to the core. Christine was a little taken aback when he realized that the twisted feeling had disappeared.
“Yes. Now turn around and I'll tie your hair.”
He tangled Adele's hair in one hand and tied an old ribbon with the other. Then, after a while, he cautiously confessed.
“Adele, somehow... your hair seems alive.”
He was confident that he could do anything quickly and skillfully. But tying up a woman's hair seemed like the most difficult thing in the world.
“No way. It only comes to life on nights when the moon is full.”
“But why are they all sticking to my hands?”
“It’s because of static electricity. Just tie it so it doesn’t come loose... Ouch!”
“Oh, it wasn’t a mistake, it was intentional.”
"Chris!"
“Hold on tight. It’s almost done now...”
Christine, who was struggling to tie a ribbon around Adele's hair, stopped. The white nape of her neck, with its neatly arranged hairs, and the slender neckline came into view. His mouth watered involuntarily, as if it would taste sweet and languid, like milk mixed with sugar.
“Are you done?”
Adele felt his gaze and turned her head, stroking the back of her neck with her hand.
“...Phew!”
Christine burst out laughing the moment he saw her. Adele, who saw her reflection in the window, was also dumbfounded. Half of her hair had fallen out and was sticking out in all directions due to static electricity.
“If anyone saw me, they’d think I was grabbing your hair and fighting.”
Meanwhile, Christine couldn't stop laughing. Then she started laughing too, as if his emotions had been transferred to her.
“You couldn’t tie my hair properly, so please do me one more favor.”
Christine, who had been laughing, quickly became serious.
“Didn’t you say it was the last?”
But Adele stubbornly approached him and grumbled.
“Come with me tonight.”
Christine's throat gurgled.
“What, what are we doing with you tonight..?”
He was so surprised that even his voice came out strangely.
“Come to think of it, the wound on my hand hasn’t healed yet.”
Adele showed her hand, which was wounded from swinging a dagger. It wasn't a big wound, so she wrapped it in gauze and tied it with a cloth.
“You knead the dough. Since you have strong arms, the dough will become chewier if you knead it.”
“Oh, by the way, I forgot that I had an appointment with Zimmer...”
She smiled faintly as she blocked Christine's path as he tried to run away. In fact, the smile attack wasn't Christine's only special move.
“You do it, Chris. You will, right? Yeah?”
And then the second attack of the push.
“I can't hear you.”
He looked away, but it was no use.
“Ah, Chris... Yeah, do it... Please do it, yes? Yes?”
The moment she unleashed the three-step combo of aegyo, everything was over.
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