129. Uninvited guests
The country road leading to Baden was empty and quiet again today.
Erna had a premonition that the mail carriage might not arrive, but she waited silently. There were still ten minutes left until the appointed time. While it wouldn't hurt to leave a little early, she didn't want to disrupt the balance of her hard-won routine.
“Are you cold? Come inside.”
Erna, her coat collar buttoned, looked at Lisa, who stood beside her, with a worried gaze. Crouching and shivering, Lisa firmly shook her head.
“No. I want to stay by Your Highness’s side.”
Erna met his determined gaze, as if she would never back down, and let out a soft sigh, a smile mingling with hers. Lisa, who had suddenly arrived at Burford, followed Erna like a shadow. Except for the time she spent sleeping, they were practically glued to each other all day.
Erna, who knew full well what had made Lisa so anxious, couldn't insist any further. She shouldn't have left Lisa behind like that. As time passed and she was able to make a sound judgment, belated regret and guilt finally washed over her. She was grateful that Mrs. Fitz, who had sent Lisa here, had eased her emotional debt.
Still, she can't leave Lisa here.
Even after hundreds of deliberations, Erna could only come to one conclusion: Lisa, who had left her hometown to dislike the stifling countryside life, couldn't be allowed to live in Buford.
“If you say that again, I’ll be really upset.”
Even though no one had said anything yet, Lisa erupted in protest. Her expression was the same as it had been a few days ago when she'd been told to return to Schwerin and start a new life when spring came.
“I’m going to cry my eyes out.”
Lisa, whose eyes were already red, began to sob.
Erna took out the handkerchief she kept in her pocket and wiped Lisa's wet eyes. She decided to keep those words, which would inevitably bring her to tears, to herself for the time being. It would take considerable time for the divorce proceedings to be finalized. It wouldn't be too late for Lisa to decide her future after she had more time to reflect on her life back as Erna of the Baden family.
“Hey! Here comes the postman!”
Just as she was about to say that she should go in, Lisa shouted.
Erna stood upright, watching the mail carriage speeding down the desolate road. Her eyes, which had been slightly trembling, soon became calm again.
“Oh my, Your Highness. You’re with me again today.”
The postman, who had parked his carriage in front of the Baden House entrance, approached with a cheerful smile. Erna smiled quietly and accepted the mail he offered. The long-awaited document was nowhere to be seen.
When will you be returning to Schwerin? How are the Grand Duke and the royal family? The postman asked a few questions, brimming with innocent curiosity. He then bowed with an overly polite greeting and left.
“Your Highness?”
Lisa's cautious call woke Erna, who was looking down at the letter in her hand.
“Let’s go in now, Lisa.”
Erna tried to erase her disappointment and turned away.
Your Highness.
The longer the wait went on, the more she yearned to escape that title, which felt like a suffocating noose.
She hopes his answer arrives soon.
The sound of footsteps filled with earnest hope permeated the eerie silence.
“It’s possible. Of course. It’s possible.”
The man, who had been repeating his refusal with a sullen expression, suddenly changed his expression. It was a miracle created by a wad of bills.
“It looks like this is a very urgent matter, so I can’t be rude.”
The stagecoach driver hurriedly put his money in and smiled. The young man, who had only moments ago been a lunatic, babbling about wanting to ride a closed carriage, had now become a valued customer.
“But why did you come to such a remote place at this time of night...?”
The stagecoachman, who had been unable to suppress his curiosity and had asked a question, flinched and trailed off. The young man stared blankly down at him, his gray eyes as cold as the chill of midwinter.
“Oh, no.”
The stagecoach driver opened the carriage door with an awkward smile. He'd earned a full two weeks' worth of work in exchange for a few hours. Thinking of the hefty wad of bills, he could easily tolerate the young man's cockiness.
His guest, a stroke of luck, quietly climbed into the carriage and closed his eyes. The light from the tavern across the street dimly illuminated his disheveled platinum hair and his face, tinged with fatigue. He was clearly a young man from out of town, yet his only luggage was the clothes he wore. He looked anything but a traveler.
He seemed strangely familiar, but he closed the carriage door without saying anything. It wouldn't do any good to upset a guest who had just paid a large sum of money.
He counted the money once more, hummed a tune, and climbed onto the horse's saddle.
The Baden family's daily routine began at the crack of dawn and ended in the early evening.
After the Baroness and Erna finished dinner, the servants returned to their rooms and went to bed early. It was a night quite different from the one at Grand Duke and Hardy's residence, where they gathered in the lounge, laughing and chatting.
“Aren’t you bored, Lisa?”
Erna's voice, mixed with laughter, came from across the table. Lisa, who had been cutting the flower petals of harmony with a look of obvious boredom on her face, raised her head in surprise.
“No. That’s impossible.”
The scissors Lisa dropped fell onto the carpet.
“I like Your Highness. Please trust me.”
Lisa, who had hastily picked up the scissors, looked at Erna with a pleading, earnest gaze. It was true that this place was boring, but that didn't mean she wanted to return to Schwerin without Erna.
“Thank you. I like Lisa, too.”
A shy smile appeared on Erna's face as she stared at Lisa for a long time.
Lisa stared at Erna for a long time, forgetting what she had been trying to say. Finally, seeing the real Erna back, she realized: everything was truly over.
“It’s already late! You should go to bed now.”
Lisa, rubbing her eyes, which had suddenly become hot, began to clear the table, her voice a bit sly. She neatly placed the remaining ingredients in a basket and placed the finished arrangement in a large box.
It was Lisa who suggested that she create harmony and sell it like before.
It was a decision made after seeing Erna obsessively organizing the books in her study. Erna had endured the harsh times at the Hardy household, where she was treated with contempt and beaten, by dedicating herself to her work. So, please, let her do the same this time. Like the flowers created by those small hands, she hopes Erna will bloom beautifully once again.
You should be happy that your wish has come true.
Lisa, having reached a firm conclusion, welcomed Erna back with a bright smile. Her unrequited love, which ultimately ended without any reciprocation, was a source of sadness, but the thought that she would no longer be hurt by it brought a sense of relief.
Having finished clearing the table, Lisa now diligently made her way around the bedroom, drawing the curtains. "Let's do this together with the money we earn from our next delivery. Let's do that together." Lisa, who had been chattering excitedly, suddenly stopped talking the moment she grabbed the curtain on the last window.
Someone was entering the always-open front gate of the Baden mansion. Rubbing her eyes and looking again, she could tell it was a man. A tall man with hair like moonlight illuminating a frozen winter night, a man who looked incredibly familiar.
“What’s wrong, Lisa? What’s wrong?”
Erna, who had come closer without her noticing, asked worriedly.
Lisa should have said something, but she remained silent, her eyes widening as she blinked. Meanwhile, a man walked into the light of the streetlight illuminating the mansion's entrance.
What the hell!
Lisa's shoulders flinched as she quickly swallowed the sigh that almost escaped her lips.
"No way..."
Erna muttered blankly as she looked down the window where Lisa's gaze was directed.
“Oh my god, Bjorn!”
As soon as the name burst out like a scream, the intruder who had barged in in the middle of the night raised his head.
She can't believe it, but it was definitely Bjorn Dneister.
Startled by the sudden noise, the goat bleated. The commotion quickly spread throughout the backyard, sparking a trio of chickens, geese, and calves.
“What is this?”
Amidst the ear-piercing cries of the beasts, a very angry woman's voice rang out.
Bjorn gazed at Erna, who stood before him, with eyes as silent as the deepest night. Their eyes met, but Erna didn't look away. The rage in her eyes, flickering like blue flames, was so vivid that even darkness couldn't conceal it.
Bjorn looked around carefully, letting out a sigh and a laugh.
Erna, who had rushed out of the blue, dragged him to a shabby, dilapidated barn. He had never had any vain hopes of being welcomed, but he also hadn't imagined he'd be treated so horribly.
“Bjorn!”
The voice calling his name trembled faintly, as if urging him on. The small hands clasping his coat collar, which hadn't been buttoned properly, were no different.
Bjorn tilted his head slightly and looked down at Erna, who stood before him. He felt certain that the woman before him was not an illusion. The countless illusions of his wife he had seen so far had generally been a listless, ghostly figure. There was no way his imagination could have conjured up Erna, who charged at him with such ferocity.
Perhaps because the moon was bright, Erna was clearly visible even in the deep darkness of the night.
The eyes, once like dimly lit windows, were as clear and bright as ever. Life had returned to her haggard cheeks, and her lips glistened with a rosy sheen. He felt relieved, yet at the same time, humiliated. It was a funny feeling.
Bjorn let out another long sigh and gave a hollow laugh.
He went straight to Schwerin Central Station and bought a ticket for the train to Burford, which had only a short time remaining. He then ran. Through the deserted station in the middle of the night, he made his way to the platform, desperately trying not to miss the last train. When he came to, he was inside a moving train compartment.
As dawn deepened, the snow cleared, and the sun rose beyond the horizon of the barren fields beyond the window of the moving train, Bjorn sat there, gazing blankly at the flowing landscape. Exhausted beyond measure, he lay down only after the bright morning dawned. The cramped, uncomfortable bed and the noise of the moving train didn't disturb his deep, deathly sleep. When he opened his eyes again, the train was pulling into the platform at its final destination.
After washing his face with icy water in the sink attached to his room, Bjorn grabbed his jacket and coat, which he'd carelessly thrown aside, and stepped off the train. Now completely sober, his resolve had only grown stronger.
"Why on earth did you come here? In the middle of the night, and like this!"
Erna's angry screams dissipated into white vapor.
Bjorn slowly opened his eyes, which had been closed, and took a brisk step toward his wife. Pale moonlight now fell upon the two people, who stood facing each other from a distance of less than a foot.
The country road leading to Baden was empty and quiet again today.
Erna had a premonition that the mail carriage might not arrive, but she waited silently. There were still ten minutes left until the appointed time. While it wouldn't hurt to leave a little early, she didn't want to disrupt the balance of her hard-won routine.
“Are you cold? Come inside.”
Erna, her coat collar buttoned, looked at Lisa, who stood beside her, with a worried gaze. Crouching and shivering, Lisa firmly shook her head.
“No. I want to stay by Your Highness’s side.”
Erna met his determined gaze, as if she would never back down, and let out a soft sigh, a smile mingling with hers. Lisa, who had suddenly arrived at Burford, followed Erna like a shadow. Except for the time she spent sleeping, they were practically glued to each other all day.
Erna, who knew full well what had made Lisa so anxious, couldn't insist any further. She shouldn't have left Lisa behind like that. As time passed and she was able to make a sound judgment, belated regret and guilt finally washed over her. She was grateful that Mrs. Fitz, who had sent Lisa here, had eased her emotional debt.
Still, she can't leave Lisa here.
Even after hundreds of deliberations, Erna could only come to one conclusion: Lisa, who had left her hometown to dislike the stifling countryside life, couldn't be allowed to live in Buford.
“If you say that again, I’ll be really upset.”
Even though no one had said anything yet, Lisa erupted in protest. Her expression was the same as it had been a few days ago when she'd been told to return to Schwerin and start a new life when spring came.
“I’m going to cry my eyes out.”
Lisa, whose eyes were already red, began to sob.
Erna took out the handkerchief she kept in her pocket and wiped Lisa's wet eyes. She decided to keep those words, which would inevitably bring her to tears, to herself for the time being. It would take considerable time for the divorce proceedings to be finalized. It wouldn't be too late for Lisa to decide her future after she had more time to reflect on her life back as Erna of the Baden family.
“Hey! Here comes the postman!”
Just as she was about to say that she should go in, Lisa shouted.
Erna stood upright, watching the mail carriage speeding down the desolate road. Her eyes, which had been slightly trembling, soon became calm again.
“Oh my, Your Highness. You’re with me again today.”
The postman, who had parked his carriage in front of the Baden House entrance, approached with a cheerful smile. Erna smiled quietly and accepted the mail he offered. The long-awaited document was nowhere to be seen.
When will you be returning to Schwerin? How are the Grand Duke and the royal family? The postman asked a few questions, brimming with innocent curiosity. He then bowed with an overly polite greeting and left.
“Your Highness?”
Lisa's cautious call woke Erna, who was looking down at the letter in her hand.
“Let’s go in now, Lisa.”
Erna tried to erase her disappointment and turned away.
Your Highness.
The longer the wait went on, the more she yearned to escape that title, which felt like a suffocating noose.
She hopes his answer arrives soon.
The sound of footsteps filled with earnest hope permeated the eerie silence.
***
“It’s possible. Of course. It’s possible.”
The man, who had been repeating his refusal with a sullen expression, suddenly changed his expression. It was a miracle created by a wad of bills.
“It looks like this is a very urgent matter, so I can’t be rude.”
The stagecoach driver hurriedly put his money in and smiled. The young man, who had only moments ago been a lunatic, babbling about wanting to ride a closed carriage, had now become a valued customer.
“But why did you come to such a remote place at this time of night...?”
The stagecoachman, who had been unable to suppress his curiosity and had asked a question, flinched and trailed off. The young man stared blankly down at him, his gray eyes as cold as the chill of midwinter.
“Oh, no.”
The stagecoach driver opened the carriage door with an awkward smile. He'd earned a full two weeks' worth of work in exchange for a few hours. Thinking of the hefty wad of bills, he could easily tolerate the young man's cockiness.
His guest, a stroke of luck, quietly climbed into the carriage and closed his eyes. The light from the tavern across the street dimly illuminated his disheveled platinum hair and his face, tinged with fatigue. He was clearly a young man from out of town, yet his only luggage was the clothes he wore. He looked anything but a traveler.
He seemed strangely familiar, but he closed the carriage door without saying anything. It wouldn't do any good to upset a guest who had just paid a large sum of money.
He counted the money once more, hummed a tune, and climbed onto the horse's saddle.
***
The Baden family's daily routine began at the crack of dawn and ended in the early evening.
After the Baroness and Erna finished dinner, the servants returned to their rooms and went to bed early. It was a night quite different from the one at Grand Duke and Hardy's residence, where they gathered in the lounge, laughing and chatting.
“Aren’t you bored, Lisa?”
Erna's voice, mixed with laughter, came from across the table. Lisa, who had been cutting the flower petals of harmony with a look of obvious boredom on her face, raised her head in surprise.
“No. That’s impossible.”
The scissors Lisa dropped fell onto the carpet.
“I like Your Highness. Please trust me.”
Lisa, who had hastily picked up the scissors, looked at Erna with a pleading, earnest gaze. It was true that this place was boring, but that didn't mean she wanted to return to Schwerin without Erna.
“Thank you. I like Lisa, too.”
A shy smile appeared on Erna's face as she stared at Lisa for a long time.
Lisa stared at Erna for a long time, forgetting what she had been trying to say. Finally, seeing the real Erna back, she realized: everything was truly over.
“It’s already late! You should go to bed now.”
Lisa, rubbing her eyes, which had suddenly become hot, began to clear the table, her voice a bit sly. She neatly placed the remaining ingredients in a basket and placed the finished arrangement in a large box.
It was Lisa who suggested that she create harmony and sell it like before.
It was a decision made after seeing Erna obsessively organizing the books in her study. Erna had endured the harsh times at the Hardy household, where she was treated with contempt and beaten, by dedicating herself to her work. So, please, let her do the same this time. Like the flowers created by those small hands, she hopes Erna will bloom beautifully once again.
You should be happy that your wish has come true.
Lisa, having reached a firm conclusion, welcomed Erna back with a bright smile. Her unrequited love, which ultimately ended without any reciprocation, was a source of sadness, but the thought that she would no longer be hurt by it brought a sense of relief.
Having finished clearing the table, Lisa now diligently made her way around the bedroom, drawing the curtains. "Let's do this together with the money we earn from our next delivery. Let's do that together." Lisa, who had been chattering excitedly, suddenly stopped talking the moment she grabbed the curtain on the last window.
Someone was entering the always-open front gate of the Baden mansion. Rubbing her eyes and looking again, she could tell it was a man. A tall man with hair like moonlight illuminating a frozen winter night, a man who looked incredibly familiar.
“What’s wrong, Lisa? What’s wrong?”
Erna, who had come closer without her noticing, asked worriedly.
Lisa should have said something, but she remained silent, her eyes widening as she blinked. Meanwhile, a man walked into the light of the streetlight illuminating the mansion's entrance.
What the hell!
Lisa's shoulders flinched as she quickly swallowed the sigh that almost escaped her lips.
"No way..."
Erna muttered blankly as she looked down the window where Lisa's gaze was directed.
“Oh my god, Bjorn!”
As soon as the name burst out like a scream, the intruder who had barged in in the middle of the night raised his head.
She can't believe it, but it was definitely Bjorn Dneister.
***
Startled by the sudden noise, the goat bleated. The commotion quickly spread throughout the backyard, sparking a trio of chickens, geese, and calves.
“What is this?”
Amidst the ear-piercing cries of the beasts, a very angry woman's voice rang out.
Bjorn gazed at Erna, who stood before him, with eyes as silent as the deepest night. Their eyes met, but Erna didn't look away. The rage in her eyes, flickering like blue flames, was so vivid that even darkness couldn't conceal it.
Bjorn looked around carefully, letting out a sigh and a laugh.
Erna, who had rushed out of the blue, dragged him to a shabby, dilapidated barn. He had never had any vain hopes of being welcomed, but he also hadn't imagined he'd be treated so horribly.
“Bjorn!”
The voice calling his name trembled faintly, as if urging him on. The small hands clasping his coat collar, which hadn't been buttoned properly, were no different.
Bjorn tilted his head slightly and looked down at Erna, who stood before him. He felt certain that the woman before him was not an illusion. The countless illusions of his wife he had seen so far had generally been a listless, ghostly figure. There was no way his imagination could have conjured up Erna, who charged at him with such ferocity.
Perhaps because the moon was bright, Erna was clearly visible even in the deep darkness of the night.
The eyes, once like dimly lit windows, were as clear and bright as ever. Life had returned to her haggard cheeks, and her lips glistened with a rosy sheen. He felt relieved, yet at the same time, humiliated. It was a funny feeling.
Bjorn let out another long sigh and gave a hollow laugh.
He went straight to Schwerin Central Station and bought a ticket for the train to Burford, which had only a short time remaining. He then ran. Through the deserted station in the middle of the night, he made his way to the platform, desperately trying not to miss the last train. When he came to, he was inside a moving train compartment.
As dawn deepened, the snow cleared, and the sun rose beyond the horizon of the barren fields beyond the window of the moving train, Bjorn sat there, gazing blankly at the flowing landscape. Exhausted beyond measure, he lay down only after the bright morning dawned. The cramped, uncomfortable bed and the noise of the moving train didn't disturb his deep, deathly sleep. When he opened his eyes again, the train was pulling into the platform at its final destination.
After washing his face with icy water in the sink attached to his room, Bjorn grabbed his jacket and coat, which he'd carelessly thrown aside, and stepped off the train. Now completely sober, his resolve had only grown stronger.
"Why on earth did you come here? In the middle of the night, and like this!"
Erna's angry screams dissipated into white vapor.
Bjorn slowly opened his eyes, which had been closed, and took a brisk step toward his wife. Pale moonlight now fell upon the two people, who stood facing each other from a distance of less than a foot.
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