Episode 30. I'm Pregnant
Inside the rattling carriage, Cedric and his men were returning from Count Wence's house in the early morning. Cedric's expression was extremely heavy.
“Things have really gotten complicated.”
“That’s true. How could a maid use something that was left in Rose’s room?”
“It’s truly ridiculous. A mere maid touching the cosmetics of the woman she’s supposed to serve...”
Moreover, it was a packaged item, and Cedric couldn't understand at all how she could open it and apply it to her face.
“I have a good idea of where that child is in the mansion.”
Cedric spoke mockingly of Rose's situation. He concluded that Doana's actions would make Rose's position within the Count's mansion insignificant.
“What should I do? Should I send Rose another set of cosmetics?”
Cedric shook his head at his subordinate's words.
"No, it won't work twice. It might actually get you in trouble, so it's best not to use the same method."
Cedric thought about Eric, who had come to see him last night.
'Father, what on earth have you done?'
'What does that mean all of a sudden?'
'You sent Rose a gift disguised as me. You even sent her poisoned cosmetics. The only person around me who would do something like that is my father.'
Eric came to find him as soon as the incident happened. Eric was far from brilliant. So he didn't expect him to come here.
'I'll finish my work. If you want to start something, wait until after the divorce.'
Cedric felt annoyed at his son, who did not hide his discomfort.
"That Eric. That talking brat. Who the hell does he resemble to look like that?"
As Cedric clicked his tongue, his subordinate looked at him without saying anything.
'It's exactly like the Master...'
Not only were their appearances similar, but their speech and personalities were also remarkably similar. The only difference was that, unlike Cedric, Eric wasn't as intelligent.
"He'll only understand my heart if he becomes a parent himself. I want to do anything for my children."
Cedric truly loved Eric deeply. Though his expressions of love were often violent, he always believed his way of loving was right. He believed he had shaped his son into a human being through discipline and punishment.
“But... where on earth did the red cream disappear to?”
In the midst of the chaos, he sent someone to destroy the evidence. However, the cream Cedric had sent was nowhere to be found.
“I feel uneasy...”
From the beginning, he had no intention of leaving any evidence. He planned to quickly retrieve the cosmetics after applying them, but even after searching the entire mansion, he couldn't find the cream.
"Don't worry too much, Master. Serun and Gwen are at the mansion. They'll take care of everything, so we can wait for another opportunity."
“Count!”
Doana gently sat down on Eric's lap, who was sitting on a chair. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and spoke to him in a coquettish manner.
“I have good news.”
Doana looked very excited as she looked at Eric with the aforementioned face.
"Good news? What I was told wasn't all that good."
Eric gently pushed Doana away from him, who was clinging to him, and spoke in a cold voice. Normally, he would have accepted her affection, but he just wasn't in the mood for it right now.
“I heard you were assaulted. Is that true?”
Doana slightly avoided Eric's deep, copper-colored eyes that were looking at her.
“Oh, yes...”
She hated Gwen. Instead of bowing down to her, the Countess, he insulted her. Doana glared at Gwen and stroked her lower abdomen.
'Now I'm carrying Eric's child. That old man can be driven away with just a little bit of roasting.'
No one in the mansion believed Doana's words, but Eric was quite shaken by them.
“Doana, go out for a moment.”
Eric commanded Doana, who was sitting on his lap. Doana wanted to stay in this room with Eric longer, but she obeyed his command. Doana quietly got up and clutched her stomach as if in awe. She glanced at Gwen with a venomous gaze and brushed past him.
“Goodbye, old man.”
Doana chuckled meaningfully next to the butler and then slowly left the room. Something about this made him feel uneasy. Until this morning, she'd been dragged to the hospital room with a sullen expression, collapsed, and now she was looking at him with a confident air.
“Gwen, I have something to ask you.”
The Count's cool voice pierced Gwen's ears.
“You would know, right? The culprit behind Doana’s face turning like that.”
“...I don’t know what you’re talking about, Count.”
Gwen responded to Eric's words with a dismissive tone. He knew Cedric had done it, but he didn't feel the need to admit it. Eric chuckled at Gwen's response, then raised a corner of his mouth.
“Yeah. I really like how tight-lipped you are.”
He leaned back in his chair, leaning back haughtily.
What on earth was Eric trying to say? Gwen didn't get to the point, just watched as Eric talked in circles.
“But I’m curious. Who took care of the red cosmetics that my father personally sent?”
“...”
Could it be that he's trying to frame him as the culprit who sent the red cosmetics? Gwen stared at Eric with uneasy eyes.
“You laid a hand on Doana?”
“...What are you talking about? Absolutely not!”
"I mean, I can blame you for everything that happened yesterday and today."
Eric's words sent a chill down Gwen's spine.
“You helped my father hurt my woman... and as if that wasn’t enough, you’re trying to covet my woman?”
“It’s raining a lot.”
A sudden downpour poured down outside the window. Rose muttered as she watched the pouring rain blur her vision. The sky had been clear until morning,
'Is it a shower?'
Rose looked out the window at the dark sky.
'On a day like today, I shouldn't step outside even once.'
Rose hated getting wet. She enjoyed water activities like swimming, but getting wet with her clothes on was incredibly uncomfortable. As she leisurely gazed out the window, a door slammed open behind her. Startled, Rose turned around.
"Ma'am!"
The person who entered the room was Jane. She had been running so long that she was panting, barely able to catch her breath. Her eyes were filled with clear tears. She took a deep, gasping breath and spoke in a trembling voice.
“The butler... the butler is leaving the mansion!”
“What? Why all of a sudden?”
Rose asked Jane, her eyes wide. Jane, overcome with emotion, burst into tears she had been holding back.
“The Count... The Count kicked out the butler. Hwaaang!”
Jane wept like a child, her feet stomping, unable to wipe the tears streaming down her cheeks. Could it be because of Doana? The sexual assault case no one believed. That incident flashed through Rose's mind.
“...When is he going out?”
Rose asked Jane with a complicated expression. Though their time together was short, the kindness she received from him was incredibly warm. Even when she, clueless, had asked for tutoring, seemingly determined to try throwing eggs at a rock, he readily agreed. With a smile warmer than anyone else's, he always supported Rose from behind. Thanks to him, she had been able to quickly adapt to the world of the novel... Now, the thought of him, who felt like family, leaving, was deeply distressing.
“Ugh... He just left.”
"What?!"
Before we could even say our final goodbyes...! Rose looked at Jane with wide eyes and kicked open the door as she left.
"Ma'am!"
Jane's voice called out to her from behind, but Rose ran without a care. As she ran, she paused at the threshold leading to the garden.
Inside the rattling carriage, Cedric and his men were returning from Count Wence's house in the early morning. Cedric's expression was extremely heavy.
“Things have really gotten complicated.”
“That’s true. How could a maid use something that was left in Rose’s room?”
“It’s truly ridiculous. A mere maid touching the cosmetics of the woman she’s supposed to serve...”
Moreover, it was a packaged item, and Cedric couldn't understand at all how she could open it and apply it to her face.
“I have a good idea of where that child is in the mansion.”
Cedric spoke mockingly of Rose's situation. He concluded that Doana's actions would make Rose's position within the Count's mansion insignificant.
“What should I do? Should I send Rose another set of cosmetics?”
Cedric shook his head at his subordinate's words.
"No, it won't work twice. It might actually get you in trouble, so it's best not to use the same method."
Cedric thought about Eric, who had come to see him last night.
'Father, what on earth have you done?'
'What does that mean all of a sudden?'
'You sent Rose a gift disguised as me. You even sent her poisoned cosmetics. The only person around me who would do something like that is my father.'
Eric came to find him as soon as the incident happened. Eric was far from brilliant. So he didn't expect him to come here.
'I'll finish my work. If you want to start something, wait until after the divorce.'
Cedric felt annoyed at his son, who did not hide his discomfort.
"That Eric. That talking brat. Who the hell does he resemble to look like that?"
As Cedric clicked his tongue, his subordinate looked at him without saying anything.
'It's exactly like the Master...'
Not only were their appearances similar, but their speech and personalities were also remarkably similar. The only difference was that, unlike Cedric, Eric wasn't as intelligent.
"He'll only understand my heart if he becomes a parent himself. I want to do anything for my children."
Cedric truly loved Eric deeply. Though his expressions of love were often violent, he always believed his way of loving was right. He believed he had shaped his son into a human being through discipline and punishment.
“But... where on earth did the red cream disappear to?”
In the midst of the chaos, he sent someone to destroy the evidence. However, the cream Cedric had sent was nowhere to be found.
“I feel uneasy...”
From the beginning, he had no intention of leaving any evidence. He planned to quickly retrieve the cosmetics after applying them, but even after searching the entire mansion, he couldn't find the cream.
"Don't worry too much, Master. Serun and Gwen are at the mansion. They'll take care of everything, so we can wait for another opportunity."
***
The mansion, once cluttered because of Doana, had returned to its usual liveliness. However, no one seemed to know she was pregnant. Jane was busily wiping the windows and mopping. Beyond the glass door stretched the garden, and Serun approached Jane, keeping an eye on her.
"Jane..."
Serun called out softly to Jane. Her eyes looked bleary, as if she hadn't slept all night. After saying such cruel things that day, what could she possibly have left to say?
'Bad kid.'
Jane just pretended not to hear Serun's voice and just went about her business.
“Let me talk to you for a moment.”
A feeble voice echoed softly. Jane flinched at Serun's voice. Why was he speaking so faintly, after having deceived her and Rose? She'd almost been fooled again. Serun's acting skills. Jane was utterly annoyed by his presence before her eyes.
'Traitor, liar!'
Not only did he divulge Rose's daily life, but he also made fun of her with her clumsy demeanor. For Jane, facing him was excruciating. The betrayal was all the more profound because she trusted him unquestionably. Serun, staring at Jane without a word, slumped like an abandoned puppy. Serun's seemingly maternal presence was even more jarring to Jane.
"Jane..."
Serun called out softly to Jane. Her eyes looked bleary, as if she hadn't slept all night. After saying such cruel things that day, what could she possibly have left to say?
'Bad kid.'
Jane just pretended not to hear Serun's voice and just went about her business.
“Let me talk to you for a moment.”
A feeble voice echoed softly. Jane flinched at Serun's voice. Why was he speaking so faintly, after having deceived her and Rose? She'd almost been fooled again. Serun's acting skills. Jane was utterly annoyed by his presence before her eyes.
'Traitor, liar!'
Not only did he divulge Rose's daily life, but he also made fun of her with her clumsy demeanor. For Jane, facing him was excruciating. The betrayal was all the more profound because she trusted him unquestionably. Serun, staring at Jane without a word, slumped like an abandoned puppy. Serun's seemingly maternal presence was even more jarring to Jane.
Boom!
"Ah!"
Jane closed the wide-open window. Then she snorted and turned away from Serun.
'I won't be fooled by you anymore.'
"I won't be fooled twice," Jane thought, and quickly walked away. Serun's eyes were filled with deep sorrow as he watched Jane leave him behind. The fear that this might completely sever their relationship weighed heavily on his chest. Serun trudged along. The butler, Gwen, appeared before him.
“Sir Serun.”
Gwen called out to Serun. As Serun approached him, he glanced around and handed something to Serun.
“Please take care of the aftermath.”
What he handed him was a red bottle of cosmetics. The same red bottle of cosmetics that had fallen into Rose's room.
Serun nodded quietly and accepted the bottle. The butler's expression as he handed it over looked extremely subdued.
'Why did Cedric do something like this?'
He'd been his assistant for 30 years. Sometimes like a brother, sometimes like a friend. It wasn't like this when Cedric first brought him here. He was more brilliant than anyone else, and he devoted all his energy to building his family. Gwen had come to this family solely for Cedric.
"Ah!"
Jane closed the wide-open window. Then she snorted and turned away from Serun.
'I won't be fooled by you anymore.'
"I won't be fooled twice," Jane thought, and quickly walked away. Serun's eyes were filled with deep sorrow as he watched Jane leave him behind. The fear that this might completely sever their relationship weighed heavily on his chest. Serun trudged along. The butler, Gwen, appeared before him.
“Sir Serun.”
Gwen called out to Serun. As Serun approached him, he glanced around and handed something to Serun.
“Please take care of the aftermath.”
What he handed him was a red bottle of cosmetics. The same red bottle of cosmetics that had fallen into Rose's room.
Serun nodded quietly and accepted the bottle. The butler's expression as he handed it over looked extremely subdued.
'Why did Cedric do something like this?'
He'd been his assistant for 30 years. Sometimes like a brother, sometimes like a friend. It wasn't like this when Cedric first brought him here. He was more brilliant than anyone else, and he devoted all his energy to building his family. Gwen had come to this family solely for Cedric.
However, Cedric's lust for power had only deepened, and he had maintained a tightrope walk that was so precarious it was frightening to watch. The cosmetics he'd sent to Rose must have been his new weapon. The moment he saw them in Rose's room, Gwen gasped in shock. He'd finally reached his limit. He felt sorry for Doana, but he couldn't believe how relieved he was that Rose didn't suffer the same fate. Of course, he felt sorry for Doana. It was pitiful that at such a young age, blisters had formed on her hands and even her face. But that, too, was Doana's karma. She dared to touch the Countess's belongings.
'And on top of that... She even lied and said that I had done something shameless to her.'
Just thinking about Doana was enough to make his head hurt. It was fortunate that others believed in her. If not, the honor he'd built up would have been shattered in an instant.
'And on top of that... She even lied and said that I had done something shameless to her.'
Just thinking about Doana was enough to make his head hurt. It was fortunate that others believed in her. If not, the honor he'd built up would have been shattered in an instant.
Gwen trudged to Eric's room.
***
“Count!”
Doana gently sat down on Eric's lap, who was sitting on a chair. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and spoke to him in a coquettish manner.
“I have good news.”
Doana looked very excited as she looked at Eric with the aforementioned face.
"Good news? What I was told wasn't all that good."
Eric gently pushed Doana away from him, who was clinging to him, and spoke in a cold voice. Normally, he would have accepted her affection, but he just wasn't in the mood for it right now.
“I heard you were assaulted. Is that true?”
Doana slightly avoided Eric's deep, copper-colored eyes that were looking at her.
“Oh, yes...”
She was going to tell him first that she was pregnant... but Eric didn't look too happy when he brought up what happened in the morning.
'I guess the Count doesn't believe me either?'
No one in this mansion believed in her. Eric, who had been staring intently at Doana, spoke quietly upon seeing her appearance.
“Did he hug you?”
Eric's eyes, staring at her, were filled with anger. Judging by the veins in his neck, he seemed to be holding back quite a bit of his anger. Doana, observing Eric, suspected he might believe her. She quickly nodded and clenched her jaw. But Doana didn't realize what a scoundrel Eric was. Rather than worrying about Doana's assault, he was furious that she had allowed another man to seduce her, unable to resist.
"Ha, how much more do you have to sweat before you feel better? I knew you'd cause something like this someday."
Doana, who had no doubt that he would protect her, looked at Eric, doubting her ears.
“...Count?”
“It was you who seduced me from the first time we met, Doana.”
Eric glanced at Doana with a disapproving gaze. It was true that he liked her. Doana was beautiful, and she matched well with him. However, he didn't want a woman who had been fooling around with someone else by his side. Besides, that beautiful face had changed, becoming nothing more than a mere slur. Eric looked at Doana, her blisters wrapped in gauze.
"For someone who's been cheated to come to me with such a smile? I guess you must have quite enjoyed playing around with others."
Doana had a gut feeling that something was wrong. She had a nasty premonition that if she allowed Eric to misunderstand her, she might be kicked out of her position as a concubine, let alone a Countess. She bit her lower lip and clung even closer to Eric.
“Now, just a moment, Count!”
He called Eric urgently. Then he began to babble and make excuses.
"It's true that that old butler tried to seduce me. But I ran away with all my might!"
She had originally planned to tell him she'd been wronged, but she felt she needed to change course. She felt that if she continued as planned, Eric might kick her out. She quickly changed her tune, asserting her innocence and grabbing Eric's hand.
“The reason I came running so happily was because I found out that the Count’s child was growing in my stomach.”
"...What?"
Eric's eyes widened at Doana's unexpected words.
“I told you I had good news. I’m pregnant with your child, Count.”
Doana stared at Eric with a bright smile. Eric looked at her with a bewildered expression. The heat that had been radiating from the tips of his hair had suddenly cooled. Eric stared blankly at Doana, his voice fading as he asked, his voice still unfazed.
“Hey? Is that true?”
“Yes. I just got confirmation from the doctor.”
Eric hugged Doana tightly as she sat on his lap.
“Hahaha. You're pregnant.”
He couldn't hide his joy as he embraced Doana, unable to hide his longed-for child.
“But... I don’t know if the butler will leave me alone after finding out about this. He gets impatient just looking at me and can’t stop bothering me... Will our child be okay?”
Doana subtly appealed to Eric, urging him to expel the butler. Eric, silently, looked down at her, his expression quite preoccupied. Doana waited anxiously, not knowing what Eric would say.
"I'll take care of the butler's duties. Don't worry about it, just take good care of yourself."
Doana's face brightened at Eric's words. She cried out inwardly with joy and flung herself into Eric's arms. Then, a knock was heard at the door.
“Who are you?”
“It’s Gwen, Count.”
Eric's brow furrowed at the mention of Gwen.
“Come in.”
He spoke to Gwen in a low voice. Gwen took a deep breath before entering Eric's room and opened the door. The first thing she saw upon entering was Eric and his concubine, Doana.
“Aren't you really so happy? How wonderful it would be if he could resemble our Count.”
Doana was sitting on Eric's lap, acting all coy. Just a moment ago, she was complaining about being sick.
'Was it all just a hoax?'
Her face was full of life. Doana glared at Gwen as he entered Eric's room.
'Unlucky old man.'
'I guess the Count doesn't believe me either?'
No one in this mansion believed in her. Eric, who had been staring intently at Doana, spoke quietly upon seeing her appearance.
“Did he hug you?”
Eric's eyes, staring at her, were filled with anger. Judging by the veins in his neck, he seemed to be holding back quite a bit of his anger. Doana, observing Eric, suspected he might believe her. She quickly nodded and clenched her jaw. But Doana didn't realize what a scoundrel Eric was. Rather than worrying about Doana's assault, he was furious that she had allowed another man to seduce her, unable to resist.
"Ha, how much more do you have to sweat before you feel better? I knew you'd cause something like this someday."
Doana, who had no doubt that he would protect her, looked at Eric, doubting her ears.
“...Count?”
“It was you who seduced me from the first time we met, Doana.”
Eric glanced at Doana with a disapproving gaze. It was true that he liked her. Doana was beautiful, and she matched well with him. However, he didn't want a woman who had been fooling around with someone else by his side. Besides, that beautiful face had changed, becoming nothing more than a mere slur. Eric looked at Doana, her blisters wrapped in gauze.
"For someone who's been cheated to come to me with such a smile? I guess you must have quite enjoyed playing around with others."
Doana had a gut feeling that something was wrong. She had a nasty premonition that if she allowed Eric to misunderstand her, she might be kicked out of her position as a concubine, let alone a Countess. She bit her lower lip and clung even closer to Eric.
“Now, just a moment, Count!”
He called Eric urgently. Then he began to babble and make excuses.
"It's true that that old butler tried to seduce me. But I ran away with all my might!"
She had originally planned to tell him she'd been wronged, but she felt she needed to change course. She felt that if she continued as planned, Eric might kick her out. She quickly changed her tune, asserting her innocence and grabbing Eric's hand.
“The reason I came running so happily was because I found out that the Count’s child was growing in my stomach.”
"...What?"
Eric's eyes widened at Doana's unexpected words.
“I told you I had good news. I’m pregnant with your child, Count.”
Doana stared at Eric with a bright smile. Eric looked at her with a bewildered expression. The heat that had been radiating from the tips of his hair had suddenly cooled. Eric stared blankly at Doana, his voice fading as he asked, his voice still unfazed.
“Hey? Is that true?”
“Yes. I just got confirmation from the doctor.”
Eric hugged Doana tightly as she sat on his lap.
“Hahaha. You're pregnant.”
He couldn't hide his joy as he embraced Doana, unable to hide his longed-for child.
“But... I don’t know if the butler will leave me alone after finding out about this. He gets impatient just looking at me and can’t stop bothering me... Will our child be okay?”
Doana subtly appealed to Eric, urging him to expel the butler. Eric, silently, looked down at her, his expression quite preoccupied. Doana waited anxiously, not knowing what Eric would say.
"I'll take care of the butler's duties. Don't worry about it, just take good care of yourself."
Doana's face brightened at Eric's words. She cried out inwardly with joy and flung herself into Eric's arms. Then, a knock was heard at the door.
“Who are you?”
“It’s Gwen, Count.”
Eric's brow furrowed at the mention of Gwen.
“Come in.”
He spoke to Gwen in a low voice. Gwen took a deep breath before entering Eric's room and opened the door. The first thing she saw upon entering was Eric and his concubine, Doana.
“Aren't you really so happy? How wonderful it would be if he could resemble our Count.”
Doana was sitting on Eric's lap, acting all coy. Just a moment ago, she was complaining about being sick.
'Was it all just a hoax?'
Her face was full of life. Doana glared at Gwen as he entered Eric's room.
'Unlucky old man.'
She hated Gwen. Instead of bowing down to her, the Countess, he insulted her. Doana glared at Gwen and stroked her lower abdomen.
'Now I'm carrying Eric's child. That old man can be driven away with just a little bit of roasting.'
No one in the mansion believed Doana's words, but Eric was quite shaken by them.
“Doana, go out for a moment.”
Eric commanded Doana, who was sitting on his lap. Doana wanted to stay in this room with Eric longer, but she obeyed his command. Doana quietly got up and clutched her stomach as if in awe. She glanced at Gwen with a venomous gaze and brushed past him.
“Goodbye, old man.”
Doana chuckled meaningfully next to the butler and then slowly left the room. Something about this made him feel uneasy. Until this morning, she'd been dragged to the hospital room with a sullen expression, collapsed, and now she was looking at him with a confident air.
“Gwen, I have something to ask you.”
The Count's cool voice pierced Gwen's ears.
“You would know, right? The culprit behind Doana’s face turning like that.”
“...I don’t know what you’re talking about, Count.”
Gwen responded to Eric's words with a dismissive tone. He knew Cedric had done it, but he didn't feel the need to admit it. Eric chuckled at Gwen's response, then raised a corner of his mouth.
“Yeah. I really like how tight-lipped you are.”
He leaned back in his chair, leaning back haughtily.
“Pretend to know what you don't, and pretend not to know what you do. Isn't that how you survive in this business? In that sense, this job is your calling, Gwen.”
“But I’m curious. Who took care of the red cosmetics that my father personally sent?”
“...”
Could it be that he's trying to frame him as the culprit who sent the red cosmetics? Gwen stared at Eric with uneasy eyes.
“You laid a hand on Doana?”
“...What are you talking about? Absolutely not!”
"I mean, I can blame you for everything that happened yesterday and today."
Eric's words sent a chill down Gwen's spine.
“You helped my father hurt my woman... and as if that wasn’t enough, you’re trying to covet my woman?”
“That’s a misunderstanding! I really have nothing to do with it.”
Gwen's words were true. He couldn't have imagined Cedric would plot such a horrific act. His removal of the red bottle was nothing more or less than an act of loyalty to his master.
"Gwen, the truth doesn't matter. I find everything you do offensive."
“...”
"It's been over three years since I became a Count. I am now the master of this household. However, you still serve my father, not me."
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t need someone like you who is loyal to your father and not to me.”
“...!”
“So, please leave now.”
Gwen felt dizzy and out of breath. He felt sick and dizzy at the thought of being cast out by the family he had served his entire life.
“You’re fired.”
Eric mercilessly fired the butler who had served him faithfully for over 30 years. The butler, capable of reviving a fallen family, was treated worse than a dog by the master to whom he had dedicated his life, and was kicked out without even receiving a severance package.
Gwen's words were true. He couldn't have imagined Cedric would plot such a horrific act. His removal of the red bottle was nothing more or less than an act of loyalty to his master.
"Gwen, the truth doesn't matter. I find everything you do offensive."
“...”
"It's been over three years since I became a Count. I am now the master of this household. However, you still serve my father, not me."
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t need someone like you who is loyal to your father and not to me.”
“...!”
“So, please leave now.”
Gwen felt dizzy and out of breath. He felt sick and dizzy at the thought of being cast out by the family he had served his entire life.
“You’re fired.”
Eric mercilessly fired the butler who had served him faithfully for over 30 years. The butler, capable of reviving a fallen family, was treated worse than a dog by the master to whom he had dedicated his life, and was kicked out without even receiving a severance package.
***
“It’s raining a lot.”
A sudden downpour poured down outside the window. Rose muttered as she watched the pouring rain blur her vision. The sky had been clear until morning,
'Is it a shower?'
Rose looked out the window at the dark sky.
'On a day like today, I shouldn't step outside even once.'
Rose hated getting wet. She enjoyed water activities like swimming, but getting wet with her clothes on was incredibly uncomfortable. As she leisurely gazed out the window, a door slammed open behind her. Startled, Rose turned around.
"Ma'am!"
The person who entered the room was Jane. She had been running so long that she was panting, barely able to catch her breath. Her eyes were filled with clear tears. She took a deep, gasping breath and spoke in a trembling voice.
“The butler... the butler is leaving the mansion!”
“What? Why all of a sudden?”
Rose asked Jane, her eyes wide. Jane, overcome with emotion, burst into tears she had been holding back.
“The Count... The Count kicked out the butler. Hwaaang!”
Jane wept like a child, her feet stomping, unable to wipe the tears streaming down her cheeks. Could it be because of Doana? The sexual assault case no one believed. That incident flashed through Rose's mind.
“...When is he going out?”
Rose asked Jane with a complicated expression. Though their time together was short, the kindness she received from him was incredibly warm. Even when she, clueless, had asked for tutoring, seemingly determined to try throwing eggs at a rock, he readily agreed. With a smile warmer than anyone else's, he always supported Rose from behind. Thanks to him, she had been able to quickly adapt to the world of the novel... Now, the thought of him, who felt like family, leaving, was deeply distressing.
“Ugh... He just left.”
"What?!"
Before we could even say our final goodbyes...! Rose looked at Jane with wide eyes and kicked open the door as she left.
"Ma'am!"
Jane's voice called out to her from behind, but Rose ran without a care. As she ran, she paused at the threshold leading to the garden.
Whoosh!
A downpour poured down, as if a hole had been ripped through the sky. The heavy rain made her vision blurry. Rose opened her eyes wide and hurriedly searched for the butler.
‘I can’t see him... Has he already left in the carriage?’
As she turned her head, chewing her lower lip nervously, the butler's limp figure came into view.
'Found it!'
The butler, head down, trudging along without an umbrella. He looked pitiful, alone, soaked in the heavy rain. She picked up an umbrella that had fallen to the side. Then, she ran towards the butler with all her might.
‘I can’t see him... Has he already left in the carriage?’
As she turned her head, chewing her lower lip nervously, the butler's limp figure came into view.
'Found it!'
The butler, head down, trudging along without an umbrella. He looked pitiful, alone, soaked in the heavy rain. She picked up an umbrella that had fallen to the side. Then, she ran towards the butler with all her might.
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