WMHMS - Chapter 28

She shouted so vigorously that even I was surprised.

"Uh... We can watch it together again next time. Linea, too."

Carcel was startled by the child's spirit and quickly closed and opened his eyes a few times.

However, he soon burst into hearty laughter and nodded.

"See you again next time."

"Goodbye."

Then, Linea suddenly whimpered and got into the carriage first.

"Oh my, why is she acting like that?"

I tilted my head at Linea's uncharacteristic behavior.

This time, Carcel reached out his hand to me.

"In that case, I will be waiting for your contact. As for the contract... we won't count it as a date. Because it's business."

He spoke so solemnly that I almost laughed for a moment.

"Okay. Let's meet briefly next time to revise the contract. I'll contact you tomorrow."

After all, in my case, I was always conscious of my mother-in-law's gaze.

I don't know what's coming to Linea, but all the mail coming to me is being censored.

'How many times have I received torn mail?'

I took his outstretched hand and got into the carriage.

Is it too early to say that strong hands are a source of strength today?

'This is why people need to experience dating at the right time.'

A characteristic of those who have never been in a relationship is that they already imagine the future at even the slightest kindness.

Of course, in Carcel's case, he is blatantly going straight ahead, so my feelings aren't delusional.

Because of the way Carcel has acted, I find myself thinking to myself that maybe I can lean on him.

Even though I am the worst at relying on others.

Carcel gripped my hand tightly once. Soon, the strength drained from his hand.

"I'm really going now!"

I waved and smiled at Carcel as he closed the carriage door.

However, he only nodded once and said nothing.

All I could see beyond the window of the slowly moving carriage was him waving his hand back as if in response.

I let out a small sigh at the receding figure of Carcel.

Then I felt eyes on me.

Linea, who was sitting opposite me, was stealing a glance at me.

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

Linea blushed. Then she shook her head vigorously.

“It’s nothing.”

I cautiously asked Linea, who was different today.

“How was your day?”

Naturally, this house was like that, but it was also about Carcel.

Honestly, I think I'm already starting to develop feelings for him.

If it were a past life, I wouldn't be thinking about things like marriage yet.

'I think she probably thought we'd be dating soon.'

As we parted today, a slight sense of regret lingered in my heart.

It felt as if a desire to talk more with him and get to know him was spreading in my heart, like paint spreading in clear water.

After hearing my question, Linea also spoke up after a brief silence.

"...The Marquis seemed to love my mother very much."

You mean Linea can see all of that too?!

Flustered, I stammered.

“Hmm?”

"He looked scary on the outside, but he wasn't actually scary..."

Linea, who had been hesitating and trailing off, soon began to clearly convey her opinion.

"You two looked good together. The Marquis and Mother."

“Uh oh..."

Why does hearing that we look so good together make my face flush?

Is it because I’ve never personally introduced a guy I’m seeing or a boyfriend in front of others?

I felt embarrassed just by the fact that someone, even a young child like Linea, said that I got along well with Carcel.

“Thank you.”

It is rewarding that Linea now clearly expresses her thoughts to me, though.

'Is it because Linea grew up being so observant? She knows that this position was created because of her.'

I was thinking about why the child would say something like that...

Because I know that this is a meeting I arranged to see if Carcel is fit to be a stepfather.

They might be saying that for my sake.

"Linea, just in case you were wondering, you don't have to force yourself to do things or pretend to like things for my sake. Got it?"

Linea nodded vigorously at my words.

And she said it to me again.

"It just seems like Mother feels safe in front of the Marquis, and I wish I had a loving dad too..."

Linea trailed off, seemingly half embarrassed and half awkward about the words 'mother' or 'father' as she spoke.

At those words, I really ended up blushing this time.

It felt like steam was rising, so I fanned myself for no reason and turned my gaze to the window.

“Everything. I’m glad.”

It seems Carcel made a good impression on Linea.

For some reason, I couldn't make eye contact with Linea until I arrived at the Count's mansion.

When I entered the house, fortunately, my mother-in-law had not yet arrived.

Instead, I saw Mary and a maid walking arm in arm, holding mail in their hands.

"For a moment."

I called them over.

At first, I thought she would ignore me and leave, but soon the maid whispered to Mary.

'Judging by the way you mentioned silver coins and whatnot, it looks like you stopped because you wanted to take the money.'

But what to do with this?

Mary is the only one I can give silver coins to.

"Is there any mail addressed to Linea or me?"

I took two silver coins out of my pocket and waved them around for show.

Then Mary and the maid rummaged through the mail they were holding.

"There is a piece of mail addressed to Miss Linea."

I reached out my hand to Mary as she said that.

When Mary came close, she didn't forget to check the name written on the other mail as well.

'I don't have one.'

Only when I gestured for her to hand it over did Mary hand me the mail addressed to Linea.

After giving her money, the strength drained from Mary's grasp, and I was barely able to obtain the letter.

"Thank you. I'm always indebted to Mary."

For a moment, Mary looked puzzled as to how I knew her name.

However, instead of resolving their doubts, I smiled as kindly as I could and walked past the two of them.

"Hey, give me one."

Even though the maid next to her asked for one of the two silver coins, Mary was greedy and refused to give it to her.

'Even though a penny or two of silver is a lot of money, your greed will bring disaster upon you.'

My mother-in-law knows that information is leaking to me. If Mary had known even a little bit of restraint, she would never have accepted money from me.

'Because in the original story, Mary is one of the mother-in-law's closest confidants.'

Due to her greedy and realistic personality, Mary quickly abandons Linea and switches to my mother-in-law.

Of course, no one in this mansion is without responsibility for the abuse Linea suffered.

There is a law of caution.

Mary was someone who actively covered up, helped, and stood by the abusers' side.

'Linea, even if I don't hate Mary, I can't stand to see you succeed.'

I intended to keep planting suspicions in the maids that Mary had a connection with me.

Since the economic bond between the mother-in-law and the maids is strong, I must create a rift so that at least one person will eventually come to me.

'One of the pieces of evidence of abuse is the consistent statements of the witness and the victim.'

I was already writing a diary every day.

I recorded the abuse inflicted on Linea and the evil deeds committed against me with precise details, including the dates and times.

The reason I actively tried to build relationships in social circles was also for the sake of the testimonies of those around me.

Anyway, having this evidence is meaningless if I don't have connections.

'Now that Carcel is here.'

I now have a little faith that he will actively help me.

I couldn't stop thinking about how kindly Carcel treated Linea today.

"Mother, who sent this letter?"

Linea doesn't receive invitations often.

So Linea, looking a little excited, asked me.

I saw the sender's name written on the invitation, and my eyes widened.

“Lucian?”

It was an invitation from the Crown Prince.

***

Meanwhile, at that time, Carcel visited the Duke's mansion for the first time in a long while.

The purpose was to meet the mother residing at the Duke's mansion. 

'Fortunately, the daughter took a liking to me as well.'

The children would shriek and run away or cry whenever they saw Carcel.

Linea Delmore, Asha's adopted daughter and the child she wants to take out of the Count's household, seems to be afraid of him at first, even after seeing him.

'Later on, she even told me to see her next time.'

Even though she is not Asha's biological daughter, Asha and Linea resemble each other.

Of course, none of the genetic characteristics matched, but the atmosphere or feeling was similar.

'Mother will undoubtedly be against it.'

And Carcel's prediction was correct.

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