OIAR - Chapter 110

Just as Shioana's daily life was starting to settle down, Martha spoke up about the neighbor.

"You know the guy living next door? I wonder if he has some terrible skin disease, because he goes around with his face completely covered even though it's this hot. He seems to be limping a little, too."

“...Oh my.”

Kind-hearted Martha never overlooked a pitiful person ever since she lived in Regbell.

"I wonder if he drinks all day; there are just empty bottles piled up in front of his house, and I think he's going to die at this rate. He seemed young, though..."

"Why don't we at least get him some food?"

"How could you do that, considering how hard the young lady worked to earn that money?"

She clearly wanted to take care of it, but she looked hesitant because she was not in a position to do so.

Earnings were not very abundant, but they were gradually improving.

Shioana deliberately whispered softly.

"Still, isn't it better than watching people die next door? What if that person becomes a ghost and appears in Martha's dreams? Oh my goodness! Why would I say such a terrible thing?"

Martha, who was afraid of all kinds of superstitions and ghosts, shivered.

"In that case, if I make a lot of soup, I will share some with him. By the way, miss, you've gained a little weight lately. You've gained weight, so how is it that only your belly is so bulging?"

Even though she tried to cover it up, Shioana's belly was fully exposed because the dress was not very voluminous.

At Martha's words, Shioana's cheeks turned bright red.

Martha, who had been staring like that for a long time, opened her eyes wide and could not continue speaking.

"Young lady, aren't you carrying the master's baby?"

Shioana bit her lip tightly.

Actually, she had wanted to confide in her ever since she first met Martha.

"...Martha."

However, Shioana hesitated time and time again. Giving birth to a child without a father was a disgrace for a noble. She had heard that if such a thing happened, she and the child would be sent to the countryside and never return.

'Is it actually a relief that the situation is like this?'

If both Eli and his father had been there, Shioana wouldn't have been able to avoid such a thing either.

As Shioana mumbled, Martha patted her back with her wrinkled hand.

"It must have been scary and difficult, so why didn't you say anything, Miss?"

"...Ah."

At Martha's kind comfort, Shioana shed the tears she had been holding back.

She became pregnant unplanned and was not blessed by anyone. Wasn't she a child abandoned even by her own father?

Shioana, covering her mouth with the back of her hand, stared at Martha with wet eyes.

“Thank you, Martha.”

Martha was the first and only person to congratulate her on both her marriage and her pregnancy.

"How could you say such a thing? I am the one who should be grateful. I wondered if I would ever be able to hold the baby my young lady gave birth to in my lifetime."

Leaning against Martha's warm embrace, Shioana spoke with a choked voice.

"Martha, please live a long, long time. I'll make a lot of money and give you a life of luxury."

"I am satisfied just being able to serve you well, Miss. That is my wish."

"Then I'll wish for Martha's health."

Martha, who had been gently stroking Shioana's hair at her cuteness, made a fuss.

"This isn't the time for this. Miss, isn't there something you want to eat?"

"How did you know that?"

Shioana opened her eyes wide.

Actually, for some time now, whenever she closes her eyes, the food she wants to eat keeps floating around in her head.

"That is just how it is in the early stages of pregnancy. You remember I was a midwife at Regbell, right?"

Martha acted all high and mighty for quite a while.

Shioana, who had been crying but burst into laughter at the sight, cautiously began to speak.

"I really wanted to have black tea with oatmeal biscuits. And I want to eat a filling meal of herb pretzels."

As Shioana acted as if she was already salivating, Martha teared up.

Martha's heart ached at the thought of Shioana having to endure not being able to eat even such a common snack. To keep from showing her sadness, Martha shook her head vigorously.

"Phew! With so many things you wanted to eat, how did you manage to hold back?"

"...Martha!"

Only when Shioana narrowed her eyes did Martha smile brightly.

Martha kept talking about something while baking biscuits.

"Oh my goodness! There is so much to prepare, so I’ll have to make a list in advance and get everything one by one. For now, I should cut a whole bunch of cloth and make diapers in advance... It turns out we needed more diapers than I thought, even for Young Master Harriet."

"I feel so relieved having Martha."

Although Shioana spoke bravely, everything was going to cost money one way or another.

'Since I won't be able to work for a while after having a baby, I'll have to save money even harder.'

She experienced some health issues after receiving detox treatment, but now was not the time to worry about that.

"I thought I might ask Raul to introduce me to some other jobs."

"Are you really not going to do the secretarial work?"

"..."

Raul still seemed to be expecting Shioana to return as his secretary. However, for some reason, she hesitated to go back to that position.

"Young Lady. Surely you aren't doing this because of the Duke, are you?"

“Oh. No.”

Shioana quickly shook her head, gathered the things to be thrown away, and held them in her hand.

"I'll go throw this away."

Shioana came out, leaned against the alley wall, and let out a long sigh. She recalled a newspaper article she had happened to see earlier that day while on her way to tutoring.

'His Excellency the Duke is critically ill! The Bernhard family is in crisis!'

It was only recently that Shioana learned of what had happened to the Bernhard and Calix families. Had the Duke said that he had driven the Grand Madam out of the family?

'Why did he get sick after doing everything he wanted?'

Her face darkened as she recalled him, who used to frequently collapse from seizures.

But she was in as much pain as Etienne. Because he didn't trust Shioana at all.

He watched from the side how much Shioana was suffering, yet he seemed to actually enjoy it.

'I really hate him, and I'm scared of him.'

But he doesn't know why a faint lingering regret remains in a corner of his heart. Is it because there were definitely times when things were good?

"But still, what's not right isn't right."

The two were not meant to be together, and things were just right as they were. Shioana's steps looked unusually heavy as she headed home after emptying all the ashes from her hand.

***

Lately, Shioana had been feeling a bit strange. She felt as though she were being watched on her way to and from work.

'Did Raul keep someone by my side behind my back?'

However, if Raul had done such a thing, he was the type of person to be proud of it rather than hide it.

In that case, there is only one person left.

"...!"

She quickly turned around as if someone were following her. However, there was not a single shadow of anyone on the street who resembled the Bernhard family's guards. They were all shabbily dressed merchants or customers.

"Have I become sensitive lately?"

Judging by the fact that she suspects a watcher who isn't even there, it might be nervous tension caused by fatigue. The merchants liked Shioana's lessons so much that they introduced more to one another, and the number of classes had just increased.

"It is a good thing, but..."

She felt dizzy from wandering around the house without even having time to eat lunch.

'Miss, it will be a big problem if you skip meals.'

Since Martha packed bread and fruit for her lunch today, she thought she could go near the square, eat them quickly, and then go to her next class.

However, the pouring sunlight made her feel dizzy, and she felt like her feet were floating.

“Uh. Uh.”

Just as she was about to collapse, someone grabbed Shioana from behind. After leaning against the other person for over a minute, she barely managed to regain her senses.

“Thank you.”

As Shioana straightened up, the opponent went on their way again without even looking back at her.

Judging by his solid build, he was clearly a man, but he was wearing all-black clothes and had his face covered with a mask, so his appearance was completely unknown.

"..."

The way it walks, hunched over, dragging its hind legs slightly, somehow seems similar to the man Martha mentioned.

“Probably not.”

Considering how many people live in District 8, the probability of meeting a neighbor from the same alley and receiving help in a place like this was as slim as her becoming rich.

"My young lady, you've worked hard all day, haven't you?"

When she returned home from work, Martha was busy preparing a meal while wearing Harriet.

"Martha, why did you carry Harriet when your back isn't good?"

As Shioana quickly took Harriet in her arms, Martha shook her head.

"I can't stand how stubborn he's been lately. He keeps saying he wants to go outside."

Martha seemed worried that Harriet might run out into the alley while she was working.

"Harriet! Is this how you are?"

Shioana poked her nephew's forehead and kissed him in the spring. Except for starting to walk late, Harriet was fast-developing.

The child was curious and clever. She didn't know how he managed to open a bolted door, but he occasionally sent chills down their spines.

"Harriet is still too young to go outside."

“G-go?”

She started to mimic speech quite well, but it was still awkward. That was so cute that Shioana ended up hugging Harriet tightly.

"Harriet! If you make Martha uncomfortable again, you're going to get spanked!"

It was not a scary voice at all, but the child had a dejected face, as if realizing he was being scolded.

"Young Lady, since nothing serious happened, please don't scold him too harshly. What if our young master loses his spirit?"

Perhaps because Martha could not yet accept that she had crossed over to Urcheka, she thought that Shioana and Harriet were still noble children of the Evgenia family.

"Martha, it smells really delicious! What did you make today?"

"Is there anything I can't do?"

Martha, holding the ladle, smiled broadly.

Shioana laughed along because she liked the sight so much.

Previous                    Next