"Sorry."
Perhaps because of that, Carcel stared at me intently.
When I apologized, instead of answering, Carcel moved his foot...
He trapped my feet between his own feet.
I was flustered for a moment, but after glancing at his mischievous-looking mouth, I realized it was a joke.
"Carcel...!"
When I lowered my voice and gave a subtle warning, Carcel let out a low laugh.
I eventually raised my hand and slapped his knee.
"Stop. What are you going to do if Linea wakes up?"
Carcel couldn't hold back his laughter, perhaps because he was glad he got hit.
He lowered his voice and laughed, covering the corners of his mouth with his hand.
Carcel's thumb, which had been touching his cheek for a moment, traced across his lips.
With that, the laughter faded again, and Carcel let go of my feet.
The wreath he was wearing still felt out of place, but it suited him quite well.
He pulled it up just as it was about to slip off and made a suggestion to me.
"Get some sleep on the way. I won't bother you anymore."
I glared at him for no reason and leaned my head against the carriage wall just as Carcel had said.
It was still a few more hours to get home anyway.
Trying hard to ignore the sound of my heart beating rapidly, like a hummingbird's, I squeezed my eyes shut.
***
After summoning a carriage from Carcel's house, I headed back to the Count's mansion.
'Carcel wanted to take me, but it is about time for that incident to occur.'
It hurts to be cautious.
The incident that was supposed to happen around this time was, in fact, something related to Mary.
Asha Delmore hadn't been staying quietly in this house from the beginning.
Unable to endure life with her in-laws, she had thought of various ways to escape this place on her own, and one of them was right here.
'Remarriage.'
Unlike my method, she had no money, so she tried to sell her identity instead.
She started dating a commoner man who had achieved great success in business with the intention of marriage.
'Marriage between different social classes was implicitly taboo in aristocratic society.'
However, Asha did not care about the difference in social status.
However, as her relationship with the man deepened and Mary saw Asha wearing the expensive jewelry given as a token of engagement...
'Followed her and spoiled the mood before Asha Delmore could even get married.'
The mother-in-law spreads malicious rumors because she did not want her daughter-in-law, who was free labor, to leave as she pleased.
Because of this, Asha is disowned by her family and even breaks up with the man she was going to marry.
'She ends up completely isolated and helpless, and instead ends up abusing the innocent Linea until she dies.'
Saying that if it weren't for Linea, she could have left this dreadful house long ago.
'I prepared this because I thought Mary might be following me soon... but it won't be today, right?'
I hope so.
My boots and skirt are a complete mess with dirt and crushed grass, so I want to wash them right away.
"Linea, you have to wake up."
"Mmmm..."
Upon arriving at the Count's mansion, I woke up the half-asleep Linea and got out of the carriage.
It was just as I entered the front door wondering why Linea had been sleeping more than usual.
As soon as we stepped inside, my mother-in-law was standing right there, waiting for us.
I was already exhausted to death, so I gave a polite smile to my mother-in-law, who looked like she had been picked on.
"Mother, why were you out here? Were you waiting for me?"
When I asked with a touch of cuteness, my mother-in-law spoke with a cold expression.
"Where did you go? Seeing your skirt covered in dirt, it looks like you went on a picnic or something."
"Wow, the weather was so nice, so I took Linea out to play."
As if something were wrong, I awkwardly clapped my hands and said, "Ah."
"I wonder if my mom is upset because I didn't go with you?"
"Never mind. So, I guess it’s okay for those expensive clothes to get all dirty? Does money fall from the sky for you?"
I nodded vigorously at the provocative tone. Then, showing off my innocent charm, I smiled brightly.
"Money was really falling from the sky, Mother?"
"So, you're saying the source of your money is heaven?"
The mother-in-law, having said that, shouted toward the drawing room.
"Mary! Bring him here."
Soon, Mary brought a man out of the drawing room.
And Mary, who had positioned the man to face me, met my eyes and smiled.
'You look like you're saying, Go ahead and try to become something.'
The mother-in-law asked Mary.
"So, what is this man's relationship with my daughter-in-law?"
"Contrary to what I heard, the Countess would say they are not in any relationship, Madam?"
"Of course, there's no way they really aren't anything to each other, right?"
I crossed my arms at the sight of them talking back and forth.
"Hmm. What does my mother think my relationship with that man is?"
"Then say it out loud."
My mother-in-law opened the notebook she was holding and tossed it in front of my feet.
The notebook had fallen to the floor, clearly revealing its contents.
My mother-in-law asked me triumphantly.
"If everything written here is true, then aren't you in a... that kind of relationship with a commoner, and on top of that, taking money from them?"
I bit my lip tightly. And I met the man's eyes as well.
"Hey, it hasn't even been a few months since your husband died, and you're having a sordid relationship with a commoner at that?"
"If your behavior is vulgar, you have no right to complain, even if the mistress kicks you out of the house immediately."
Linea, who had been standing still and watching the situation because of my momentary silence, grabbed the hem of my dress tightly.
Then, before I could even stop her, she shouted.
"Oh. Mother isn't that kind of person! And even if she were, don't kick her out! Don't touch Mother!"
"Linea, wait a moment!"
I hurriedly stopped the child, afraid that the spark might fly to Linea.
However, it was only natural that the mother-in-law’s eyes narrowed even further.
"See! You brought the dirty water into Linea too, and that's why she ended up in this state, isn't it?"
"How could the young lady yell at the madam like that! I have never seen anything like this in the years I have been in this house..."
"And why is that woman your mother, Linea?"
The mother-in-law reached out her hand to Linea.
"Come here. The more you act like this, the harder it will be to marry into a good family."
"No, I do not want to!"
Linea, who had never once rebelled against her grandmother, shook her head desperately and answered.
I also pushed the child's small body behind me to get it out of my mother-in-law's sight.
"Mother, what would you do if that man isn't my boyfriend? It seems like Mary lied to you."
"Lies? Look at what's written in this notebook! If you look closely, time it perfectly and exquisitely with this man, where It’s written down everything, from what time to meet to the amount received!"
What if the reason for the meeting isn't a 'secret rendezvous?'
I smiled.
"Once you find out everything, you'll want to kick Mary out, not me."
At those words, Mary yelled angrily.
"Madam, look at her saying that even in the midst of this!"
"Then ask that man if he says exactly whether or not we are lovers?"
"That..."
Mary cautiously glanced around.
Then the mother-in-law asked back.
"Didn't you say that this commoner man was Asha Delmore's lover and that he had even given her allowance and expensive gifts?"
"... You're right."
I made a suggestion to Mary, who seemed less energetic than before, and to my mother-in-law.
"If Mary tried to kick me out like this with fabricated lies, Mother, could you please kick Mary out of this house instead?"
"Why me! Look at that! Typical!"
"I was always thinking only of the Count of Delmore, but I never imagined Mary would ruin the surprise to this extent."
I pretended to be sad and met my mother-in-law's eyes.
"So, you deserve to receive that punishment, don't you?"
After thinking for a moment, my mother-in-law eventually nodded at me with a suspicious expression.
"Then tell me. What on earth is this man, this date, and this amount written in the notebook?"
"Mother, do you know that the Ketlach family is a very distant root of my family, the Teresa family?"
The mother-in-law furrowed her brow at the unexpected remark.
I said with a grin.
"Well, a distant relative who was the sole heir of the Ketlach family passed away a few months ago, and apparently, he left me a small inheritance as well."
Support Novellate!
Comments
Post a Comment