Chapter 7: The Beginning of a Full-Blown Disaster (3)
I placed the now-empty glass and my empty hand back on the table. Mother smiled with relief. As always, dinner began being served.
But the sister of this body kept staring at me, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. Looks like… she saw it, didn’t she?
Yes, I admit it, I only pretended to take it and tucked it inside my clothes! I mean, who in their right mind would take psychiatric medication without knowing what it does? I had no choice!
Still, unexpectedly, the sister didn’t immediately report it to Mother. Instead, she lowered her head and shifted her gaze to her plate.
Don’t tell me… she’s hoping the condition will get worse? No, surely not. That’s way too sinister. With that lingering unease, I began eating.
Of course, all my worries vanished the moment a perfectly medium-cooked beef tenderloin steak was served fifteen minutes later. Praise be to beef!
After a delicious dinner, I returned to my room. Completely satisfied and full.
Still, I couldn’t help but feel a bit unsettled by how the sister of this body deliberately avoided eye contact with me the entire time. On top of that, she didn’t even touch her steak.
At first, I thought she might be vegetarian, but lately it just seems like indigestion or something. I hope she’s taking her medicine properly. Not skipping it like me with my half-baked trickery.
Ah, but really, how did I think of slipping it into my clothes at just the right moment? That was some top-notch reflex and judgment.
Admiring my own quick thinking, I retrieved the black pill still tucked near my collarbone. Sniffed it; no particular smell. Anyway, I need to dispose of this thing somewhere. Let’s put it in the back drawer of the study for now. That’s one place the staff rarely touch.
Oh, while I’m at it, I should put this teaspoon away too. I’ve been absentmindedly carrying it around. I pulled the dainty, silver spoon from my pocket and placed it in the small organizer on the table.
Now that all that’s done, back to picking a camera. I smiled broadly and opened the catalog again, ready to compare specs. Let’s see… skip the models that are all about design. I’ll rate them based on performance instead…
“Hmm.”
Without realizing how much time had passed, I jotted down the names of various camera models on paper, then crossed them out, wrote more, crossed those out too, over and over. Finally, I narrowed it down to two models, but I just couldn’t pick one.
One of them is famous for capturing tonal detail and producing sharp, crisp lines. Easy to focus and, for this era, excellent image quality. Even the design, originally my lowest priority, has this dignified charm that makes it nearly perfect.
The other one… is a bit lacking compared to the first. The image quality isn’t as sharp, and there’s no mention of focus capabilities, so it might be harder to operate. And yet, there’s a reason I can’t let it go.
The colors are insane.
Every sample photo has this rich, edited look, like they’ve been run through a filter. If I took a photo of Lord Moore with this thing, it’d look like a painting from the age of masterpieces.
Hmmm… what should I do?
I twirled my pen, agonizing over the decision, until suddenly, it hit me: none of this actually matters.
Haha, I was still thinking like I lived in a half-basement studio with 12,140 won in my bank account, pulling two all-nighters as an over-aged college student! I can just buy both!
“That’s an excellent idea, isn’t it?”
I rang the bell by the bed, which should be audible even from the next room. That’s the system here, staff wait nearby and come when called. I’d been too shy to use it until now, but this was urgent, so I gave it a try.
Please, let the staff who answers this call forgive me and not mentally curse me out for summoning them at this hour…
And sure enough, within two minutes, there was a knock at my door.
“You called, miss?”
“Yes, yes!”
It was a familiar face, a girl around my age. She was the one I’d spoken to last time about this body’s father. I showed her the catalog and asked her to place an order for the cameras as soon as possible, but only if it wasn’t too much trouble. She nodded without hesitation.
“I’ll let them know to place the order first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s nothing, miss.”
Her eyes seemed to linger on the marks I’d made in the catalog.
“You’re ordering a camera, I see.”
“Oh, yeah. Thought I’d give photography a try.”
“It’ll be the first time a camera has entered this household since the couple’s wedding. Perhaps you should inform Madame Zauer in advance?”
Oh no. That smell again, the scent of a looming backstory. And this time, I won’t let it pass.
“You might’ve heard, but my memories are a little jumbled. Why haven’t there been any cameras here since the couple’s wedding? Did something happen?”
“…”
The girl tilted her head slightly, then, after a brief silence, answered.
“I believe it’s because, on the day they were meant to take their wedding photo, the camera captured something… unpleasant. After Lord Aubert’s funeral, all the remaining cameras in the estate were disposed of. Even now, no photographers are invited, and portraits are done by hand, likely due to the lingering discomfort.”
My inner detective kicked into gear at this vague yet intriguing explanation.
Let’s piece this together. Judging from the context, Lord Aubert, this body’s father, passed away after the wedding. The dates seem close together. That must mean the ‘ceremony the day before he died’ was that very wedding. I’d bet 80% on it.
So, the ‘couple’ refers to this body’s father and mother. It was their wedding. Something awful must have happened right before the ceremony, so awful that it caused his death. That must’ve triggered PTSD in the mother. Aha, it all lines up with what the doctor said!
And if the father died five years ago, that wedding must’ve been a remarriage, making the current mother a stepmother. My gut feeling from the beginning, my K-drama instincts, were right!
Now that I’ve deduced all this, a mix of pride and guilt bubbles up. I’ve been so cold to my stepmother. I should try being a little warmer from now on, maybe even help her heal a bit.
But this camera… could be like poking a dying ember with a matchstick. I turned to the attendant, now with caution.
“…Maybe it’s better not to buy it at all?”
But surprisingly, the employee’s reaction wasn’t negative!
“Sometimes, going against superstition head-on might not be such a bad thing.”
Judging by the composed expression on her face, perhaps the camera had only ever been unconsciously avoided, not because it held any serious meaning or power. With a shrug, I decided to go ahead with the purchase. But I should talk to my stepmother tomorrow morning before placing the order.
“Thanks for the explanation. I’ll think it over and order the camera tomorrow.”
“Understood.”
The way she responded without a trace of hesitation looked incredibly professional. I was starting to really like this girl, so I decided to try and find out more about her.
“Like I mentioned earlier, I don’t remember much… Have you been working at this mansion long?”
“I have been staying here for quite some time.”
Ah, so she really is a veteran who’s worked here since childhood! Making friends with someone like her might be a great idea!
“I see. What’s your name?”
The girl gave a faint smile for the first time.
“Just call me Sunset. That’s my nickname.”
“Alright, Sunset. I’m counting on you from now on!”
I cheerfully said goodbye to Sunset and wrapped up that day’s shopping.
And maybe because I’d spent so much time staring at my fiancé’s face and that camera, I ended up dreaming that night of becoming his legendary fansite manager. I was hauling around a giant lens, attending every single concert, and posting gushing updates on social media. It was such a vivid and hilarious dream.
* * *
A strong and mighty morning! As for me, I’m a rich and idle golden spoon!
I woke up in a great mood and immediately set off toward the private study where Mother usually worked. Located on the fourth floor, the study was a place I’d only ever heard about in passing. But the day before yesterday, during a consultation with the doctor about my memory loss, Mother had looked tearfully at me and said:
[“Rose, I’m usually in my study from early morning until night. So if anything ever happens, you can always come to me, my dear.”]
