Chapter 14
The main dining room, well-lit by the morning sun. Inside, the servants were busily preparing meals for the employers.
At the walnut table placed in the center, Count Bailey, the Countess, and Edward were seated.
The servants were all busy trying to gauge the countess’s mood. For the past few days, it has been quite difficult to deal with the Countess’s increasingly irritable temperament.
Even though it was a trivial household chore that she wouldn’t normally care about, if it started to bother her, she would end up getting scolded or beaten all day.
Especially the wife’s prickly temperament became particularly pronounced during family meals when everyone was gathered. Breakfast and dinner were also the only times when I could see my indifferent husband.
The servants were busy speculating behind her back about the lady’s behavior.
The perceptive maids whispered in unison. The maids, quick to notice, all whispered in unison that the lady would continue like that until the count declared he would expel Eric from the annex.
Today’s breakfast wasn’t much different from usual. Salad made with vegetables picked directly from the field, thinly sliced bread, cake and biscuits, and even silver teapots and teacups.
The subtle fragrance of the freshly picked roses from the garden, abundantly arranged in a vase, only heightened the chilly atmosphere.
In the midst of the sound of warm tea being poured into an empty teacup, it was the Countess who first broke the silence in this desolate atmosphere.
She stared intently at the tablecloth and raised one eyebrow.
“Madam Vianne, I clearly told you to change it by the next morning at our last breakfast, didn’t I? Soon, we will formally invite Miss Cecil, and do you think it would be good for our family to have even a small blemish because of this stained reputation? Are you saying that you would like to have a small blemish on our family name because of this stained wool when we formally invite Miss Cecil soon?”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I will definitely change it later.
Although she had lived here for over 20 years as the head maid, she couldn’t move an inch and bowed her head in front of the countess.
At that sound, Count Bailey finally lifted his gaze from the plate and looked at his wife.
“Stop it. By the way, are you planning to invite Miss Cecil soon?
“Yes. Since we’ve already had the engagement ceremony, shouldn’t the two families get to know each other as soon as possible before the wedding? After the wedding, we’ll be living separately. Even then, we should call each other often. There are many things to discuss regarding the wedding preparations.
The Countess’s venomous gaze turned into a crescent-eyed smile as if nothing had happened.
“That’s a good idea.”
“After all, if we invite Miss Cecil first and treat her well, won’t the Cecil family also recognize and treat our Edward better? The socialite ladies are already gossiping so much about this marriage. The estate of the Cecil family will all belong to our Edward from now on.
“Everyone is jealous and watching closely. So please give Edward the equal status he deserves as soon as possible. So that Eric won’t act so arrogantly anymore.
Even at the countess’s subtly urging gaze, the count silently raised his cup.
The countess’s words didn’t stop, perhaps because she found the situation frustrating.
“When exactly do you plan to keep Eric in the annex? You should step in and send him away yourself. Not to mention the social circle, I really can’t face the servants here.
“I just came back from the war. If it weren’t for Eric…
“Yes, yes. I’m tired of hearing that story over and over again; I don’t want to hear it today. Eric also received the status of second son because of that. If that hadn’t happened, would I have dared to even have my name associated with the Bailey family? The child of a despicable maid, of all things! How dare you, you lowly servant’s child!”
“Stop it!”
Bang! The sound of the count slamming the table echoed loudly.
The count silently glared at the countess, whose face was flushed with anger.
“Eric will also attend the gathering where Miss Cecil is invited. Introduce Eric to Miss Cecil formally at that gathering.
“How could you….You’re finding what I’m saying funny right now.”
“And Eric will stay here for the time being to help me run the family business. So, please make sure to treat Eric well from now on. It would be wise to be careful with your words as well.
“Wait, wait….”Eric is staying here? Running the family business!
The countess’s parched lips began to tremble. The lost gaze was directed solely at her husband.
Running the family business was a privilege that only the head of the household could enjoy.
It was unthinkable for the wife to entrust that to Eric.
Inheriting the family. That was the only thing that my eldest son, Edward, could inherit.
Her eyes were urgent as she tried to understand her husband’s feelings. Only her innocent hands, clutching her pounding heart, remained silent.
Edward, who had been quietly observing the situation, cautiously spoke up while watching his mother’s increasingly stiff expression.
“Father, please take back what you just said. I have my own thoughts on this.
Suddenly, the count and countess’s gaze turned to Edward at the low voice.
Edward explained the things he had been thinking about step by step.
“From now on, I also plan to take over the various businesses at Cecil House one by one. Many of the businesses operated by Cecil & Co. are quite profitable. The future value is also quite significant. I will gradually proceed so that I can eventually lead them at the Bailey household.
“That’s a very good idea, Edward!
At her son’s words, the countess’s gaze softened somewhat. On the other hand, the count’s brow only continued to furrow.
“Is that the thought of Count Cecil?”
“That’s not it, but… After all, these are the businesses I will eventually lead. For the sake of my family…
“Pathetic guy.”
The count immediately shook his head.
“Do you really think Count Cecil wouldn’t know your obvious thoughts? He is a count who enjoys the Emperor’s full trust due to his exceptional business acumen. Since you only have such trivial thoughts, it’s difficult for me to entrust the family to you!
“Ah, Father…”
“Think about how shameful your words are to our family and reflect on them! You pathetic and worthless fool!
The furious count slammed his seat and stormed out.
The countess glared resentfully at her husband’s back, then picked up her glass and kept drinking.
“What’s wrong with what you’re saying! Only putting forward your petty pride! Just relying on a meager sense of pride!”
“Mom, please calm down.”
“Running the family business? What kind of business do you think this family is running that you can act so high and mighty? This is all because they don’t know about your changed position! He doesn’t realize how amazing it is to form a connection with the Cecil family, and he’s acting all smug by himself! A person who doesn’t even know how the world works!
“No, Mother Father’s words are not wrong either.
When Edward let out a sigh, his wife’s eyes widened.
“Don’t be disheartened. Father, it is a family that you brought down with your own hands. If the eldest son saves it, it would be a lifetime’s worth of gratitude. Don’t worry about anything, just send an invitation to Miss Cecil.”
“Eric… what are you planning to do?”
The wife, after a moment of solitary anguish, subtly lifted one corner of her mouth.
“I thought you wouldn’t be able to call. You should be embarrassed on your own. How dare they, an illegitimate child, be in a formal setting? He’ll be leaving in a hurry, his face flushed.
The wife, with a strange thought in her mind, picked up the bread and started munching on it with a delighted expression.
“If you can’t leave on your own, I’ll gladly kick you out.”
Her lips, lost in countless thoughts, bore a serene smile as if nothing had ever happened.
Please stop.No, save me.Get me out of this hell.
To resist the force that covets, no, constantly devours me, I struggle, but the more I fight, the more I cannot escape his broad embrace.
The accumulated resentment turned into pain, and the pain erupted into anger. But it was futile in front of that man.
He was nothing but a small and powerless being in front of him. Regrettably.
I want to see Edward. I want to be by his side. Right now, even if it means….
At that moment, a faint voice calling out to him held onto his fading consciousness.
“Lady! Are you okay? Hey, come here! The maid has moved!
“Oh my! Maid, maid! Lady-in-waiting, lady-in-waiting!”
The body with no strength at all couldn’t move properly, and only Aria’s eyes widened.
Her eyes, which had been staring blankly at the brown ceiling, soon turned towards the source of the sound.
There, the maids with wide-open eyes were looking at Aria and cheering.
“Thank goodness! You’ve regained consciousness!?
“Lady-in-waiting, are you coming to your senses?!”
What on earth happened? Aria mustered all her strength and propped herself up as much as she could.
As Aria looked around in confusion, the maids wiped her cold sweat and said.
“I’m so glad you woke up! If it weren’t for you, Eric, it would have been a real disaster! Sir Eric, you would have been in big trouble if it weren’t for you!”
“You found me collapsed here and even called a doctor! Thanks to that, the door got all messed up like that.
When the maid pointed to the door with her hand, Aria’s eyes turned in that direction.
The door was shattered into two pieces and lying on the ground, showing how much force had been applied from the outside.
The man who made himself like this and then bound himself here again. Aria sighed involuntarily, unable to bring herself to face Eric.
At that sight, the maids whispered quietly.
“For now, leave the tough tasks to us and take a break. It seems like you’ve been through a lot lately.
It was a brief comfort, but Aria gently shook her head and stood up.
Anyway, it was something he had to resolve himself. I didn’t want to cause harm to others.
Was there anything unusual? Was there nothing going on?
One of the maids who saw Aria’s note raised her voice as if something had come to mind.
“This afternoon, the head maid visited Mr. Eric, and I overheard her saying that they will be hosting a dinner for Miss Isabella tomorrow evening. It seems he insisted that you must attend the meal as well.
