TEFM 09

Chapter 9

In the Darkness

Nina’s face flushed bright red in an instant, and her lips twitched, showing her growing irritation. Even after going through, it for two years, I still couldn’t get used to Nina acting without common sense like this.

It was even more surprising that such an attitude of hers could change in an instant in front of someone.

“So, judging by how inconsiderate and rude you are to your husband’s family, it seems clear you only married Alexander for his wealth.”

“I’m not sure how a reminder about basic courtesy turned into that, Nina. But if that’s all you wanted to know, yes—Alexander came by, and yes, I saw him. Okay?”

Not wanting to argue with Nina anymore, Renee responded in kind and cut off the conversation. She was sick and tired of Nina’s insistence that she was the one who had to do it.

“I don’t know how Alexander managed to get the likes of you,” she said.

“Get it right, Nina. Alexander proposed to me, not the other way around.”

“That must have been out of pity. Alexander adored his grandfather, and out of respect for him—”

“Regardless, he proposed, we’re married, and we’re getting along well enough. I don’t see any reason for you to keep bringing it up.”

…I’m living a decent life.

‘Why is she so obsessed with Alexander? Was it because she blamed him for ruining her life?’

Not long after the previous Marquis Chambler brought Nina into the mansion, a major fire broke out in the mansion. It was a large fire that consumed one of the outbuildings entirely, and according to reports, Alexander was responsible for it.

Because of this fire, Nina suffered severe burns and permanent lung damage as a result. er mother, Meggie Chambler, had given tearful interviews, saying that a terrible tragedy had befallen her poor Nina.

The story was widely covered by every newspaper, so even Renee, out in the countryside, had heard the news in part.

“…I was so worried that I headed to Kaliba for the first time,” Renee thought, recalling that day. But in the end, her concern had dissolved into bitter disappointment.

When she nervously went to the Chambler mansion, she was turned away at the door. Even when she simply asked to know how he was, saying it would only take a moment, a cold rejection was all she received.

He’d been through a hard time, a lot of bad things had happened to him all at once. Yes, she thought, that could happen. Apart from feeling sorry for him, she felt she had to understand him.
“Then, please, just deliver this letter for me.”

It was the dead of winter, bitterly cold, her nose turning red from the frost. ith frozen hands, she wrote a letter and asked the estate’s servant to pass it to Alexander, asking if she could expect a reply and saying she would wait.

To her surprise, the servant returned not long afterward with a reply.

‘But… could that even be called a reply?’

Don’t ever come back like this again. It’s tiresome and disgusting.

Thinking back to that moment, Renee couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Nina’s face crumpled as she glared at Renee through gritted teeth.

Through gritted teeth, she spoke in an icy voice. “…Acting all high and mighty, when you’re just there to warm his bed.”

With that rude remark, Nina turned and walked out of the room, refusing to continue the conversation.

BANG!

The door shattered with such force that Rosa, who had been fidgeting at Renee’s side, started to hiccup in surprise.

“I’m so sorry!”

“It’s just that you were startled. I showed you something you shouldn’t have seen. Go on and take a rest, Rosa.”

“Yes, yes, my lady.”

With her face flushed, Rosa cautiously exited the room. Renee sighed, putting down the newspaper she had been reading, and rubbed her shoulders.

It had been a long day.

She hadn’t felt this way in a long time. She hadn’t traveled far, but her body ached like she had just returned home.

Renee straightened up and stood up, heading for the bedroom. Alexander was staring down at her with a smug look on his face in the photo above the fireplace.

‘I won’t be swayed by you anymore, Alexander.’

How dangerous it was to chase after something that had no substance. Like fishermen wandering through the fog in pursuit of a siren, one could easily become enchanted and sink without even realizing it.

His sweet, gentle demeanor was all an illusion, a man who would impale her with his thorns if she got too close.

Glaring at Alexander in the wedding photo, Renee turned and went back into the bedroom.

She blew out the small flickering oil lamp, and darkness quickly surrounded the large room. The bedroom, which was too spacious and colorful to give a chilly feeling, became familiar with the darkness.

With a slightly more relaxed mind, René lay still on the bed and closed her eyes.

***

After tidying up her master’s bedroom, Rosa Feather finished her day by organizing the cleaning tools she had used.

She had been startled earlier when Miss Nina barged into the mistress’s room. Although her hiccups had stopped, her heart was still racing.

“I’ve only heard about it; this was my first time seeing it in person.”

Among the staff, there was an unspoken rule that when Miss Nina and the mistress were together, one should avoid getting too close.

She hadn’t understood the reason for it until just now.

“It’s strange. When not next to the mistress, Miss Nina isn’t that fierce…”

Miss Nina’s disdain for the mistress was something Rosa Feather truly couldn’t understand. She didn’t seem like a bad person or someone who was greedy…

Well, anyway, all of that was just a power struggle among the higher-ups, and as a mere servant, it was best for her to keep her head down and stay out of it.

I was just thinking that I should quickly save up money and marry Tenon.

“Hey, you. Over there.”

A sharp voice called Rosa Feather to a halt.

***

“So that’s what happened. Well, you can’t even warn the cats to be careful where they go in the pathways you use.”

Another house butler, Gabriel, let out a deep sigh at the story shared by Mrs. Andrea.

As if the deep sigh he released permeated the air, the light from the oil lamp flickered, casting shadows that followed the footsteps of the two stewards.

“I’m more worried about this allergy thing, Gabriel. Is there really such a thing as a cat allergy?”

“Well, I suppose we should consult an expert about that. The fact is, the concept of allergies has only been known for a few years.”

It’s only been a decade since it was recognized that people can have adverse reactions to certain medications, foods, or pollens, and that these reactions are called allergies.

After the announcement, for a while, people would claim they had allergies whenever they had small rashes on their skin or started coughing. Of course, most of them were colds or small hives that appeared due to weakness in the body.

As far as Gabriel knew, the medical field was still actively researching allergies, and he had never heard of anyone having an allergy to a specific animal.

However, it was also pointless to say that such a thing could not happen just because he had never heard of it.

Among the life lessons he learned from over fifty years of life was “nothing should be taken for granted.”

“Ah! Well, maybe we should at least make sure Nina’s room is away from the master bedroom.”

“Oh, that’s a good idea. If it really is an allergy, being near it could be harmful.”

At Gabriel’s suggestion, Andrea laughed with her hand over her mouth, looking relieved.

No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t understand why she had to ask for her room to be located so close to the couple’s bedroom.
The owner was also uncomfortable, but Nina insisted on staying near the couple’s bedroom.

Even if she pretended to listen to the people trying to stop her and went to another room, she would subtly change rooms, saying she saw bugs or that the lighting was poor and made her cough.

“Since you’ve given a definite reason for her to be separated, she can’t insist on having a room nearby,” Andrea said, feeling relieved. Gabriel, who was enlarging the light from the gas lamp, also chuckled and nodded.

“Let’s just think about this for now, Mrs. Andrea. It’s getting quite late. We’ve checked the second and third floors. Let’s take a look at the fourth floor and then we should get some rest.”

It was a dark night, dark enough to see all the dawn stars. The two housekeepers had planned to end the day by patrolling each floor.

They were just about to enter the last floor when they heard a voice.

“Have you thought about it… will you get married next year…? Want to bring something… to live together?”

“…Then… how many…?”

In the darkness, whispering voices pierced the keen ears of the two middle-aged people.