THNW 09

To My Husband’s New Wife Chapter : 09

One day, our family fell.

Someone might tell me to stop talking nonsense, but it was a clear fact.

Anita Beulroeniya’s family fell overnight.

Because of an accusation that was nothing of the sort.
“That’s how it is, Anita.”
The middle-aged man delivering the news, Vlad, wore a dark expression.

Vlad, my father’s long-time business partner, was someone I’d known since I was learning to walk.

Once each season, Vlad would come by with a thick file of documents loaded into a steam automobile.

His visits were always welcome.

Imported tin cookies, imported dolls, imported hairpins….

Because he always brought one gift at a time that was not easy to come by.
‘But today’s gift is….’
It hurts.

It really, really, really hurt so much.
“Sir.

Then Father….”
“We still haven’t found him.

Since we haven’t found him, don’t ask about the details, and don’t try to learn them.

Living as if you don’t know is the advice I’m giving you—for your sake.

I’m sorry.”
Father went away on a business trip and then went missing.

And you’re telling me to live as if I don’t know.

Telling me to pretend I don’t know my only family?
Four years ago, when she came of age, she would be holding a late debutante ball next month.

Father was meant to be Anita’s first dance partner for that.
[Don’t be taken in by men who only have slick tongues, Anita.

Those kinds of fellows will only treat a young girl like you as a plaything.

Find someone who is serious even if he’s not talkative, and who speaks only the truth even if he isn’t sweet.]
Since she began preparing for her debutante ball, he would always say such things, like a habit.

And yet.

Vlad rummaged through the inside pocket of his jacket and handed her a neat business card.
“This is my acquaintance’s contact.

He’ll be able to find you a decent job.

I’m saying this just in case, but never set foot in places like brothels.

That will corrupt your soul.”
When Anita only stared without being able to react at all, Vlad let out a deep sigh.
“Stay strong, Anita.

You, at least, have to live.

What can you do, even if it’s unfair?

Life is like that.”
Vlad forced the card into her hand.

And then he left without even looking back.

With blank eyes, Anita swept her gaze across the house.

Strong men swarmed in and began clearing away the traces that had been with the Beulroeniya family for decades, for centuries.

A spacious watercolor painting Father had brought from an auction.

A cherry-wood display case where tableware had been exhibited.

A white porcelain piece set atop a chest of drawers.
“Hey, move aside up front.

It’s been pissing me off.”
Someone tapped her shoulder and passed by.

Anita staggered for a while, then slid down to the floor, leaning against the wall.

Everything happening before her eyes.

And every emotion she was feeling right now was hazy, as if she were dreaming.

How much time passed?

Beyond the window, the blue sky began to turn with a reddish sunset.

Inside the manor, with not a trace of warmth left, Anita slowly pushed herself up.

Even in a situation like this, she was hungry.

She walked slowly to the kitchen, but everything was a mess, as if a typhoon had swept through.

After rummaging around for a long time, she found a few pieces of bread, dried hard, in a cupboard.

It was old food the servants had set aside to toss as feed for the birds.
‘It’s hard.’
It was far harder than the jerky she had once tried out of curiosity long ago.

Filling her stomach with the feeling of chewing paper, she closed her eyes and sank into thought.
‘Downfall.’
There would be many who wished for the downfall of Beulroeniya.
‘False accusation.’
Then which of them had framed the Beulroeniya family?

A cousin?

A partner?

An enemy?
‘Father.’
Father.

When she pictured his sharp eyes, the tears she had held back poured down in a rush.
‘Nurse.

I miss you.’
Burying her face between her knees, Anita sobbed aloud for a long time.

Letting it out was more painful than holding it in.

She was resentful toward the father who had vanished and left her behind, and she worried for the father who had disappeared without a word.

If he couldn’t come back, she wished he would at least be alive somewhere far away.

And yet she also wished he would return home right now and overcome this hardship together.
‘What do I do now?’
The Beulroeniya manor had been seized.

Even if she could lean against the wall and doze until tomorrow, the problem was the day after tomorrow.

When the second sunrise came, she wouldn’t be able to stay in this manor any longer.

It wasn’t that she had no relatives.
‘Sister Malina.

Aunt Alexandr….’
But they would not help Anita.

Father hated the relatives who clung to him like ants to benefit from his favor.

She couldn’t think that those who had lived under Father’s coldness would pity Anita.

Then where was she supposed to go now?
‘…The business card.’
Anita unfolded the card Vlad had left behind.

Because she had been gripping it so tightly, it was crumpled like a piece of tissue.

It was a business card for a servant recruitment office.

Would the servants who had watched her and then, one by one, left the Beulroeniya manor also be gathered there?
‘Even if I visit early tomorrow morning, I won’t have anywhere to sleep for a while.’
Tap, tap.

Tiny raindrops formed round beads on the windowpane, then shattered.

An afternoon on a summer day when a sudden shower fell.

Anita suddenly became alone.
***
The Beulroeniya family were untitled businessmen and landowners.

That did not mean they had no points of contact with the upper noble class.

Anita’s great-granduncle was the master of the long-established House of Count Batrit, a secular lord, and a maternal cousin once removed was also Baron Rivonia.

If one insisted on classifying it, the Beulroeniya family belonged to the “upper class somewhat lower in rank for lacking a title.”

Even so, their wealth was second to none.

As the only daughter of Beulroeniya, Anita was inevitably in the position to inherit the family fortune and take in a husband.

Since it was enough of a condition for poor secular nobles to push their sons forward, among Anita’s friends in name only, there were also a fair number of noble children.

Friends who would leave without looking back once she lost her wealth.
“Haa.

This is strange too.”
Riiip.

A page of a notebook packed with black cursive was torn out without hesitation.

She didn’t know how many pages it had been already.

In one corner of the room that had once been Anita’s bedroom, there were crumpled scraps of paper everywhere.

They were all unfinished letters.

Letting out another long sigh, Anita sprawled down onto the floor.

Then, rubbing her sore eyes, she swept her gaze around the room.

In this spacious house, all that remained were a few bags containing her belongings and a small tabletop clock.
“I only wasted the notebook.”
The letters she had written through the night were all requests for help to send to her acquaintances.

But in the end, she could not finish even a single one.

Probably because she knew none of them would respond.
‘No.

That thought just now was too short-sighted.’
Not everyone would ignore her plea for help.

Yes.

There was exactly one person who didn’t belong among them.
‘Lancelot.’
I want to see Lancelot.

Three years since Claudnia left.

There was nowhere else for Anita to rely on.

Lancelot Edenbahir, whom she had been with for nearly ten years, would be different.

No one else but Anita herself knew that best.

But for him, she simply couldn’t….
“…Fine.

First, I’ll go to the employment agency.

I have to at least show my face there for a chance to work to come.”
Let’s do what I can.

Nothing gets solved by sinking into despair.

Because time would not wait for her.
***
The first thing Anita did upon arriving at the employment agency was change her clothes.

She realized late, but the clothes she was wearing were needlessly old-fashioned and high-quality among the women hoping to be hired.

There was nothing good to be gained by drawing attention to her circumstances.

After carefully looking over the inside of the agency, Anita went into a narrow storage room and changed into the calmest outfit she owned.
‘It’s good I brought my luggage bag, in case it gets stolen.’
A white shirt and a navy long skirt.

With this, she wouldn’t stand out too much even among the women.

Smoothing the wrinkles in her rumpled clothes, she waited for her turn in the interview waiting room.

An old woman with a prim expression handed her a number tag and said in passing,
“You’re lucky, miss.

These days, if you want an interview at our agency, you have to wait at least a week.

Is it a bit hard to find work?”
A week?

Though she didn’t show it, she was inwardly startled.
‘If it weren’t for Uncle Vlad, I would’ve been a homeless vagrant with no way out.’
If she found work, she should write him a letter of thanks.

Soon, it was her turn.
“Miss Anita Beulroeniya?

Come in.”
Anita drew a steady breath and stepped into the director’s office.

Beyond the thick cigarette smoke, the inside of the spacious office came into view.

A taxidermied yak’s head, a carpet that looked as if it had been brought from the far eastern continent, metal ornaments of strange shapes….

Anita’s instincts told her.

This didn’t look like it would be an easy interview.
“Have you ever held a mop?”
As expected.

The very first question was aggressive.