Chapter 58

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Chapter 58

After a long time, the piano melody filled the mansion.

Again, Ellie and Brielle sat in first class and enjoyed the music.

‘I think the Count suits the piano best.’

Ellie nodded her head as she heard Brielle tell the butler.

After he played a wonderful song, applause poured in. Smiling once at the children, Kentrail turned his head to find Marie. She was sitting by the window, looking at him.

The curtain blew and revealed her face. He didn’t want her face to disappear for even a moment, so he hurried and pulled the curtain. Then, he raised his hand and signaled to go over there.

It was where the piano was placed.

‘Why…’

Marie, who did not know why, approached.

“Try it once.”

“Yes? How can I…”

He whispered inaudibly to the children.

“You said that you sang and played the piano like this in the place where you worked before. Since the door is locked, the employees won’t know and just tell the children that I’m secretly teaching you the piano.”

“No, still…”

She looked at the two children as she spoke her words. Eyes full of anticipation were looking at her.

“That is…”

“Marie, hurry up.”

“Yes, sister!”

Eventually, as the children urged her, who was hesitating, Marie was forced to sit down at the piano. The keyboard she looked at after a long time was both unfamiliar and exciting.

“Then… just one song…”

When she muttered that softly, she played a song that she remembered many times at the piano academy when she was young. Her hand remembered and moved on its own.

“Wow…”

Ellie and Brielle fell in love with the melody. So was Kentrail.

He gazed slowly from her fingertips to her face. He seemed to be engraving it into his eyes one by one.

‘You really surprised me.’

It was a much better performance than he expected. If one day Marie fell for Kentrail’s staccato, he was blown away by her trills.

‘I will protect you so our peace will continue.’

Derek’s return last night made his shoulders heavy.

“I’m here.”

“How are you?”

A light greeting passed between Kentrail and Derek. Derek was unfamiliar with the master’s office, which he came in again after for a long time.

“Yes. It must have been a lot of trouble.”

Saying so, he then poured the tea for Derek, who was struggling.

“No. I’ve heard the news from all the way to where I am, praises to the Count.”

“Ha… I didn’t do much.”

Kentrail grew more and more sorry for Marie. It was she who deserved the praise.

“Still, I’m relieved that the Lord seems to be doing well.”

Derek spoke sincerely as he drank tea.

“Something happened.”

Hearing that, he nodded at Kentrail’s next words. When it comes to the Kaylor family, he himself knew from the newspaper.

“Did you find out anything?”

“Yes. It really seemed like what was in the letter was what happened.”

“What…?”

Kentrail was shocked because it was an investigation, hoping it wasn’t.

“Is it possible for the bride to change?”

“…It seems to have been possible because it is an outsider area, and it is rare to see the real lord’s daughter.”

“Ha—”

Did something they hear only as a folktale actually happen? Kentrail wondered what to do with this.

“Then the person who was originally supposed to marry the family. Have you met?”

“That was impossible. The castle was more heavily guarded than I thought.”

“Then, how did you find out?”

“I asked those who went in to repair the castle with the portrait the Lord gave me and those who delivered dairy products.”

“…Is that so?”

“Each person spoke differently. One said the name of the former Countess, who was Brielle’s mother’s name, and the other said the name was written on the letter.”

“They were identical twins.”

“Yes. They said they didn’t even see it once a year or even not.”

“Don’t they think it’s strange that you’re asking around?”

“They seemed to be a little puzzled. However…”

“What?”

“It is said that someone has asked about it once before.”

“Has asked about it…”

“It was a long time ago, so they can’t remember the details, but there was a person who carried a portrait with them and asked about it.”

“When is that?”

“They said it felt like more than a decade ago.”

Kentrail’s mind quickly became complicated.

‘Did mother recognize the person…?’

“I get it for now. It must have been a difficult journey, so go and rest.”

Even after he left, Kentrail was still in thought for a while.

“Who’s playing?”

“It must be the Count.”

Siege heard the piano sound and asked Barry.

“They said that he lived a wandering life as a piano player when he was young, so it seems to be true.”

“Huh…?”

It was a word that was secretly spread in the social world, though it was the first time Barry, a fallen noble, had heard of it.

“You didn’t know? It’s a famous story. A wandering musician gave up playing and changed his own way when all of his family died.”

At those words, the color of Barry’s face changed badly.

‘I heard that the young master’s parents both died in an accident. The Count is trying to catch the criminal.’

One song ended while Siege and Barry continued their conversation.

“It’s a great performance.”

Siege continued as he tilted his head back from the sofa he was sitting on.

With this, everything that had happened to him seemed like a lie. Unlike the noisy outside of the mansion, he was comfortable with the air surrounding him. The sunlight shone in, creating a cozy atmosphere, adding to this atmosphere.

‘It must be because they are all here.’

After a moment, Siege straightened his posture and stared at Barry.

“I’d like to meet him.”

“Who?”

“Brother. Why did he make me like this, and why did he kill my parents? I have to ask him myself.”

“You know it’s dangerous alone, right? Let’s go together.”

“Are you saying you’re following me knowing that it’s a dangerous place?”

“Before, I owed my life. I think I’ll pay it back.”

The two calmly talked about something that Marie would have objected to if she had heard of it. And, in the meantime, a new performance began.

“I think this song suits the mansion better.”

It was a bright and lively song.

Siege raised her fingertips and pretended to be playing her.

“It’s difficult, it’s difficult.”

Ellie fell on her face, turned the pen, and fell into trouble. Beside her, Brielle agreed and followed her.

“Young Master. Why are there so many delicious things in the world?”

The two were thinking about snacks. Since Marie made them eat only one, they had been thinking about which one would be better since morning.

“I want something sweet.”

“It’s a problem because there are too many sweet things. Listen.”

She then took a seat and started the explanation.

“For now, chocolate cake is a candidate.”

Brielle circled it with his finger as if listening.

“The chocolate mousse in each chiffon is covered with a slightly darker chocolate, and then white chocolate is garnished on top.”

“Oh. I like chocolate cake as well.”

“Though you’ll change your mind when you hear the candidate this time. That’s what macarons are. The point of macarons is the filling.”

“It would be delicious, too.”

“And the next candidate. That’s blueberry tart. The freshness of blueberries and the tart is added to bring back the taste that didn’t exist before.”

“That’s right.”

“Besides, our chef’s skill at baking tarts is superb.”

If the chef had heard it, he would have been thrilled and would have baked the tart. However, it was Marie who was listening to this. She was worried about Ellie, who has been thinking about something since morning, and a scene like this is happening.

“So, what’s the conclusion?”

“Sister! I can’t choose.”

Seeing her, Ellie’s face went into tears.

“I can’t choose either, Marie.”

Brielle also followed Ellie and approached Marie with an expression on his face. The children were so obvious, so she laughed to herself.

“Then, there is a solution.”

“Huh…?”

Immediately, the two children looked at her with a puzzled expression.

“You can’t choose either. So, can you just follow the easy way to choose a menu?”

They both looked like they wouldn’t like this, but they nodded their heads.

“Come on, look.”

Marie took out a piece of paper on which Brielle had dictated, and began to draw thicker lines on it.

“What are you doing, Marie?”

“Wait a minute.”

She drew a few more vertical lines. The two of them soon sat next to her and watched Marie do it.

“Okay, it’s complete.”

“This?”

Ellie, seeing only lines drawn, asked, “Yes. It’s called a ladder game.”

“Ladder game?”

“You cover the middle and use the menu at the bottom.”

“Um, I don’t know.”

“You’ll know what I mean.”

Saying so, she wrote down the menu Ellie had mentioned down the ladder.

“Now, choose.”

“What…?”

“Which one of the above numbers should I do? Then the menu will be decided.”

“Young master, what are you going to do?”

“Um… Number one?”

Eventually, she chose number one according to the children’s decision and started climbing the ladder.

“…Wow.”

Brielle watched with excitement.

Today’s snack was chocolate cake.

“I’ll ask the kitchen to prepare the chocolate cake.”

Clearly, Brielle, who was excited when climbing the ladder, quickly turned pale.

Marie opened the door and walked out. She was going to the kitchen.

“What makes you so happy?”

She went down to the first floor and ran into Kentrail in the hallway before telling him what had happened.

“Young Master and Ellie. It’s cute that they’ve been thinking about it all day when they can only eat one snack.”

“That was a big deal.”

“I think so. Today’s snack is chocolate cake, do you want it too, Count?” Asked Marie, remembering that he likes sweets.

“Let’s go to the kitchen together. I’m not in a hurry.”

The treasurer was waiting in the office, but he hid that fact.

“Good.”

Marie liked to walk alongside him, so she didn’t even notice the lie.

“Count.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s nothing.”

“What do you mean?”

Marie liked seeing the two of them walking side by side reflected on the bronze pottery in the hallway, so she called out his name. Whenever she saw herself reflected on the pottery, she repeatedly called him, so they arrived at the kitchen quickly.

“What’s going on here…”

And, because of Kentrail, who opened the door and entered, the kitchen suddenly turned into a commotion. They wondered if an unscheduled inspection came up.

There was nothing wrong with her, though it felt as if they were caught off guard.

“I’m going to ask for a chocolate cake.”

“Yes…?”

At that, the chef asked Marie what this meant with bewildered eyes.

“For the snack. Please prepare a chocolate cake for Young Master Brielle as well.”

After realizing that it wasn’t a big deal, the kitchen employees went back to work and started working.

“Can I see the process of making the chocolate cake?”

As Kentrail didn’t want to go to his office and to be away from her, he came up with a trick.

“Of course.”

Hearing that, the chef, who would normally have made it with skillful hands like flowing water, stuttered a little. Marie saw it and said to him.

“We’re leaving. It’s going to take a while to bake bread.”

The chef shook his head broadly at Kentrail’s eyes as if it were real.

“There’s nothing we can do.”

Eventually, he turned around with her, and when it was time to move on his steps. Kentrail hurriedly turned his around and wrapped his arms around her.

“Count…!”

Immediately, everyone in the kitchen screamed and called him. At first, Marie couldn’t figure out what was going on. She quickly came to her senses and saw him wrapped around her, then she could see the heat rising from his body.

“Uh… why—”

Eventually, she realized that it was the water in which the pasta was boiled. It appeared that someone working in the kitchen accidentally overturned it while taking it to throw away.

“I’m fine.”

He tried to pretend to be calm, but it was hard to hide the pain, so strength entered his forehead.

“Go, the doctor… Call the legislator!”

At her urgent call, the chef ran out hurriedly.

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