CH 12

Rachel stiffened in surprise.

She was going to ask why he was doing this, but Sian placed his other index to his own lips.

Shh.

As she held her breath in silence, she could hear someone’s voice outside.

“I can’t believe…”

“A-Ah! Ah! Mother…!”

It was Verengela and Theodore. Their voices grew louder as they passed through the hallway.

“Stop making a fuss and follow me! We are going to the end of this today!”

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!”

“You’re in this mess all because of a commoner girl!”

“Mother, she’s not just a commoner. I really love Jane… Ah!”

“I don’t want to hear you talk about love. How many love-filled political marriages do you think there are?! Do you think all of them end up having a dirty affair like yours? And at the Crown Prince’s birthday party?

It was nice to hear.

Verengela was pretty stubborn and often abused Rachel, but at this moment, she was as reliable as an ally.

“What are you going to do? The rumors are spreading everywhere, so we can’t go back to the mansion today!”

“Why should I be ashamed? If I’m confident, that’s enou— Oww!”

“… Shut up before I cut off your important parts.”

“M-Mother. Please that’s…”

“Lead the way. I heard you got a separate accommodation near the Imperial Palace. I’ll have to stay there for a while.”

“Okay! I’ll take you there immediately! It’s a townhouse not far from here, and I’m sure you’ll like… Oww!”

Their voices gradually died down.

She thought Sian would relax and remove the finger that touched her lips, but he didn’t move at all.

“… Not yet.”

She tried to be more alert, but still couldn’t hear anything.

‘Does he have better hearing than others because he’s a guild informant?’

Rachel blinked in silence.

Sian looked away in concentration, then peeked at Rachel, and finally looked at the ground. The fingers that touched her lips slowly moved away.

“… That’s enough. We’ll have to take a bystreet, so we don’t run into them.”

“You’re helping me with a lot of things. I don’t know how to repay you.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sorry for the trouble you had to face.”

Sian smiled when their eyes met. He bent down in a gentle motion and held out the cufflinks to Rachel.

“It was a waste to give these to a man like him.”

From the very beginning.

Rachel shook her head while staring at the cufflinks.

“You mentioned it was something you wanted. I will give these to you. I have no use for them anymore.”

“May I? The Guild’s code doesn’t allow us to return any money we have received.”

“That’s all right.”

Sian stared at the cufflinks in his palm and clenched his fist.

Just as Verengela predicted, the front of the Elosa mansion was crowded after the banquet. Although people weren’t actually gathered, numerous eyes and rumors were pouring out the alleys, windows, and passing wagons.

“The count had an affair, didn’t he?”

“At the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet!”

“That’s why he never came home much. He was busy doing such a thing.”

“I feel sorry for the Countess, she said she loved her husband so much.”

Regardless, Rachel enjoyed the morning without Theodore or Verengela, not giving a care. Somehow, she couldn’t find Carl, who always annoyingly inquired about her schedule daily.

“Ta-da! What do you think, Graham? Mom got you a present!”

Graham’s eyes widened as Rachel brought out a luxurious package.

“Huh? What’s this? Is it my birthday today?”

“It’s not your birthday but I wanted to give this to you!”

It was a gift she prepared for him after following Sian’s advice. Even if there was a purpose for it, it would be ridiculous if she only gave a gift to someone she hated instead of the one she actually loved.

Graham accepted the gift which was thin and longer than his torso.

“What is it? What could it be? Mom, can I open it now?”

“Sure, of course!”

Graham gently peeled off the wrapper to prevent it from tearing and cheered once he saw the item inside.

“Woww! It’s a wooden sword! I really wanted this!”

The child folded the peeled wrapper neatly, placed it on the floor, and swung the wooden sword awkwardly. It was obviously a clumsy movement, but each time the wooden sword moved, there was a swoosh and the sound of air separating.

“So cool! I’ll protect you with this!”

“Do you like it?”

“Yes, I like it! Alot!”

“Oh, wait. Graham, watch out!”

“Ah!”

Graham swung so excitedly that he lost his grip on the wooden sword. It escaped from the fast-moving hand of the child and flew through the air, coincidentally, hitting a maid passing by nearby on the head.

Thump!

“Argh!”

Graham’s face turned pale at the maid’s groan. The child quickly hid behind Rachel’s skirt and murmured.

“I-I’m sorry…”

“…No. It’s alright.”

She didn’t look alright at all. The short and chubby maid raised her eyes and stared at Graham as if ready to devour him. Without Rachel around, she would have definitely yelled at him.

“Keria, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m really fine.”

The maid quickly left after Rachel spoke to her.

Rachel let out a long sigh.

It was Marsha’s influence. Due to the nanny ignoring the young master without taking proper care of him, the entire household ignored Graham.

Carl said he would warn them, but perhaps it was pointless.

Graham, hiding behind her skirt, cried.

“M-Mom, I’m sorry. It’s my fault…”

“No, you didn’t mean it. I’ll apologize to Keria, so next time, make sure to check if there’s anyone around and use it only when you need to. Alright?”

“Yes! I’ll be careful from now on. I’ll hold the sword with two hands!”

“Good boy, my Graham.”

“Hehehe. Then, I’ll take the wrapping paper to my room!”

“Huh? Wrapping paper?”

“Since you gave it to me as well!”

Graham picked up the wrapper that he had placed on the floor and walked away in small steps.

While Graham was gone, Rachel followed Keria, the maid into the garden.

She and other maids were standing near the entrance to the mansion, gossiping about Graham and Rachel.

“Ugh, it freaking hurts! The young master is so annoying!

“I think it might swell.”

“I hope it does. I’ll make sure to charge them for treatment.”

“I know a doctor. He charges a fortune for his services!”

Well, thank goodness.

Although she had planned to fire them all someday, it looked like she would have to do it soon.

Rachel folded her arms and leaned diagonally against a nearby stone railing.

The maids chatted to their heart’s content without noticing Rachel was listening.

“Since they live together, I guess all the family members are the same.”

“That’s true, there are no decent people in Elosa family. A husband who cheats, a wife who made him cheat and an immature son.”

‘The wife who made her husband cheat? Look at them run their mouths.’

Theodore was the one who cheated, what  did Rachel do wrong?

Rachel simply married the person her parents wanted her to. Even though she was naive and clueless, she still did her best.

Besides, Graham was only four years old? Six years old in Korean age.

And yet they called a child immature? The thought she had of apologizing properly again and paying for treatment, quickly disappeared.

The maids giggled among themselves at what they thought was funny.

“Mrs. Rachel is pretty but dumb. I see why he got sick of her. He probably wasn’t attracted to a stupid girl like her who mindlessly follows him around.”

“You’re right. Mrs. Rachel’s obsession with him was too much. I would have cheated on her as well.”

“Jake, who works in the barn, told me that it must have been horrible for him to marry Mrs. Rachel! How could she not know that a mistress was sleeping with her husband? Hahaha!”

She couldn’t listen anymore, so she decided to say something back at them.

Just as she was about to do so, a horseman on a black horse passed the garden and stopped in front of the entrance. ‘The post office’ was written on the saddle.

The maids, whose eyes followed the horseman, found Rachel standing with her arms folded at the entrance, and bowed their heads in surprise.

The maids looked at each other nervously. They seemed worried that Rachel might have heard the conversation.

If they were so conscious of someone hearing them, why had they spoken so loudly then?

The horseman dropped off the horse and bowed at Rachel.

“Hello, are you Countess Elosa?”

“Yes, I am.”

The horseman nodded when he took out the noble tag hanging from the waist and showed it.

“I’m here to deliver letters and goods.”

“Who sent them?”

“They’re from someone named Marsha.”

Come to think of it, it was around this time that Marsha was asked to send compensation. She was going to scold the maids, but it just happened.

The rider unloaded the luggage tied behind the horse and handed it to Rachel. A letter with Marsha’s name on it was also accompanied.

[I am sending you the compensation you requested. If it weren’t for your grace, I would have starved to death with the rest of my family in the country while having to pay the compensation fees. I will live quietly and make sure to not cause you any trouble again, Countess.

Marsha]

She checked the letter and the weight of the luggage she received and nodded.

“Thank you. I’ll send someone when I prepare my reply.”

“Thank you for always using our services.”

The rider took off his hat and curtsied before he climbed back on the horse.

Rachel turned around and put down what she had received on the table near the entrance.

She untied the string, opened the box, and took out the documents inside. She smiled after checking what was written on the document.

When the rider disappeared and Rachel laughed, the maids lowered their nervous shoulders in relief.

‘What are you relieved about?’

“Keria.”

The maid, who glared at Graham, stiffened in surprise.

“Y-Yes?”

“You were hurt by Graham earlier, right? Take it. It’s for your treatment.”

Rachel threw the purse that Marsha sent to Keria.

Keria’s face became incredibly bright. The money needed for the treatment was three coppers, and the money in the purse was thirty thousand coppers and three golds.

“Ah, thank you, ma’am!”

“It’s too early to thank you.”

“…What?”

“You’ll probably have to spend it all soon though.”

“What do you mean…”

Rachel smiled.

“Because you need to pay 450 gold to the Count Elosa family.”

The faces of the maids, including Keria, turned pale.

The generous Rachel paid all her employees one gold per month, the highest salary after the palace.

It was incredibly shocking to hear that they would have to pay compensation worth 37 years of salary if they didn’t spend a dime.