Episode 28 – In the Guest Room (2)

*

“I apologize for startling you.”

Mella carefully conveyed her apology to Baron Salvie.

As if they held some grudge against the Baron, the Boldiras family kept causing him trouble.

Mella, who was the very person who invited him today, was therefore even more cautious.

She worried that this foreigner who had crossed the sea might develop a bad impression not only of the Boldiras family but of the Sionisia Empire itself.

Fortunately, the Baron was a little surprised, but still seemed relatively calm.

The maid who caused the commotion was a woman Mella knew well.

Mena.

Originally assigned to Jennifer, after Robin assaulted her, Jennifer tormented her terribly.

To escape Jennifer’s wrath, she was reassigned as Lara’s maid, but before long, Lara left the mansion without a word and disappeared, and Mella, feeling sorry for her, took her in.

And now, that very Mena was grabbing Baron Salvie and shouting for him to give back her daughter.

There had been rumors that she had a daughter with Robin, but Robin, Jennifer, and Mena herself had all denied the rumors.

Mella had always thought it was just a baseless rumor, but today’s commotion made her suspect that the rumor might have been true after all.

Mella looked at the Baron and spoke.

“Do you perhaps know anything about Mena’s daughter?”

Baron Salvie nodded.

“…I know about the girl named Banata that she mentioned. I met her at the Aureo Academy.”

“…Good heavens, so Robin really does have a bastard child?”

“I cannot say for sure whether Banata is really Mena-ssi’s daughter, but listening to Mena-ssi, I am concerned that something might have happened to Banata’s well-being.”

“Ah,”

Even in this situation, Baron Salvie is worried about that girl, Banata.

Mella was genuinely touched.

She even thought that if a Baron with such a character had grown up in this country, he might have become as great a priest as she was.

Mella had inexplicably liked Baron Salvie from the moment she first met him.

Was it because of his name, which was the same as her favorite flower?

Or was it because of his thoughtfulness in comforting the perpetrator even after being harmed?

Or was it because of the deep, intense something she felt in his eyes whenever their eyes met?

Mella was puzzled by the fact that she, who had not enjoyed contact with other people since losing Ed, had even come to look forward to conversations with the Baron.

Jennifer had left to call Robin.

Robin would probably come to this guest room soon, and after that, Dena’s birthday party would begin.

The only time she would have to talk to Baron Salvie today was probably now,

But despite her desire to talk to him, she had nothing to talk about.

Mella hesitated and then threw out a question.

“So, what, what kind of conversation did you have with Jennifer?”

“It was nothing much.”

Baron Salvie answered as soon as the sentence ended.

His voice sounded somehow fierce.

Had Jennifer committed some kind of rudeness?

Mella closed her mouth, worried that she might have offended Baron Salvie.

Fortunately, this time the Baron opened his mouth first.

“Well, about that maid, Mena.”

“Ah, first of all, I apologize again,”

“No, it’s really alright. More than that, where did you take her?”

“Oh, well. I suppose they took her to the maids’ resting room? Since she caused a commotion, she won’t be appearing at the banquet hall today.”

“No, what I’m worried about isn’t that she’ll cause another commotion.”

“Then what are you worried about?”

“I already know that she’s out of Jennifer’s good graces, and I’m worried that she might be targeted because of this incident.”

Mella stared at the Baron with wide eyes.

That was certainly true.

What was the reason Mena went to Lara and is now the maid in charge of me?

It was because Jennifer hated her so much.

Jennifer and Mella were now used to Robin’s philandering, but Mena was Robin’s first affair.

Of course, what fault could she have, being assaulted against her will by a warrior whom no one could match in strength,

But still, Jennifer was greatly shocked at the time, as she was not used to Robin hitting on other women.

Perhaps it was even more so because she was the maid who had been with her the longest.

The maid who was already hated by Jennifer,

Had interrupted the conversation with the Baron, which was so important that she had even asked Mella to give up her seat.

With Jennifer’s personality, she might do something to harm her.

Mella was once again impressed by Baron Salvie, but she was ashamed of herself for not paying attention to Mena.

In fact, Mella knew that Robin was secretly hitting on the maids.

Not only the maids, but Robin had committed numerous affairs.

Mella loved Robin, who had saved her from her grief, but she was growing tired of his repeated infidelities.

Since giving birth to Tess, she could count the number of times she had slept with Robin on one hand.

Among the many women who slept with Robin, there were those who enjoyed sleeping with the famous hero, and there were also those who were forcibly assaulted like Mena.

Perhaps Lara disappeared because she was fed up with his repeated womanizing.

Whenever she felt that his appearance as a hero was becoming increasingly tarnished, Mella would more often escape into her memories with the salvie flowers.

Mella said in a pitiful voice.

“I’ll talk to Jennifer about it…”

At that moment, the door to the guest room burst open, interrupting Mella’s words.

“Ah,”

Mella sighed and turned to look at the door.

A middle-aged man with blond hair was striding in.

Count Robin Boldiras.

Mella’s husband.

*

“Oh, you’ve arrived.”

“Mella, you were having a conversation with Baron Salvie, I see. Did you convey your apology?”

“…Yes, fortunately, he accepted my apology.”

“Well, I’m sorry again, Baron.”

“…”

…

…Ha, you fucking bastard.

[Edward, get a grip.]

[Ed! Calm down! Not now!]

Sorry?

Goddamn it, Robin, you dare utter the word sorry?

Although my undead body does not undergo physical changes due to emotions,

I couldn’t even bear the thought of the lips under the mask twisting into a sneer.

If I could breathe, I would have been gasping for air.

Robin’s bewildered expression at the funeral a few days ago must have been the last button holding onto the thread of my reason.

Now, with the passage of time, Robin’s face, appearing without a trace of grief and speaking to Mella as if nothing had happened, made me squirm.

I wanted to rush at him and crush his shameless face right away.

“Baron?”

“…It’s alright.”

“Is something wrong?”

“No, I was just a little surprised to see the Hero up close.”

I barely managed to swallow my anger and answered in a small voice.

Robin heard my late reply and shrugged his shoulders, sitting next to Mella.

I must pull myself together.

“I heard from Jennifer that my maid caused a great discourtesy.”

“You don’t have to worry about it.”

“I was indebted to you at the funeral, thank you. I wanted to meet you and say it in person. I apologize for not being able to greet you that day because I was so out of it.”

“I said it’s alright.”

I smelled a slight scent of alcohol coming from Robin.

Mella, sitting next to him, must have smelled it too.

Mella asked Robin.

“Guests will be arriving soon, were you drinking?”

“The buzz is gone, so it’s okay.”

“No, sigh… More than that, where did Jennifer go?”

“She went to greet Duke Villard.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Mella, I have something important to talk about with the Baron, so give us some space.”

Mella nodded and got up from her chair.

“Baron, the party will start soon. I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Yes, Madam, I’ll see you soon.”

Mella slowly walked to the door of the guest room and closed it behind her.

As soon as Mella left, Robin cleared the tea set from the table and took out a bottle of liquor from the cabinet.

“Baron Salvie, can you drink?”

“No. I’m not good at it.”

That’s a lie.

I was a good drinker.

It was alcohol that I enjoyed even when I was alive, and this body, which is immune to poison, wouldn’t be affected by mere alcohol.

I just didn’t want to share a drink with Robin.

“That’s a shame.”

Robin took out only one glass and placed it on the table, then opened the bottle and filled the glass.

Robin looked at the filling glass and said.

“I heard about the free meals you provide, you seem to have quite a bit of money.”

“Yes, I have some.”

“I heard you’re from a foreign country, are you perhaps royalty from another continent?”

“I will not answer questions about my status.”

“…Why are you so wary?”

Robin picked up the glass and drank the liquor.

The brown whiskey looked potent at first glance.

Robin, having swallowed the strong liquor, let out a deep breath and spoke to me.

“Huu- I’m not exactly trying to dig up information about you, I’m just bringing up a simple topic to start a conversation.”

“I see.”

“Besides, you’re being called Baron in this country, but I don’t want any awkward situations that might arise if you happen to be royalty or a high-ranking official from another country.”

“I won’t try to wield my status from my homeland in Sionisia, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Hmm,”

Robin stared at me intently.

He must have gotten the impression that the conversation was choppy.

I feel it too.

But this was my limit.

I was doing my best not to storm out of this place, let alone figure out what kind of person Robin was.

Unfortunately, my patience was not yet trained enough to banter with him.

Robin, who had no way of knowing my feelings, smiled and spoke.

“Hehe, you’re a bit shy for a young man. Tell me, don’t you have anything you want to ask me?”

“Unfortunately, I am ignorant of the Hero-nim’s achievements,”

“It’s alright, ask me anything.”

“…Then, I would like to ask what will happen to the maid named Mena.”

“Hmm?”

Robin wore a puzzled expression.

He must have thought he would receive questions about himself.

After all, how many people in this country have seen a Hero in front of them and not paid much attention?

“What do you mean, ‘what will happen’?”

“Madam Mella, who is your wife, said that Mena is already being targeted by Jennifer-nim,”

“Hmm, my wife misspoke,”

“Perhaps it’s because I’m different from the sentiments here, but I’m worried about her. Since I, the victim, will forgive her, I hope you won’t punish the maid.”

Robin stared at me intently, then poured the half-remaining liquor in his glass into his mouth in one gulp.

I was staring intently at the table and not making eye contact with him.

“That might be difficult. In this country, maids who shame their masters are punished with flogging.”

“…”

“This is because it ruins the master’s face, so it’s not something that can be resolved just because you forgive her.”

“Is that so.”

“Unless there’s a way to appease Jennifer’s anger.”

Robin continued in a sly tone.

I closed my eyes.

I didn’t want to see it.

Because I knew exactly what he was going to say.

He’s probably going to say something like, ‘If you give her money, Jennifer’s anger might subside a little.’

“This is a secret, but Jennifer has a rather materialistic side to her. If you want to soothe her heart, giving her something like jewelry is the fastest way.”

It doesn’t deviate from my expectations.

“Of course, you don’t need to spend money for our mansion’s maid at all. Hahaha.”

What the fuck are you laughing at, you moron.

I recalled Jennifer’s clumsy seduction.

There was no way she, who was full of pride, would have tried such a seduction.

And if she had sincerely tried to seduce me, she, who is thorough in nature, would not have used such a clumsy method.

In the end, she was gritting her teeth and flattering me against her will.

The reason for that was obvious.

Robin must have told her to get money out of me somehow.

Ha, Jennifer and Robin are both people with a remarkable talent for messing with my mood.

[Edward, you haven’t forgotten that, have you?]

[It’s a terrible plan, but if it’s to punish Robin…]

I barely swallowed my anger, recalling the terrible revenge I would soon inflict on this mansion.

I opened my eyes and looked at Robin.

“Then let’s do this,”

“Hmm?”

I got up from my seat and walked to the small desk in front of the window.

Robin seemed to have no idea what I was about to do.

There was an ink bottle, a quill, and paper on the desk.

I picked up the quill and began to scribble on the paper.

“What are you writing?”

“It’s a receipt.”

“…What?”

I wrote the amount and Mena’s name on the top, and then held out the paper with my signature at the bottom to him.

“I will hire Mena.”

.