Episode 35 – Revisit

*

Inside the rattling carriage, Mena was biting her nails.

It’s the duty of the master to point out undignified behavior in a maid, like biting her nails or shaking her legs, but I didn’t really care.

In the first place, I don’t find those kinds of habits particularly annoying,

I am her rightful master, but I can’t treat her carelessly since she knows my true identity.

Of course, she’s also cooperating with me for her own purposes, so it’s not like she’ll betray me.

What good would it do to treat someone who knows my secret carelessly?

Rather, I was being very good to her.

One piece of evidence is her clothes.

A maid outfit of sophisticated design made of luxurious fabric, distinctly different from the cheap clothes she wore until yesterday while working as a maid at Robin’s mansion.

Wearing clothes that further accentuated the charm of her round, cute beastkin head and face, she looked like a well-maintained doll despite the dark circles under her eyes and gloomy expression caused by her recent hardships.

Who would see that woman as being in her 30s?

Of course, I didn’t dress her in such expensive clothes out of pure goodwill.

It was also a display of wealth to Robin, who was struggling with money, and I hoped to see Robin regret handing Mena over, his lips smacking as he was reminded of Mena’s charm that he had forcibly possessed.

Of course, it would only be enough to slightly annoy Robin, but I didn’t mind spending the money even for that level of torment.

Besides, there was another reason why I didn’t mind Mena’s clothing expenses.

“Are you nervous?”

“Ah!”

Mena was startled by my words and quickly took her hand away from her mouth.

Come to think of it, I didn’t bother pretending to breathe in places where there were no prying eyes, especially inside this cramped carriage.

It’s no wonder she was so surprised, considering someone who hadn’t moved suddenly spoke to her.

“Sorry, I didn’t know you’d be so surprised. Were you very nervous?”

“…Am I bothering you, perhaps?”

I shook my head and replied.

“It’s okay. I don’t mind, and besides, it’s understandable to be nervous.”

“Hoo, I suppose so.”

“You can be nervous, but I’ll explain it one more time so you don’t make any mistakes.”

The whereabouts of Banata, which I found out last night, were surprisingly pointing to Robin’s mansion.

It’s one thing for the candlestick to be dark, but Mena was so dumbfounded when she heard my story this morning that she collapsed, her body losing all strength.

Of course, I couldn’t be sure if the real culprit was inside that mansion, or even if Banata was still there, even if that was the case.

But this is the only clue we have, and since Robin’s mansion, the home of a hero and the Empire’s knight commander-nim, is not a place we can enter and exit several times without a valid reason, today, with a legitimate purpose for visiting, was a good opportunity.

I snapped my fingers in front of Mena’s face to focus her attention.

“I’m going to cause a big commotion inside the mansion today to attract people’s attention. You’ll use that opportunity to avoid people’s eyes and search suspicious places.”

“Um… do you really think Banata is hiding somewhere in that mansion? I haven’t noticed anything at all.”

“I can’t say for sure either, but there’s a high probability she’s somewhere in that mansion. Maybe there’s a hidden passage or a secret room, not just a regular room or storage.”

It was something I had already explained once this morning, but Mena nodded and carefully listened to my plan.

Of course, as with most of my plans, it was quite vague and ambiguous, but I couldn’t help it since I’m the type to make simple plans and then improvise to get through the situation.

In the old days, planning was Robin and Jennifer’s job, after all.

Wow, of all people, those two were in charge of planning.

I even started to think that it might be better to live a little more stupidly in this world.

At that moment, Mena looked at me, her lips moving as if she had something to say.

“Um… that”

“What is it?”

“Baron… no, Edward-nim.”

“Yeah, what’s wrong?”

“There are two things I’m concerned about.”

“Hmm… I know my plan isn’t that elaborate, but two things?”

Mena flinched slightly at my words.

I hurriedly waved my hands at her reaction.

“No, no, I’m not saying anything, I’m just curious about what you’re worried about. You can just say whatever you have on your mind. I’m not even a noble in the first place.”

“Ah, yes, then I’ll speak. First of all, you just said you’re going to cause a commotion, but why won’t you tell me what kind of commotion it will be?”

Ah, so that’s what she was curious about.

But I couldn’t tell Mena about this.

“Um, I can’t tell you. Just know that a very big commotion will happen.”

“Why can’t you tell me? Are you perhaps trying to harm Robin or Jennifer?”

“Why, are you worried?”

“Me? About those two?”

Mena suddenly threw open the carriage door, spat out phlegm, and closed the door.

I was so surprised by the sudden situation that I froze, unable to say anything.

“…That was a shock.”

“Don’t ever say something like that again.”

“Uh, okay…”

“I’m just asking if you’re going to cause a ruckus without thinking.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Then why can’t you tell me?”

“Because if Mena, Lara, and Lily knew about this plan, they would all be against it.”

“Huh…?”

“Anyway, let’s move on. What’s the other thing you’re worried about?”

“…”

“…Mena?”

Her eyes, which had been closed for a moment, were slightly furrowed as she looked at me.

She moved her lips, choosing what to say to me, and slowly opened her mouth.

“I know you have a lot of money, Edward-nim. But why are you giving such a large sum to Robin to help me?”

“Well, I needed a maid to help me while I was working as Baron Salvier.”

“You could have found a maid without spending that much money, and without the hassle of finding a daughter. You could have found one easily.”

“It would be difficult to find someone trustworthy.”

“Even so, I can’t understand why you’re going this far for me.”

“…”

I already knew how Mena had lived in the mansion, so I could fully understand her attitude.

She was abused by a hero respected by the world,

Harassed by a wizard called a sage,

Lara, whom she had barely opened her heart to, disappeared not long after,

And her daughter, whom she had parted with as soon as she was born, was now kidnapped.

Mena’s life was full of events too harsh to trust people.

She had become someone who couldn’t trust others, to the point where she wouldn’t even open her heart to the kind Mela.

It was only natural that she was wary of unfamiliar kindness.

I looked at Mena without saying a word.

She was also looking at me, waiting for my answer.

However, I could only sit there facing her, unable to say anything.

Because I really had nothing to say.

Why was I so determined to save her?

As she said, I could have just hired a new maid who only knew the appearance of Baron Salvier.

But I couldn’t just leave her alone, clinging to me and looking for her daughter.

Why was that?

Was I that attached to Banata? No, that was definitely not it.

She was practically a stranger.

But why was that?

I didn’t know the answer myself.

‘You still can’t just pass by someone in trouble…’

Lara’s voice flashed through my mind.

I shook my head and brushed the voice away.

Shit, that’s so cheesy.

There’s no way I have such a soft and kind personality.

Wait, come to think of it, Banata had a crush on me.

The fact that Robin’s daughter has a crush on me means that if I handle it well, it could be a material to pressure Robin.

Surely that’s why I cared about Banata and Mena.

Mena looked at me and slowly opened her mouth.

“I will pay you back the money, even if it takes me a lifetime.”

“No, you don’t have to.”

“…Why? Why are you being so kind to me?”

“No, that’s not it. I’m saying you really don’t have to pay me back. I’m not going to give the money to Robin.”

At my words, which I blurted out without thinking, Mena’s suspicious expression turned blank for a moment.

“Huh?”

“Shh, we’ve arrived. Get ready.”

*

“Oh dear, where did Dena go?”

Mela was frantically looking for Jennifer’s daughter, Dena.

Just like yesterday, Dena was nowhere to be seen today.

Mela recalled the trouble she had with Robin and Jennifer yesterday, trying to appease the guests because Dena didn’t show up at her birthday party.

Fortunately, Mela’s son, Edward, found Dena and brought her back, so the situation was quickly resolved and the party was a success,

But for some reason, Baron Salvier was not present at the party.

Robin had said that Baron Salvier had left early because he had hired Mena and had a lot to teach his new maid.

That was probably a lie.

Mela could well guess that he had hurriedly left to hear an explanation about her missing daughter.

Baron Salvier, as Mela had seen him, was that kind of person.

He always seemed to be in pain and struggling, but he still had a great will to do good.

At yesterday’s birthday party, Duke Balgur blushed when people started talking about the quality of Baron Salvier’s free meals, and Robin also looked displeased.

Mela stepped in and smoothed things over, saying that it was wrong to rank good deeds, but inwardly, Mela was also impressed.

No matter how much money someone has, or rather, the more money they have, the more stingy they become with giving, but Baron Salvier acted as if it was a natural obligation.

Perhaps it was because she had such a good impression of Baron Salvier,

Mela understood why he had left early, but she was still a little sad.

But then, Baron Salvier had revisited this place in just one day.

He said he was here to pay for hiring Mena,

Mela, who hadn’t heard about it in advance, was pacing back and forth, looking for Dena.

Even if he had left early, it was polite for the main character of the party to thank the guest who had taken the time to visit.

If she could find Dena quickly, she could dress up a little,

When her thoughts reached that point, Mela suddenly stopped in her tracks like an anchor caught on a reef.

“Oh my, I must be crazy.”

Mela was wondering why she was trying to dress up and appear in front of Baron Salvier.

Could it be that she was developing feelings for Baron Salvier?

You’re crazy, Mela.

What’s lacking in a woman who has a hero as her husband that she would develop feelings for another man?

Besides, the other party is a fresh young man who has just turned 20.

Even if she had given up her position as a saintess and returned to secular life, wasn’t she ashamed in front of the Goddess?

Mela covered her cheeks with her hands, feeling embarrassed.

“Ah, why am I being so nosy, an old woman over forty… I need to find Dena first…”

Just as she was wondering if she should call her son Edward and ask him to look for Dena, the mansion’s butler approached Mela from afar.

Anxious that the Baron might be waiting for too long, Mela asked the butler.

“Ah, Gaetan. Is the Baron already waiting in the guest room?”

“No, the guest left his maid in the guest room and went for a walk in the garden.”

“A walk alone?”

“Yes. That’s what the Baron told me to do.”

“If it’s a maid, is Mena here?”

“Yes. I almost didn’t recognize her because she was wearing such luxurious clothes.”

“Ah, thank you for letting me know. Have you already told Robin?”

“Yes, since he came for the contract, he will be waiting for the Baron-nim in the study, not the guest room.”

“Ah, I see, so it’s okay not to prepare the tea set… No, but just in case, have the tea set prepared in the guest room. There might be time for a brief chat after he pays the fee.”

“Yes, I will pass it on.”

Mela, relieved that she had bought some time, went to the dressing room with the maids to get dressed up.

*

Dena was sitting in front of Daniel’s grave again today.

Although it was her brother’s grave that she had visited yesterday in shock after learning the terrible truth, strangely enough, her mind had been organized comfortably since then.

Dena squatted on the floor and looked at the tombstones of Daniel and Rose.

“Da.ni.el.Vol.di.ras.Ro.bin.son”

“Ro.se.Vol.di.ras.Ro.bin.son”

She slowly read the letters written on the tombstone one by one.

It felt like she remembered the images of her old brother and sister, who had loved her, even more clearly.

“I didn’t even come near here because I was heartbroken, but I should have come earlier if I had known. Oppa must have been bored.”

Dena said that, then looked at Rose’s grave next to her and suddenly smiled.

“No. Actually, it’s where unni and oppa sleep, so I didn’t come because I thought I’d be too loud.”

Her brother, who comforted her when she was chattering next to him,

Her sister, who scolded her for being noisy but soon played with her.

Dena closed her eyes and remembered the faces of the two.

It felt like she could hear her brother’s voice on the breeze that was blowing.

“Rose – where are you -“

“Haha, that’s right. Oppa and unni were so close that they were always together.”

“Rose… Rose…!”

“Huh?”

Dena suddenly opened her eyes wide and stood up from her seat, feeling something strange.

Something feels wrong.

The voice of Daniel, faintly heard from the depths of her memory, was somehow strange.

“Rose!”

A faint, more cracked, more chilling, hoarse voice that sounded like a scream.

“Oppa?”

“Dena?, Dena, are you there?”

This is not a sound coming from the depths of her memory.

It was a sound that her ears were clearly hearing.

Dena suppressed the goosebumps that were rising and looked around.

“Oppa? Oppa! Where are you?”

“Dena! Dena!”

After looking around for a while, Dena gasped and froze in her spot.

Because she realized where the sound was coming from.

“Rose! Dena!”

The voice was coming from inside the tomb.

.