Episode 72. Mount Bern (7)

“Please, make yourself comfortable.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

The maids, who never showed their faces when I called, were now bustling around. It seemed they were specifically assigned to take care of my sister-in-law. One of them poured tea, and I picked up some of the sweets laid out. She had ordered the maids to prepare snacks, knowing I was a bit hungry. The maple syrup-drenched sweets went perfectly with the tea.

“You’ve become even more manly since I last saw you.”

“You haven’t changed at all, Hyeongsu-nim.”

“Hoho, thank you for the flattery, even if it’s just words…”

“Manly,” huh? It sounded more like I’d become rough, so it didn’t quite register as a compliment. Though, knowing my sister-in-law’s personality, she wouldn’t have meant it in a bad way.

My sister-in-law, who couldn’t bring herself to say a harsh word to anyone, was the only person who didn’t dislike me, even when the previous Head of the Mountberne Family was alive. She’s a genuinely good person, almost too good for that wretched Henry. Despite their arranged marriage, she genuinely loved my brother and treated him with devotion.

Her noble and beautiful demeanor had even captured my heart for a brief moment during my adolescence. But back then, a nobody like me didn’t stand a chance. The noble Young Lady, older than me and with a sisterly warmth, was already head over heels for Henry back then. She looked a bit younger than she does now.

“The servants are all busy, so there’s been a lapse in hospitality. I’m sorry, Edward-gyeo.”

“It happens. I understand.”

If we’re talking about what bothered me, hearing “Henry” was worse, but I let it slide. It didn’t seem like she meant any harm. I sipped my tea as my sister-in-law continued.

“Most of the servants are managing the fully occupied annex, and those remaining in the main castle were all taken to assist me with my bath… That’s why this happened. I apologize.”

“It’s alright, the servants can’t be in two places at once…”

In other words, most of the staff were working in the annex to accommodate the fully booked guests, and Marie was the only direct family member left in the main castle, so the remaining staff were all focused on caring for Hyeongsu-nim. That’s why the old maid naturally led me to my room instead of a guest room. …Not that I was going to make a fuss about it.

“Hehe, thank you for accepting my apology. You seem to be enjoying a happy married life. You don’t look stressed at all.”

“Huh? Well, yeah. Haha.”

It’s definitely not an ordinary married life. Especially the “married” part. Really. But I was having a great time with Vera and Winnie, even having simultaneous sex with both of them, so I had plenty of ways to relieve stress. Monica hasn’t been nagging me as much lately either. In contrast, the face of my sister-in-law sitting across from me…

“You look very tired, Hyeongsu-nim.”

“Oh, well…. Sigh. I didn’t want it to show.”

Marie gave a bitter smile.

“I’ve been staying by his side for days, not knowing when he might wake up. I shouldn’t be this tired…”

It seemed the fact that Henry had become half a cripple was quite a shock to her, as she looked slightly haggard. She had just finished bathing, so the warm water seemed to have brought some color back to her face. But she looked a bit thinner than I remembered, and her eyes were sunken. I was worried if she was eating properly. Doing the heavy labor of nursing on top of her normal routine, it was no wonder she was losing weight.

“I’m sorry to hear about your husband, Hyeong-nim’s situation.”

“… Sniff, it’s okay. I know you and Edward-gyeo didn’t get along. But I’m grateful that you rushed here to comfort me, even though my husband treated you poorly.”

“…Please, ask me for anything if there’s anything I can do to help.”

Half of my desire to help Hyeongsu-nim was genuine, and the other half was guilt for pushing Henry. She had done nothing wrong except marry the wrong man… I didn’t regret hurting Henry, but it wasn’t pleasant to see Hyeongsu-nim suffering because of it.

“… Sniff. Just hearing that gives me strength. I’m sorry for disturbing your honeymoon, and I don’t want to trouble you further.”

“Trouble? What’s family for?”

I could consider Marie family. She couldn’t actively help me because she was wary of Henry, but she didn’t mistreat me either. As if overwhelmed by the word “family,” Hyeongsu-nim’s eyes suddenly welled up with tears, as if they would burst at the slightest touch.

“…”

I didn’t want to provoke someone trying not to cry and embarrass her. I waited for a moment, sipping my tea, and she managed to swallow her tears and replied.

“Sniff. Ahem, ahem…. It’s comforting to hear you say that. Then, sniff, if it’s alright with you, I’d be grateful if you could occasionally be someone to talk to while you’re here.”

“Yes…. I will.”

It seemed like she needed some time alone to calm down, so I stood up to leave. The sun had almost set below the horizon, and it seemed like it was past dinner time. They would probably feed me now.

“I’ll go have dinner now.”

“Edward-gyeo, where are you planning to have dinner…?”

“Well, obviously… I’ll eat in the dining hall. Is there something wrong with the dining hall?”

At that, Marie smiled awkwardly.

“The dining hall is closed because I’m the only one who eats there. There won’t be anyone there even if you go now. The maids bring my meals to my room, so I don’t need to go there…”

I understood that she was the only one using the dining hall. But to close it down completely? Wasn’t that a bit extreme? She wasn’t a patient, so why did she have to eat in her room…?

“So, I’ll have them bring your meal to your room. Just wait a moment….”

“No, rather than that…”

I didn’t want to eat alone in my room, especially after coming all this way. It’s not like I was surrounded by strangers, and there was someone right in front of me to eat with.

“Wouldn’t it be alright to eat together here?”

“Oh, would it?”

Hyeongsu-nim said, as if she hadn’t even considered it. It seemed she had gotten so used to eating alone that she hadn’t even thought about eating together. I had dinner with Marie in her room. It was nice to have a proper meal instead of dried rations for the first time in a while.

The next day, I went to check on Henry’s condition. My sister-in-law, Marie Mountberne, accompanied me, offering to guide me personally. Henry, confined to a room at the top of the castle like an exile, had no guards despite being unable to do anything.

“Is it usually like this, with no one here…?”

“No, there’s usually a guard Knight watching over him, but I took a break yesterday and they took a break with me… I guess they haven’t returned yet.”

“One guard Knight?”

“Yes, it’s originally my guard, but since I’m always in this room, they naturally ended up guarding here. I feel like they’re suffering too much because of me…”

The expression on Hyeongsu-nim’s face as she said that didn’t seem to indicate that she felt anything was wrong. What was certain was that her interest in Henry had almost completely disappeared. Even if the Count Family had lost its power, it was still strange that there was only one person guarding him while he was unconscious. And that person wasn’t even originally Henry’s guard, but the guard of the Count’s wife by his side. It was definitely not a normal situation.

I didn’t like the fact that everyone had assumed Henry had no chance of recovering and had reassigned those who should have been guarding him elsewhere. I didn’t like Henry any more than anyone else, but I liked the idea of someone else taking over the Count Family even less.

“What happens if he can’t wake up like this?”

“…There’s a child.”

“Is that child the heir?”

“If I give birth safely, then yes.”

The Count Family’s prestige had fallen so low that they had to worry about whether the wife could safely give birth.

“Don’t worry too much. In a month, no, in three weeks, the midwife will come and check, and then everything will be alright…”

Marie said, stroking her belly, but she didn’t look pregnant at all. Even if she really was pregnant, it wasn’t good for her to overexert herself like this. Doing the hard work of nursing while pregnant, it would be a disaster if she literally lost the baby.

“You shouldn’t overdo it.”

“I’m not overdoing it. This is the only thing I can do…”

She said it herself, so there was nothing I could say. It might be a bit harsh to say, but it almost felt like she didn’t cherish the child at all. But as the one who caused this situation, I couldn’t bring myself to say such a thing, so I just left the room. Hyeongsu-nim kept hinting that she wanted to be alone, so I couldn’t just sit there.

“Hoo…”

As I trudged down the stairs, I encountered a Knight rushing up. I glared at him for being late and then passed him by. I didn’t feel comfortable because the aftermath seemed to be much bigger than I had anticipated.