“The mother and daughter don’t really resemble each other, do they?”
There was one person missing in Janice’s statement. As soon as she realized this, as if she had read Charlotte’s thoughts, Janice continued speaking.
“Do you know the Earl’s brother, Sir Richard?”
Of course, she did. He was the young master whom her mother had breastfed and raised for 7 years. He was also the person who had just saved her from a wolf attack.
However, she had never properly seen his face. During her past stay here, she had kept to herself, quiet as a mouse, and just a moment ago in the wilderness, the backlight had prevented her from seeing clearly.
There seemed to be no need to mention that they had just met. Charlotte nodded, having made up her mind.
“Yes, I know him.”
“I’d rather you not mention his name in front of your mother.”
The response was unexpected. It was a relief she hadn’t mentioned their encounter already. A look of curiosity must have shown on Charlotte’s face, for Janice sighed softly. She seemed to be pondering whether to speak further, and then she decided to continue.
“It’s just that your mother, Cynthia…”
Janice seemed to hesitate, choosing her words carefully, then she continued after taking a breath.
“Due to her poor health, her nerves have become a bit frail.”
“Nervous breakdown*1신경 쇠약: a disease with which one becomes overly sensitive and easily fatigued when one’s mind and body are very tired. Usually caused by stress, genetics, and lifestyle choices.?”
It felt like a choke and a sudden drop in her heart at the same time, as if someone had clenched her heart. As Janice watched Charlotte’s face pale, she placed a hand on Charlotte’s shoulder, as if she had expected this reaction.
“It’s nothing serious. She just occasionally fails to recognize the people in the mansion. But don’t worry too much about it. She’ll recognize them soon enough.”
Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief at that last statement.
“But the problem is, there’s one person… Maybe it’s because they’ve been apart for so long, but she hasn’t been able to recognize Sir Richard for the last six months. She gets terribly startled whenever she sees him and becomes defensive.”
“…”
“That’s why I thought I should warn you, being her daughter.”
Charlotte instinctively knew that much was left unsaid in her words. Yet, she couldn’t probe further or press for more information.
“Yes, I understand. Ma’am.”
At Charlotte’s compliant response, Janice spoke kindly, relieved.
“The lord will be back by one o’clock. You should change your clothes and wash up by then.”
***
“Felix.”
“Yes?”
“Cover your ears.”
Bang!
As the trigger was pulled, the smell of gunpowder filled the air. The recoil shook his wrist, and the throbbing headache he had been suffering from ceased instantly.
The bullet pierced through the prey’s chest in a single shot. The deer, which had been trying desperately to escape, bled as it ran a little further before collapsing with a thud. Richard dismounted from his saddle. As he approached with leisurely steps, the deer twitched its legs in a feeble attempt to cry out, a futile resistance.
Watching the animal for a moment, Richard aimed his rifle at the creature’s head once again. This time, the sound wasn’t as loud since he was shooting directly at the prey. As Richard casually wiped the blood splattered on his cheek and forehead with the back of his hand, Felix approached and offered a handkerchief.
“Hunting on a sacred Sunday. Aren’t you worried you might end up in hell for this?”
“Mind your own business. It’s not like you went to church either.”
“But at least I haven’t killed anything today.”
With a nonchalant shrug, Felix took back the blood-stained handkerchief and said softly, “You know…you’ve changed a lot.”
Instead of responding, Richard turned his head away.
“You used to be, how should I put it… A timid bookworm, oblivious to everything but your studies.”
The epitome of a top student. The embodiment of diligence.
That was the identity of Richard Daniel Kensington. Shy by nature and unfortunately born with a noticeable appearance, he even wore glasses to draw less attention to himself. What could have caused such a drastic change in him overnight?
It all started with his enlistment. Like many others, Richard was commissioned and sent abroad after graduating from college. Not long after his deployment, the colonial government forces instigated a rebellion, and during the ensuing chaos, he was reported missing.
Although the national forces emerged victorious, the battle was said to be fiercely contested. Everyone had concluded that Richard must have perished in the wilderness. However, against all odds, Richard returned. Somehow, he had changed.
It was a stormy night. As always on such evenings, people would gather in the billiard room of Mistymoor Hall.
Suddenly, the door swung open and a servant, pale as a ghost, entered.
‘The master… has returned.’
As if on cue, lightning struck outside the window behind him. The man who appeared before the startled crowd was the very same man for whom they had prepared an empty grave, believing him to be dead.
Felix remembered the man who calmly asked, ‘Did you see a ghost?’ as he brushed back his rain-soaked hair.
Felix felt a twinge of discomfort, like he was looking at someone else, but it was undeniably Richard Daniel Kensington. Unless it was his doppelgänger.
Contrary to the telegram that had reported him as gravely injured and missing, the Richard who returned appeared unscathed. His fine brown hair and agate-like purple eyes were unmistakable. Now that he no longer wore glasses to hide his face, he was besieged by admiring ladies.
What had changed was on the inside. Something fundamental seemed to have altered in him due to his experiences on the colonial island.
“Felix.”
Perhaps sensing his friend’s unease, Richard’s lips curled into a smile.
“If you’re scared, just say so.”
“What?”
“Stop spouting nonsense that makes me feel sick.”
With that, he turned away, leaving no chance for a rebuttal. Felix hurried after him.
“I never said I was scared. I just thought you seemed a bit different.”
No response came. Eventually, Felix reached out and placed a hand on Richard’s advancing shoulder. Before Richard could shrug it off, Felix blurted out once more.
“Since you’ve joined me for the hunt, come to my place today.”
“Are you planning to call over some prostitutes and indulge in some debauched games again?”
Before a cold rejection could be voiced, Felix quickly added, “It’s not like that. You’ll be glad to see.”
Kicking the flanks of their horses, Felix spurred his mount forward, taking the lead. As the two horses emerged from the dense forest, a lady was seen waiting not far ahead. Felix waved at her.
“Kiara!”
She was a captivating woman with her red curly hair tied up and a curvaceous figure. Both men dismounted in front of her, and Felix reached out to his cousin first.
“I didn’t know you were already here. Did you walk?”
“I came out to meet you since I heard you were here.”
Felix lightly kissed Kiara’s cheek in greeting and said affectionately, “Kiara, meet Richard. The one I told you about.”
Then turning to Richard, Felix introduced her, “Richard, long time no see. This is my cousin Kiara.”
“…Kiara?”
As Richard murmured, trying to jog his memory, Kiara frowned as if she felt slighted.
“That’s harsh. I know it’s been a while since you’ve seen me, but you don’t remember me? The three of us used to play together a lot when we were younger.”
At her words, Richard blinked quietly and after a brief silence, he smiled faintly.
“Ah, it’s been a long time.”
Like a predator hidden in the bushes, eyeing its prey.
***
The Earl and Countess Kensington were welcoming to Charlotte. They were a couple known for their kindness and integrity even on regular days.
The Earl expressed his regrets about Cynthia’s condition to Charlotte, who had come to greet them, and told her she was welcome to stay at the mansion for as long as she wished. Though he said “as long as you like,” it was understood that the maximum stay would be a month.
When the introductions were over, Janice called Charlotte to the kitchen where the staff was gathered.
“This is Cynthia’s daughter, and she will be staying with us for a while. The lord has asked us to treat her like family.”
After exchanging greetings with the twelve other staff members, excluding Janice, Charlotte followed Janice around, getting explanations about the structure of the mansion. Time flew by, and soon it was evening, and the sun had set.
After dinner, rain suddenly began to pour outside the windows. As it grew dark, Janice handed Charlotte a candle before returning to her duties.
Charlotte was climbing the stairs, candle in hand, when a gust of wind, from nowhere, blew out the candlelight, plunging everything into darkness. Startled by the sudden absence of light, a wave of worry washed over her.
“What should I do? I don’t have any matches…”
Muttering to herself and sighing, Charlotte consoled herself with the thought that it would all seem like nothing by morning, and continued up the stairs, feeling her way along the wall. The next moment, she was startled and nearly tumbled down the stairs.
Whoosh.
Something black brushed past her. The moment she caught sight of its glowing yellow eyes, her heart dropped.
Frozen in place, barely able to catch her trembling breath, she then heard a soft meowing from behind. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte turned around and immediately felt relieved.
“Meow.”
The figure faintly visible in the darkness was a cat. Its jet-black fur made it difficult to see clearly in the already dim surroundings. Chuckling at her own sense of alarm, Charlotte lifted her head and hastened her steps.
It was when she had reached the top floor. The door she was sure she had closed was slightly ajar, with light seeping through the crack.
“Mom…?”
It was her mother, who, despite the strong smell of medicine, hadn’t stirred even when her daughter arrived. Eager at the thought that her mother might finally be awake, Charlotte quickened her pace and pushed the door open wider. Cynthia, sitting up and leaning against the headboard, turned her head at the sound of the door opening.
🍉🍉🍉
