“Episode 14”
Mrs. Mary had a dilemma these days. It’s embarrassing to discuss it anywhere. She was managing the practical affairs of the mansion. She handled cooking well and was excellent at washing clothes without leaving any lint. It was a routine task for her.
“Oh, Clothan, um, what are you doing!”
It was a rainy weekend. She had planned to dust off the accumulated dust in the study. But then the master and Ray barged in unexpectedly. Lately, she could see the two of them anywhere, but she didn’t expect such blatant scenes.
“We were supposed to read books, huh!”
“While reading, you can touch me nicely.”
“Stop it! Oh…”
Of all places, they were in clear view. Mrs. Mary found herself unintentionally observing them, despite fearing being caught.
The master had Ray sitting on his lap, with his hand under her skirt. It was clear enough what he was up to.
“Why did you bother to dress up nicely to read books anyway?”
Mrs. Mary, who had braided Ray’s hair, felt guilty. From what she could guess, the master was teasing Ray with all sorts of excuses. She wished the uncomfortable performance would end soon, but seeing the exposed shoulders made it seem unlikely. It seemed like trouble was brewing here.
If caught, it would be the end. Mrs. Mary quietly passed by the bookshelf, tiptoeing towards the exit. As she walked, she had to listen to the unsettling whispers. It was the first time she had heard curses directed at her.
“What if you don’t wear underwear at all? It’s tiring to put on every time.”
“Oh! Don’t, um, stop…!”
Ray, groaning under the bulky man, looked pitiful. Moreover, he was a selfish man. Even now, nothing had changed. He was too busy satisfying his own desires that reading, which was Ray’s concern, was pushed aside. Seeing Ray crumbling under the master’s actions, she felt a twinge of pity.
That was just a few days ago. She didn’t want to experience the same thing again, but since then, she had encountered them sporadically in unexpected places.
In the gallery, which boasted landscapes touched by the hands of the former lord, Mrs. Mary accidentally dropped the laundry basket. Fortunately, Ray didn’t notice, but she felt the icy gaze of the stern master. The more she recalled, the more uncomfortable she felt.
But they appeared too frequently in various places. The hallway near Ray’s bedroom was a place where it was painful to speak, the lobby just before going for a walk, the dining table where dinner was mainly served, the drawing-room for visiting guests, and even the laundry area where laundry was well-dried. The places were ordinary.
While carrying food during a meal, she even saw the master’s foot moving under the table. His long legs were entering Ray’s skirt, and Ray’s reactions were all too clear. It was too much, even for the lord of the mansion, it seemed harmful to an extreme.
“Miss?”
Then the incident happened. Unable to stand the uncomfortable master, Ray crawled into Mrs. Mary’s kitchen. She felt the effects of the master’s mood and boiling emotions on her lower body. Mrs. Mary rubbed her forehead.
“What brings you here?”
“Just… I was curious about what you’re making today.”
“Hmm… I guess the master is busy today.”
Indeed, a shadow crossed Ray’s face. Mrs. Mary shook her head nervously as she kneaded the flour for the bread dough.
“I hope the master isn’t left alone.”
“Um… I just wanted to take a break.”
“Then why did you come here if you wanted to rest?”
His emotions were causing trouble over trivial matters. Mrs. Mary continued to take deep breaths.
“I wanted to ask, but there was no one to ask.”
“What is it?”
“Usually…”
As Ray trailed off ambiguously, Mrs. Mary noticed her cheek reddening.
“Usually… what, dear?”
Mrs. Mary began to ask, then suddenly realized. Though deceased, she had a husband and two children. Now she keenly felt Ray’s unadorned age.
“Usually, it’s a few months after marriage. Even when the lover is dead and unable to live, it’s the same. It may be a bit… too much in the master’s case, but it’s not very strange.”
“I see.”
Ray’s tone as she recounted was no ordinary matter. It’s concerning. She held the key to the lower part’s life in her hands. Mrs. Mary was afraid that she might slip up if left unchecked.
“Is there anything you dislike? Is it too rough? Or is it too painful?”
“Oh, it’s not painful, in fact… That’s okay. It’s just… too much, too much to think about.”
“The frequency? Is the frequency the problem?”
“It’s so different from what I imagined.”
“Bedroom activities?”
“No! I’ve never thought about that. Well, I mean, I have thought about it, but it’s just so different…”
She was a shy maiden, newly awakened to desire. The only thoughts that came to mind as she blushed were how pure and beautiful she seemed to the master.
“Oh, intimate relations.”
I understand what she means. If a girl like Ray grows up in seclusion, the fantasies crafted from bits of overheard conversations would be all she knows. In that case, Ray was a particularly serious case. She probably didn’t know much about books either, and she didn’t seem to have any friends to boast about. In many ways, she was innocent.
“Still, going out to the suburbs together, sightseeing, things like that…”
It was hopeless talk for the master. Mrs. Mary finished kneading the dough with a sigh.
“Really, always steering the conversation in that direction.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You?”
“Perhaps…”
Perhaps this innocent girl was destined for a peaceful life with a mild child in a decent family. Her appearance alone would be enough to captivate most men. But in the eyes of the master, anything less than perfection spelled trouble. Staying trapped like this was a problem, and if they were to part ways, she’d probably end up setting up a tombstone. It would probably be for Ray.
“Why don’t you try bringing it up yourself?”
“The lord seems busy.”
“What! Ha…”
“Is that not true?”
To the master, Ray was less than a stepping stone. The tangled end of the thread was somewhere beyond reach. Mrs. Mary offered a practical solution.
“Don’t you need pretty shoes?”
“Shoes?”
“You only have one pair. Let me know what you need. I’ll get you a very pretty pair.”
“Oh… yes!”
They didn’t talk much more after that. In the silence of the kitchen, Ray, who had lingered around, took some freshly baked bread and headed upstairs, seemingly troubled.
That’s how they met. The master’s irritability seemed to soften. Ray would probably never ask the lord to buy her shoes. She’d probably just smile and brush it off. Like attracts like.
Needless to say, she was indifferent whether Ray wore new shoes or not. But she was afraid. If Ray collapsed from exhaustion, what kind of trouble would the resentful master stir up?
In the end, she stayed up all night worrying, and the next day Mrs. Mary went to see the master on her own initiative. It was a judgment to make a subtle suggestion. She was willing to bear the brunt of the master’s displeasure. If the master agreed, peace would reign throughout the mansion.
“Master, may I come in?”
But once there, she couldn’t keep still. She wanted to throw away the shoes and everything else right away.
“Come in.”
Surprisingly, he agreed quickly. As Mrs. Mary opened the door with a gulp, she found the master sitting in a chair, not alone. He was holding Ray, who had fallen asleep silently, and was stroking her back.
“Speak.”
The master was looking at a portrait fixed to the wall. It was his childhood.
“Master, I don’t know if Miss told you, but… You only have one pair of shoes.”
“I know.”
“How about getting a few more pairs?”
At that moment, Ray, who had just been sleeping, whimpered. The master kissed her cheek and shifted his posture.
“Ah…”
There was a trace of teary-eyed regret in Ray’s eyes. It was a connection between the important parts of a man and a woman. She hadn’t fainted from exhaustion, but had collapsed from overstimulation.
“Do you want to go out to the suburbs?”
Mrs. Mary was stunned, as if struck by lightning.
“H-how can that be. Did Miss say that?”
“That can’t be.”
The master felt Ray’s calf and scratched at the shiny anklet with his nails. Mrs. Mary suspected what was going on.
“You heard everything.”
“Keep doing that in the future.”
“Like that?”
“Listen to her, let her confide if she has any concerns.”
The master was strategic. It was fortunate that he didn’t waste his breath on useless talk. Mrs. Mary’s eyes swayed with conflict as she pitied Ray’s situation.
“Do you dislike it?”
“No. No, I don’t.”
“Ray also needs a place to lean on. Especially with my husband gone.”
The culprit behind her husband’s disappearance wasn’t one to talk. But Mrs. Mary nodded gracefully.
“At first, it was just moaning when he put it in, now she even sleeps well.”
With nothing more to say, Mrs. Mary evaded the issue. The thick-skinned master kept bothering the sleeping Ray, and any response would only please him.
“If you have nothing more to say, may I leave now?”
“But I do.”
“Please, go on.”
“Tell Phillip to prepare the carriage.”
“The… carriage?”
It was a foolish mistake to ask twice. The chilly voice of the master returned.
“Don’t you know what that means?”
“No. I’m sorry. I’ll go tell him right away.”
Mrs. Mary fled like a startled deer. Since she hadn’t even bothered to lock the door properly, it felt as though the master’s persistent gaze was sticking to her back. She resolved to be even more careful with her words in the future.
Even if Ray was trapped in this cursed mansion and couldn’t leave, it had nothing to do with her. There was no need to worry about it unnecessarily. And so, Mrs. Mary made that resolution three more times.
