It seemed that this woman was the marchioness. She was panting heavily as she grabbed a knife from the table.
“I shouldn’t have… I shouldn’t have given birth to you. I… I have to end this myself…”
Isaac, sensing danger, started to back away cautiously. The woman’s hand holding the knife trembled violently.
At that moment, the door opened, and someone entered—it was the Marquis Dias. As soon as he saw the scene, he strode forward and slapped the marchioness across the face.
“Are you insane! What are you doing to your own son!”
The marchioness collapsed onto the floor, seemingly in shock. The marquis’s eyes were filled with nothing but cruelty as he looked at his wife.
“Leave, Isaac. Go to your room.”
Isaac nodded at the command and cautiously left the room. Now, only the marquis and the marchioness remained. The marchioness looked at her husband with vacant eyes, clutching his clothes as she spoke.
“Honey, we can’t just leave that child alone.”
“You’re insane. How could you do such a thing to our son?”
“No! Ever since that child was born, strange things have been happening in this house. He’s always around where someone dies!”
The marquis pushed her aside as if her words weren’t worth listening to. A flash of betrayal crossed the marchioness’s eyes as she staggered to her feet.
“Why are you protecting Isaac like this? Are you involved in this too?”
“What?”
“I know suspicious people have been coming and going from the annex. You… you’re hiding something, aren’t you?”
At those words, the marquis fell silent. The marchioness seemed to take his silence as confirmation. Her voice trembled.
“Monastery… I’ll tell the monastery. “
“…”
“What are you doing, honey? What on earth…?”
The marquis still said nothing. He just looked at his wife with a cold, emotionless stare. Then, he reached out and gently touched the scarf she was wearing.
“Do you know how much this scarf you’re wearing costs?”
“What? What are you talking about…”
“You’re enjoying all of this because of my sacrifices.”
As he slowly loosened the scarf, the sound of fabric sliding echoed in the room, and he continued speaking.
“The reason we’ve prospered is thanks to him. Are you still thinking of reporting this to the monastery?”
The marchioness visibly flinched at his words. Her hands trembled as she barely managed to respond.
“This… is a sin in the eyes of God. Even if we fall, we mustn’t do such things.”
“…”
“So, please, honey. Stop this now. You can stop, right?”
She looked at him with desperate eyes as if hoping that he could put an end to all of it.
Did her gaze soften his heart? The marquis sighed deeply and spoke in a low voice.
“Alright. I’ll do as you say.”
“Honey…! Thank you so much.”
For the first time, the marchioness’s face lit up. She moved toward the door, relieved.
“I don’t know what to do about Isaac. That child… Keugh!”
Suddenly, the marquis moved behind her and began to strangle her with the scarf. As choking sounds filled the air, veins bulged on the back of his hand. There was no hesitation or remorse on the marquis’s face as he killed his wife. She scratched at his hand with her fingernails, but eventually, her arms fell limp. And with that, the scene faded back to normal.
…What did I just witness? I was in shock, unable to process what I had just seen. I couldn’t believe what had just unfolded before my eyes.
Marquis Dias… What on earth had he done to his own wife?
I understood what I had seen, but my mind refused to fully accept it.
“…Meow.”
It was best to keep moving. As I made my way to the next room, my mind was swirling with thoughts. The image of young Isaac, pale and retreating in fear, remained vivid in my mind.
6. What is Hidden
Morning eventually came, as it always did after the night. The daily assembly began without fail. As I listened to the butler deliver the day’s instructions, I found myself drifting back to the events of the previous night.
After discovering that the marchioness had been killed by the marquis, I couldn’t stop wondering what had happened in the Dias mansion. And what had Isaac endured? Would I eventually uncover the truth as I ascended through the floors of this mansion?
Just then, the butler clapped his hands to signal the end of the assembly. “That concludes today’s assembly. Let’s all get to work.” At his words, the staff dispersed to their various tasks.
A maid turned to me and asked, “Lord Raphael didn’t return last night, did he?”
“No, he didn’t return after going out.”
Raphael had mentioned going out yesterday and hadn’t returned. I figured he must have spent the night somewhere.
I didn’t mind having the time off, but since I didn’t want to laze around all day, I turned to the maid and asked, “Is there anything I can help with?”
“Hmm… could you prepare some food for the cat?”
“Food for the cat?”
It seemed the mansion also provided food for the cats. I nodded and headed to the kitchen, where I spoke to the head cook.
“I’m here to get some food for the cat. Do you have any leftover scraps?”
“Oh, Mia. You’re taking care of that today? I’ve set some aside. Here you go.”
The cook handed me a small plate piled high with meat. Judging by the way she said ‘today,’ this clearly wasn’t the first time.
I asked her curiously. “When did we start preparing food for the cats?”
“It’s been a while. One day, the master ordered us to start feeding them.”
“Master…?”
It seemed out of character.
That Isaac caring about feeding cats? I couldn’t help but feel a bit puzzled.
“Just leave it under the big tree. That’s where they eat.”
“Okay, I’ll take it there.”
I grabbed the plate of meat and another plate of water and headed to the large tree. When I arrived, a cat was already there. It was the same cat with the ginger markings I had seen before. It seemed to realize I was bringing food, as it quickly ran over and rubbed against my leg.
“Meow.”
How cute. I placed the plate on the ground, and the cat immediately began to eat hungrily. Amused by the sight, I crouched down to watch for a while. That’s when I felt someone approaching from behind. When I turned around, I saw Isaac. Startled, I quickly stood up.
“Ma-Master. What brings you here…?”
“I’m out for a morning walk.” He spoke dryly and glanced at the cat behind me. His gaze softened slightly. “It’s eating well.”
Although not as warm as when he looked at his own cat, there was still some warmth in his eyes. It was unlike him.
Isaac sat down on a nearby bench and watched the cat eat in silence. After a moment, he spoke to me. “Sit down. You were watching it, weren’t you?”
“…Yes.”
We both sat on the bench, watching the cat together. I glanced at Isaac and hesitantly asked, “Um, master…?”
“What?”
“You didn’t seem to like cats before, did you?”
He didn’t seem particularly interested in them before.
Isaac turned to look at me and replied. “I don’t. Except for my cat.”
“Then why are you feeding them…?”
“Because it reminds me of my cat.”
Isaac’s eyes were calm as he said this. They were nothing like the murderous, crazed look I had seen before.
“I heard it’s hard for cats to find food outside. My cat must have had a hard time when it lived on the streets too.”
“…”
“So I wanted to help. Though I’m not sure why.”
I couldn’t help but smile a little at his words. His sincerity made me feel a sense of relief.
Yes, he’s a kind person. Although Isaac had a terrifying side, it was comforting to know there was warmth in him.
Isaac noticed my smile and watched me quietly. Embarrassed, I quickly stopped smiling. Would he be upset that I laughed…? Just as I began to feel nervous, the cat, having finished eating, jumped onto my lap.
“Meow!”
It waved its paws at me as if asking to be petted.
What an affectionate little cat…! I gently stroked its head, and it began to purr contentedly.
“You’re the type to be loved by cats, aren’t you?” Isaac’s voice carried a hint of envy.
I looked at him and then plucked a blade of grass nearby, offering it to him. “Why don’t Master try playing with the cat?”
“What? But cats don’t like me.”
“You just need to get to know them. Go ahead, play with it.”
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