Chapter 27
“…Could you repeat why you’re here?”
“The Duke of Stefan Edmond sent me, his aide, to assist you, Viscount Leopold Burke.”
Leopold’s brow furrowed as he faced Bell. His sister had already asked him to investigate the Duke’s aide, so the fact that this man had come on his own accord was like a gift falling into his lap. However, it was only natural to feel that the sudden appearance of Stefan’s man, without any prior notice, was unwelcome.
“And what exactly are you here to help with?”
“I’m here to assist with the management of the Burke Trading Company.”
“I can handle that on my own.”
“I’ve already reviewed how you used the Edmond family’s promissory notes.”
“…”
It wasn’t just that he asked where the notes had gone; the fact that he claimed to know how they had been used was quite unsettling. Even if those notes belonged to the Edmond family, the ownership had clearly been transferred to Leopold. The unpleasantness was evident in Leopold’s tone, which grew lighter as he spoke.
“I haven’t used those notes carelessly.”
“I’m aware, Viscount. I see you used them all to pay off the debts of the Burke Trading Company.”
As soon as the word “debt” was mentioned, Leopold’s face flushed. It felt as if Bell was implying that his father was like an incompetent parent who had burdened his children with debt before passing away.
“Those debts were incurred due to the sinking of the merchant ship. Until then, the Burke Trading Company had been operating steadily.”
“So, are you saying that from now on, you will be able to manage the company efficiently?”
“It will be difficult at first, but as I learn more…”
“And who will you learn from? From what I’ve heard, the recent sinking resulted in the deaths of not only your parents, but also the key figures of the Company.”
“…”
This time, Leopold’s face turned pale. The fact that Bell knew all this information, which had not been disclosed to anyone, terrified him.
“Does His Grace know about this as well?”
“Yes. That’s why he sent me to assist you.”
“Is he planning to take over the Burke Trading Company?”
“Sorry?”
“Why would he want to help the company?”
“Because it’s the family of the Duchess.”
Leopold’s suspicion deepened at Bell’s words. Stefan, who lacked nothing, had no reason to help the Burke Trading Company. Moreover, the idea that he would assist his wife’s brother, despite not loving her, seemed absurd.
“…What did you say your name was?”
“Finn Brighton.”
“Have you found a place to stay?”
“Not yet…”
“Then you may stay at the Viscount’s estate.”
“Thank you, Viscount.”
Leopold extended his hand toward Bell as if to offer a handshake, with a bright smile on his face.
“Thank you for coming all this way to help the family of the Duchess, whom you’ve never met before, Mr. Brighton.”
“The affairs of the Burke family are also the affairs of the Edmond family.”
Leopold smiled meaningfully, though he found it extremely unpleasant to shake Bell’s hand. If Finn Brighton was Stefan’s lover, it meant that he, too, was likely a homosexual. The thought of inviting a homosexual into his home made Leopold feel repulsed, but he decided to endure it for the sake of his sister. He needed to find a solid weakness in Stefan to rescue Rachel from that wretched duke’s household.
“I look forward to working with you, Mr. Brighton.”
“Please feel free to call me Finn, Viscount.”
“…Yes, Finn.”
Thus began an awkward cohabitation, just as unnatural as the handshake between Leopold and Bell.
***
“Ma’am, someone from the kitchen has come up.”
“Let them in.”
Late in the afternoon, Emily arrived. She was carrying a tray with both hands, filled with a variety of chocolates and a pot of chocolate tea.
After sending Mary out of the bedroom, I welcomed Emily as warmly as possible.
“Come in, Emily.”
“I… I’ve brought the chocolate tea y… you asked for, Ma’am.”
Although not as much as in front of the head chef, Emily was still stammering. She probably hadn’t realized yet that I was on her side.
“Come, have a seat.”
“Pardon?”
“I mean, let’s taste the results together.”
“O… oh, yes… Ma’am.”
Emily hesitantly approached the tea table and carefully set down the tray. But perhaps because she was overly nervous, her hands shook, causing her to spill some of the chocolate tea.
“I… I’m so… sorry, Ma… Ma’am.”
Seeing Emily trembling and prostrated on the floor was truly pitiful. After all, it was just a little spill on the saucer, not even on the tray.
“It’s alright, Emily. Get up.”
“…”
“I said, get up. What’s the big deal about spilling a bit of tea? Why are you lying there like that?”
Emily seemed puzzled by my reaction, so she peeked up at me. In response, I smiled brightly and extended my hand to her.
“Come on, Emily, get up.”
Emily looked back and forth between my face and my hand but didn’t move.
So, I got down from my chair, crouched in front of her, and offered my hand again. Emily, in her daze, finally took my hand, her eyes filled with me.
“Is the Duchess an angel?”
I almost laughed aloud at how clearly I could read Emily’s thoughts.
“Ahem, Emily, let’s get up now.”
“Oh my, Ma’am, I’m sorry.”
Startled, Emily shot up as if she had forgotten to stammer. I smiled at her and guided her to the chair opposite mine, then returned to my own seat.
“Emily, there’s no need to be nervous in front of me.”
“…”
“I’m just someone who needs the help of the staff, even before I am the Duchess.”
“Sorry?”
“Actually, you shouldn’t be nervous in front of anyone. Imagine that whoever is in front of you isn’t a superior but someone who needs help.”
“How…”
“Imagination is something you do on your own. No one else has to know.”
“But…”
“Nervousness only leads to mistakes. When mistakes pile up, you start to lose confidence, and as you shrink into yourself, mistakes become more frequent.”
Emily was staring blankly at me as if she were hypnotized.
“That’s it, Emily.”
“Yes?”
“Hypnotize yourself.”
“Hypnotize myself?”
“I’m not afraid of the head chef. The head chef is nothing.”
Startled by my words, Emily quickly covered her mouth with both hands and cautiously asked, “Ma’am, did I tell you that I’m afraid of the head chef?”
“No.”
“Then how did you know?”
“I could tell from the way you act.”
“Really?”
“See, you’re not stuttering anymore.”
“Gosh, you’re right!”
“You were scolded a lot for stuttering, weren’t you?”
Emily couldn’t even answer; she just nodded her head as tears welled up in her eyes. I handed her a lace handkerchief from the table.
“Take this. It’s a gift.”
“…”
“When you feel like crying, just cry. Cry until that handkerchief is soaked through, Emily.”
“…”
“Cry so hard that you forget why you were even crying in the first place. And then just shake it all off.”
With that, Emily burst into tears. She covered her mouth with the handkerchief I had given her and sobbed uncontrollably.
Seeing her cry like that made me tear up as well. I grabbed a napkin from the tray Emily had brought and dabbed at my eyes.
This startled Emily, and she stopped crying. She hesitated with the now-soaked handkerchief in her hand, unsure whether to give it back to me or not.
“Keep that handkerchief. I told you, it’s a gift from me.”
“But why were you crying, Ma’am?”
Emily asked me innocently, and I smiled brightly at her, forgetting the old saying that laughing while crying could make a tree grow in your belly button.
“I was scared too.”
“Of what?”
“Of everyone in the Duke’s household…”
“Why?”
“I was left alone in this strange Duke’s mansion, away from the family I love. Everyone calls me the Duchess or the young Madam, but their sharp gazes made me feel afraid.”
To comfort me, Emily cautiously reached out and held my hand on the tea table. Through her warm touch, I could feel her kind heart.
“Ma’am, you’re not afraid of me, are you?”
“No, everyone except you, Emily…”
“But why am I different?”
“You seemed similar to me. The way you were all timid and stuttering in front of the head chef looked just like how I felt.”
“No way…”
“I felt the same way in front of the Dowager Duchess, in front of His Grace the Duke.”
“…”
Emily seemed to empathize with my words. After all, Rita, who was intimidating, and Stefan, who was cold, must have been formidable masters for her too.
Although my original intention was to win Emily over to my side, I found myself feeling comforted as well.
“Ma’am, you’re my savior.”
“Sorry?”
“I’ll work even harder for you.”
“Thank you, Emily. Now, how about we try some of that chocolate tea?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
As I took a sip, I couldn’t help but think of her in a previous life. ‘Emily always looked at me with those same worried eyes, didn’t she?’
