Chapter 27
Raynan’s calm voice confirmed that they were not illusions.
No, why were they here, right here, and why now?
I looked around, but there was no one else in sight. I wonder if they really think I’m going out.
“Hahaha, I had an urgent matter to attend to, so I thought I’d take a quick trip…”
It was a ridiculous excuse. I went out looking like I was running away no matter who heard it.
“I see.”
Raynan’s eyes turned to the suitcase in my hand.
I debated for a moment whether to run. However, the door leading out of the Duke’s residence was behind Raynan and Edwin.
But even if you run somewhere else, you’ll end up inside the Duke’s mansion anyway.
The two of them stood motionless as I quickly shifted my gaze to see if there was another way out.
I had never felt so much pressure in my life.
As I started to walk away, Raynan tapped Edwin on the shoulder.
Edwin ran towards me as if he had finally remembered.
“Renee, are you leaving?”
It’s probably because of the moonlight that the hand holding my skirt looks small and pitiful today.
“Young master Edwin….”
I tried to repeat the story I had written in the letter, but when I made eye contact with Edwin, I was unable to say anything.
“Why? Because I’m a bad kid?”
“No. That can’t be.”
When I saw Edwin lowering his head sullenly, I quickly crouched down to make eye contact with him.
It broke my heart to see Edwin, who looked like he was about to shed tears.
“Edwin was always kind and wonderful.”
“Then why are you leaving me?”
“I’m not leaving you, but….”
My words finally brought tears to Edwin’s eyes.
The sadness in my heart grew stronger as the tears rolled down his chubby cheeks, which puffed up whenever he smiled.
I comforted him by carefully wiping away his tears.
“I like Renee.”
“I like young master Edwin too. I told you how much I like you, I mean it.”
“I love Renee so much that I want to live with you for a long time.”
“Young master Edwin…”
I was speechless at the sight of Edwin not making a fuss but simply stating his wishes.
“If Edwin wants this, so as a father, I have to listen to him.”
I straightened my lower back at Raynan’s unexpected words. When I moved, Raynan was standing in front of me.
I was so heartbroken to see Edwin’s pitiful appearance that I completely forgot about him.
Maybe because it’s a darker night than other days. I couldn’t see Raynan’s expression clearly.
I could only guess that he was probably smiling because the corners of his mouth were slightly raised.
The question was, what did that smile mean? My body tensed with nervousness as I stood in front of Raynan.
Did he take that as a sign to run away at any moment?
Edwin strengthened the hand holding the skirt.
“I’ve been thinking the a way to live together for a long time… There is one thing that fits perfectly.”
The hand slowly came up and touched my face. My body became stiff at the touch that was more subtly stroking than his voice.
He smiled darkly, apparently satisfied with the look of terror on my face.
“If you want something, you should say it, not protest like this.”
Will you listen if I say it verbally? I feel like I’m going to do something to my face right now.
I wonder if she realizes that her gentle voice is actually scaring me more.
“Renee, please tell me.”
The sweet, willing-to-hear-anything voice shook her.
If I hang on now, it won’t be too late.
Raynan was looking with kind eyes, but my words wouldn’t come easily.
I hesitated for a while, but he didn’t urge me any further. It seems like he can wait as long as I want.
Since I was already in his hands, there was no other way. It might have been better to just hang on for now.
I finally made up my mind and took a deep breath. Raynan seemed to realize that my worries were over and smiled in satisfaction.
Even so, I didn’t have the confidence to look at his face and speak, so I closed my eyes tightly and shouted.
“Please save me!”
“Yes. Let’s get married.”
The voices that came out at the same time pierced the quiet night air and overlapped.
So it took me a while to figure out what he was saying.
When I opened my closed eyes, I saw Raynan with a puzzled face. I blinked at him.
What was he saying now…? Marriage?
It was at that moment that I reflected on the words that came out of his mouth. Raynan also seemed to finally understand what I meant.
The smile on his face disappeared little by little.
*****
It was the day before that Raynan realized that Renee was leaving.
Until that day, when he and Roman were talking in his office.
“What happened to that maid?”
“She’s been moved to the west wing, so she won’t have any contact with the main building, don’t worry.”
“Good. Keep an eye on her.”
“Understood.”
Raynan, who had been continuing the conversation in a business-like manner, finally closed his mouth. It was clear that everything he had said so far was outside of his interests.
That’s because he seemed preoccupied with other thoughts the whole time.
It was still like that now. He only skimmed over the important work, but when the conversation ended, he had a serious look on his face and was deep in thought.
“Rene is acting strange these days.”
‘It’s about Renee, I see’
Roman nodded.
“Yeah. She was always weird, but she’s even weirder these days.”
“I wonder why.”
“I don’t know. There is no noticeable movement. More than any other time…”
Except she was scared. I swallowed my last words.
Raynan still thinks of her as a bold woman.
So, rather than agreeing with what Roman said, it was clear that he would no longer believe anything he said in the future.
“More than other times?”
“No. Isn’t it because of what Erin said that she’s being cautious in front of the Duke?”
“I don’t think so, but he’s seemed subtly nervous lately.”
‘I think he’s just more interested in Renee than usual…’
Is Raynan the type of person who would worry like this when someone shows a different side of themselves than usual?
I thought that Renee should not just be considered the same as a cute animal.
My head started to ache. This was not a good sign.
Roman stood with his forehead pressed together.
“More than that, Duke.”
“Yes.”
“There’s something I’d like to ask you.”
“Yes.”
The mechanical answer showed that he wasn’t paying attention at all to what Roman was saying.
Raynan was still wondering why Renee was strange.
It wasn’t a good time to interrupt, but Roman needed to know now.
Because it was starting to become clear what kind of person Renee was.
Now I had to make sure. Even for my own well-being.
“The Duke… Renee…”
“Renee?”
When he heard Renee’s name, Raynan’s eyes immediately fell on Roman. His indifferent appearance until now was nowhere to be found.
I didn’t hear the answer, but it was the same as what I heard.
Roman let out a small sigh, and then there was a knock on the door, followed by the confused voice of the servant.
“It’s young master Edwin.”
“Is he here with Renee?”
“No. He came alone.”
The answer to Raynan’s question was unexpected.
Of course, Roman thought that he had come with Renee, so he looked at Raynan with puzzled eyes.
Raynan, who was lost in thought for a moment, nodded.
“Tell him to come in.”
After receiving Raynan’s permission, Edwin entered the office with cautious steps.
But there was something different from other days. Edwin had a determined look on his face, as if he had made up quite a firm decision.
“I came to see father because Renee told me that if it is difficult for a child to do something, it is better to consult with an adult.”
Neither Roman nor Raynan could hide their doubts at the sudden remark.
Edwin took a deep breath and opened his mouth to speak.
However, unlike his determined appearance, a sullen voice came out of his small mouth.
“I think Renee is leaving.”
At Edwin’s unexpected words, Raynan and Roman looked at each other for a moment.
“What does that mean?”
“Young master Edwin, can you tell me in more detail?”
Edwin, who received the attention of both of them, wiggled his hands and said.
“A while ago, Renee said she was organizing her room and putting away important things, but her bag is still there. Even though she’s done organizing it.”
“So, you’re saying Renee packed her bag?”
“Yes.”
Raynan asked quite seriously. Edwin nodded his head.
“No, I think it would be a hasty judgment to think that she would leave like that. Is there any other reason?”
At Roman’s cautious question, Edwin nodded confidently, though he soon looked down with a wistful expression.
“She looked at me with such a sad face. And she keeps making various requests to Marvin.”
Edwin had finished his sentence, and now he was still staring at his finger, his face lifeless.
He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something more, then closed it and bit his lip.
“I listened to Renee well…”
However, he could not overcome his disappointment and sadness and ended up crying.
“Edwin.”
It was a call from Raynan, who had been watching Edwin as if he was trying to figure out what he was talking about.
It was a light call without any special emotions, but Edwin straightened his back and looked at Raynan.
“It’s not your fault.”
Edwin looked at Raynan with wide eyes.
Edwin wasn’t the only one surprised by Raynan’s words.
Roman also couldn’t believe his ears and his eyes were wide open.
This was when Roman stepped forward to ask something about Raynan’s words, which seemed soothing at first glance.
“I didn’t realize she was so hurt that she decided to leave.”
Roman felt anxiety rising at Raynan’s self-talk, which was perhaps even more absurd and unexpected than Edwin’s words.
“She’s hurt?”
“Didn’t Bella Krause come to the Loerian mansion a while ago?”
“… Yes, she did.”
“It looks like Renee saw Bella Krause that day.”
“No way.”
‘You don’t really believe that, do you?’
Roman’s doubtful words, ‘No way.’ seemed to sound different to Raynan.
He continued speaking in a confident voice, as if he was stating the obvious.
“Bella Krause came here in person while there was talk of my marriage, so she might be hurt.”
He remembered Renee talking about Bella.
Her fingers were tangled together as if she was nervous, and even the way she looked at each other and started talking, then waved her hands and said no.
It was different from other days, so she was nervous the whole time.
“I never thought it would be that bad.”
“Duke? Anyway, I don’t think Renee will want to leave after hearing the news of the Duke’s marriage.”
“Why?”
“Even if Rene likes the Duke, I doubt she thinks she can marry the Duke.”
Raynan chuckled and shook his head at Roman’s words. It made me cringe a little, as if he was pointing out Roman’s lack of humanity.
Even so, it’s not enough to be pointed out by Raynan.
“The human heart doesn’t always work the way you think it does.”
“No matter what, she’s Edwin’s nanny and she’s hurt by the Duke’s marriage… I don’t think she’s that inconsiderate.”
“Then what other reason could be?”
Roman was speechless at Raynan’s question.
Of course, he’d been worried that something like this might happen, but she’d been doing so well for so long, why would she suddenly do this?
Moreover, leaving behind Edwin, whom she cherished so much.
However, one thing was certain that she was not hurt by Raynan’s marriage story.
Maybe Erin had told her something else? Or is it because of the wrong advice I gave?
Either way, it was much more plausible than Raynan’s guess.
“Ah!”
Edwin, whose eyes had been darting back and forth between Raynan and Roman to see if he could know the meaning of their conversation, suddenly clapped his hands.
