Jeffrey fell ill last year.
The small inheritance left by their parents was entirely spent on his treatment, and Anne did everything she could.
“I’ll do anything to cure you,”
Jeffrey hated hearing her say things like that.
Even at just six years old, Jeffrey knew why Anne had to go through such hardships—it was because they had no money.
An illness, whose cause they did not know, was making Anne miserable. Despite Jeffrey’s protests, baring his fangs and telling her to stop, Anne would smile and go out to earn money.
Then, one day, not long after the Countess’s pearl earrings had gone missing, some knights came to their house. They said they could no longer live there.
Jeffrey resisted as the knights pulled him out from under the covers.
“Let me go! I’ll bite you!”
Anne would come back. He had to protect the house.
Even in his deteriorating state, Jeffrey held on to the bed with his claws.
The old mattress tore under his grip as the knight’s overwhelming strength lifted him into the air. Jeffrey bared his fangs and growled.
“Let me go! Where’s Anne?!”
“You little brat. Wait, are you a mixed-blood wolf? I know how to deal with animals,” said the knight, a notorious racist against other species.
With one hand, he gripped Jeffrey’s delicate neck tightly.
Showing off to the other knights, he shook Jeffrey’s limp body. The knight smirked with malice.
“Kids get quiet when you do this.”
Jeffrey’s body trembled. He wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or the fear that something terrible might happen to Anne.
Like a piece of trash, the knight threw Jeffrey out the front gate, where a shocked innkeeper hurriedly took him inside. The chills worsened.
‘It’s all my fault.’
In the midst of the pain, barely able to distinguish reality,
Jeffrey thought it was all his fault. No money, Anne being framed as a thief—it was all because of him. If he disappeared, if he just died, Anne would—
Ugh!
Jeffrey’s forehead creased.
A strong, bitter taste that made him gag. The sharp sensation brought him back to reality.
Someone had fed him something.
Instinctively, he swallowed the liquid that had entered his mouth. He thought it was medicine, but this was different. Bitter and hot, it burned down his throat, feeling like he had swallowed fire.
The heat traveled down his chest and faded.
What did they make me drink?
“Grrrr…”
“Oh no! Theon, be careful. I think he’s mad because it tasted bad.”
It was a girl’s voice. Then, a boy’s voice followed.
“Should I give him more?”
“No, one spoonful is enough.”
Jeffrey frowned at the voices near his head. His head hurt, or rather, it didn’t hurt.
‘Warm?’
It was strange. His symptoms had been severe since yesterday, so he realized it immediately.
For the past few days, Jeffrey had felt as though he was submerged in an icy lake.
But now, warmth spread from his chest throughout his entire body, like when Anne gave him hot soup.
Feeling the tension in his body fade, Jeffrey slowly opened his eyes.
“Oh, you’re awake? Can you see my face clearly?”
Something pink moved in his blurry vision.
The voice made it clear that it was a girl. Jeffrey shook his head.
“It’s because the medicine is spreading throughout your body. The muscles that were previously tense are now relaxing, and that’s why you’re feeling this way. You’ll return to normal soon. Are you unable to speak?”
Jeffrey couldn’t understand all the complicated words, but he felt relieved knowing that his eyes would return to normal. He nodded when he heard that his voice wouldn’t come out.
“Still, it’s good that you woke up quickly. I needed to explain how to take the medicine.”
‘How to take the medicine…?’
“Should I leave it here?”
“Yes! That spot is perfect.”
At the girl’s words, the boy placed something like a basket on the nightstand next to the bed.
The girl spoke again.
“These are the leaves of an evening primrose that has been growing for two years. Every day, chew a handful until the juice comes out and swallow it. Once you’re strong enough to move, you can gather them in the backyard of the inn. If you keep eating them for a year, your illness will be cured. Oh, I’ll also leave some candy! You can eat one after you take the medicine.”
The girl hurriedly explained how to take the medicine like someone being chased and then turned as if she was about to leave.
‘Will my illness really be cured?’
Jeffrey wanted to know who the owner of the voice was.
However, the girl left a final message for him and then disappeared through the window along with the boy who had accompanied her.
“Make sure you take the medicine! When you’re sick, it’s not you who suffers the most, but your family.”
***
That evening.
We returned home with the spoils we had acquired by exchanging them for Dad’s wallet at the inn.
The clothes filled the wagon’s cargo compartment, and I was surprised to learn that there were still more clothes to be delivered.
Sister Sherry looked astonished when she saw the wagon.
“Did you buy a clothing store? You were like this even when you were a child. You weren’t interested in anything else, but whenever you went to a clothing store—”
“Sherry. You don’t need to talk about that.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I said something unnecessary.”
Sister Sherry called people to help organize the clothes, looking quite cheerful.
“If I had known that Miss Berry and Young Master Theon would be wearing such cute clothes, I would’ve asked to come along with you.”
She seemed especially happy that Theon now had more clothes. He had only owned two sets of clothes before, and Sister Sherry had been concerned about Theon’s mention of his allowance yesterday.
“Oh, Young Master Theon, should we go upstairs and organize the clothes together? We need to categorize the wardrobe according to their use, and I’d like to hear your opinion.”
“It doesn’t matter how you categorize them…”
“Of course it matters! It’s your wardrobe, Young Master Theon. Come on, let’s go. Hurry up.”
Sister Sherry grabbed Theon’s hand and, as if pulling him along, dragged him into the Stone House.
I met Theon’s flustered gaze.
“Berry…”
“Make sure to organize them well!”
I waved until Theon disappeared. Left alone in front of the empty wagon with Dad, I cautiously asked him.
“Dad, are we going to be okay from now on?”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“Our household expenses suddenly increased a lot.”
In front of Theon, I had pretended to be fine, but I had lived my whole life as a commoner.
This kind of extravagance was a first for me. It made me nervous.
“We might have to start eating bread that costs 100 cona from now on…”
The 100 cona bread, sold as a bait product in stores, was hard and crumbly. It was difficult to tell whether I was chewing bread or newspaper.
Of course, we wouldn’t have to eat such bread in Travel, but I was still anxious about the amount we were spending.
Ugh. The thought of that bread sent shivers down my spine. As I shuddered, Dad spoke to me.
“Berry.”
“Yes?”
“As a direct descendant of the Count of Travel, starting from the age of sixteen, you receive an allowance called ‘maintenance for dignity’ every time the seasons change. It’s money meant for buying clothes and accessories.”
I looked up at Dad.
I had thought today’s expenses came from his emergency savings, but could it be that—
“…Is that six years’ worth of expenses for maintaining dignity?”
“You’ve already figured it out.”
“What a huge gain.”
“Where did you learn to say things like that?”
Oops. I could sense the start of a lecture.
Just in time, Sister Sherry called out to Dad, saying she had found some clothes in Theon’s wardrobe that she couldn’t figure out how to wear and wanted him to check.
“It’s evening, so I’ll be in my room—”
I hurried up to my room on the second floor to protect my allowance. The maids were organizing clothes in my room too.
‘Hmm. I wonder when Anne will be able to come out.’
If she were here, I would have asked her to go check on her younger brother. It was a shame that Anne couldn’t witness the miracle of the 0 cona right now.
“Miss Berry.”
As I walked toward the sofa, one of the maids stopped me.
“The button on your sleeve is undone. I’ll fix it for you.”
“Oh. Thanks.”
I absentmindedly extended my arm, and the maid placed something in my hand, closing my fist around it.
“Uh…?”
It was smooth, like paper, with edges that lightly pricked my palm. I turned my gaze to the maid.
The maid fastened the button as if nothing had happened. However, her fingertips were trembling.
Seeing her nervous behavior made me think about many things. She’s close to Anne, isn’t she? Could Aunt Marian have planted another spy? What did she slip into my hand?
“They told me to give this to you in secret.”
After fastening the button, the maid whispered this to me discreetly before leaving under the pretense of organizing the clothes.
Her behavior was extremely suspicious.
I slowly opened my clenched left hand. It was a small, folded piece of paper… A letter?
My heart was pounding. Should I open it now or not? While I was contemplating, Dad entered my room.
“Berry, about the clothes—”
“I-I need to go to the bathroom!”
I quickly dashed into the bathroom and shut the door. Just in case, I stepped onto the low footrest and locked the door.
This maid is usually a hard-working maid, so why did she give me this note…?
With a nervous hand, I hastily unfolded the note.
ˊ•••••••••••••••••••••••••`
Are you keeping what you were given safe?
I will check unexpectedly, so it’s best to keep it with you at all times.
ˊ•••••••••••••••••••••••••`
Ack. It’s a threatening letter.
I crumpled up the paper and shoved it into my pocket.
***
That night.
I barely slept a wink.
I didn’t have the stone in my possession, yet I felt like Grandfather could barge into my room at any moment.
In the end, I went into the study and wrote over ten pages of reflection, while also coming up with ten different ways to prank Aunt Marian.
When I went to the main house with dark circles under my eyes, Mr. Cerberus was waiting for me with a big smile on his face.
“Starting today, you will be attending the direct family lessons of the Travel family, our Miss Berry.”
“…Excuse me?”
Did I hear that correctly?
…Our Miss Berry?
