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MEB Chapter 57

The Secret is Always in the Deepest Place (1)

Chapter 57
The Secrets are Always in the Deepest Place (1)

 

“……”

The once sun-warmed earth had lost any semblance of softness it had absorbed, leaving only the wintery scent lingering in the garden entrance.

The chilly wind rustled the dried leaves, creating a hollow sound.

As I slowly raised my head, Mother was standing before me.

The deafening silence of the frigid garden seemed to cleave a divide between Mother and myself.

It’s not that Mother’s voice was cold or stiff.

Rather, it was as usual. And that’s what made it so foreign.

In her thick fur coat, she wore a forest green dress covered in black lace up to her neck. Her hands were gloved in white cotton, and her honey-colored hair was pinned up, perfectly suited for winter as the elegant baroness.

As the memory of the letter’s spell came to mind, my stomach churned.

“…Mother.”

I managed a slight smile on the corners of my lips and answered in Ethan’s stead.

“We were discussing what happened at the academy.”

Then Mother, perfect as always, gently smiled and nodded.

“I see. But it’s quite late. Were you alone with Young Lord Behemoth?”

“No. Now that you mentioned it, I didn’t have a chance to tell you earlier. On my way back, I happened to rescue the two servants, Ella and Benjamin, and was just briefly greeting them as they recovered.”

“Ah, yes. I heard the two servants had been kidnapped.”

At that moment, Mother’s pupils narrowed into slits, far from human, before melting back to normal as her eyes met mine.

“……”

The calm demeanor she had maintained thus far seemed on the verge of shattering.

Only the gentle nudge of Ethan’s elbow against my back caused me to unclench the fist I had tightly clenched slowly.

“To dare lay a hand on Crowell Estate. Whoever is behind it, I won’t let them off the hook. We’ll have to start the investigation tomorrow.”

Mother recited the words in a soothing tone, resting her chin on one hand as she eyed me askance. Her gaze was piercingly clear.

Like meticulously embedding each of my movements and expressions into her memory, her wide-open eyes seemed intent on engraving every detail.

‘…I also have no intention of letting the one who brainwashed Mother off the hook.’

This resolve, at least, was something we had in common despite the brainwashing. I inwardly smiled wryly and straightened my posture.

“In that case, I’d like to participate in the investigation as well. Young Lord Behemoth has experience rescuing them alongside me, so I believe he would be happy to lend a hand.”

“Of course, I’ll help.”

As I broached the topic, Ethan nodded his head with conviction at the appropriate moment.

This would naturally give me more reason to stick close to Ethan.

However, as if aware of my ulterior motives, Mother gave a gentle smile and spoke.

“Ah, our Edith has already gone through the trouble of rescuing two people. There’s no need to save them all.”

Taking a dignified step forward, Mother’s gloved hand brushed against my cheek. The cold touch of the fabric glided across my skin.

“……”

Simply standing outside would not have made me this chilled.

Perhaps Mother had been waiting all along for Ethan and I to rise from our spot, so that we could move together. This thought suddenly crossed my mind.

“And we can’t keep burdening Young Lord Behemoth with requests for help.”

Mother’s green eyes swiveled to face Ethan. If looks could pierce, she had surely done so just now.

“I heard you proposed an alliance based on your engagement to Edith.”

“That’s correct.”

Ethan nodded his head, his transparent eyes meeting hers unflinchingly. He seemed like someone who had dealt with elders of this caliber many times before.

I suddenly wondered if his father, the Duke of Behemoth, might be a similar type of person to our Mother.

“Even though the Behemoth Duchy is a more powerful family than the Crowell Barony…”

Ethan interjected, as if he had been waiting.

“I have no intention of forming a betrothal that Edith does not desire, using the influence of my family.”

“In that case, you must understand well how dear Edith is to our family.”

“Edith Crowell is a person worth cherishing.”

“…..”

The only thing that felt parched was the inside of my mouth.

The situation of unconditional affection pouring in from both sides was awkward.

Even though one was an amplified result of brainwashing, and the other was nothing more than the stubborn insistence of someone impressed by my talents.

“And.”

Ethan smiled slightly. It was a straight-laced smile, as if he had the leisure to do so.

“It seems, Madam, you haven’t outright rejected the idea of an alliance.”

‘….Indeed.’

It was certain that Mother was under the influence of brainwashing. She should have reacted intensely to Ethan’s provocation against me.

As I gently pulled Mother’s hand resting on my cheek down, I glanced at her.

“That’s why.”

Mother’s smile deepened.

“We need time for our ‘family’ to discuss this.”

…In that interval, I, too, had become convinced.

The sharp pressure of her fingers digging into my palm only mimicked affection and love, but the unmistakable scent of imitation and pretense wafted through.

“We normally do not treat guests this way. For that reason… I would ask that you please take your leave immediately. It would be improper to host the subject of our discussion here in the castle.”

‘…Ah.’

Ethan Behemoth is a ‘foreign element’ that does not fall under the content of the brainwashing at all.

Therefore, just as I had planned to discuss a solution with Ethan by keeping him close, the brainwashing would also want to expel the foreign element that had infiltrated Crowell Castle.

If Ethan had simply remained silent and unobtrusive, perhaps it would have been different. But since he had interjected his support for me in various places, he had naturally become a thorn in their side.

Ultimately, the pretext of ‘family matters before the blood pact’ became the means to drive Ethan out of Crowell Castle.

No, it could have been for any reason, not just the blood pact.

The towering shadow of Crowell Castle loomed behind Mother.

“So I must ask you to leave immediately.”

Mother spoke firmly, as if driving a nail.

For this was Crowell Castle, and she was the Baroness of Crowell.

“But—”

“That’s—”

At that moment, I interrupted Ethan’s words. And instead, I slowly parted my lips. I tightly gripped Mother’s interlocked fingers. The voice I heard in my own ears was momentarily calm.

“It is quite late at night.”

I took a step forward, close enough to Mother to block Ethan’s path.

Mother’s expression contorted, wavering between looking at me and trying to regain composure. It was a momentarily frightening sight.

“So, wouldn’t it be better if we let him go in the morning?”

I spoke soothingly, like how Mother used to calm me when I was young. I grasped Mother’s hands with both of mine and lowered my voice.

“The nights at Crowell Estate can be dangerous, after all. Especially when the monsters are most active. It would be best to present our esteemed guest with a perfect impression of Crowell.”

‘Perfect impression.’ At that word, Mother nodded as if entranced. Stifling a gulp at the sight of her dilated pupils, I slowly released her hand.

I was convinced once again. This brainwashing is dangerous.

How powerful must the mechanism or spell be that can compel someone so unconditionally?

Enough that even I couldn’t escape its clutches…

“The horse for Young Lord Behemoth has already been readied again… In that case, there’s no choice.”

At Mother’s gesture, the two servants parted and stood next to Ethan.

They didn’t seem to try to hide the fact that they were there to ensure we went to our respective rooms properly.

“Edith is so kind.”

Mother lightly kissed my cheek before stepping back.

“Well then, I wish you all a good night. We’ll have breakfast together in the morning and see Young Lord Behemoth off.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“Yes, see you in the morning.”

Ethan and I also gave a shallow bow to greet Mother.

I could feel the servants’ watchful gaze.

From here, Ethan and I must part ways. His guest quarters are in the west wing, while my room is in the south.

“……”

I considered speaking to Ethan through magic, but seeing the look in his eyes, I decided against it.

We were thinking the same thing. Perhaps always. So it was alright.

Leaving the servants trailing my every step, I headed towards my own room.

🥀

In the deeper hours of the night, I donned the thickest dress and cloak I could and opened the window.

Creeeeak…

“Phew.”

It was a bit stiff from disuse, but I managed to pry it open with both hands.

One arm was wrapped in a thick rope I had fashioned from curtains.

Using magic would be more convenient to leave, but I might be caught by Mother. Seeing how vigilant she was today, I was sure to get caught.

So, I had no choice but to use this more arduous method.

Leaning out the window, I glanced around until I spotted the one I was waiting for. A faint smile unconsciously came to my lips.

“…He never fails to meet my expectations.”

Beneath the window, Ethan stood in a black cloak.

“Ethan, how long have you been waiting? I’ll come down now.”

As he looked up, his deep, navy eyes gleamed brighter in the darkness.

“Not long at all.”

🥀

Thank you for reading! ♡

Thank you for reading! ♡

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