86. The Mistress’s Plea

I tried to forget, but Deon’s final face kept resurfacing in my mind.

At the very least, he could have given me a hint. When he was imprisoned, if he had known I was struggling to save him, he could have told me not to worry and go back. Or he could have sent a trustworthy subordinate to convey a message of reassurance to me.

He had several chances. Opportunities to reassure me and to explain himself.

“At least, at least… to me.”

Resentful words slipped out from my lips.

Late at night, the air in Galkern was cold. Every breath came out as a misty puff. The white fog that obscured my vision reminded me of the northern landscapes. Could it be that I was feeling homesick? That place wasn’t my home either, after all.

In front of the villa, I saw a dark figure. The black shape was pacing anxiously in front of the door.

Suren was waiting in front of the mansion.

“Suren.”

I softly called her name. Despite the low volume, Suren sensed my presence and turned around.

I approached her with large strides and hugged her tightly around the waist. It had been a long time since I felt such warmth.

As I held onto her waist and refused to let go, she wriggled, trying to break free.

“Is something wrong? Did things not go well?”

She patted my back and took off her coat, wrapping it around me.

Suren was always perceptive. Knowing that I would be cold, she had worn an extra thick coat to share her warmth with me.

I had been able to secure the escape funds smoothly thanks to her quick thinking. Though it ended up being useless in the end.

“How did you know to come out and meet me? I didn’t send word that I was returning.”

“I received rough updates from the news in the capital. I heard about today’s trial through the butler at the prince’s residence. I figured if things didn’t go well, you’d be back around now.”

She whispered. I chuckled lightly, and she looked up at me intently.

“You’ve returned. I thought you wouldn’t make it back. Even as I waited, I was convinced you wouldn’t return.”

She held my hands tightly. Though she probably intended to warm me, her hands were colder from standing outside for too long.

“For the first time, I hoped you wouldn’t return…”

Suren clamped her mouth shut after those words. It wasn’t hard to understand what she meant.

“If you hoped I wouldn’t return, why were you waiting?”

“It would be sad if there was no one to greet you when you came back. Besides, if you did return… it would most likely be because you failed.”

She let go of me and held onto my shoulders. Though she only held lightly and shook them, my vision spun dizzily.

“Did you fail? I prepared lightly just in case. Should we flee immediately?”

She asked cautiously, her face filled with worry. Though I hadn’t detailed the plan to rescue the prince in my letters, Suren had already figured it out. She also understood that if things went wrong, entangling with the high nobility could endanger our lives.

I shook my head.

“No. He’s alive.”

“The prince is safe?”

“Yes. Everything has returned to its place.”

“That’s a relief.”

She heaved a sigh of relief, but seeing my complex expression, she tilted her head in confusion.

“Then why do you look like that? Isn’t it good news that everything is back to normal?”

“Yes, it’s good news. But Suren…”

I finally let out the words I had kept buried in my heart.

“Everything is back to its place. So why does my heart ache so much?”

It felt like I was the one standing in the courtroom, not Deon. Though no one wielded a gavel, I was firmly sentenced in that courtroom with the realization that I could do nothing to help him.

I wasn’t a comrade to share life and death with him, nor his closest confidant. Just a blood bag.

If he had just told me to go back because there was a well-planned escape, I wouldn’t have been so anxious. While I was relieved that he was safe, resentment also welled up within me.

He probably didn’t think it necessary to inform me. What use was it to tell a fake Mistress about an important plan?

The tears I had held back began to fall.

Silently, Suren hugged me. Though she was smaller than me, her body radiated warmth.

After comforting me for a while, Suren grabbed my arm and led me into the mansion. It seemed the fire hadn’t been lit for a long time, as the inside was chilly.

A sudden coldness set in, causing my arms to shiver.

As I massaged my calf muscles, which were sore from tension, Suren lit a candle. With a small flick, the surroundings brightened. She then lit the fireplace, casting a warm glow around us.

In the soft light, I could see the mansion clearly. Although it was old to begin with, it now seemed even more dilapidated.

The interior was empty. The woodpile that once filled the fireplace was gone. The villa felt eerie, almost uninhabitable.

As I looked around the interior, Suren entered, struggling with a water bucket.

The small bucket contained warm water.

Suren removed my shoes and soaked my feet. The warm water eased my fatigue.

The clean water lapping at my ankles reminded me of crossing the mountains in the north. Memories of that time came flooding back.

“Your feet are more swollen than when we were in the north.”

Suren seemed to recall that time as well and tapped my ankle.

My ankle had turned a dark red. Blisters had formed on my little toe, and calluses had hardened on my big toe.

Carefully, I pressed on a blister to pop it. The stinging pain was brief. The skin wrinkled and dried up. After splashing the water a few more times, it gradually cooled.

The soles of my feet felt numb.

I had walked too much today. And I had walked paths I shouldn’t have.

* * *

Early in the morning, someone knocked on the old mansion’s door. At first, I thought it was just a stone blown by the wind scraping against the door, but the sound grew louder. The man standing outside kept coughing, as if urging me to hurry.

No one should be visiting the mansion at such an early hour.

I pushed open the lock on the door. There was a small peephole at eye level, designed to allow one to see who was outside. Through the small opening, I saw light brown hair and sharp eyes.

The gaze, which had been scanning every corner outside the mansion, soon focused through the open peephole.

“Lady Leonie?”

It was Viter’s face, which I hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Please, let me in.”

He said and coughed again, his face contorting from the dust swirling around.

I unlocked the door. Without greeting, he stepped into the mansion briskly.

He moved with a familiarity, as if it were his own home.

Although I was the rightful owner inside the mansion, it felt like I was the guest.

“I stopped by on my way to the capital. How have you been?”

In the sunlight streaming through the door, his brown hair glowed like gold. The tie around his neck and the golden brooch looked immaculate.

He seemed well. There were no signs of hardship or suffering.

As expected, he knew the entire plan. He had orchestrated everything, including getting himself imprisoned, to counterattack Ajanti. Without informing me.

“Are you eating properly? The medical staff is concerned about the thinning of your blood.”

Before even sitting down, Viter started nagging. I couldn’t see the point in checking the condition of the blood I wouldn’t even drink.

Viter, without being shown around, circled the mansion and plopped down on the sofa.

I folded my arms and glared at him without answering.

Suren, sensing the tension, excused herself to make tea.

A long silence followed. Viter, sinking into the sagging sofa, stood up.

With a slightly furrowed brow, he inspected the wallpaper and the framed pictures on the wall, scrutinizing the mansion thoroughly.

He touched the peeling edges of a frame and wiped his finger across the mantelpiece. Inspecting the mansion as if conducting an audit, he finally rubbed his fingers across the shelves, examining the black dust on his fingertips. Then, with a frown, he spoke.

“The cleaning is lacking. Maintenance is poor. I only see the white-haired maid who used to follow you around. Where are the rest of the maids?”

His voice carried authority, as if ready to reprimand the maids for neglect.

He was, after all, a high-ranking noble in the capital. He was skilled at disciplining and managing servants who shirked their duties. But the maids to be disciplined had long since left.

“I sent them away. Two returned to the prince’s territory, and I wrote recommendations for those who wanted to go elsewhere.”

“What?”

“They might have arrived at the prince’s territory by now.”

His eyes flashed with disbelief, but I ignored him.

I had no choice. To dip into the funds he sent periodically, I had to start by cutting labor costs. We decided to manage the mansion with just Suren, the head butler, and me taking turns.

There were bound to be shortcomings. Last week, we didn’t even have money to buy cleaning rags, so we tore up one of Suren’s aprons to use instead.

He continued to scrutinize every corner of the mansion meticulously. His gaze was sharp, scrutinizing every dusty spot.

The demeanor of someone who had overseen a vast estate was still evident, even in the capital.

He glanced at the yellowing tablecloth, the candle stubs with wax drips, and the blackened logs piled in the fireplace before speaking.

“First, block off the windows. Even though it’s not the north, the temperature fluctuations here are significant.”

He pointed his chin towards the window beside him. The frame was bent, a testament to years of wear and tear.

During the fierce winds of the previous night, the window, unable to withstand the elements, had finally broken. However, we had left the window as it was. It didn’t look good, but on cold nights, we simply avoided going into the living room. The money needed to repair the window could feed us for two more days.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

“Indeed, the budget was tight. But to send away three maids? It might have been difficult to maintain your previous lifestyle, but you could have at least afforded their wages. Was it really that tight?”

I looked away, feeling the sting of his words. The truth was, our financial situation had become more dire than I had anticipated. His periodic funds were insufficient to cover everything. I had to prioritize, and keeping up the mansion’s appearances was lower on the list than basic survival.

“Yes, it was, We had to make difficult choices. It wasn’t just about maintaining appearances; it was about survival.”

Viter’s expression softened slightly, though his eyes still held a trace of disappointment. He seemed to understand, but it didn’t change the reality of our situation.

“We’ll manage.”

I said firmly, trying to inject some confidence into my voice.

Viter nodded slowly, his critical gaze shifting to a more empathetic one.

“I understand. Just… make sure to take care of yourselves. It won’t do for you to fall ill.”

With that, he settled back into the sofa, though he continued to look around with a discerning eye. The tension in the room eased slightly, but the weight of our financial struggles remained palpable.

Suren returned with tea, her presence a small comfort in the midst of our conversation. As she poured the tea, I silently resolved to find a way to improve our situation, for both our sake and hers.