Episode 61
Fortunately, it wasn’t the worst-case scenario that Lillian had feared.
“No way. It’s nothing like that. The Kennis dowager has left the mansion vacant for a few days due to charity work, and Miss Odile is staying alone there for the first time, which she finds scary. She’ll probably only stay for a day or two.”
In that case, it would fill up for two or three days.
Mary waved off concerns, but Lillian remained skeptical.
Moreover, she didn’t entirely trust Mary’s explanation.
“If it’s just for a day or two, we can offer a guest room.”
Maynard Mansion is spacious, and since there’s a lot of traffic from outsiders, guest rooms are always ready. It means there’s no need to hassle with moving bedding.
So there’s only one option.
‘I’ll prepare a room for you to stay in whenever you want.’
The flow of the conversation was obvious at a glance. If Odile shed tears, fearing to stay alone, Cedric, feeling concerned, would have ordered her to stay and prepared a room for her to use. After all, he would have thought of her as an incoming guest eventually.
So, anytime something like this happens, it means it could happen at any time. Being overwhelmed by such occurrences could happen in the blink of an eye.
‘I know you would.’
Lillian gritted her teeth. Clutching the hem of her dress tightly with both hands, she stomped up the stairs. Since the servants were going back and forth, there was no need to ask Mary where Odile’s room was.
It was at the end of the corridor opposite to Lillian’s.
If Lillian’s room was the best room on the left corridor, Cedric had given Odile the best room on the right corridor. The room was almost finished decorating already. Odile, who had been waiting there, greeted Lillian with a feigned nonchalance.
“Oh, milady! You weren’t here a moment ago. You’ve returned!”
A face eerily similar to Swan’s.
A voice entirely different from Swan’s.
It took a moment for Lillian’s worldview to flip.
“I don’t know if you heard, but the duke offered me a room. Thanks to him, I’ll also be staying at the duke’s— Oh, milady?! Milady! What are you doing?!”
Lillian ripped apart the canopy of the bed. She pulled down the white comforter that the maids had laid out and stomped it onto the floor. Then, she pulled out the folding knife she always carried and slashed at the pillows.
Rip!
Feathers burst out of the pillows, scattering in all directions.
Not stopping there, Lillian grabbed the pillow with all her might and hurled it, then shattered a vase and began tearing the books from the bookshelf.
Everything happened so quickly that it wasn’t until the vase shattered that the servants snapped out of it.
“Oh, Miss!”
“Miss! You shouldn’t do this!”
“Let go of that! You all, get out! Everyone, out!”
As the duck feathers floated through the air, a chaotic scene unfolded with Lillian and the servants entangled together.
However, since there were several servants and only one Lillian, it was inevitable that Lillian would be at a disadvantage. Nevertheless, Lillian persisted fiercely until the end.
“Miss, please stop!”
“Let go! Let go! No one can use this room!”
“You used to be so quiet… Why are you acting like this now? Take her outside!”
“Let go of this!”
As Lillian struggled, Cedric, who had noticed the commotion, rushed in. He frowned as he surveyed the mess in the room.
“What’s all this noise about?”
Only then did Lillian stop moving. When the servants released her, Lillian approached Cedric as if to say, “Why did you let me struggle like that?” But Cedric’s gaze upon seeing Lillian was not as warm as before. After glancing around the room with a frown, he sighed and asked Lillian,
“Tell me honestly. Did you cause this situation, Lillian?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s unacceptable to offer a room to someone who isn’t a member of the family.”
The crease between Cedric’s eyebrows deepened.
“She’s still a potential member of the family, whether or not she’s been officially recognized.”
“She’s not recognized yet, and there’s no certainty.”
“This was done under my orders.”
“Please retract it. I want it as a birthday present.”
In the end, Cedric sighed.
“Lillian. That’s not possible.”
He didn’t think Lillian would surrender, but he couldn’t understand why she would go to such lengths over just one room, especially when she hadn’t even been formally accepted into the family yet.
Cedric turned away.
“I’m disappointed in you today. I don’t want to see your face right now, so leave.”
Instead of replying, Lillian walked out slowly. It was later discovered that her footsteps left traces of blood.
* * *
The people at Maynard Manor had a misconception about Lillian.
They thought she was a very quiet and docile child. Kind and considerate, but lacking a bit of spirit. Of course, lacking spirit might be an accurate description. Anyway, Lillian didn’t easily warm up to strangers. But Theo knew that all of that was just a facade Lillian had created.
‘Darn it, she’s the kind of kid who’d ransack the warehouse when she’s angry!’
After Lillian ran off, Theo, who arrived at the mansion a step late, hurried to follow her. But he could already sense that he was too late just from the chaotic atmosphere and murmurs.
So when Theo arrived, everything had already ended, and Lillian, with feathers scattered in her hair, was slowly walking out of the ruined room.
“Hey, you…”
Theo instinctively called out to Lillian, then shut his mouth.
It was only then that he realized that no one in the room was looking at Lillian.
And it seemed like only Theo noticed that Lillian was bleeding from her hand.
Theo silently cursed.
“Aren’t you all being too much?”
Even if she’s the young lady of the house, and they’re guests over there.
Regardless of what happened, Lillian seemed isolated in this space.
‘She’s going to cry again.’
Finally, Theo sighed and dragged Lillian along.
“Let’s get you treated first.”
Contrary to Theo’s expectation that she would cry again, Lillian didn’t cry.
There was a wound on Lillian’s hand, as if she had been cut with a knife. It was a wound she had inflicted on herself while struggling, tearing apart the pillow and breaking the vase with a knife. Of course, Theo couldn’t even imagine such a thing.
Lillian didn’t utter a single word while Theo treated her wound, leaving Theo wondering what she was thinking. Even when he applied antiseptic, which must have stung, there was no sign of pain on her face, no typical groans of discomfort.
Come to think of it, Lillian had a tough side to her in strange ways.
‘She’s such an unpredictable kid.’
Although she seemed like a crybaby at times, strangely, when it came to moments when she really should cry, Lillian remained silent.
Despite being quiet and docile most of the time, when her eyes sparkled, she would nonchalantly suggest raiding the flour warehouse or stealing documents from the office.
‘Even though she’s usually so cold and sharp…’
There were also times when she felt endlessly gentle and kind.
Thinking about the incident in the carriage, Theo felt a strange mixture of emotions. By the time he finished treating the wound, Theo straightened his stooped back.
“Alright, all done. Be careful. Did you get hurt during that short moment?”
“…”
“I won’t ask what happened, so go and—”
“Theo.”
The sun had long since set outside the window.
As Theo was tidying up the first aid kit, he turned his head at the call from behind.
Lillian was looking at him with an expression devoid of laughter.
“Wanna go somewhere with me?”
