Chapter 90
In the southern village of Gilgallen, Mrs. Gertrude Baron was notorious for being a miser.
Every evening, she would leisurely appear at the market, and her specialty was haggling. She was so insistent and argumentative, spitting as she spoke, that even nearby merchants would click their tongues in disapproval.
“Look here! Don’t you see this? The color of these apples is strange, I’m telling you! There’s no doubt they’ve gone bad, so isn’t it only fair to lower the price?”
“What’s wrong with the color? They’re perfectly ripe and red.”
“They’re red, yes, but the color is off! If the quality is questionable, you should sell them cheaper. Don’t you know how to read the room if you want to stay in business here?”
“This isn’t about reading the room, Mrs. Baron!”
“Trying to sell apples of such poor quality at full price… How shameless!”
She clicked her tongue.
“Forget it! I wouldn’t want to do business with such an unethical shop anyway!”
“Good riddance! I don’t do business with penniless customers either.”
The fruit vendor seemed almost relieved to see her go, waving her off with enthusiasm. Even as she turned away, Mrs. Baron pursed her lips in frustration. After a moment, she turned back and shouted.
“To think you’d ignore a poor family in need! Don’t forget, my son is a doctor!”
“Is that a threat?”
“How is that a threat? I’m simply saying I wouldn’t offer help to a heartless merchant like you!”
“Fine, fine! I’ll sell them cheaper. Come back here.”
“You should’ve said that from the start!”
Delighted, she bought the apples at what was practically a giveaway price.
Of course, Mrs. Gertrude Baron hadn’t always been this way.
As a native of Gilgallen, she had once been the well-off wife of a village doctor. She held a position of respect among the local women, and aside from being a bit proud, she was a good person.
But then her husband, Derek Baron, the village doctor, incurred a massive debt and passed away suddenly.
Left to feed her children, Mrs. Baron went from house to house, borrowing money. The debts quickly piled up.
Though her son, Aiden Baron, eventually became a doctor, the enormous debt wasn’t easy to repay. Adding to that, her youngest daughter, Eris, needed monthly medication, leaving her with no choice but to tighten her purse strings as much as possible.
From that point on, she spent her days haggling at the market. While her circumstances were understandable, her persistence often tested people’s patience.
“I’ll buy apples here again next time, but at the same price, alright?”
“And will you complain about the quality then, too?”
“Complain? I’m just trying to be friendly! Maybe I’ll ask my doctor son to give you a free check-up next time, hmm?”
“Good grief.”
“I’ve told you, haven’t I? My son is a famous doctor!”
Mrs. Baron’s sole pride was her son, Aiden Baron.
From a young age, his handsome face had made him well-known in the village. At first, people thought he was a girl, and they were all surprised to learn he was actually a boy.
As it turned out, he was smart, just like his father, and eventually became a doctor. Since then, Mrs. Baron would often mention his name when haggling for prices.
Gilgallen was a small village, and doctors were highly valued. As a result, the villagers had no choice but to give in to her demands for discounts.
“Your son may be famous, but…”
At that moment, a woman overheard Mrs. Baron’s words and joined the conversation. It was Megan, the florist, who had always disliked her. Their relationship was as infamous as that of a fishmonger and a cat. Naturally, the other villagers turned their attention to the unfolding scene.
“Didn’t I tell you I recently visited the capital? I heard your son’s name there.”
“My son is already making a name for himself in the capital? How wonderful!”
Mrs. Baron, who became ecstatic whenever her son was praised, repeated Megan’s words, then paused.
“Wait a moment. Why did you call him ‘your son’ like that? My son is a capable doctor renowned in the capital. Why are you using such a tone?”
“I didn’t say your son was famous for being a skilled doctor.”
“What?”
“He is famous, alright. The whole capital is talking about him!”
“Stop beating around the bush and tell me clearly!”
“The Duchess of Frantor. They say your son has a certain… ‘relationship’ with her.”
“…W-What?”
“Isn’t the duchess the daughter of Eskel? I heard your son met Eskel’s daughter back at the academy. Her name was Helena Eskel, wasn’t it?”
Mrs. Baron’s face went pale as she gaped, unable to respond. Megan snickered at her reaction.
“What’s the matter? Didn’t you know? That your precious son and Eskel’s daughter have been… involved?”
“Lies! Don’t lie to me!”
“It’s not a lie. If you don’t believe me, why not go and see for yourself?”
“…”
“If you care about your son so much, why not support their love? After all, she was his first love from the academy, and she’s a noblewoman to boot!”
“…”
“Oh, wait! Eskel’s daughter, huh? That might make things tricky for you. But isn’t this good news? Your son, handsome as he is, marrying into nobility!”
“…”
“Oh, right! I forgot—she’s already married. To the Duke of Frantor, no less! So, would this make your son the mistress? I wonder how the duke would react to this news!”
She had no idea.
Mrs. Baron hadn’t even known how her son had been living. She assumed he was busy as a doctor and left it at that.
She’d heard he was heading to the North last winter, but since then, they hadn’t exchanged proper letters. She had clung to the saying, “No news is good news,” and waited patiently for his letters.
But an affair? And with Eskel’s daughter, of all people?
“Don’t lie to me! How dare you curse my son like that!”
Unable to accept what she had just heard, she rushed at Megan and yanked at her hair.
“Ahh! What are you doing? Let go of me!”
The fight between the two women only ended after hair had been pulled. Mrs. Baron stood, clutching a handful of bright red hair, breathing heavily like an enraged bull.
“No, it can’t be true… it can’t…”
Once home, she immediately went through the letters her son had sent her.
Every month, Aiden would send money to the house along with a letter updating her on his life. However, while the money still came, the letters had stopped since last winter. This month and the previous month had been no different.
The last letter she received had mentioned that he was heading north. Could he really have gone to Frantor and met Eskel’s daughter?
“No, it’s impossible. Oh, no… this can’t be.”
Helena Eskel.
Her face was still vividly etched in her memory.
The first time she saw the girl, Helena was so scrawny and frail that Mrs. Baron couldn’t believe she was truly the daughter of Eskel. Her gaze and demeanor were as dry as a withered leaf, utterly unreadable and void of emotion.
At first, Mrs. Baron was terrified of interacting with Eskel’s daughter. She feared upsetting Eskel, which could lead to major trouble. But the girl had treated even Mrs. Baron with respect. Her politeness left a good impression, though that was the extent of it.
The most critical issue was that Helena was Eskel’s daughter.
The Baron family was already drowning in debt, struggling to make ends meet. If another wave of trouble came crashing down on them, it would be impossible to recover.
If something happened to Aiden—if he faltered, making it impossible for the family to rebuild—what would happen to Eris?
Poor, frail Eris, who had yet to find a marriage partner due to her poor health. Perhaps she would need care for the rest of her life. Mrs. Baron had to ensure that Eris, at the very least, had some stability. She couldn’t allow Aiden to get entangled with Eskel’s daughter, no matter what!
“This won’t do.”
“Mother, what’s going on?”
Eris, puzzled by her mother hurriedly packing her belongings, spoke up. Though Eris inherited her brother’s naturally beautiful features, her thin and frail frame made her look delicate and weak.
“Eris, I need to go somewhere, so stay with the neighbors until I return. If they complain, just tell them I’ll bring back some good medicine for them next time, alright? Will you do that for me?”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m heading to the capital!”
“The capital?”
“I’m going to bring your brother back. I’ll be back soon, so just wait for me a little while.”
Mrs. Baron kissed Eris tenderly on the forehead and stood up. Her determination burned fiercely, as if she could burst through walls and charge out of the house at any moment.
Snorting with resolve, she firmly secured her belongings and stormed out of the house.
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