“Episode 14”
Edan unfolded the pristine dress and held it up. Soon, his eyebrows twitched in surprise.
“It looks like a wedding dress,” he remarked.
It was a moment when a solitary fantasy turned into certainty. Although it was just an ordinary dress, a strange feeling crept over me.
In no time, he unfolded the back of the dress. His gaze, full of suspicion, scanned the dress, pausing at one spot.
“Our spread rumor seems quite unpleasant, doesn’t it?”
I followed his trembling gaze with nervous eyes. Near the hips of the pristine wedding dress, I noticed a small piece of animal skin laid out.
The shape of fur that had been meticulously cleaned. Stiff brown fur standing upright. The pointed snout. Soon, I realized it was the skin of a rodent.
“Ew!”
Suddenly, a sour bile refluxed into my throat. I quickly covered my lips with my palm, but it was of no use.
Amidst the horrific feeling of vomiting, when I raised my head, he was gently caressing the surface of the dress.
“We’ve been tricked. To think we were the ones who declared our intentions first.”
Who could have done such a disgusting thing? My disdainful father? The disdainful Simon Britten? If not them…
Suddenly, the face of the white-haired old man flashed through my mind. A creepy shiver crawled up my spine like a sinister serpent.
I collapsed like a puppet with cut strings, as my legs lost their strength. He reached out his hand without hesitation. As he opened the door of the carriage wide, about six attendants stared at us with pale faces.
“Sorry for the intrusion. We may need some cleaning despite our tidy appearance.”
He spoke with lustful lips. His disheveled uniform and loosened dress hem created an eerie atmosphere.
As he glanced around with a gleeful gaze, the hesitant attendants, who had just realized the situation, cleared a path for us.
He embraced me tightly and calmly walked towards the back door of the ballroom.
Embraced in Edan’s firm embrace, I gazed at his face under the moonlight. His neatly combed hair was now disheveled like that of a man who had been engaged in a passionate struggle.
“…Tell me. Was it all planned?”
“What answer do you want, Isabella?”
He held me deeper into his arms.
“I’ll give you the answer you want to hear. Just tell me.”
His lips, once filled with desire, had now dried up. His eyes, once filled with intense possessiveness, now seemed to have cooled down.
“Edan, I want to hear your true feelings.”
As the carriage door was pushed open, the stench of the filthy city hit us. Edan gently wiped away the sweat from his forehead as he held me in his arms.
“Isabella, if you attribute meaning to every little thing, your head will only ache.”
Although his voice was incredibly gentle, the subtle hint of sarcasm made my forehead narrow involuntarily.
“One thing I can tell you is that a man who cherishes his beloved does not embarrass her in public places. Perhaps your curiosity has been satisfied now?”
It wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear. As my muscles tensed involuntarily, a faint smile spread over his lips.
“Sorry, but wouldn’t it be better to keep the dress inside the box?”
Although he carefully looked at the rat’s skin, his gaze seemed serious.
“I’m sorry. When I look at clothes I’ve made myself, I can guess what kind of person made them.”
He gently placed the dress back into the box, but I couldn’t shake off the lingering odor that remained in the cramped carriage. It felt like being trapped in a sewer where mice were running rampant.
As the carriage came to a stop, I quickly rushed out. My stomach churned with a nauseating sensation.
“Ugh! Ugh…”
It hurt. I clutched my knees and gasped for a while, then he approached with a worried voice.
“Isabella, are you okay?”
I wasn’t okay at all. Tears streamed down my eyes, and bile and saliva overflowed between my parted lips.
Not wanting to show him the disgusting sight, I avoided his gaze.
“Don’t look at me.”
Although I begged him not to look, his gentle fingers carefully wiped the corners of my mouth with a handkerchief.
“Lift your head. You don’t have to pretend in front of me.”
As I looked up with teary eyes, he drew a satisfying curve with his lips.
“Isabella, I think it would be best if you quietly wait inside the carriage. I don’t want to burden you unnecessarily.”
We couldn’t risk disturbing the procession in front of the mansion, even though the situation was dire.
“No… I’ll go with you. I’m tired of running away.”
As I held his hand, we walked towards the sender who had sent the unexpected gift.
Despite the setting sun, the front door of the Ambrose Manor was bustling with servants as if it were midday, as if eagerly awaiting a precious guest.
As we stopped in front of the door, a young maid quickly came out to greet us.
“Excuse me, may I see Lord Ambrose?”
Edan smiled pleasantly as he spoke. The young maid bowed her head silently and opened the door for us.
She was a young maid with a flawless appearance. Even in the cold weather, she wore a thin summer maid uniform.
“Lord Ambrose is waiting inside.”
The young maid murmured, her eyes downcast. A faint red bruise peeked out from behind her thin maid uniform.
“Isabella, you just have to hide behind me quietly. I assure you nothing will happen.”
As if sensing my anxiety, he reassured me smoothly. Holding his hand firmly, I followed his unwavering steps.
The maid guided us, and we finally entered the mansion. I scanned the faces of the servants, all of whom seemed no older than my peers.
They all had glassy eyes that showed no emotion.
“Ambrose has done something he shouldn’t have done to you.”
I knew those murky eyes better than anyone else. It was the color only those who had given up being human due to repeated abuse and thorough brainwashing could have.
I didn’t want to show him those dismal faces, so I avoided eye contact.
“Please go inside.”
The maid’s footsteps stopped in front of the entrance hall of the mansion.
Creak.
As soon as the door opened, the first thing that caught my eye was the variety of dried flowers. The mesmerizing dried flowers filled the entrance hall.
But even though they were dried flowers, they didn’t emit even a faint floral scent.
“Ethan unfurled the dress of innocence. Not long after, his eyebrows twitched. ‘It looks like a wedding dress.’ It was a moment when solitary delusion turned into certainty. Although just an ordinary dress, an ominous feeling crept in. Soon, he unfolded the back of the dress. His wary gaze stopped at one spot. ‘Our spread rumors must have been very pleasing.’ With trembling eyes, I followed his gaze down. Near the hem of the pristine wedding dress, I saw a small piece of animal skin attached. It was the shape of well-cleaned fur, standing upright, with a pointed snout. Soon, I realized it was the skin of a rodent. ‘Ugh!’ Sour bile refluxed terrifyingly. Despite quickly covering my lips with my palm, it was futile. As I looked up with a dreadful sensation, he was caressing the dress’s surface with a grim touch. ‘The player has been taken away. It’s quite a declaration to come with a prelude.’ Whose disgusting act was this? My disdainful father? Simon Britton, embittered by neglect? If not them… Suddenly, the face of the old man with white hair flashed in my mind. A creepy shiver crawled up my calves like a ghost. I collapsed like a puppet with cut strings. Then Ethan extended his hand with a smiling face. Though usually gentle, beneath the comforting smile lay a sinister madness. As he held my hand, devoid of a smile, he intoned like an emotionless doll, ‘Since I sent the invitation myself, you can’t refuse.’ 4. The Crow’s Invitation. Nausea crept in; tears welled up due to waiting. Horribly, he boarded the carriage with a sinister dress made of mouse skin in his arms. The smell of an unattainable beast lingered in my nose as I stared at the upright gray fur. ‘Ethan, wouldn’t it be better to put the dress in a box?’ His gaze on the mouse skin looked serious. ‘Sorry. When I look at handmade clothes, I can guess the person who made them.’ He gently put the dress into the box, but the lingering smell didn’t vanish from the cramped carriage. It felt like sitting in a rat-infested sewer. I rushed out as the carriage stopped, vomiting sour bile. ‘Ugh! Ugh….’ My stomach ached. Clutching my knees, I hesitated for a while. Then, he approached with concern. ‘Isabella, are you okay?’ I was far from okay. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and refluxed bile and watery saliva dripped through my open lips. Not wanting to show my pathetic state, I averted my gaze. ‘Please don’t look.’ Though I pleaded earnestly, his fingers gingerly touched my chin. Despite the discomfort, he wiped my mouth meticulously with a handkerchief. ‘Raise your head. You don’t have to be modest in front of me.’ With red eyes, I looked up at him, and his lips curved satisfactorily. ‘Isabella, I think it’s better for you to wait quietly in the carriage. I don’t want to burden you unnecessarily.’ There was no way to refuse after such a mess in front of the mansion. ‘No. I’ll go with you. I’m tired of running away.’ Holding his hand, I followed him to find the sender of the unexpected gift.”
