Chapter 9 – To Get You Away
“You must be really hurt.”
Edric’s voice reached my chest.
It was a moment when my heart should have been pounding, but for some reason, today it was calmer than I had expected.
Was it because I was so heartbroken at realizing my situation?
“I can show him the price he’ll pay for deceiving you and our family. Just say it.”
Edric said.
“No, don’t.”
“… … .”
“I don’t want to get involved anymore.”
‘And I didn’t actually wanted to marry him because I liked him, so I’ll just think of it as reaping what I sowed.’
I swallowed those words.
Edric’s heartbeat flowed into my ears.
Thump, thump, thump.
How could it be so regular despite their bodies being pressed against each other?
Mellie felt even more bitter at the calm heartbeat that clearly showed how much she couldn’t shake him up.
“Okay.”
Edric patted Mellie on the back and said,
“If that’s what you want, I won’t do anything. Instead, you should quickly forget about the bad things.”
Mellie nodded while he was still holding her.
“And… … .”
Edric continued, gently placing his cheek on the crown of Mellie’s head.
“You’ll continue to live here from now on. Got it?”
The corners of his lips rose smoothly as if he was certain of the answer that hadn’t even been given yet.
***
It was just as he had thought.
As expected of a businessman who would do anything for money, Blair quickly took the bait.
Edric had quietly leaked to the Harrington Counts through his aides that Blair had been dissatisfied with the recent flower supply contract between the duke’s family and Blair’s group.
He had no choice but to accept the terms of the deal because of Mellie, but he also told them to spread that she wasn’t so beautiful that he would accept such a losing condition.
The Earl of Harrington, whose family had been in the process of defaulting on their bills of exchange just a few weeks earlier when their trading ship had sunk, couldn’t help but feel tempted.
He was also in the flower business, and had a daughter who was even prettier than Mellie Enwood.
The fact that she was a merchant was a concern, but… … . He
had other daughters, too. He could afford to throw away his eldest daughter, if only it would prevent his bankruptcy.
The Earl of Harrington wrote a letter right away.
He offered to sell the new tulips for ten gold pieces per flower, and he would pay a whopping seven percent commission. Compared to the thirty gold pieces per flower and five percent commission that he had negotiated with the Duke of Felton, these were truly extraordinary terms. And with his beautiful eldest daughter on top of that, how could Blair not hesitate?
The letter arrived just as he was taking Mellie to his house.
When Edric learned that Blair, who was known for his hot temper, had sent Mellie back without even asking her to respond to his proposal, he knew his plan had succeeded.
He had been attracted by Mellie’s frugality and obedience, but he was too naturally business-minded to choose her for that reason.
If he had taken Mellie as his wife, all he would gain would have been the satisfaction of having a woman he liked as his wife, but if he had taken Claire Harrington as his wife, he would have money and the honor of being the son-in-law of a prestigious count.
He was too vulgar to give up visible gains for invisible satisfaction.
Edric could not hide his scorn when he heard the news that he had finally decided to betroth to the daughter of Earl of Harrington.
‘What a fool.’
If he had been a little more perceptive, he would have included in his calculations the growing extravagance of the Earl of Harrington and the enormous financial loss it would cause in the future.
He didn’t know how to see that.
Anyway, it was fortunate.
I was able to separate Mellie from that bastard. I was able to prevent my beloved friend from making her life miserable.
I regret hurting Mellie because of that, but… … it must have been a good life lesson.
She tended to think that everyone was as kind as me, and that they treated each other with pure hearts without any purpose.
She should know now.
How cunning animals people are. Even if they cling to one side to the point of death today, they might just as easily abandon it tomorrow as if nothing had happened and join the other side.
And Mellie should know now that in the end, the only person she could trust and rely on was this Edric Felton.
“Stay here. Got it?”
“… … .”
“I’ll introduce you to someone much better than that bastard.”
Edric pulled away from Mellie and stared into her eyes.
His face, filled with Mellie’s clear and transparent brown eyes, was certain of his affirmation. Of course, right? Mellie had no other choice than himself.
“No.”
“… … .”
“I plan to go down to the southern estate with the former duchess as soon as your wedding is over.”
***
It wasn’t a sudden decision.
It was a choice she had in mind ever since she heard the news of Edric’s marriage.
However, Lord Blair showed up before she could say what she had decided, and it seemed that the duchess also wanted to marry her. And Mellie herself had decided to get married in order to erase her lingering feelings for Edric.
The result was… … miserable.
‘Using someone else to forget someone. I deserve to be punished.’
Mellie reflected deeply. And she no longer wanted to rely on marriage as a means to rely on her life.
In a world where it was not easy for a woman to be independent, there was only one thing she could do.
Just as my mother had claimed herself as the maid of the previous duchess, I also chose to live by her side serving her.
The duchess also liked me, liked the tea I made, liked talking to me and going for walks, so I thought it wouldn’t be a problem if we lived together.
And while living together like that, I wanted to do something I hadn’t been able to do before.
That is, to call her mother.
Ada Felton had been telling Mellie to call her mother for a long time, but Mellie had refused to be her daughter because of her greed.
It would be ridiculous to become her real daughter, but I would take good care of her like a real daughter.
I planned to slowly repay her for accepting me, who had nowhere else to go.
It was when I briefly found peace in my heart with this new found direction in life.
“Mellie.”
Edric’s low voice caught Mellie’s gaze.
“I didn’t want to say that… …”
“… …”
“My mother doesn’t want to live with you.”
Mellie’s face became bewildered.
She wondered what all this meant.
“What do you mean?”
“Ha… … .”
He looked at Mellie with pitiful eyes, as if he were looking at a child who didn’t know anything about the world.
“Why does my mother keep trying to get you married? It’s to get you away from her.”
Mellie’s mouth burst into laughter at the shocking words.
“T-That can’t be. Why does duchess… … she love me so much like her own daughter… … .”
“That’s all an act.”
“… … .”
“Think about it. If my mother really thought of you as her own daughter, why didn’t she ever take you to public gatherings? Why did you go to the opera house for the first time this time? Did she really intend to go on a date with you like real mother and daughter?”
“… … .”
“If that was the case, she should have just greeted Blair and spent time alone with you. She should have introduced you to all the nobles she met in the theater as her own precious child.”
Mellie’s eyes, which had been wide open, slowly returned to their original size.
She gradually began to understand.
‘I plan to get you married before I go down to the duchy.’
‘What does age matter? On the contrary, the older you are, the more attractive you are to live with a man.’
‘You’re just going to have a smooth ride now.’
‘Let’s hurry up and set a date.’
Maybe she had noticed it all along. That wasn’t kindness. Rather, it was closer to an expression of impatience, of not being able to get rid of annoying things. All of Ada Felton’s actions, who had been overly active in her marriage, were proof of that.
Mellie suddenly became curious.
When did it start? Could it have been from the beginning?
‘You’re Mellie. I’m Aunt Ada. Jasmine and I are best friends. Let’s get along well. Think of this as your home and live comfortably.’
Was the comfort she gave her after his mother passed away sincere?
‘From now on, call me mother. I’ll be your mother instead of Jasmine.’
Could that have been a lie too? Even that… …
Mellie looked up at Edric and asked with earnest eyes.
“No? But it wasn’t all a lie, was it?”
“… … .”
Edric didn’t say no. He just looked at her with a pitiful look, as if
he was leaving the rest up to her judgment.
Mellie’s vision gradually became blurry. Clear tears began to gather under her eyes.
‘I didn’t want to do this.’
Edric’s heart ached at the sight of her tears, even though she rarely cried.
But you need to know. You need to make her face reality. So that she knows that in this world full of hypocrisy, the only person you can rely on is me.
Edric’s hand gently gripped Mellie’s shoulder. Her delicate shoulder, which seemed like it would break with just a little bit of force, was trembling slightly in his hand.
“You understand now, Mellie.”
“… … .”
“I will take care of you until you get married. So, Rosaline and I will live together. Rosaline wants that too.”
Edric looked directly into Mellie’s eyes and spoke with an appeal.
Mellie looked at him with her clouded eyes and slowly lowered her head.
Tears fell straight to the floor, drawing water droplets on the pavement.
Today was such a cruel day for her.
