Chapter 27 – Punishment

The morning of the Bailey family’s eldest daughter’s wedding day, which everyone had been eagerly awaiting, dawned.

Thanks to the rain clearing up after a long time, the morning in the capital was unusually sunny.

Eloise sincerely hoped that such a blessing of sunlight was shining down on the great garden of Longfield at this very moment.

Was this punishment for lying to her sister? Coincidentally, Eloise truly did catch a cold.

When she cautiously spoke to Mr. Woodley, the factory manager, yesterday, saying she wasn’t feeling well, he shrugged and said, ‘Well, it’s about time.’

He mentioned that newbies to factory work often get seriously ill around this time.

Mr. Woodley was particularly lenient with the unmarried female workers, especially those who were slim and youthful.

It had only been a short while since he had let Eloise leave early, allowing her a day off after she arrived late due to mailing letters to her family.

Eloise was too perceptive not to realize that such leniency was quite unusual.

So, if it had been her usual self, she would have refused, fearing it would tarnish her reputation among the other workers.

But yesterday, she was truly too unwell to think about anything else, and as expected, this morning she couldn’t step out of bed at all.

“Ugh… my whole body hurts.”

Eloise groaned as she pulled the blanket up to her eyes.

Just then, she sensed a small movement outside the door. When she didn’t respond, she heard the sound of claws scratching at the crack of the door.

“I’m sorry, but I really can’t open it right now, Sally…”

Hearing the protesting meow of the cat, Eloise muttered absentmindedly.

“…Sally.”

The moment she absentmindedly called that dear name again, her sister’s face, smiling happily in a dazzling wedding dress, vividly appeared before her eyes.

Even in her imagination, she was so beautiful that it made her eyes widen. How lovely would she have looked in person?

Her kind sister would be worried only about her sick younger sister, not even thinking to resent her for not attending the wedding filled with excitement and tension.

It truly felt like punishment. With that thought, Eloise forced a wry smile.

It was absurd and even funny that the white lie she had concocted for her sister had ultimately turned out to be true.

“I need to return before it’s too late. I’ll go and give her a big hug…”

Eloise murmured weakly, clutching the comforter as a substitute for her sister.

Both her body and mind were exhausted, but there was still a source of comfort: the fact that Sarah would lead a marriage that others would envy.

Surely there were many ladies within the aristocracy who admired that man.

He was naturally noble and beautiful. From the moment she first met him as a small child, she couldn’t help but be captivated…

“No. I should stop thinking like this.”

Of course, the man’s beauty, status, and background could not overshadow his character.

Eloise had realized his arrogant nature shortly after he proposed to her sister.

Recalling the condescending attitude and voice he had shown when he visited her lonely home still sent shivers down her spine.

It was as if she had returned to that time, at that moment.

But now, Ansel Blaine’s true nature didn’t matter to her anymore.

Even if he no longer smiled at her, even if he treated her carelessly and looked down on her.

She had decided not to give any meaning to him anymore.

He simply needed to be devoted to the woman who had captured his heart. There was no reason for Eloise to feel heartbroken over his indifference.

She wasn’t naive enough to expect the noble gentleman to be kind even to his wife’s annoying younger sister.

What mattered to her was only her sister Sarah’s happiness.

So, she wished for him to be happy too. He absolutely must. So that he could always bring happiness to her sister.

“…Cough.”

Eloise coughed softly and turned over.

As the white blanket fell like a curtain before her eyes, the image of a young couple standing under a dazzling sky appeared above it.

Ansel stood there, looking absolutely perfect.

Having finally welcomed the woman he had loved for so long as his wife, he wore a truly splendid smile.

His face, shining with ecstasy, was not difficult to imagine, even just recalling his childhood self.

And beside him was her beloved sister.

Dressed in a sparkling gown, her pretty face blushing gently like a rose in his arms was vividly etched in her mind as if engraved on her cornea.

Then, miraculously, Eloise’s mood improved slightly.

The cat, Sally, had gone down to the first floor at some point, and it was quiet outside the door.

It seemed she was now ready to sleep again. Eloise curled up like a small animal.

“Marriage… Hah.”

Due to the lack of wealth in the family, the sisters had heard much about marriage since they were young, naturally feeling a burden regarding it.

Although not as much as the eldest daughter, Eloise had also lived with a burden.

“My marriage is no longer an obligation. My sister has become the lady of a great house.”

Even at twenty-two, an age when it wouldn’t be strange to start a family, Eloise often thought she wanted to remain a childish girl forever.

At the center of that thought was always her unwillingness to get married.

The reason marriage felt like a strange thing that didn’t exist in her world and would never exist in the future was very clear.

She knew all too well that the only person she truly desired was someone she could never have.

Moreover, now she didn’t even have a desired partner. Thinking that way suddenly left her feeling empty.

But that didn’t mean she wanted to create a relationship without genuine feelings.

She didn’t believe that the emptiness of her heart could only be filled by a relationship with someone.

If she filled her daily life with achievements and satisfaction she had made herself, she might one day find herself living a fulfilling life.

Eloise had now arrived at the starting point of that challenge.

So, to continue on her sturdy path tomorrow, her priority now was a quick recovery.

‘I need to sleep.’

As she closed her eyes and relaxed her body to stop thinking, the sleep that had been blocked by heavy thoughts flowed in like a gentle current.

Just as she was about to drift off, she heard what sounded like Mrs. Mullich arguing with someone at the front entrance.

‘She’s been doing that often lately. She doesn’t seem to like being asked, so it’s hard to inquire…’

Feeling anxious and worried, Eloise quietly breathed as she sensed the noise gradually fading away.

Soon, the waves of sleep enveloped her completely.

* * *

Eloise stretched her thin arms while lying in bed and let out a yawn.

After blinking several times to shake off the remnants of sleep, her mind gradually returned.

The sunlight that had been streaming in through the curtains was nowhere to be found, and a profound darkness filled the room. She had wanted to sleep soundly until morning.

As expected, her body still felt sluggish.

‘But better than in the morning…’

In that moment, Eloise held her breath in the darkness. Only then did she clearly hear the sound of rain hitting the window.

It seemed like a drizzle, but it was this morning that she had been delighted that the rain had stopped… For some reason, she felt down..

‘Did they take in the laundry?’

Eloise slowly got up.

Perhaps because she had spent the whole day lying down without eating even a piece of bread, she felt a slight dizziness as her feet touched the floor.

She thought about going downstairs to eat something, but she had no appetite at all.

Moreover, if she ate something now, she might find it hard to fall asleep again.

Indeed, she decided to skip dinner at this hour. With that conclusion, Eloise lit a candle in the darkness.

She planned to prepare for the morning and then try to sleep again.

She definitely wanted to avoid being late the day after enjoying the special privilege of a day off.

Just then, she heard someone knocking on the front door from downstairs, cutting through the thin sound of rain quite clearly.

While quietly gathering her clothes, Eloise unconsciously flinched her shoulders but soon focused on packing her things again.

Receiving guests was the role of the homeowner, Mrs. Mullich, who would likely be sitting in her usual armchair near the entrance.

But for some reason, she didn’t hear the sound of the door being opened.

‘What’s going on? Has she fallen asleep? Could she have gone out at this hour?’

The old lady was not one to sleep soundly, nor did she particularly enjoy going out during the day.

‘I don’t think she was particularly keen on hearing…’

As Eloise thought that, she grabbed a shawl hanging on the wall and draped it over her shoulders.

Creak, the old room door opened.

“Madam? Mrs. Mullich?”

As she descended the stairs, she called out for her, but the house was very quiet, and there was no sign of anyone.

The chair that the lady often sat in was occupied by the cat. In the darkness, its round, amber eyes gleamed.

It seemed that the lady had indeed gone out.

“Sally, has the lady gone outside? It seems like we have a visitor…”

Naturally, the cat did not respond.

Eloise, with her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, once again heard the sound of the front door being knocked.

There was no helping it. She had to open the door and explain that the lady was not home and send them away.

“…Yes.”

Eloise replied in a hoarse voice and hurried to the front door.

Creak, as she unlocked the door and twisted the old doorknob, the scent of wet earth wafted in through the narrow crack.

The cool, damp breeze carried a refreshing fragrance.

It wasn’t until she had half-opened the door that Eloise realized the scent was bergamot.

So she should have stopped there.

If she had, at least, she wouldn’t have known that the man who shouldn’t be here tonight had come to see her.