Chesterfield Mansion: The House of the Man Who Hates Me - Chapter 30

Marsha closely observed Celian, whom she had called out under the pretext of needing someone to help shake out the sheets. As the woman waved her arms as instructed, Marsha thought she glimpsed red marks inside her blouse.

Marsha thought with genuine concern,

‘I guess those rumors are true.’

Lately, the amount of laundry coming to Marsha had increased significantly. A high proportion of it was bed sheets. Usually, the decision to change sheets on a given day was up to the cleaning maid’s discretion, but strangely, sheet changes had become frequent lately.

At first, she thought perhaps the ailing madam was sweating a lot in her sleep. Marsha realized how overly naive her guess had been after hearing the maids’ whispers.

‘The new governess, more than one person has seen her in the hallway in the middle of the night.’

Unable to gossip about the high-ranking people, they seemed to be badmouthing the easy target, Celian. Marsha inwardly clicked her tongue and shook the sheet with a ‘pang’.

The wave that started from Marsha’s fingertips traveled along the thin cloth to Celian. Celian, who had been pulled along by Marsha’s strength for the first couple of times, seemed to find this task quite enjoyable, shaking the sheet with a smiling face and added strength.

Marsha, hanging the sheet she had shaken with Celian’s help on the clothesline, asked.

“So, how do you find the work?”

“It’s comfortable and enjoyable.”

It was a formal answer. As if a middle-aged woman would let it slide with such a vague response! Marsha subtly added more words.

“Well, everyone treats you well, right?”

“……Yes.”

Izer sought out Celian almost every other day.

The end of their rough lovemaking was always similar. He would leave Celian behind and head to the bathroom, while Celian would clutch her clothes and return to her room.

But there were clear changes. One of them was the time Izer spent holding her.

The time Izer spent holding her and enjoying the afterglow after satisfying his desires sufficiently grew longer. Sometimes he would stay like that for about ten minutes before getting up and heading to the bathroom.

Once, Celian, unable to overcome her fatigue, dozed off without realizing Izer had gone to the bathroom.

That day, she had to be shaken until dawn, penetrated by Izer who had returned after washing. When she cried out that she couldn’t take it anymore, Izer tied Celian to the bed just like the first day and thrust his stiff c**k.

Celian remembered what Izer had said that day, biting her ear,

‘I thought I loved you. But that’s not it. My body just craved you. Look even now, how can I just pass by when you’re lying naked?’

Celian wanted to answer that it might have been so, but it was impossible with her tongue tangled. After being released, she had neither the strength nor the presence of mind to answer.

With a ‘pang’ sound, the sheet splashed water droplets.

The water droplets that flew into the air momentarily created a rainbow. Seeing this uncommon sight, Marsha said energetically:

“Looks like good things are coming. Seeing a whole rainbow and all.”

“Does seeing a rainbow bring good luck?”

“Of course. Some say it’s just superstition, but let’s think positively.”

Perhaps that’s why churches insist on colorful stained glass. Sprinkling artificially created rainbows over the believers, making them hold onto an absurd hope that luck will befall them.

Celian, who had helped until the laundry was gathered, headed towards the door connected to the kitchen through the backyard.

At this time, Percy would be waking up from his nap and asking for a snack. She planned to pack cookies for Percy from the kitchen and inform him about her outing in the evening while going up.

‘I should tell him not to wait and go to bed first.’

The young master, who resembled Harris in appearance but inherited Renée’s disposition, was Celian’s source of vitality.

Celian, turning the corner, froze.

Her eyes met with those of a man who turned his head towards the sound of her presence.

A woman’s dress swayed behind the man’s body. Judging by the man’s posture leaning against the wall, his reddened face, and the subtle atmosphere, it seemed they had been passionately kissing until just now.

As if to prove her thoughts, a woman’s face appeared beside the man’s shoulder. Her lush blonde hair gleamed, and her high nose bridge and eyes that seemed to look down on others indicated her nature.

The blonde woman staring at Celian opened her mouth.

“So what brother Cain said was true. That you’re by my fiancé’s sidepiece.”

Izer’s expression hardened coldly upon hearing her words, but Celian couldn’t see his face. She didn’t realize that the bodies she thought were close were actually an illusion created by shadows, and that the man’s reddened ears were the result of anger, not lust.

What stopped her thoughts was a single word.

Fiancé.

“……”

Celian had gone through the engagement process with William as soon as she came of age. Why had she never thought that Izer, who was much older than William at the time, might have a fiancée?

Celian’s face turned bright red. She suddenly realized what she had been doing. Seducing a man who had a proper fiancée, a woman he was to marry.

At the same time, she understood what the past Celian Berienne had demanded from Izer Ren.

It was truly a mess. Both her past and present self were too dirty to be described by that word alone.

The woman who realized this fact slowly bowed her waist.

“I apologize for the intrusion. Please continue your conversation comfortably.”

* * *

Ophelia, who had returned after several years, was still arrogant. The woman who could have been described as ‘immature’ a few years ago had now become cunning and vicious. Just like her brother.

Izer found her simpering smile in front of Renée utterly disgusting. After Renée, smiling contentedly, pushed them into the garden to talk, Ophelia immediately changed her tone.

“Since Mother has already informed you, our conversation should be easy. Let’s get married before this year ends. I don’t like winter because it’s cold, so autumn would be fine.”

“Ophelia, since when does a Montes give orders to a Chesterfield?”

“Don’t misunderstand, Izer. This isn’t an order from a Montes to a Chesterfield. It’s the Duke of Chesterfield’s wish for his son.”

“……”

“Of course, I’m satisfied. You’re giving me the Chesterfield name. What fool would kick away the chance for a mere commoner to belong to Treven’s highest noble family?”

Every word was heavy. Izer, glaring at Ophelia, took a step forward. Her head, looking up at him haughtily, tilted even more, and the man’s shadow covered her bright blonde hair.

“Ophelia, don’t have vain hopes. As long as I’m a Chesterfield, you can’t become one. Tell your father clearly too. If he wants to form ties with a noble family, tell him to look into someone like Winston. After all, if you’re going to live as a showpiece, one divorce shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“Haha!”

She laughed loudly.

“No, Izer, I’m going to marry you. I have no intention of living as a showpiece with you. I’ll fulfill my duties as a wife, and you must fulfill your duties as a husband.”

It was absurd. Of all families, a Montes was demanding fidelity from him. From Izer’s perspective, knowing what Ophelia had done in Humingham until she was practically exiled abroad, it was an outrageous statement.

Izer spat out in a cold tone.

“I have no intention of fulfilling such duties to you. I don’t expect any wifely duties from you either. It won’t happen, but even if we were to marry — you won’t even set foot in my room and we’ll even eat separately.”

The Montes were a vermin-like family that needed to disappear from this land. On the day when the Chesterfield power fully passed into Izer’s hands, they would be one of the targets he would destroy.

“It’ll be a worse married life than living alone. I’ll forgive you for calling in male pr*stitutes. If you want, I’ll give you a room directly connected to the back door. To make it easier for them to come and go……”

His words, spoken with contempt, were cut off then.

“I’ll pass on that. Izer, I have no intention of tolerating your wh*re.”

“……”

The woman’s eyes, which had been tilted up to look at him, were now directed behind his back. Izer, with one hand against the wall, half-turned his head.

It was Celian. Wearing that plain gray dress — it seemed she had decided to expose her arms as summer approached — and holding a basket full of white cloths in her hand.

He narrowed his eyes, but due to the backlight created by the setting sun, it wasn’t easy to make out Celian’s expression.

Ophelia’s clear voice was heard.

“So what brother Cain said was true. That you’re by my fiancé’s sidepiece.”

“……”

Celian couldn’t say anything. Izer wanted to stop Ophelia Montes from spewing more bullshit, but he couldn’t find the words.