Chesterfield Mansion: The House of the Man Who Hates Me - Chapter 42

The young duke was staring intently at Celian. Something was surging deep within his fixed crimson eyes. Something that started its sprint from his heart, from his brain, and headed towards the nerve endings of his limbs, and somewhere else.

The person he had spent a sleepless night with was right here.

Owen barely swallowed the groan that was about to escape his lips.

The young duke didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding his lust. He had rested his chin on his hands, which were now clasped together. The expression of him leisurely admiring the woman’s face was definitely not directed at his younger brother’s governess.

It was a good thing that there was a desk in front of him; with such a blatant expression on his face, it was obvious what state his lower body was in.

Owen knew this because he was a man himself. He knew because he had made a similar expression behind this woman. He knew because he had dreamt of this woman. He knew all too well what was going on in the young duke’s mind right now.

No, when it came to that last one, he actually knew nothing about it. Because what was being ruminated behind the young duke’s hazy smile was something that Owen Caleb was not allowed to know.

The woman, who had been mentally stripped bare by the two men, fidgeted with her fingers.

“Um, about your schedule to visit Count Schwenn’s estate this weekend.”

The young duke let out a sound of agreement.

“It’s not long now. Why?”

“I was wondering if I should go with you as well……”

“I thought you’d know.”

“……”

“It’s a vacation for Percy. You, whose job it is to look after Percy, should naturally go with him.”

“……Yes, I apologize.”

Celian disappeared immediately. Owen also closed his bag and stood up.

“It seems like you’re going on a summer vacation. I presume your fiancée will be joining you?”

“Ah, she was your patient too. Was it Ophelia who said that? That she’s going to the estate as well?”

His burning lust vanished as soon as Celian left. The veins that had been standing out on his forearms also disappeared, leaving only a faint bluish trace.

“Yes. I heard it from her. I hope you two have a wonderful time.”

“I suppose……”

Owen managed a smile.

“I’ll be on my way then. And don’t try to stop taking your sleeping pills cold turkey.”

“Take care.”

It was a perfunctory farewell. This was the Izer Chesterfield he knew. Cynical and indifferent to everything but his mother. His father had said that the man had a soft and gentle heart, but he knew that it was nothing more than kindness shown to a benefactor who had helped him.

Owen quickened his pace. He spotted Celian going down the stairs.

Owen called out to her urgently.

“Lian!”

“Shh.”

Celian instinctively brought her finger to her lips, then realized it was no longer necessary and dropped her arm. The habit of keeping her voice down was no longer necessary in the house where Renéee was gone.

“I didn’t know you were coming for a checkup today. I’ll see you to the door.”

“Lian, wait.”

“You’re not my guest. I’m on duty right now. It’s not good for me to be seen talking to you for too long.”

The maid, who came out of the storage room at the perfect time, blushed as she saw the handsome doctor standing next to the governess. She was the maid whom Celian had previously asked to keep Percy away from Izer’s room.

Owen didn’t want to make things difficult for Celian either. He followed Celian in silence and turned around at the front door.

“Lian, are you alright?”

“……What?”

“This house. This job. Are you… alright?”

Once he started, the words poured out like a dam bursting.

“How about looking for another house? The reason I thought this place would be good for you was because of the Madam. I thought you’d be well taken care of with her reputation.”

“……”

“But what is this? Why do you have to follow them to some estate? It’s only going to be three or four days at most. One or two maids are enough to look after a child……”

“That’s a governess’s job, Owen.”

“Since when was it a governess’s job to……”

Owen bit his lip, stopping himself mid-sentence. He almost made a mistake. If he asked since when it became natural for a governess to receive such a lewd look from a nobleman, Celian might be disgusted and cut ties with him.

Celian, who had been silently observing the man who had stopped talking, opened her mouth.

“I need the money. Beth is still young. I have to work hard to pay for her tuition.”

“You might not have to be the one to earn money.”

A desperate voice whispered longingly.

“There might be a decent man around, more than you think. Consider marriage. You don’t have to look far, there must be someone who can take care of both you and Beth……”

“Marriage?”

Celian asked back. It was as if she couldn’t believe her ears, as if she couldn’t even ask a disheartened question, and the finger that pointed at herself seemed as if it would stab her in the neck at any moment.

“Me?”

“……”

“Owen, I am a ‘Berienne.’”

There was no hope in the words that came from her parched eyes.

“There is no one in Treven who wants to be the son-in-law of Marcotti Berienne.” 

 ***

 Click, the finger on the trigger moved ever so slightly. The delicate movement that began at the fingertip tilted the end of the muzzle diagonally like a lever.

One eye, half-closed, narrowed slightly for concentration.

The small crosshair drawn on the scope aligned perfectly with the end of the gun on both sides. It was the moment the deer, unaware of its impending fate, raised its head after leisurely drinking water.

“……!”

The deer twisted its body violently. The beast’s scream lasted only a few seconds before abruptly cutting off. Applause erupted behind Izer as he dismounted from his horse and walked towards his prey.

“Wow, bullseye!”

“Anyone would think I shot a bird in flight.”

“Still.”

Jade, who had been watching from a dozen meters behind so as not to disturb Izer, looked down at the dead deer with a satisfied gaze.

“Izer, with skills like that, we can go wolf hunting next time. There are a few deep in this forest, so let me know if you’re interested.”

“Jade, for a forest that has wolves, I’m starting to think you’re being too careless.”

Belatedly, Count Schwenn invited Duke Chesterfield to his estate. His friend, Harris, and his son’s friend, Izer. Percy, who was too young to be left alone without adults, and Celian, who naturally followed.

The forest, mostly deciduous, was lush as befitting summer. There were signs everywhere that the forest ranger had artificially thinned out the young trees so that the larger trees could grow to their full potential. The undergrowth, trampled by hunters, naturally formed a path, and the tracks of animals, unfamiliar with the human concept of a path, were scattered haphazardly in the mud.

Jade cheerfully shouldered his hunting rifle. The servant they had brought with them was tying the deer to the saddle of the horse.

“It’s alright during the day. Wolves only roam around in the middle of the night. Anyway…… Think seriously about the wolf hunt.”

“That much?”

“Yeah, I agree that this is enough.”

“What you mean is…… ‘Even hunting a deer drinking water is enough,’ ‘to mingle with nobles,’ right?”

“Why do you have to twist my words like that?”

“Just kidding.”

Horseback riding and hunting were hobbies of the nobility. Naturally, they were things that Izer, who grew up as a commoner, had no business doing. Thanks to the soldiers who had taken an interest in him when he was young, he was familiar with horseback riding, but the gun, which he had only started handling seriously after becoming a Chesterfield, was too unfamiliar.

His adoptive father, who loved to hunt, used even that as a means to mock Izer. Hunting is also a social event, it requires learning, you are weak.

The instructors who were formally assigned to teach him for the sake of appearances were also wary of the Duke. They were worried that something might happen to the precious right hand of the young duke if they were to teach him how to hunt.

It was Jade who helped Izer. By associating with him, Izer naturally learned the culture of the nobility. The fact that Jade, while introducing him to the underbelly of the noble culture, never encouraged him to partake in it, was one of the reasons Izer liked him.

“This is enough. Let’s go back.”

And in this estate, there was another member of the upper class. Bang. Birds startled by the gunshot fluttered away. Jade muttered.

“Not a very good shot, is she?”

“What’s a lady doing holding a gun? I only came because you said you were here.”

Her voice was devoid of any emotion. Izer turned his horse’s head without answering and called out to Jade.

“Jade, let’s go.”

“Well, I don’t have the hobby of being a third wheel…….”

“Didn’t you hear me say let’s go?”

“……”

Jade mentally slapped himself. He should have stopped his father from inviting Montes as well.

‘Father, Izer sees Ophelia often enough in the capital. Wouldn’t it be too painful for him to have to take care of his fiancée even on vacation?’

‘Your wife is going too, isn’t she? Young people need to be paired up when they’re socializing. It feels different seeing each other in the capital and at this estate. It will be a good memory for everyone.’