Chapter 6

“Elina, can’t you let me in for a moment? I brought something interesting.”

Elina closed the bedroom door without responding to Reynard, whom she didn’t want to see. He knocked loudly on the firmly closed door, but fortunately, he seemed not to have been drinking today.

If he had been drinking, he would have blushed in front of the woman he had called his sister for over ten years and babbled nonsense.

“Are you having dinner now? Huh? Can’t we eat together?”

“Stop making noise and go back.”

“Really, this brother is hurt. Ella…”

“Leave immediately.”

This wasn’t just a day or two occurrence. At least today was relatively normal. He left quietly when spoken to kindly.

Elina briefly rubbed her goosebump-covered shoulders and then sat on the bed to start a very simple dinner.

The clinking sounds of the utensils echoed in the small room. In a room the size of a palm, without a proper table, she had to sit hunched over on the bed to eat.

She gathered her knees on the small bed and temporarily placed the meal she had brought on the bed.

Even from a distance, it was a truly humble meal. There was almost no bread, and the remaining small bits of food were gathered together.

Elina gazed wistfully at the single piece of bread before pushing it into her mouth.

For nearly a month, the desire to eat something delicious was strong, but her body didn’t accept food as much as the desire.

However, today, perhaps because she had worked hard cleaning, the food went down well even though it wasn’t what she wanted to eat.

On the tray were cold bacon and round potato salad. A few small pieces of bread with some warmth left.

For refreshment, there was orange juice with yellow pulp floating in it.

Elina drained the orange juice she had been saving, leaving not a drop, and a smile she couldn’t hide spread across her face.

“Ah, it’s delicious.”

Did they say that you like tangy things when you’re pregnant? If I really was pregnant…

Elina laughed bitterly at the changed taste over the past few weeks.

Normally, she should inform him of the pregnancy, but if Madame Rasiche found out, everything would be irreversible.

She wasn’t even sure if she was definitely pregnant, and even if she was, she hadn’t decided what to do yet.

If everything went terribly wrong and she had to get rid of the child… Could she really do that? She wasn’t sure.

But what crime did the child conceived like this have… She thought she didn’t want to become someone who couldn’t take responsibility for her child like her parents.

She had asked for a lot of dinner today, but when she actually ate, it wasn’t much more than usual.

Of course, it seemed like there was a bit more care given. Maybe she just wanted to think that way.

Elina looked at the empty plate several times before placing it outside the room.

Then she took out the chocolate she had bought a few days ago when she wanted it so badly while running errands from the corner of the drawer.

Luxurious rectangular shapes lined up.

Thud. The expensive chocolate she had bought crumbled mercilessly in Elina’s mouth, turning into a sticky liquid. Elina laughed like a child, delighted, and then inadvertently looked down.

“It’s so delicious.”

In the already small room, there was no one but Elina. Only a slender voice filled the room.

Elina reached out and carefully stroked her lower abdomen. 

When could I secretly meet the doctor?

And could I possibly hear Floi’s thoughts? 

Like that day when everything aligned perfectly for a secret long outing… But there was no way.

If I was really pregnant…

In the dark night, Elina’s sigh deepened.

***

Elina grabbed a rag instead of etiquette books again today. She received a non-request to clean the ceiling, which had accumulated dust throughout the winter.

Where in the world would a mansion clean up to that point?

Her neck hurt as she looked up at the high ceiling. It was hard to even look; how was she supposed to clean it?

With Madame Rasiche’s increasingly excessive demands, faint wrinkles formed on Elina’s brow.

Even the Magnolia Hall she cleaned a few days ago was one thing, but this was a job for maids, not her.

Should I argue for guardian qualification and go to trial?

No, she couldn’t.

She couldn’t accuse Madame Rasiche of frequently having her do such trivial cleaning just because she was a ward.

She could argue if she wanted, but Elina didn’t have that kind of power.

Moreover, there was no one to believe and support the reality Elina had experienced so far.

She forced her eyes open and passed by the large full-length mirror in the mansion’s main building.

A plain light green indoor dress.

The dress was so featureless that the white apron tied at the waist stood out.

Above the boring dress that didn’t even reveal the collarbone was a woman’s expressionless face.

A face that still hadn’t shrugged off the girlishness at a glance. Yet a unique atmosphere enveloped her.

Common brown or olive-colored hair that didn’t differ much. Long eyelashes swayed lightly beneath. Her eyes were a common green, but her gaze was mysterious.

A woman with the beauty worthy of the Valois family lineage.

She wasn’t exceptionally beautiful, but her smile could easily win the favor of many men. Elina, as always, didn’t even think about looking at herself and moved quickly.

If there’s nothing more to change, it’s right to just deal with it quickly without complaining. But how to reach up to that ceiling and scrub with a rag was another matter.

This was an unsolvable problem.

“Elina, here.”

Then a man with deep golden hair, like honey spread thickly, called Elina kindly. His voice was sweet, as if he had drunk honey water.

Startled by the sudden voice, Elina flinched.

But within seconds, she forced her stiff lips upwards and quickly turned her head in the direction of the sound.

“Lord Reynard.”

Now he comes even during the day. 

Though she tried to hide it, Elina’s clear wariness made the man’s eyes droop.

To anyone else, it seemed Elina had wronged the man greatly.

“Lord Reynard? Call me brother as usual. Ah, don’t forget the nickname.”

The man reached out and gently stroked Elina’s hair.

Why on earth?

Reynard Rasiche. Until two years ago, he was someone Elina followed like a real brother, calling him ‘Rey-oppa.’

Now, every night, he comes to her bedroom…

Was his purpose here to bring the ladder needed for cleaning the ceiling? 

He held a long ladder in one hand.

Then he could just give the ladder and leave.

Laughing, he suddenly raised his hand and naturally wrapped it around Elina’s shoulder.

This time, unable to hide her bewilderment, Elina trembled. Reynard shrugged as if he couldn’t understand her reaction.

“You and I don’t have to be like this because of what’s going on with Mother.”

What? What kind of relationship did we have? You started looking at me differently as soon as I became an adult, even though you called me sister.

Who do you think doesn’t know that?

“Thank you for the ladder.”

“What’s there between brother and sister?”

“I need to clean, so please leave.”

Elina disliked him. Despite being told not to come, he kept coming and talking, creating an awkward atmosphere.

Of course, he was the kind brother who always sided with Elina when something happened in the past. Madame Rasiche was the same.

“I live with you in the mansion as your guardian, but treat me like your own mother.”

She was comforted and soothed when thunder flashed outside.

Until she knew their true purpose.

Even so, Madame Rasiche was less disgusting with the past affection than this person…

But even bearing this disgust, she couldn’t express her displeasure to him.

Despite his disgusting behavior, he sided with Elina in the occasional disputes with Madame Rasiche.

In the current conflict with Madame Rasiche, it wasn’t beneficial for Elina to reveal her feelings of hatred to him.

She had to conceal her hatred and use him.

Even if he was disgusting, she needed him beside her, who harbored different feelings for the woman he called sister.

Having nothing meant needing even such things.

“I’m hurt. You’ve been avoiding me more lately.”

“What, what are you doing…!”

“Do you hate seeing me?”

He roughly grabbed Elina’s wrist as she was stepping back. He knocked over the ladder he had set aside in the process.

“Ah!”

Elina was hit by the falling ladder. Instinctively, she curled up and grabbed her head.

It hurt.

When she came to her senses, she was already holding her lower abdomen with both hands.

“When will you like me?”

He expressed these unreasonable feelings after Elina became an adult. To the sister he had lived with for over ten years, saying he liked her.

And today, he showed the absurdity of speaking it out loud.

“I like you, Elina. I’ve liked you for a long time.”

You know it too.

She tried to leave as if nothing had happened, but even that wasn’t possible.

Unlike the feeling she had when Floi confessed love to her, this was entirely different. She wanted to hit Reynard hard.

As Reynard approached closer, her mind went blank. She hadn’t brought a single maid for cleaning, and if he harbored ill intentions…

What should I do here? What on earth?

…Why is everyone doing this to me?

“Go away! If you come closer, I’ll kill you.”

“What did I do? I didn’t do anything. So don’t tremble like that.”

Despite his voice trying to reassure her, Elina’s face turned pale.

He smiled slyly for some reason and looked at Elina. Then he withdrew the arms that had threatened her.

“I hope someday you’ll genuinely like me.”

“…Get lost.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Ha-ha. It was a joke, so don’t be too upset. If you were surprised, I’ll apologize, Elina.

Reynard’s voice lingered in Elina’s ears for a long time as she sat on the cold floor.

I know. That he won’t cross the line. I know, but…

Ah… 

She missed Floi so much. She wanted to ask him to love her just once more. She wanted to cry in his arms while hearing him say he loved her.

Elina ran out of the main building, leaving behind the water bucket, rag, and broken ladder on the floor.

After arriving at the attic as if running, she vomited up not only breakfast but also the dinner from the previous night.

She hated it so much.

The fact that she had to live like this, unable to escape. In the small room, the sound of crying flowed continuously.