Chapter 2.1 – The Whereabouts of a Relatives  

[Debroge, Verno.]  

As soon as Yvonne stepped off the train and saw the station nameplate, she let out a breath she had been holding.  

‘I’ve really arrived in Verno…’  

Her first train ride had been a nightmare. The constant shaking and occasional jolts made her stomach churn.  

Even Yvonne and Emma, accustomed to the bumpy rides of wagons, found it unbearable.  

The train was equipped with seats that could be adjusted for sleeping, but that was all.  

There were no facilities for washing, no toilets, and no dining cars. Passengers had to take advantage of the six daily stops, ranging from 30 minutes to 2 hours, to use the restroom and eat.  

At some stops near stations, Yvonne managed to wash her hair quickly, but with so many people in similar circumstances, taking a leisurely bath was impossible.  

After eight days of travel, Yvonne felt a sense of liberation upon arriving in Verno. Emma felt the same.  

“We’ve finally arrived.”  

The two women immediately sought out an inn and soaked in warm water for a bath. Exhausted, they rested deeply on the first night.  

On the second day, they began searching for Yvonne’s relatives.  

Following the address she had memorized, they arrived at a house that was clearly abandoned.  

The house was dilapidated, and its doors and windows were boarded up with long wooden planks. 

“Oh…”  

Yvonne was at a loss. She had only thought about how she would rely on her relatives, never imagining that no one would be there.  

Her late mother had always spoken warmly about her sister, making the situation even more unexpected.  

“I’m sorry, Emma. I didn’t think no one would be living here. We came all this way, and…”  

“There’s no need to apologize. We didn’t have anywhere else to go anyway. And if not for you, I wouldn’t have ever come here.”  

Emma comforted Yvonne, patting her shoulder.  

As they turned to head back to the inn, a short scream of “Oh, no!” echoed behind them.  

A bright red apple rolled toward their heels.  

Yvonne picked up the apple and handed it to the woman who had dropped it.  

“Here you go.”  

“Thank you! Such kindness…”  

The woman, hurriedly gathering the apples she had dropped, looked up at Yvonne and froze, her eyes widening in shock.  

Her surprised expression was unmistakable. She opened her mouth as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.  

“Miss Jeanne?”  

“Pardon…?”  

“Miss! Oh, my goodness!”  

The woman abandoned her basket of apples and instead cupped Yvonne’s face, speaking rapidly.  

“Where have you been all this time? Do you know how furious the master was after you left?”  

“Um… I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else.”  

“What? Oh.”  

The woman, staring intently at Yvonne’s face, hesitated as if realizing something.  

“I’m sorry. I mistook you for someone else… I thought you were our miss.”  

“It’s alright.”  

“But you really look like her. Just like our miss.”  

“Really?”  

“Yes. If your eyes were blue instead of brown, I wouldn’t have believed you even if you said otherwise.”  

Yvonne laughed awkwardly. The thought of someone resembling her so closely felt strange.  

Meanwhile, Emma picked up the fallen apples and returned them to the basket.  

“Here you go.”  

“Oh! I dropped them again. Thank you for picking them up.”  

The woman finally expressed her gratitude to Emma.  

“But you seem unfamiliar in this village…”  

“Oh, yes. We’re from out of town.”  

“May I ask where you’re from?”  

“…Rivette Estate.”  

“Rivette?”  

“It’s a rural area in the south.”  

“Ah… Wait, the south? Did you come by train?”  

“Yes.”  

“It must have been quite a journey. What brings you to Verno?”  

“I came to visit relatives. But it seems they’ve moved.”  

“Hm? Could you tell me the name and address of your relatives?”  

“The address is the house up the hill. The name is Clemen. She’s my mother’s sister.”  

“Oh, my! What a coincidence!”  

“Pardon?”  

“Our madam’s name was Clemen! That house up the hill was her family home.”  

“Then, could it be…?”  

“The relative you’re looking for was our madam! No wonder you look like Miss Jeanne! Your mother was twins with our madam, wasn’t she?”  

“Yes, I’ve heard they were twins.”  

“That’s right! Follow me! We can’t just let the madam’s niece leave! The master will surely welcome you! He happens to be at the mansion right now!”  

The woman exclaimed enthusiastically.  

Yvonne and Emma exchanged glances, surprised by the unexpected fortune. They then followed the woman.  

On the way, they introduced themselves briefly. The young woman’s name was Louise, and she had been Jeanne’s personal maid since her youth.  

The mansion they arrived at was quite large. Its grandeur rivaled that of Rivette Estate, leaving Yvonne and Emma astonished.  

“I’ll inform the master. Please wait here and rest.”  

Louise guided them to the parlor, where she served tea and light refreshments before disappearing.  

But neither Yvonne nor Emma touched the tea. Instead, they cautiously voiced their thoughts.  

“…They seem to be nobles, don’t they?”  

“Most likely.”  

The realization that her relatives were wealthier than expected was both reassuring and concerning.  

Nobility could introduce convenience, such as easier job opportunities, but it could also bring complications. The temperament and whims of nobles were unpredictable.  

Moreover, Yvonne was a commoner. No matter how close the familial connection, she could never truly be their equal.  

As they sat in tense anticipation, the sound of footsteps approached, and the parlor door opened.  

A rather stout man entered the room.  

“I hear Clemen’s niece has arrived…!”

Yvonne and Emma had expected Louise from earlier to return, but they hadn’t anticipated meeting someone else so soon. Startled, they rose from their seats.  

“Hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”  

Yvonne clasped her hands together and greeted him politely.  

However, the man’s response came late. Much like Louise on the street earlier, he stared intently at Yvonne before finally speaking.  

“You truly resemble my daughter. Just as I’ve heard, you look so much like Jeanne.”  

“Do I…?”  

“What’s your name?”  

“Yvonne.”  

“And your surname?”  

“I don’t have one.”  

“I see. My name is Marceau de Debroge.”  

“Yes, Monsieur Debroge.”  

When Marceau extended his hand, Yvonne carefully took it with both of hers. Her cautious demeanor made Marceau burst into hearty laughter.  

“Haha! Monsieur? Just call me Marceau.”  

“But…”  

“Don’t be so formal. I’d like you to feel comfortable. If you’re Clemen’s niece, then you’re my niece too.”  

He welcomed Yvonne and Emma warmly. Though they didn’t share every detail of their circumstances, when they asked if he could help them settle in, he readily offered them a room to stay in.  

He also mentioned that if they wanted to work, he could match the wages they previously earned and asked them to assist with tasks around the estate.  

“He seems like a good person. That’s a relief.”  

“Truly.”  

The unexpected kindness and warm reception filled Yvonne and Emma with gratitude. They were genuinely glad they had come to Verno.  

****

Not long after Yvonne and Emma moved into the estate, Marceau left. Before departing, he instructed Louise and the other estate staff to take good care of them.  

Perhaps because of this, all the staff at the estate treated them kindly.  

Louise, in particular, became a good conversational companion for Yvonne and Emma. From her, they learned that Marceau was not only a lord but also operated a large trading company, making him quite wealthy.  

He transported spices to other countries, selling them at high prices. Consequently, he was often away from the estate.  

Louise frequently took the time to show them around the estate in detail. She also ensured that Yvonne and Emma adjusted well to their new environment, helping them with various things.  

“This is Madam’s portrait. And this is Miss Jeanne’s portrait.”  

Showing them the portraits, as she was doing now, was part of her efforts.  

Emma and Yvonne couldn’t help but marvel at the paintings.  

“Twins, indeed… To think their daughters would look so alike as well.”  

Yvonne silently agreed with Emma’s remark. The Jeanne in the portrait not only appeared to be around Yvonne’s age but also had the same features, with wavy hair reminiscent of melted milk chocolate.  

It was easy to understand why Louise had mistaken Yvonne for Jeanne upon their first meeting. The only difference between the two was their eye color.  

Before seeing Clemen’s portrait, Yvonne had assumed Jeanne’s blue eyes were inherited from her mother.  

After all, Marceau, like Yvonne, had ordinary brown hair and brown eyes. However, Clemen’s eyes in the portrait were also a simple brown.  

‘Perhaps one of our grandparents had blue eyes?’  

Since neither Marceau nor Clemen had blue eyes, Yvonne’s curiosity about Jeanne’s eye color was reasonable.  

“Madam Clemen passed away from illness when Miss Jeanne was thirteen. How is your mother, Miss Yvonne?”  

“She passed away when I was twelve.”  

“Oh… How tragic. Such misfortunes didn’t need to be shared as well.”  

Yvonne agreed silently, offering a faint smile. Then, cautiously, she asked something that had been on her mind.  

“Where is Miss Jeanne now? When we first met, you asked me where I had been.”  

“Ah, yes. Well… Actually, Miss Jeanne left the estate a few months ago.”  

“She left?”  

“It was something of an elopement. Of course, most people believe she went away temporarily to recover from an illness.”  

“An elopement… Could you tell me why Miss Jeanne decided to leave?”  

“Well, I suppose there’s no harm in telling you since you’ll find out sooner or later.”  

Louise hesitated briefly before deciding to explain.  

“Since Miss Jeanne had reached adulthood, the master had begun looking into suitable families for her marriage. As part of her bridal training… she ended up falling for one of the newly hired tutors, Monsieur Diego.”  

“A tutor?”  

“Yes. Bridal training includes lessons like piano, after all. But none of us expected Miss Jeanne and Monsieur Diego to develop feelings for each other.”  

“……”  

“Monsieur Diego was thirteen years older than Miss Jeanne.”  

“My goodness…”  

“Hard to believe, isn’t it? We couldn’t believe it either. He was said to have been too poor to marry while caring for his widowed mother until she passed. His circumstances were obvious.”  

Louise’s face twisted with frustration as she continued.  

“And he wasn’t even particularly handsome! His only assets were his smooth-talking nature and his skill at playing the piano.”  

“……”  

“But to a twenty-year-old young lady, the seasoned words of a man in his thirties must have sounded sweet.”  

Louise went on to criticize Diego, her tone growing more heated.  

At first, she respectfully referred to him as “Monsieur Diego,” but before long, she was calling him a “scoundrel.”  

After venting her frustrations for quite some time, Louise sighed deeply and shook her head.  

“Miss Yvonne, promise me you’ll never listen to or associate with a man who has nothing to his name. Will you promise me that?”  

“Pardon? Oh, yes.”  

When Yvonne nodded hesitantly, Louise seemed satisfied and finally softened her stern expression.  

They were touring the estate and listening to more stories from Louise when Emma suddenly stumbled. Yvonne quickly caught her before she fell.  

“Are you alright?”  

“Yes… I’m fine.”  

“You’re not sick, are you?”  

“Of course not. I just felt a little dizzy. Sitting here for a moment will make me feel better.”  

“The weather is warm, so sitting here isn’t a bad idea. I’ll fetch some tea for us. A tea break will do us good.”  

“Thank you, Louise.”  

“Not at all.”  

While Louise went back to the estate, Yvonne sat beside Emma, massaging her arms and legs. Emma had been trembling slightly, which worried Yvonne.  

“Don’t fuss over me. It was just dizziness; my body is fine.”  

“I want to do this for you.”  

Emma wasn’t old enough to be Yvonne’s mother, but her complexion had worsened after their long journey and the beatings she had endured from Philip.  

Reflecting on that time, Yvonne realized Emma’s injuries had been even worse than her own. However, her own miscarriage had left her too preoccupied to care for Emma properly.  

Feeling guilty, Yvonne focused on massaging Emma’s limbs when, suddenly, Emma’s body slumped backward.  

“…Emma?” 

She collapsed.