Since I Don't Know Anything About It, Shall We Break Up, Your Majesty? - Chapter 64

A crack that she tried to hide but ultimately couldn’t erase.

The reluctance of someone who has to forcibly do something they hate.

And underlying that, a thread-like fear.

‘……Yes, Father. The greenhouse is our mansion’s secret pride. Would you like to look around with me for a moment?’

Intrigued by that crack, Karl obediently followed her.

‘Ah, just a moment before that. It’s time for me to take my medicine now…… Benny, could you bring my medicine from my room?’

When Maria requested medicine, the maid quickly brought some kind of medicine.

Seeing this, Schultz frowned and clicked his tongue briefly.

‘Haven’t you already taken today’s medicine, Maria?’

Whatever medicine it was, Schultz seemed displeased at the mention of Maria taking another dose.

‘Maria has always been weak. Don’t be too harsh, Father.’

Landers quickly intervened to take Maria’s side.

When Karl casually asked what kind of medicine it was, Maria just brushed it off saying it was medicine to strengthen her bronchial tubes.

He thought it was no big deal at the time.

At that time, that is.

But the spy said,

That the Tartien family takes ‘medicine’ according to a regular cycle.

And that Maria, due to her constitution, doesn’t respond well to that ‘medicine’.

That day, Maria took the medicine twice.

Maria seemed afraid to enter the greenhouse.

She tried hard to put on a facade, but she couldn’t fool Karl.

She guided Karl to the greenhouse while holding onto him with trembling hands.

‘And then she collapsed in the greenhouse with respiratory distress.’

‘I-I’m fine, f-fine…… Pl-please call Landers.’

As no one had followed them into the greenhouse, Karl ran out carrying her in his arms.

……The greenhouse he entered then.

Especially the innermost part, the yellow flower garden beyond several layers of glass doors.

Although he didn’t have the presence of mind to look closely because of the collapsed Maria Tartien, the flowers where Maria had fallen were certainly similar to these.

“That’s strange. I’ve never heard that Maria Tartien had a chronic illness……”

“She’s the epitome of health.”

So healthy that she goes to the salon in the morning, stops by a hotel in the afternoon, watches an opera in the evening, and even attends a party at night.

Why would such a woman collapse from respiratory distress that day as if she was in shock?

‘……Come to think of it.’

Maria, who was gasping for breath while clutching her throat, scratched her neck with her nails raised.

Like Lumiere.

“What on earth is this flower?”

“I’ll investigate it.”

Fuego quickly added, as if exhaling a short breath.

Karl, who had been lost in thought, shook his head.

“No. I’ll go see for myself.”

“……Where do you mean?”

“The place where that greenhouse is.”

“You’re going there? It’s a tiger’s den!”

“To catch that tiger, we need to go in. Don’t you think?”

It wasn’t wrong, but it was too dangerous.

Fuego looked at him with anxious eyes.

“Don’t worry too much, Fuego. I’ll choose the right time to go.”

“What do you……”

Karl just smiled faintly without answering any further.

If Chris did his part well, there would be no need for danger.

Chris Gunther hated being busy.

Hate it.

Really hate it.

Damn it.

“Haah.”

He sighed irritably and ran his hand over his face.

‘Those Tartien bastards.’

He spewed out curses without restraint towards Tartien, who was like an enemy, no, no different from an enemy.

‘Those insufferable creatures who’d resurrect as s**t even if fried on this grill.’

After pouring out all the dirty and vulgar curses he knew, he felt much lighter.

Ah!

He wanted to be buried in the library reading newly released books.

Without sleeping or eating.

‘When your whole body feels drained, you just put a cigarette in your mouth and start reading the next volume.’

Just imagining it unfolded an ecstasy.

Ah, that’s paradise and that’s a vacation.

“But will the President allow a vacation……”

……?

Really?

He gazed at the sky with a dazed face, then suddenly came to his senses and shook his head.

I must have gone crazy for a moment.

A vacation?

With the great task right in front of us, it was nonsense.

“I am the President’s hands and feet. The President can’t do without me. So let’s not have useless thoughts, Chris Gunther.”

He tried talking to himself to boost his confidence.

In fact, things wouldn’t be impossible without him.

It would just take longer.

But still, considering the time they’ve spent together.

Wouldn’t that much bravado be allowed?

“We’ve finally come this far, I can’t get soft now.”

Chris clenched his fist.

Since the day Yanzak’s coal mine collapsed, the flow of time had been unusual.

Back then, he thought it was bad luck that events had gotten tangled. Now, he felt that the timing had been accelerated because of that incident.

The wheel of fate they had been longing for was turning.

‘Perhaps soon……’

That day will come.

He looked with tense eyes at the old gray building with high walls beyond the stopped carriage.

Chris’s heart leaped violently at that enormous and ominous presence.

‘……As the President said, will this really be the starting point?’

A place where the abandoned gather.

Here, no one cared even if someone died or disappeared.

A place thought to house those who committed the most heinous crimes.

Thus, a place where the most pitiful were driven in.

Chris took a slow deep breath and pulled down his hat.

He skillfully attached fake facial hair and puffed up his body.

Perhaps due to the influence of his master who had been acting for a long time, he was quite adept at disguises.

He came out of the carriage, limping and leaning on the cane he had prepared.

It had been a long time since his last visit.

* * *

Swish- Swish-

Darwin, who was sweeping in front of the lobby, glanced at Cindy who was changing the curtains with Tamia.

It looked precarious as she stood on a high ladder holding the heavy curtains.

Every time Cindy wobbled, Darwin’s sweeping also flinched.

“……Ah, it looks like she might fall at this rate.”

He couldn’t concentrate on anything else because he was worried about Cindy’s wobbling feet.

This was why he couldn’t leave his spot even though he had finished sweeping long ago.

And it was the same for Arwin, who was tending to the flower bed over there.

“If she falls from there, she’ll definitely break an arm or a leg.”

Cindy was an impeccably competent head maid, but she had some unexpectedly careless aspects.

Especially these past few days, she looked even more precarious as if a screw had come loose, lacking energy.

Although she pretended to be cheerful, it was obvious that she was worried about Jeffrey and Lumiere.

The twins were concerned about Cindy like this.

Especially after what happened early this morning.

‘……You two, where did you go?’

Early this morning.

Arwin and Darwin had secretly run an errand outside following Karl’s instructions.

Originally, their duties revolved around this mansion, especially centered on Miss Lumiere, so they rarely had to go outside.

But this time, the twins’ personal vendetta was also involved, so they willingly volunteered to go out.

Of course, they thought no one would catch them.

The twins’ movements were more stealthy and swift than wild cats.

But as the two quietly entered through the back door, Cindy was standing right in front of them.

‘Ughhhh!’

‘Ga-gah! You startled me!’

Cindy looked at the surprised twins with disdain and then suddenly frowned.

‘The smell of blood……’

At Cindy’s words, the twins simultaneously froze and averted their gaze.

Staring at them intently, Cindy spoke as if sighing.

‘I already knew that you two work for Master Karl.’

‘Gasp.’

Cindy spoke as if the twins’ surprised reaction was rather more baffling.

‘How many years have I lived with you two? Even if I’m dense sometimes, I’m not completely oblivious, you know?’

‘Ci-Cindy……’

‘I’ve put Raguel soap in the first-floor bathroom, so wash up thoroughly.’

Raguel soap was famous for its excellent cleansing power.

The problem was that it was so expensive that ordinary people could hardly use it, and only nobles used such products.

‘I heard it’s good for removing bloodstains.’

‘……’

‘I don’t know where or how you got it on you, but I don’t want to know either. Just, make sure I never find out in the future. Make sure I never notice again. Then, I’ll turn a blind eye.’

Cindy, looking tired, rubbed her eyes and threw the towel she had brought to the twins.

‘Don’t do anything too hard, you rascals. You two are more suited for working in the light than doing things in the shadows. Understood?’

Cindy yawned and slowly left her spot.

Even after Cindy had gone, Arwin and Darwin blankly stared at her retreating figure for a while.