Stella Taylor

“If someone from Rekero Trading Company comes while I’m away……”

Bushin gave various instructions to Fitz, the under-butler. Though he was always neat in appearance, in his coat he looked even more impeccable without a single wrinkle.

“……He said he was going out, but it seems he’s going somewhere formal.”

The nanny muttered to herself as she looked out the window at the butler while piecing together fabric scraps to make a quilt.

In response, one of the maids sitting across from her craned her neck to look outside and spoke.

“He dresses up nicely and goes out once a month like that. Where do you think the butler is going?”

“I wonder. It doesn’t seem like he’s meeting a lover, since he only goes out exactly one day a month.”

“Besides that, what lover would the butler be meeting at his age?”

“Are you saying older people don’t know love?”

Another elderly maid scolded the giggling maid in a reproachful tone and then threaded her needle.

Even while chatting, each of them kept their hands busy, truly befitting the experienced employees of the ‘Taylor family.’

At that moment, a maid who was cutting fabric hesitated before speaking up.

“……I think I know.”

“You know?”

“You know where the butler goes every month?”

All the maids’ attention instantly focused on that maid. Even the nanny, who had been looking out the window, couldn’t resist her curiosity and looked at her.

Just as the head maid was about to caution them while pouring hot tea from a warmed teapot, the maid, excited by everyone’s attention, continued first.

“I think he goes to visit someone at the Brensy Mental Hospital.”

“What?”

It was an unexpected story.

Everyone had puzzled expressions at this completely unanticipated statement. Then, as they belatedly understood what she meant, their eyes widened.

“So the butler…… could he have a family member admitted to a mental hospital? Wait, how did you find this out?”

The elderly maid raised another question. The maid who had just surprised everyone shrugged her shoulders and explained.

“My cousin is addicted to gambling. He’s going to that hospital for treatment, and it happened to coincide with my day off last time, so I went with him and saw the butler coming out. He didn’t see me though.”

The people who heard the maid’s explanation were momentarily silent, unable to continue speaking.

Brensy Mental Hospital was located on the outskirts of the capital, but it was quite famous.

Like the maid’s cousin, some people went there for treatment of addictions such as gambling, but generally, those admitted to the hospital suffered from severe mental illnesses.

It was even rumored that once you entered that place, you wouldn’t come out until you died.

“……If he’s visiting regularly every month, then there must be a patient admitted there.”

Someone among those who had been silent spoke up. The atmosphere became even heavier.

Because they realized that the person Bushin visited monthly was likely suffering from a severe mental illness.

“But did the butler have any family?”

The maid sitting across from the nanny tilted her head.

“He never married, did he?”

“Still, he must have siblings or… close relatives.”

“Alright, that’s enough.”

At that moment, the head maid sighed and stopped their conversation.

“It doesn’t look good to be gossiping in the absence of the person concerned. Especially when it’s not a pleasant topic.”

At the head maid’s words, the mouths of those who were about to chatter away closed firmly.

The nanny, who had also been listening to their conversation, became embarrassed and rubbed her cheek before looking out the window again.

She could see Fernan, the family doctor, having a conversation with Bushin and handing him something. At a glance, it looked like a packet containing medicine.

‘……Is he bringing medicine?’

Even a skilled doctor wouldn’t be as good as the Taylor family’s physician.

‘My goodness, I’m being nosy again.’

The nanny shook her head, embarrassed by her continued interest in the butler’s personal affairs. Just as she was about to continue her needlework, there was a knock at the door, followed by an energetic voice.

“What are you all doing gathered here?”

The one who entered the break room was none other than Fernan. It seemed he had finished his business with Bushin and returned already.

Perhaps finding it boring to return to his research room, he took a seat in an empty chair and spoke again.

“I saw you all having an animated conversation as I was passing by earlier. What’s going on? Why is it so quiet now? Let me join in. What were you talking about?”

Being naturally outgoing and glib, Fernan often got along well with the employees. They too did not treat him with difficulty despite him being the family doctor.

“It’s nothing. We were just talking about where the butler goes every month……”

One of the maids inadvertently started to reply to Fernan but then closed her mouth. She had just remembered the head maid’s warning.

“……Ah, well. I suppose he has his business.”

Fernan’s face momentarily stiffened. But before others could notice, he quickly joked around and changed the subject.

“……?”

Only the nanny, who had seen him with Bushin earlier, narrowed her brow. However, she kept her thoughts to herself and focused again on making the quilt.

Thinking to herself that getting along with people wasn’t always easy.

* * *

— Cough! Cough!

Even before entering the hospital room, severe coughing sounds could be heard from inside. At the sound that seemed to be wringing out lungs, Bushin stopped walking and looked to the side.

The doctor who had guided him to the room made an embarrassed expression and offered an explanation.

“Ah, well…… It seems she’s caught a cold due to the cool night air recently. I was planning to prescribe medicine for her today anyway.”

“It’s fine. I’ve brought medicine, so please give her this.”

“Ah, you brought medicine yourself? How did you know……”

The doctor asked with wide eyes, looking surprised. But instead of answering the doctor, Bushin gritted his molars.

⟨Butler, take this medicine with you. I’ve prescribed some cough medicine.⟩

⟨With the night temperatures dropping lately, madam…… I mean, the previous madam might show symptoms of coughing. Looking at the journal my father left, I see she always received prescriptions around this time of year in the past.⟩

The words of the family doctor, who always seemed to be just loafing around, as he handed over the cough medicine made Bushin recall an old memory.

No, even without those words, the old butler would return to the past whenever he came here.

Once a month.

He had been coming to see the mistress he had served with the heart of a prisoner ascending the scaffold.

“Please open the door.”

Bushin told the doctor with an expressionless face and took a deep breath. And as he respectfully held his hat in both hands after removing it from his head, the door opened.

Just like last month, the woman was standing in front of a narrow window where not even sunlight entered.

As if wandering in an old dream.

“……Madam, it’s Bushin.”

And Bushin too, just like last month, bowed his head deeply as he greeted her.

Most naturally, the woman, Lucas’s mother Stella, did not turn to look at him.

Unless her son ‘Lu’ came to visit, she would never regain her senses.

* * *

“I must see the President! I have money to collect from the President!”

Lucas frowned at the commotion coming from downstairs as he was descending the stairs. His secretary, following beside him, hurriedly spoke.

“I’ll find out what’s happening right away, President.”

“No. Since I’m going down anyway, I’ll check it myself.”

He waved his hand at the secretary and slowly descended the stairs. He could see a middle-aged man arguing with the security guard at the building entrance.

And as the man spotted Lucas, he quickly turned and shouted loudly.

“President Taylor! I have something to tell you, President!”

He said he had money to collect, and now he has something to say…… Lucas muttered inwardly and finished descending the stairs.

“Fine. What is it you want to tell me?”

He approached the middle-aged man directly and spoke in a cold tone. The man flinched and shrank back before gathering courage to speak again.

“Hello, President. I am Joseph Able, running a small loan company. Here, my business card……”

The man took out a business card from his inner coat pocket and held it out with both hands, giving a servile smile.

But Lucas merely glanced down at the card without making any move to accept it.

The secretary did the same. Unless it was an official business partner, they never casually accepted anyone’s business card.

This was because someone might use ‘Lucas Taylor’s’ name to engage in improper activities.

In fact, this had happened quite a few times.

“……Haha.”

The man put his card back with an awkward expression at the cold response from Lucas and his secretary. Lucas, who had been watching him indifferently, spoke again.

“If you have nothing to say, then please leave.”

He took his eyes off the man and was about to pass by him to go outside. The desperate man then shouted loudly at Lucas.

“P-please repay the money, President!”

“……?”