I am a prize for the ladies’ charity event.
It’s something that isn’t necessarily needed, but if you give it to someone, they’ll applaud you.
When I actually bring it home, it’s of no use, so I just put it away somewhere, and sometimes when I think of it, I look at it. And I think about it.
How much did I pay for that? Who should I resell it to to make a profit?
Hermia said so and lay down on the table. She must have fallen asleep quickly, as her regular breathing could be heard from under her crossed arms.
As Walter came out, Aiden and Henry, who had been waiting, approached him.
“Prepare the bedroom and send someone to Bansenga. Your daughter will be staying here tonight.”
“yes.”
“I’ll buy some clothes and shoes too. This time, in the right size.”
Aiden, who received the order in turn, moved first, and Henry shrugged.
“I bought some for Hermia just in case I bought some for Melissa.”
It was a moment when the delicate side of Lieutenant Henry Schumacher shone through. Walter stared at his subordinate’s sullen face for a moment.
Come to think of it, I think you were popular among nursing officers.
What did Gerard say to Henry when he saw him? ‘Natural’? I don’t know exactly what he meant, but it’s clear that he said Henry had worse qualities than he did.
“…good job.”
Walter, despite the compliment, looked wary and turned his back on his subordinate as he went inside.
“He’s completely asleep. What should I do?”
Mel, who had been looking at Hermia from all sides, asked in a bewildered voice. Instead of answering, he carefully lifted Hermia into his arms.
“You go and rest too.”
“Hey, where are you going? Are you planning on letting me sleep here? Aren’t you going to send me back home?”
“It’s late at night.”
“Count Arnold arrived later, but he was sent back.”
Mel ran over and blocked the door. Walter let out a short sigh as he watched her stubbornly resist with a look of incomprehension on her face.
“Miss Hermia came to talk to me. But you made her drink, and this is what happened, as you can see.”
“I didn’t force you to eat it!”
“Keep your voice down, Melissa.”
“… … .”
Even in the midst of all this, he was still concerned about the young lady. Suddenly, Mel felt wronged and looked back and forth between Walter and Hermia before impulsively asking,
“Are you really going to marry that young lady?”
I never expected that the words I had been hesitant to say because of an ominous premonition would come out now.
Mel had made her intentions clear at the engagement party. It wasn’t a perfect sentence, but there was no way he didn’t understand it, and there was no way he forgot it.
‘It’s all fake! Marriage was originally, originally I… … .’
Walter also slowly opened his deeply sunken eyes as if he was recalling the same scene.
“Yes. I will get married.”
“… … .”
When the unexpected answer came out, Mel felt as if the ground beneath her feet had collapsed. This is ridiculous. That was all she could think about.
“…Why? I’m also a girl from Bansenga. No, I’m the real one. Since I’ve regained my memories, shouldn’t you marry me?”
“There’s no changing your mind, Melissa.”
“Yes! I’m Melissa! Not Mel Greenwood, but Melissa Bahnsen!”
Boom! The fist he swung in anger hit the door, making a loud noise.
“… … .”
Hermia, who was sleeping in his arms, flinched and then fell silent again. He looked down at his fiancée, who still had her eyes closed, and collected his emotions.
“When Miss Hermia returns tomorrow, you should come with her. Of course, I will go with you.”
Mel asked again, as if in a fit of rage.
“What? What do you mean? Where am I going?”
“Your original seat. Now that your memory has returned, you must regain your identity. I will be your witness, so the reinstatement will not be difficult.”
The color drained from her face, but Walter continued speaking without hesitation.
“Go back to the count’s residence. Count Bahnsen inherited your father’s title and is obligated to support you until you are married.”
“You’re sending me back to that house… …? To the house where the count and his wife are… …?”
“If you don’t like it, there is a way to get the title back. If the Count refuses, I will go to court, but it is not impossible. If you want, I will help you.”
‘You’re going to help me? Me?’
Mel stiffened, feeling unfamiliar with the way she was treated as if she were someone else. Then, as if she had realized something, she quickly changed back to a humble posture.
“Walter, I don’t want to go back there. Can’t I just stay here? Those people are definitely going to harm me.”
“Haekoji?”
“I haven’t fully recovered my memories yet… but Count Arnold might have really killed my father like in the novel.”
Mel did her best to pretend to be scared, although she didn’t really think so.
“What if they find out I’m Melissa and try to deal with me this time?”
“That won’t happen. That would prove that the book is true.”
Walter was firm. His judgment was close to certainty, and so there was no room to dig in. She quickly gave up and immediately came up with another excuse.
“Even if that’s not the case, it’ll bother me. I know best, having watched it closely. You’ll probably be shocked when you hear how miserly the Countess is.”
This time, Mel was serious. No one knew better than herself, the dedicated maid, how Hermia had been treated in that house.
If his daughter was treated that way, it was clear that he, as a guest, would be treated even worse. But Walter struck back sharply this time too.
“I told you. There is a way to get your title and mansion back. If you really don’t want to go back, I’ll find you a townhouse in the capital and you can stay there.”
“Why would you do such a difficult thing? I’ll just stay here and go back once I get my mansion back. Okay?”
“It will take at least half a year for the trial to begin and for the results to come out. It could take years at the longest. Even though we were childhood friends, if you stay here, there will be scandalous rumors about you.”
“Then why don’t you marry me instead of me? Then no one will think it’s strange if I stay here.”
“Melissa, I… … .”
In the end, he was back to square one. Walter felt as if he was talking to a wall and couldn’t continue talking.
Now I remember.
Melissa Bahnsen was the kind of kid who, once she started to throw tantrums, would just sit on the floor and cover her ears until she achieved her goal.
“… Let’s talk again tomorrow. Go and rest.”
Walter decided that the first thing to do was to put Hermia to sleep comfortably.
He passed Mel with a stiff face, then stepped out and strode down the long hallway. An unfamiliar annoyance filled his every step, but there was not an inch of movement in the arms that held Hermia.
* * *
“I knew this would happen.”
Hermia muttered, looking up at the unfamiliar ceiling.
It was shocking that he had broken into someone else’s house and even drank heavily and fallen asleep, but there was an even more miserable reality.
For example, a conversation between two people that I heard when I woke up in the middle of the night. Or a conversation, or a conversation… … .
Yeah, that ‘conversation’ was the problem.
‘I’m Melissa Bansen!’
‘Let’s go home tomorrow. I’ll testify.’
‘What if Count Arnold kills me!’
‘I’ll get you a townhouse. We can prepare for trial there.’
‘Can’t I just stay here?’
‘If you stay here, you’ll be misunderstood. I can’t stand seeing that.’
‘You can break off your engagement and marry me!’
I don’t remember exactly, but it was something like that. I think there was some swearing at the countess in the middle… And then at the end, I think they said they’d talk about it tomorrow.
‘I guess I was going to say it properly after I woke up. Let’s pretend the engagement never happened.’
Since he said he would give Mel her place back, it’s only right that she get married…
“Fucking life. I knew this would happen… … .”
It wasn’t unexpected, but the psychological impact was greater than expected. It seems she had been secretly looking forward to marrying the Duke all this time.
Were we too caught up in the past when we were held in high esteem as pearls in the mud?
When he was in the mud flats, he was the only one shining, but when he came to a place full of jewels, he was just a small grain rolling around here and there. That’s why he was no match for Mel, who was a diamond from the beginning.
‘Where I lived, pearls were the prettiest.’
She blinked with a gloomy face. It was obvious what was going to happen from now on.
If you get called somewhere, you’ll see Mel and the Duke sitting there, and then you’ll be given an ultimatum.
Then, with the titles of illegitimate child, wicked woman, and broken-engagement woman, it was obvious that she would become a great scapegoat in the capital’s society.
How relieved Irene would be if she found out.
“Ugh.”
Hermia sat up abruptly and groaned at the pain in her head. She had no idea how much she had drunk to have such a terrible hangover.
As she crawled onto the bed and pulled at the rope hanging from the corner, she heard a rattling sound. Soon after, someone knocked, and Hermia was momentarily confused.
When I looked around, the place I opened my eyes to was as wide as a plaza compared to my room in the count’s residence.
The door was too far away to speak normally. I was wondering if I should yell at him to come in, but luckily he opened the door by himself.
“Good morning, Miss. If you don’t mind, I’ll prepare the bath water right away.”
A maid came in, greeting politely, holding a glass of water with a slice of lemon and lime. Hermia nodded, stuttering at the unfamiliar kindness.
After washing up in a bathtub so large that it looked like I could swim in it, I suddenly appeared in a chemise and dress that I had no idea where they came from.
What I finally saw before my eyes were ten pairs of shoes, all of different designs, all in five sizes.
‘Was Mel’s feet this big?’
She searched through her vague memories, picked one, and put a new bandage on her foot. When she was done preparing everything, the maid who had guided her to the banquet hall yesterday came in.
“The master is waiting. Shall we go now?”
It had finally come. Hermia followed her with solemn steps.
I can’t go around being labeled as a ‘broken engagement’ let alone being called the illegitimate child of a wicked woman.
Yeah. Let’s make the first move. It’s less miserable to ask than to get a breakup.
Either way, it’s bound to be a funny sight, but at least you’ll be able to save some pride.
‘I’m sorry, but I think it would be better to pretend the engagement never happened. I would like you to break off the engagement.’
Hermia continued to chew on her lines as she walked down a long hallway, down a spiral staircase, and across an endless corridor.
Emily, who had been leading the way, opened the door to a dining room different from the one they had gone to yesterday, and as expected, Walter and Mel were sitting there.
“I’m sorry, but… ugh… divorce… no, cancellation of engagement… ugh… … . What the heck is this, so far away. Damn it.”
Hermia, who had barely arrived, was breathing heavily.