Chapter 8
Translated by: ME
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*****
The elderly couple were quite pleasant and kind, their only fault being that both were somewhat hard of hearing. Rose helped in the kitchen, and Alfred worked hard at chopping firewood. Neither of them knew anything about their surroundings other than the fact that they were far from the city. Rose had tried asking the couple where the estate was located, but perhaps due to their deafness, she only received nonsensical answers in return.
Since the elderly go to bed very early, the mother and son adopted a lifestyle of retiring shortly after sunset and waking with the sunrise. During the day, they sequestered themselves in a room to focus on their studies, and until evening, they helped with cleaning and chores.
It was the fifth day of their disappearance. On that day, Logan visited the couple’s estate and joined Rose at the dining table. Alfred was genuinely delighted by Logan’s visit, and after the meal, the two enjoyed exactly two games of chess.
Once the child had fallen asleep, Rose turned to Logan with a look of concern.
「What happened with young Josh tonight? Is he not waiting for you at your manor?」
Logan shook his head dismissively.
「He’s staying at the Mistrial estate—my family home—tonight. It’s a habit we’ve kept up for years. Amanda brought her own children along, insisting that a widower like me needs a break now and then, so the house is likely in an uproar right about now. Josh looks forward to these bi-monthly family gatherings, and my mother is still hale and hearty; she loves seeing her grandchildren.」
As he spoke, he popped the cork on a large bottle of whiskey and poured himself a glass.
「Would you like a sweet wine, Rose?」
Rose initially shook her head. 「No... I don't need any. Actually... perhaps I’ll have just a little.」 She poured a small glass halfway with the red liquid.
「I’m sorry for dragging you into this. If this is found out, you won't escape unscathed either.」
「Found out? What exactly? Your disappearance?」
Rose nodded deeply at his question.
「There’s no doubt the Pendleton house will be in chaos after this disappearance. But that just means what was hidden inside is finally coming to the surface. You have nothing to feel guilty about. None of this would be happening if they had behaved decently. Now then, I imagine you’d like to know where we are?」
Logan grinned like a child who had pulled off a successful prank. Though Rose had said she would leave everything to him, she had indeed begun to worry about the nature of this silent, secluded estate.
「This place is a hunting lodge that the Earl of Goldsmith used to use. I have the elderly couple managing it now, but no noble has set foot here in five years. That couple used to be the Goldsmith family’s wet nurse and her husband, but as you’ve seen, they are quite deaf. I want you to claim that after leaving the academy, you departed in a private rental carriage. Your reason: 'To buy a hawk.'」
「A hawk?」
「Yes. We’ll say it was a gift to celebrate Alfred-kun’s appointment as squad leader. That old man may be hard of hearing, but he’s actually a master at raising hawks—a famous figure to those in the know. You two traveled all the way to this forest to purchase a hawk from him as a celebration.」
Rose listened in silence, her expression solemn.
「However, a tree suddenly fell, startling the horses and causing the carriage to overturn. While you and Alfred-kun were reeling from the impact, the unlicensed driver panicked and fled, abandoning the carriage. He took only his precious horses with him.」
It sounded like a harrowing tale, but as a reason for not returning straight home, it seemed flawless. Since she had paid off and dismissed the morning’s rental carriage upon arrival at the academy, the driver would have no information, and Rose had never been given enough money by her husband to pay for a carriage to wait for her anyway.
The carriage Logan had provided had been driven by someone she didn't recognize, and it was one of many identical wagons used by commoners, so there was nothing unnatural about it. Normally, the two would have gone straight home, but that day had been the exhibition. Everywhere, voices of commoner children had been shouting, 「Dad booked a restaurant!」 or 「I’m getting a new toy!」 It was a day when every family prepared some small reward for their children.
Yet, despite Alfred earning the honorable position of squad leader, the Pendleton house hadn't prepared so much as a celebratory dinner. Celebrations were always left to Rose and the Kirkland family.
「This lodge is in an inconvenient location, and the merchant wagons only come once a week. And I visit this house periodically.」
The picture was starting to become clear. Logan had engineered a situation where Rose and Alfred had no choice but to remain still.
「My visit today will serve as the moment you were finally 'discovered' and protected. Let’s see... we’ll say that because you hit your head during the escape from the carriage, your consciousness was clouded for about two days. As for Alfred-kun, he’s a child, so we can say he was simply enjoying the adventure... or perhaps he’ll say he hated being at home. Everyone would find that believable given the circumstances. Tomorrow, I will send word to the Kirkland house. It’s the Pendletons who will come to take you back, but it would be more convenient if the Kirkland brothers were present, wouldn't it?」
「I wanted my brothers to know we were safe as soon as possible, but was that too much to hope for?」
「The fewer people who know the plan, the better. Even family members can act in ways that give the game away. I should mention, even Josh doesn’t know about this plan. Now, it all depends on whether the clever Alfred-kun can keep this a secret.」
Having said his piece, Logan began stuffing tobacco into his pipe. 「Do you mind the smoke?」 His words were blunt, but she knew he was truly a kind man. Rose told him she didn't mind and bowed deeply.
「I am grateful to you for giving me the resolve to divorce Siegfried. I only hope that once the truth of what happened at home comes to light, custody will be granted to me without a struggle.」
「Rose. It will be fine. You’ve worked hard and endured enough. Siegfried is being backed into a corner where he’ll have no choice but to agree to the divorce, and the Kirkland family’s information-gathering is truly impressive. Even my subordinates who are scouting them were struck with admiration. Now, let’s refine the details of this story with Alfred-kun tomorrow so there are no contradictions.」
With that, Logan escorted Rose back to her room. As he gallantly placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a gentle, encouraging pat, Rose’s tension eased even further. Just exchanging a simple 「Goodnight...」 made her heart feel warm.
When was the last time Siegfried had said "goodnight" to her?
***
「To say I’ve worked hard and endured... he speaks as if he’s been watching me all along. But those were kind words.」
Rose savored that single sentence in private. That’s right. I did work hard. She had been desperate to build a relationship with a husband who neglected his family and servants who looked down on her.
But it was no use... Would it be alright for her to be free now? Helped by her new habit of early sleep and the slight intoxication of the wine, Rose soon drifted off into a peaceful slumber.
***
Douglas’s wife, who had been Rose’s best friend, was alternating between turning pale and flushing red with fury, finding Rose’s plight to be even worse than she had imagined. Paley’s wife, whose marriage had been arranged by Rose, felt a deep sense of debt. Rose had looked after her since her first day at the academy under the "sister system." Though usually mild-mannered, she was now breathing heavily with indignation, determined to be Rose's ally.
Siegfried’s infidelity was the center of everyone's rage. To go out buying jewels with a mistress when Alfred had been appointed squad leader?! It was tantamount to abandoning both his rights as a husband and his duties as a father.
The mistress, a Baron’s daughter named Catherine, seemed to have known her place as a "woman of the shadows" at first, but over the last year, she had been making him buy incredibly expensive items as if to mock Rose.
The law did not condone mistresses. In fact, the legal system protected the position of the legitimate wife. Two generations ago, mistresses and concubines often held great power and plotted against the first wives. It was common for a legitimate wife to be driven out, allowing an adopted son-in-law and a mistress to seize the house. To prevent noble houses from falling to women who had climbed their way up through such "usurpation," a previous Princess had enacted strict laws upon her succession.
While the heads of noble houses had laughed, calling it a "needless bill born of female jealousy," many had broken into a cold sweat inwardly. They understood that if a child of uncertain blood were to inherit the house, it would be disastrous. Since mistresses and concubines were not under constant supervision, they often had relations with men other than the master. They realized it would be a mistake to let such people gain influence.
Siegfried and the servants had grown especially arrogant over the past year. To the Kirklands, they seemed like nothing but enemies of women. Far from helping Rose as she struggled to raise her child, they did nothing but disparage her. Someone shouted that Alfred could never be happy staying in the Pendleton house. The Kirkland family was now fully resolved to have Rose and Alfred divorced and brought back to their own home.
***
It was the former Countess of Pendleton who had begged Douglas’s father to let Rose marry into their family. She had bowed her head, saying, 「I’ve taken a liking to Rose’s brilliance and charm! I truly want to make her my daughter!」
At the time, Rose was a member of the student council executive committee and stood out at the academy, so many marriage proposals had been brought to her. She was lovely, and on top of that, she was fluent in three languages. Men hoping to become civil officials were lining up for a match with her.
However, it was the first time a Countess had personally visited to settle a marriage. The Viscount Kirkland (the father) believed that if the woman who managed the household's affairs desired her, his daughter wouldn't suffer from a difficult mother-in-law relationship. Thus, he was persuaded by the Countess of Pendleton to let Rose go.
—It is true that the Pendleton house is not financially well-off. We may not be able to provide the wealthy lifestyle she has here at the Kirkland house. But Lady Rose is clever and has a strong core. In exchange for your support, we will treasure her all the more.
When the truth was finally revealed, Rose had been treated poorly by both her husband and her mother-in-law, and even Alfred was being handled roughly.
Could it be...? But surely? For it to be this bad...
Because Rose had never complained, they had tried to turn a blind eye, but they had reached the limit of their patience.
And then, the family received a letter from the Earl of Goldsmith.
*****
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