𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑: 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐭
“Ellen, sit down. I have something important to discuss.”
“Yes, Otou-sama.”
The room is silent, and the crackling sound of the small fireplace, appropriate for spring, can be clearly heard. I sat down across from the Colrain father and son. Samuel stood up without looking at me and suddenly bowed his head.
“Ellen, I’m sorry!”
“What?”
Then Samuel’s father also stood up and bowed his head.
“Ellen, my Samuel has made a foolish mistake. I can’t apologize enough. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I hope you can forgive my foolish Samuel.”
Hmm.
Someone close to him must have informed him, as Mrs. D’Anjouzes wouldn’t directly inform Samuel’s father. I wonder how much he confessed. I wonder if he apologized for things that seemed forgivable.
“Benjamin, let’s explain to Ellen first.”
Otou-sama sternly told the Colrain father and son to sit down. When I looked at my mother, she was staring at the wall diagonally above. Her well-arranged white face had an expression as if it was written “fed up”.
On the other hand, Otou-sama looked as if he was about to announce a terminal illness to me.
“Marquis Norden came to inform us earlier, but it seems there are rumors that Samuel and Melanie are… in a very close relationship.”
“I see. But why isn’t Melanie, the person in question, here? Melanie might have something to say. She should be present.”
Then Okaa-sama, with her fed-up face, joined in with a clear voice without changing her expression.
“Rudolph, I agree with that.”
“I see. If you two wish, I will call Melanie.”
Eventually, Melanie entered the reception room with her head down. She was neither flustered nor crying. I had misjudged her.
“Melanie, sit down. We heard from outside that you and Samuel are in a very close relationship?”
Melanie glanced at Samuel, but Samuel was just looking at his hands on the table and didn’t notice her gaze. No, maybe he didn’t want to notice.
Then Melanie lifted her face sharply, shifted her gaze from Samuel to Otou-sama, and replied with a voice tinged with strength.
“Yes. Samuel-sama and I are in love. I am aware that Ellen-sama’s wedding is in two weeks. I am truly sorry. But we are in love.”
Otou-sama sighed, “Haa.” Samuel said nothing. Samuel’s father was glaring at Melanie with wide eyes.
“May I speak?”
With everyone’s consent, I started to speak.
“Actually, I happened to come across the two of them talking on my way back from the forest earlier. Samuel seems to truly love Melanie, Otou-sama.”
“Ugh!”
The one who closed his eyes and let out a regretful voice was Samuel’s father, Count Colrain. Samuel flinched, but he didn’t seem to have the courage to look me in the eye.
“First of all, Ellen, what do you want to do?”
“There’s nothing I can do. Samuel chose Melanie over me. I have no choice but to step aside, right?”
Samuel looked up at me with a surprised face. Ah, he thought I wouldn’t give up on him.
“As soon as it reaches Eric-ojiisama’s ears, the story will soon reach the ears of other nobles. I can’t become a miserable wife who was cuckolded before marriage. It would disgrace the Marquis Bowen family. I need some time to heal my emotional wounds, but it would be pitiful not to let Samuel marry Melanie soon. After all, Melanie is pregnant.”
Samuel looked down even more. Melanie smiled quietly.
“You!”
Count Colrain seemed to be unaware of the pregnancy. He suddenly grabbed Samuel by the collar and punched him in the face.
The only one who screamed was Melanie. The three of us in our family watched the parent and child with cold eyes.
“That’s how it is. It can’t be helped. The baby is innocent. Congratulations, Samuel, Melanie. Be happy together.”
“Ellen, are you really okay with this? Weren’t you two close lovers?”
“But, Samuel truly loves Melanie, and he wants to live with her and their child in a sunny room rented with the money our family provides. I think that’s a bit too much.”
“What did you say…”
Otou-sama’s voice is low. Even though he is the son of a longtime friend, there must be something he can’t stomach. I’m glad, Otou-sama thinks so too.
“Because, you never know what will happen in life, right? What if something happened to me before I could have a child if I married Samuel, throwing away my pride? All the dowry Otou-sama would give me would go to the child Melanie is going to have. That’s what it means to not rest in peace even in death.”
I take a breath there and say the most important thing.
“Besides, after hearing such a conversation, I’ve lost all desire to marry. I don’t have the slightest bit of lingering affection for Samuel.”
Upon hearing my words, Benjamin Count Colrain pleaded with my father.
“Rudolph, I’m sorry! It’s my responsibility for raising such a foolish son. But if you abandon us now, our house will go bankrupt. Please don’t abandon us!”
“Huh?”
The small mutter is Melanie. Did she not know that the Count Colrain family was in such dire straits? Didn’t Samuel say that they couldn’t stand without our family’s support? Did she miss it because she was too excited?
Otou-sama narrows his eyes and answers his longtime friend.
“Yes, I want to help you if I can. But this is no longer just a matter between you and me. It’s a problem between our Marquis Bowen family and the Count Colrain family. I won’t charge interest on the aid I’ve given to your house so far, as promised. But I’ll have you return it. As for future financial aid, I’ll cancel it since the marriage is off.”
“Ellen! Won’t you ask your father for me? The child who will be born is innocent, please continue the financial aid…”
Samuel’s voice trailed off probably because Okaa-sama slowly stood up with a smile. Okaa-sama has a fake smile on her beautiful face, but her eyes were terrifying.
“Samuel? Even a child would realize that what you’re saying is strange. You’ve committed infidelity and caused a great deal of damage to Ellen’s heart and reputation, but you still want us to be kind to the child born out of your infidelity, do you really think that’s going to work?”
Without waiting for a reply, this time I follow after Okaa-sama.
“That’s why, Melanie, you all need to work hard to repay the debt to our house while raising the child. Love will get you through. Also, seeing your face is hard for me, so could you leave this house by tomorrow morning? Otou-sama will contact your father about the details, so you can rest assured.”
“No way…”
“But, you don’t need to participate in the social world anymore, right? The story of you getting a husband and child at once should be all over by tomorrow. You don’t need to find a partner in the social world anymore, you’ve achieved your goal. Congratulations. Well then, Samuel, Melanie, good day.”
Melanie is glaring at me. She can glare all she wants. The words “ungrateful” and “shallow” are meant for you.
I greet them with the most beautiful smile I can muster, and as I’m about to leave the room, my mother stops me.
・・・
『”𝘈𝘸𝘦𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴.𝘤𝘰𝘮” – 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘨𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘳𝘢n𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 “𝘥𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘶𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴” 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰 “𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴”.』
・・・
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