𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟑: 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞’𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐭
“I hate the Bowen family!”
“But Melanie, there’s no other place that will treat the cat, so we have no choice, do we?”
“I hate it, I really do!”
With that, Melanie stomped her feet. The cat, startled by her outburst, hid in the corner of the room and vomited again.
“Oh, Minuet, poor thing. What on earth is wrong?”
Melanie now lacks the momentum she had when she deceived Samuel and stole him from Ellen. She is just a cat lover troubled by her pet’s illness.
“That’s why. It’s too late to worry about the past now. If something is said, all we can do is bow our heads.”
“But…”
As she started to speak and looked at her pet cat, it was curled up looking unwell. It hadn’t touched anything given to it since yesterday.
“Oh, fine. I get it. I’ll go. You’re coming with me, right?”
“Of course, Melanie.”
The one who spoils Melanie like this is a plump merchant in his fifties. Melanie was kicked out of the Bowen family and returned to her parents’ home, but when they found out what had happened, they were furious and kicked her out of the house with a small amount of money. Even confessing that she wasn’t pregnant didn’t earn her forgiveness.
“From now on, you have nothing to do with our family. You’re a nuisance to your siblings. Never use our family name again.”
Melanie had no choice but to work as a barmaid to survive, but she managed to escape her hand-to-mouth existence by becoming a regular customer’s mistress.
At first, she tried to rely on Samuel, but he didn’t respond to her letters, and she heard rumors that his family, the Count family, had gone bankrupt, returned their territory and mansion to the country, and became commoners, living off their relatives.
She didn’t want to rely on the Bowen family, who had put her in this situation, but they were the only ones who could treat her cat. The cat was originally a stray, and it had been like a comrade who comforted Melanie when she was living day to day. It had become attached to Melanie after she shared her meager food with it.
“I’m sorry, Minuet. We’re going to a place you won’t like, but they might be able to cure you there. Please bear with it.”
The war was over and the city was bustling. The glamour of the royal capital, which seemed to be filled with dreams and hopes when she was the daughter of the Baron family, didn’t lift Melanie’s spirits now that she was a merchant’s mistress. She knew her life wouldn’t get any better than it was now.
Moderate luxury, a much older, fat man. If she gave up everything, it was quite comfortable. The man took good care of her. She understood that she was not in a position to demand luxury.
Eventually, the carriage arrived at the Bowen house. The man seemed to have spoken to the servants, and they were immediately guided to a separate building that seemed to have been newly built.
The cat was in Melanie’s arms. She wanted to ask the man for help, but the cat only allowed Melanie to hold it, so she had no choice but to brace herself and enter the separate building.
“Oh my.”
The one who let out a small voice was Ellen’s maid. When she realized that Melanie had entered, she put her hands on her hips and glared at her.
What should she do? Should she go home? But then, this child, as she was hesitating, Ellen came out from the back.
“Melanie…”
“I, I didn’t want to come, but this child, this child, is sick.”
“Please. I’ll examine her.”
With that, Ellen and an unfamiliar girl put Minuet on the examination table and touched her all over. Melanie was surprised that Minuet, who was shy around people, let them touch her so quietly. Maybe the cat knew they were there to help.
After a while, the girl in the white apron returned the cat to Melanie. Ellen followed from behind, wiping her washed hands.
“What happened?”
“She’s pregnant. I think that’s why she’s been feeling unwell. She should start eating again soon.”
“Pregnant…”
Come to think of it, there was a time a while ago when she didn’t come home for two days in a row. Was it then?
“I see. So it’s not a disease.”
Melanie was relieved.
“Since she’s probably not just having one kitten, you might want to start looking for someone to take the kittens. Well then.”
Ellen told her flatly and turned around to walk away.
“Wait.”
“I’ve examined the cat properly. Is there anything else you need?”
Ellen was looking back at herself expressionlessly. That maid had been glaring at her all the time, which was annoying. But now, Melanie felt rushed to say something.
“You don’t have to say anything. At least I’m glad to know that you’re someone who cares enough to worry about a cat’s illness.”
It was frustrating to be overpowered by Ellen’s spirit. But as she hesitated, Ellen opened her mouth again.
“Stephan is going to become a Baron next time. I’m going to marry Stephan.”
“Eh.”
Stephan was the guard who had hated her from the start. He was a good-looking man, but no matter how much she smiled at him, he looked at her with a disgusted face.
“That’s right. You two are a good match. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. I wish you happiness too.”
With that, Ellen didn’t look back this time.
・・・
『”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”.』
・・・
“Haah.”
Sitting in the chair in the examination room, Ellen let out a big sigh.
“Did something happen with that person?”
“Oh, right, Norra didn’t know. That person is the one who stole my previous fiancé.”
“Eh. You’re treating that person’s cat?”
“Cats are innocent. But I’m glad. I thought she was a hopeless person, but I feel like I can forgive her somehow when I think she has feelings for the cat. It’s strange.”
“You have Stephan-sama too!”
“Fufu. That’s right. When you’re happy, you can be generous.”
Afterwards, when Stephan found out that Melanie had come, he was very angry, but
“It’s okay. I have you.”
When Ellen smiled at him, Stephan had nowhere to vent his anger.
“Ellen-sama, you are sweet. People like Melanie can sniff that out.”
“I’ve become sweet because of you, Stephan.”
Ellen felt as if the thorn that had been stuck in her heart had finally been removed. Even if you hate someone to the core, it’s easier to breathe if you don’t hate them. She took Stephan’s hand and put it on her cheek.
“When you’re happy, your feelings of hatred for others disappear.”
“I love that refreshing side of you, Ellen-sama. Although I am worried.”
Stephan said, with a troubled smile.
How happy it is to be needed and loved by someone important. Don’t forget that, don’t get used to it, Ellen thought over and over again.
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