Chapter 09
“Getting Elisia Seymour thrown out of this mansion.”
“But will Cedric oppa really stay quiet about it?” Hesty asked hesitantly.
“It seems like Cedric oppa cares about Elisia Seymour more than I thought. Like when she ran away before… If we throw her out on our own, I think he’ll get angry.”
Even as she spoke, she carefully watched Vincent’s expression. He hated when his plans went wrong more than anyone else. Once he decided to drive Elisia Seymour out of this estate, he would absolutely make it happen. Vincent Albrecht was that kind of person.
“Hesty. Just because Elisia trimmed your bangs a little, do you suddenly think she’s some kind older sister-in-law?”
Vincent set down the embroidery frame and stood up. Walking behind Hesty, who was standing before the full-length mirror, he gripped her shoulders tightly.
“It’s only been a year since our mother’s funeral.”
At the word mother, Hesty’s shoulders trembled slightly. She was only sixteen. Not long after losing her father, her mother had also passed away. The unbearable weight of that grief pressed heavily upon her young shoulders.
“That incident left deep scars on all three of us. Look at Cedric—he’s become a wreck and won’t even step outside the mansion. He abandoned his duties too…”
After Duchess Diana died, Cedric spent an entire week drinking without eating a single proper meal. Then he handed all authority over the estate to Vincent and completely withdrew from high society.
Because of that, the once lively mansion lost all warmth within a year and became known as the “Ghost Mansion of Albrecht.” Some servants even quit after claiming they had seen real ghosts.
“This is all part of the Seymour family’s scheme. A plot to trample our family and steal away our glory.”
Hesty lowered her head deeply. Thinking of her mother made her eyes redden with tears.
“You children must make this family prosper even more and crush the Seymour family’s pride.”
It was something they had heard endlessly since before they could even walk properly. Vincent, the eldest, Cedric, the second son, and the youngest, Hesty—all of them had grown up listening to their grandparents speak about the Seymour family’s ugliness and deceit. Naturally, hatred for the Seymours had taken root in them.
“And how do you think the Seymour family killed Mother? Why do you think it happened the moment Elisia Seymour entered our mansion?”
Though he had no proof, Vincent spoke as if Elisia herself had murdered Duchess Diana.
“We need to drive that woman out. Then Cedric will come back to his senses and regain the dignity of the Duke of Albrecht.”
“You’re right, oppa.”
Tears shimmering in her eyes, Hesty nodded.
Through the mirror, Hesty could see both herself and Vincent standing behind her. But the mirror only reflected up to her head, cutting off Vincent’s face above it. Because of that, she couldn’t tell what kind of expression he was wearing.
“Trust me. Sister-in-law will leave this mansion on her own.”
“Hm… Is there perhaps a gentleman you’ve been interested in lately?”
When Elisia asked that question, Hesty flinched as if a huge secret had been exposed. Once again, the two of them were facing each other in Hesty’s room.
After talking with Vincent yesterday, Hesty had resolved to torment Elisia again. But somehow, she no longer felt capable of doing that. Whenever she looked at Elisia’s face, harsh words no longer came as easily as before.
I was just testing her, but it seems there really is someone.
Hesty covered her face with both hands, looking thrilled just imagining the man. Seeing such a fresh and innocent reaction only excited Elisia more.
“Should I tell your fortune? No, I’ll do a reading for you.”
“A fortune reading? You know how to do that too?”
There’s nothing more entertaining than peeking into someone else’s love life.
When Hesty asked curiously, Elisia casually said it was just something she had recently become interested in.
“Here, could you bring me a handful of barley?”
Since Elisia assumed rice probably didn’t exist in this world, she asked a maid to bring barley instead. A moment later, the maid returned with a tray containing a handful of barley grains. Elisia scooped them into her hands, shook them lightly, then scattered them across the desk.
“Hm…”
She slowly examined where the barley had fallen and what shapes it formed. Resting her chin on one hand with a serious expression, she looked at the innocent-faced Hesty and spoke.
“That man is two-timing you.”
“What?”
“The reading says he’s involved with another woman too. Look here—the long line at the bottom is you, and the barley gathered in the center is the man. But see this other long vertical line? That’s another woman.”
Hesty looked at the scattered barley as Elisia explained, but she couldn’t understand how any of it represented her, the man, or another woman.
“There’s no way!”
Hesty bit down hard on her lower lip.
“Who is this man? Is he another noble?”
Clenching her fists, she pictured him in her mind. Bluish hair, honey-colored eyes sweet like melted gold—it was Theodore Thanatol, the second son of the Marquis Thanatol family.
“He’s Theodore Thanatol of the Marquis Thanatol household.”
“And who’s that supposed to be?”
Elisia asked blankly, as if she had no idea. Hesty looked startled.
“I told you I lost my memories, remember?”
“Ah… right.”
Only then did Hesty understand. There was no way Elisia Seymour, daughter of the Seymour family, wouldn’t normally know the Thanatol family. Hesty and Elisia had attended the debutante ball of Layla Thanatol, the youngest daughter of the family, before Elisia married Cedric. That was also the very day Hesty fell for Theodore.
“Marquis Thanatol and Duke Seymour are close friends. Before marrying Cedric oppa, you were often invited to their parties too.”
Elisia repeated the name Thanatol in her mind. Strangely enough, vague memories of Theodore Thanatol began dripping into her thoughts like droplets of water.
Bluish hair… golden eyes…?
Nothing more came to mind, so it probably wasn’t an important memory. Pushing aside any curiosity about Theodore’s face, Elisia instead bombarded Hesty with questions.
Where did they meet? How much did she like him? Things like that.
Though her cheeks turned as red as apples, Hesty happily explained every little detail about Theodore without leaving anything out.
“We exchange letters regularly too. If he really had another woman, why would he put this much effort into me? He even includes flowers in the envelopes—and they’re lily-of-the-valley flowers, my favorite.”
“What are you talking about, miss?”
Elisia widened her eyes and grabbed Hesty’s shoulders.
“If a man is diligent enough, he can devote equal effort to two women at the same time. You mustn’t trust him so easily. You’re still young, so you don’t understand.”
It seemed Hesty really didn’t know much yet. Men—or rather, people in general—couldn’t be trusted that easily.
Back when Elisia had worked as a shaman, countless customers had come to her shrine saying they suspected their husbands were cheating. Most of them already knew the truth deep down. They simply came hoping that, somehow, the shaman would tell them otherwise. But whenever she performed the readings, every single husband turned out to be cheating.
There’s no way…
Hesty didn’t want to believe it. How could barley grains possibly reveal that Theodore was seeing two women at once? Surely this woman was just spouting nonsense again. She had to be.
But why do I feel like I should believe her this time? That can’t be right…
Theodore was handsome, tall, and smelled nice. Unlike other noblemen, he didn’t indulge in wild entertainment. He said he was interested in theology and even claimed that after marriage, he wouldn’t want to keep a mistress. Hesty had barely exchanged more than a few conversations with him, yet those words alone had made her fall hopelessly in love.
Even after Layla’s debutante ball ended, Theodore continued sending Hesty letters regularly—at least one every month.
After all, who would devote that much time and effort to a noble lady they had no interest in? Even if he always claimed to be too busy whenever she suggested meeting, Hesty genuinely loved him.
