Obsession Beyond the Wall of Courtesy - Chapter 92

I wanted to hold Vincent more, but Cedric didn’t care. Instead, he asked Vincent this and that while hugging him. Vincent, as if he had been waiting for this, leaned into Cedric and explained everything he had seen in the forest.

Floren, who had been watching quietly, came closer and whispered,
“You two really suit each other. I’m starting to regret what I said at the temple. If I had known this, I would have just cursed my ex-husband.”
“It’s okay,” I said.

Even after I said that, Floren seemed regretful and spoke a few more words before drinking tea. Chartine also looked very pleased with Cedric and Vincent. She was surprised that they suddenly came to the temple, but Cedric treating Vincent kindly seemed to please her a lot. Plus, Cedric showed enough kindness to me, too.

Though I smiled at my lips, my heart felt uneasy. Until now, I had lived honestly and naturally with Chartine and Floren, but now I felt like I was carrying secrets I couldn’t tell. That feeling was uncomfortable.

At that moment, Vincent’s laughter echoed. Cedric spoke kindly and hugged Vincent. Seeing that, Chartine and Floren smiled proudly.

Maybe I was the only one feeling uncomfortable here. Feeling frustrated, I took a sip of tea. Then Floren quietly said,
“Revril, you are really lucky. Where else could you find a husband like that?”

She spoke harshly about her ex-husband and then sighed, holding my hand.
“Revril, I hope you live without regret like me. I think everyone is jealous of you now.”

Chartine nodded.
“I saw a lot about you in the newspapers, Revril. We even kept some newspaper clippings at home. I’ll send them with a letter later.”

I smiled slightly. If it was even in the newspaper, Cedric seemed determined to keep me by his side. Before, he never showed me off publicly, which made me feel more anxious until he said he wouldn’t divorce me.

Then Chartine whispered softly,
“When you said you were happy at the temple earlier, was that a lie to make us feel better?”

She smiled playfully, like joking. It was too late to say everything was a lie, so I just smiled and nodded. But it was hard to make it all a lie, so I added,
“But the temple was really nice, too, just like here.”

Chartine smiled brightly and held my hand. Then she leaned in slightly and whispered,
“So now everything is going well with the Duke, right? When we first met, you were really uncomfortable with Vincent’s presence.”

I hesitated for a moment, feeling her gaze on me. When I turned my head slightly, Cedric was staring at me. Luckily, Vincent didn’t seem to hear Chartine. He was playing with his hands, leaning against Cedric.

I lowered my head and avoided looking. It was something I couldn’t say to Vincent or Cedric. At first, Vincent’s presence was difficult, but the laughter he gave me was happiness I wouldn’t trade for anything. Still, because of Vincent, I got more tangled with Cedric.

I bit my lip and nodded. It was a lie, but I wanted Chartine to see me as a happy person until the end. Chartine smiled widely and squeezed my hand firmly.
“Revril, now that everything is better, don’t think about the past.”

Her kind words made me lift the corner of my mouth. I wondered if it was right to keep hiding everything, but sharing my worries would only upset Chartine and Floren, so I said nothing more.

Chartine and Floren stayed for two days and then left. It was very hard pretending to be happy with Cedric before they left. Especially smiling while receiving his kisses felt like my insides were rotting. Cedric kissed me often, as if he liked that I smiled at him, even if it was fake.

Later, I purposely sat far away. As soon as they left, I stepped away from Cedric’s side.
“Stop it now.”
“What do you mean?”
Cedric seemed calm, like he didn’t understand. I was tired of explaining everything, so I turned away without saying more.
“It’s time to get used to it,” he said unexpectedly.

When I looked back, Cedric was looking at me. His face was colder than before. At that moment, his aide approached him. Cedric gave the aide a cold look, maybe annoyed by the timing, and the aide quickly said,
“The technical development documents from the Uplin mines and the trade rights with the Bildbil Empire are due soon.”

Unlike the aide, Cedric nodded calmly. The aide, seeming nervous, added,
“And the wolf invasion issue I mentioned before is not looking good either.”

I watched them for a moment, then went inside the mansion. Cedric had work, and I had nothing more to say. But Cedric’s words kept echoing in my head.
“It’s time to get used to it.”

Was I a bad person? It seemed Cedric was sincere, so maybe I should accept his feelings and live happily like nothing happened.

But I still remembered how he forced me to leave the temple. If he hadn’t come, I would have lived peacefully caring for Vincent without these worries. I would have worried about small things like whether to buy cherry pie on weekends or weekdays.

I stopped for a moment and looked around the mansion. This life, as Cedric said, was something few could easily enjoy.

Sighing, I looked out the window. Cedric was still talking with his aide.

Thinking back, Cedric must have made time for Chartine and Floren. He usually came home in the evening and rarely came early. The talk with the aide made it seem like work was piling up.

I turned away with a hard expression. If Cedric hadn’t come to the temple, Chartine and Floren wouldn’t have come here either.

But thinking more only made my head ache, so I went to see Vincent.

By evening, my head was heavy, and I felt tired. Maybe pretending to be happy with Cedric while Chartine and Floren were here had worn me out.

I lay on the bed weakly when a maid knocked on the door. When I said “come in,” she quickly opened the door and hurried to me.
“Madam, Master said he has work tonight and won’t eat dinner with you.”

The aide’s news seemed serious. I nodded, and the maid gave me a small box.
“This came by express delivery today.”

I wondered who sent it. When I checked the sender’s name, it was my younger brother’s. I felt uneasy but opened the box slowly. Inside, along with a letter, was a red-stained bag. My feeling was strange, but I opened the letter first.

[Your younger brother scammed money with my funds and didn’t repay it on time, so you must pay.
First, I am sending one of your brother’s fingers. If you want to save the others, send money to the address below.
Kellabird, 68-9 Ludseville Street, No. 39]

I was so shocked I dropped the box. The maid looked at me, puzzled.
“Madam, are you all right?”

I handed her the letter. The maid was shocked and hurriedly took the box away.
“Madam, I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was something like this…”

My hands trembled without my control. The red-stained bag especially stuck in my mind. The maid spoke in a voice like she might cry.
“I’ll immediately investigate who sent this. I’m very sorry, madam.”

She looked at the floor, shaking her shoulders. Her hands holding the box looked pitiful. Though I was very surprised, the maid didn’t seem weak. I barely said,
“Please find out if this really came from my brother.”

“Yes, madam. I’m sorry.”

Her voice trembled but had some strength.

“You don’t need to be sorry. You can’t open everything that comes to me.”

The maid didn’t answer but just bowed her head.

“Anyway, please investigate who sent this.”
“Yes, I will find out for sure.”

Her voice was shaky but determined.

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