Maylily - Chapter 24

The man who had promised to write once he returned to his estate gave no news, even as the girl’s belly swelled until she reached full term. Branded with the stigma of a wanton woman who had thrown herself away carelessly, and holding only her trampled innocence, the girl gave birth to a daughter.

The child, gentle and loving, seemed like an angel sent by God to comfort the girl out of pity. Yet that tiny, fragile being was not enough to fill the hole of despair in the girl’s heart.

The girl endlessly longed for the man who had surely forgotten her by now, until she withered like a flower whose stem had snapped, and died.

Her father, who blamed his own prejudice and stubbornness for ruining his daughter’s life and in the end driving her to death, repented deeply. Thus, when he realized that the child his daughter had left behind had inherited her gift and dream of music, he resolved never to repeat his mistake.

Gifted with skill in his craft, he was a successful tailor who counted many wealthy patrons among his clientele. Thanks to this, he could send the child to a music school so costly that ordinary peasants could never dream of it without a patron’s support.

Had he accepted the backing of a noble, he might have been able to send the child to study abroad or in the capital. But that alone, he resolutely refused. He would never place his granddaughter’s life in the hands of the very sort who had ruined his daughter’s.

He worked himself to the bone, day and night, without a single holiday, and poured all of his devotion into the child. It was an outpouring of the love he had never been able to give to his daughter, who had withered before she could bloom, and the tears of his regret.

Until he lay down bedridden in old age, he never once put aside his needle and scissors. And when he finally reached death’s door, he left a will with his other daughter, entrusting her to guard his granddaughter’s happiness and dream, and then closed his eyes.

Thus, Diane became thirteen-year-old Maylily’s last protector. She exhausted their inheritance and tightened her belt to the very limit to see Maylily safely through her graduation.

To others, it might have seemed meager and insufficient support, but to her, it was devotion and struggle bordering on sacrifice. And beyond that, the toll of guarding Maylily—whose striking looks had stood out since she was a child—from countless temptations was no small thing.

Now, at this moment, it felt as though the sound of all that effort, sacrifice, and struggle crumbling down could be heard from behind that tightly shut door. As Diane tormented herself with such anxious imaginings, the door quietly opened.

“Forgive me for keeping you waiting. The Count of Everscourt had something urgent to discuss regarding the opera company…”

Standing demurely at the boundary between the bedroom and the sitting room, Maylily’s fair cheeks glowed with the blush of a ripe peach. Forcing down the suspicion that grew heavier in her chest, Diane opened her mouth.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for. It’s not as if we were in a hurry. Has the Count left?”

“Yes, he had to leave quickly for his next engagement.”

“Ah, I remember now!”

Jace, who had been muttering the name of the Count of Everscourt to himself, deep in thought, suddenly sprang to his feet with a shout.

“Skaard Hotel! Isn’t that right, May? The Count of Everscourt owns that hotel, doesn’t he?”

“What? Then he must be incredibly rich! Is that true, Sis?”

At their clamorous excitement, Maylily, unable to fully hide her unease, slowly nodded.

“…Yes. That’s correct, Uncle.”

At her answer, Jace grinned ear to ear as though he had stumbled upon a great fortune.

“Well, May, you’ve finally done it. With your looks, I always thought you’d make something of yourself, but to catch the eye of such a great man. Well done, well done!”

“No, it is absolutely not like that!”

Maylily frantically waved her hands in denial. But Jace, already having reached his own conclusion about her relationship with the Count, did not even pretend to listen.

“When an opportunity comes, you must seize it, May. Do everything you can to please the Count. Who knows? If he favors you, there might be something in it for us too.”

Unable to endure Jace’s insinuations that Maylily should act as the Count’s mistress, Diane snapped angrily.

“Have you lost your mind? Is that something a grown man should be saying to a girl? Ignore your uncle, May.”

“She’s already an adult. What did I say that was so wrong? Honestly, we should at least have something to show for all the sacrifices we made raising her. Do you know how many times we had to move just to see her through music school? Meanwhile, our own children barely scraped by at the village school.”

“The first house we lived in was the one my father gave us. Strictly speaking, it was Father’s money from selling that house that saw May through her graduation. Why do you act like it was yours alone?”

As their voices rose and the atmosphere grew increasingly hostile, Maylily, caught between them in distress, carefully intervened to calm them.

“Please, Aunt, calm down. Uncle is right that the whole family sacrificed for me, and I’m always grateful for that. Truly, Uncle. The Count of Everscourt and I… we’re not at all what you imagine, but I’ll work hard to succeed as a singer so that I can repay you.”

“See? The girl knows how to speak properly. A woman should have that gentle, obedient manner like you, May. I don’t know why your aunt only gets worse by the day.”

When Maylily took his side, Jace puffed up at once and began spouting nonsense. Diane burned with fury at his callousness, at how he could speak so thoughtlessly to the girl who already lived in constant deference to them.

But she swallowed her anger. She wouldn’t ruin the day Maylily had awaited so eagerly with their marital quarrel.

“Since it has been so long since we met, let us only speak of pleasant things from now on.”

“That’s right, save the arguments for home. I have so many things I want to ask you, Sis. Tell me about the opera company’s year-end party you wrote about in your last letter.”

“Yes, I’ll tell you after I bring out the refreshments first.”

Trying to ease the frozen atmosphere, Diane barely managed to lift the corners of her lips toward the children. Seeing this, Maylily smiled back and gently stroked Daisy’s hair before leaving the sitting room.

Watching her retreating figure, Diane’s face quickly darkened again, and she let out a deep sigh. The image of Maylily standing opposite the Count of Everscourt in that strange current of air would not leave her mind, lingering like a specter.

That evening, Maylily took her aunt’s family to Mr. Hosier’s restaurant and treated them to a delicious meal. Since she had had no place to spend her wages after receiving patronage, she had been able to save steadily and had some financial leeway.

“What money do you have that you’re paying for dinner?”

“From this season I’ve begun appearing on stage, so my wages have risen quite a bit. So please, don’t worry and eat plenty.”

Unable to reveal the truth to her aunt, she gave another plausible excuse. Though her aunt looked somewhat doubtful, she didn’t press further.

After the meal, they took a stroll along the Fez riverside where the streetlamps were lit. The rain that had briefly fallen in the evening left the streets wet, and the flowers blooming around them glistened softly under the lights, creating a deep charm.

Upon returning home and just before going to bed, Maylily handed each of her aunt’s family the gifts she had prepared in advance. Seeing their joy over even the smallest of gifts filled her heart warmly.

That night, Maylily dreamed a warm and happy dream for the first time in a very long while.

The next day, she was busy with performance preparations from early afternoon, so she had to be content with recommending places in Roden for her aunt’s family to visit.

The lively market of the Cryer district, the hillside path overlooking Aberque adorned with spring flowers, the lakeside park along the way, and the temple boasting splendid architectural beauty.

Having spent the whole day exploring the places Maylily had marked on the map she bought at the bookstore, her aunt’s family finally arrived at the Roden Opera House at sunset.

By good fortune, Maylily was assigned a minor role in that day’s performance, giving her a brief moment to present a solo recitative. Thanks to her family watching from the audience, she was able to sing in better condition than on any other day.

“To see you on Riverton’s grandest stage! I am so proud of you, May. Your grandfather must surely have been watching you with us tonight.”

After the performance, her aunt, handing Maylily a large bouquet, spoke in a voice choked with emotion, tears welling in her eyes.

“Do you think so? I hope Grandfather truly liked my singing.”

“Of course he did. Even now, he must be busy boasting of you up there.”

“Thank you, Aunt. It’s all thanks to you.”

Maylily’s eyes reddened as well as she hugged her aunt with a bright smile. At last, she received the congratulations and encouragement from her family that she had not been able to on the day of her debut. It was a night filled with happiness.

***

When the dreamlike time had passed and the day came for her aunt’s family to return to Purdshire, Maylily accompanied them to Roden Station early in the morning to see them off.

“Sis, when I come to Roden again, you must let me stay at your house, all right?”

“When you take me somewhere, take me back to that restaurant we went to the first night. That tomato stew was really good!”

“Stay healthy, May. Write to us often.”

“Yes, I will. Uncle, please stay healthy too. Daisy and Liam, take care of yourselves. Next time I’ll show you even better places, so come visit again.”

“If the farewells are done, get on quickly.”

After sending off her family with goodbyes on the platform, her aunt was the last to board the train. She adjusted the thin scarf around Maylily’s neck, the one she had knitted herself and brought especially for Maylily, who always cared for her throat so diligently that she wore high-collared dresses even in midsummer and drank only warm water.

“May, there is something you are mistaken about.”

Her aunt, still holding her gaze on the scarf, quietly began to speak.