Maylily - Chapter 90

Michele led Maylily into the sitting room and hurriedly gathered up the clothes strewn over the sofa and the empty bottles rolling around on the floor.

“Friends came by yesterday, so the place is a mess. Sorry.”

“No, it’s me who should apologize for dropping by so suddenly.”

Michele firmly stopped Maylily when she tried to help tidy up and seated her on the sofa.

“Just a moment. I’ll bring some tea.”

“I had something to drink before coming, so I’m fine.”

“Then just a moment….”

Leaving behind Maylily, who was smiling faintly, Michele went into the bathroom, quickly washed his face, and dampened his hair to fix it. Then he went to the kitchen connected to the sitting room and gulped down water. The thirst from his hangover was washed away in an instant.

He filled a glass he’d just taken out of the cupboard with water and set it in front of Maylily. She smiled and thanked him. Michele silently returned the smile and sat down on the wooden chair across from her.

“Alright, then. Let’s hear what you need my help with.”

At the question he tossed out while leisurely crossing his legs, a faint tension spread over Maylily’s face. After taking a sip of water, she set the glass down and asked cautiously.

“Could you tell me a way to get to Cartia? Without drawing attention, as much as possible.”

Without drawing attention? At the odd condition Maylily added, one of Michele’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

“Why Cartia? Traveling?”

Maylily fiddled with the glass and closed her mouth. In an instant, a shadow fell over her slender face. He had a bad feeling.

“Aren’t you doing well at the Roden Opera Company? I even saw the article a few days ago praising you highly.”

The article saying the Count of Everscourt was Maylily’s patron had come out last May. Several months after that, the Maylily he’d thought would have her life ruined by being toyed with by the Count unexpectedly stood on the stage of the Roden Opera House as a prima donna.

So the two of them really ended up in that kind of relationship.

Reading the article about Maylily’s performance, Michele had felt a bitter sense of relief. If she could gain wealth and fame as the Count’s sponsored singer, that would be a passable ending for Maylily too.

If so, it felt like his guilt toward her would lessen as well. It had only been a few days since he’d wished for her happiness. And yet, Maylily had suddenly come to see him, indirectly revealing that she wanted to leave the count. As if questioning the price of Michele’s old sin.

“I’m… no longer a member of the Roden Opera Company. I want to leave this place and start over.”

“Do you have any ties in Cartia?”

“…No.”

“Then do you have a plan for which city you’ll settle in, and how?”

“I’ll go anywhere and do anything. Just like I managed in Roden, I’ll find a way there too.”

You sure say you’ve got no plan with confidence. Dumbfounded, Michele let out a hollow laugh. He should know from experience that living in a foreign land wasn’t easy.

What’s more, she’d be leaving her homeland. Immigrants had to live fiercely, facing discrimination and prejudice wherever they went. For a young, delicate woman like Maylily, it would be an even harsher path.

Even so, Michele couldn’t stop Maylily. There was his own share of responsibility in the reality that had pushed her to a point where she couldn’t endure without leaving Riverton. So even if her resolve was reckless, he had no choice but to follow it.

Should I have told her the truth, not just the address, that day?

It was a futile regret. Shaking his head slightly, Michele let out a deep sigh, then fiddled with the cigarette rolling around on the table for a long while before speaking.

“…Is it alright if I smoke one?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

The tip of the cigarette hanging from Michele’s lips burned red. With the long breaths he drew in and let out, white smoke spread thickly. It was the moment Michele got up from his seat to open the window.

“Ugh.”

Maylily, who’d retched dryly while covering her mouth, quickly straightened herself and forced an awkward smile toward Michele.

“Ah, it’s just…. What I ate this morning, ugh.”

Her excuse was cut off by another bout of retching. Michele slowly took the cigarette out of his mouth, his eyes narrowing.

“Don’t tell me….”

“….”

Maylily’s face flushed red as she swallowed down the rising nausea, unable to say a word. Michele hurriedly stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray and flung open all the windows in the sitting room. He sat back down, roughly sweeping his disheveled hair back as the wind blew in, and asked bluntly,

“Is it the Count of Everscourt’s child?”

“….”

And the silence that followed. That was answer enough.

“Does that man know about this too?”

“….”

[That bastard…!]

Barely swallowing the curse, Michele let out a deep, long breath and forced himself to calm down. The blue veins on the back of his clenched fist bulged sharply.

“Tell the Count, Maylily. Tell him, and demand that he take responsibility for you and the child.”

“You know what kind of person he is.”

“….”

At Maylily’s quiet voice, her eyes filled with tears, Michele was left speechless.

“You helped me because you knew something like this would happen someday, didn’t you?”

“Maylily, I….”

“I’m not blaming you. I’m actually grateful.”

Thinking back to the conversation from the day Michele had come to say goodbye, he had warned Maylily while knowing the Count of Everscourt’s plans. It was Maylily’s own fault for not taking those words to heart.

“I think everything that happened was the result of my own choices, so the responsibility lies with me too. You must’ve had circumstances you couldn’t talk about either. Still, I thought that maybe, just maybe, I could get some help….”

Maylily’s voice trailed off as her throat tightened. She felt completely alone in the world. The only small comfort she’d gained was seeing Michele fly into a rage on her behalf.

I should be satisfied with this. I can’t put any more burden on Michele.

“I’m sorry for making a pointless request. Please forget everything we talked about today and keep it a secret. Thank you for making time for me.”

Maylily hurriedly got up from her seat. Just as she reached the front door—

“Maylily.”

Michele, who’d called out to stop her from behind, strode forward.

“Are you truly prepared to go anywhere and do anything?”

“Yes. As long as it’s not something bad.”

Michele’s expression, as he reaffirmed her resolve, was so grave it made her tense for a moment, but Maylily didn’t hesitate. Looking down at her straightforward gaze, Michele spoke with a face set in determination, “Alright. I’ll help you.”

***

Bredova, a small port city located in the southwest of Cartia. There, Michele’s maternal uncle and aunt ran a small inn.

“You’ll be able to cover your room and board by helping out with small tasks at the inn. If you’re alright with it, I’ll look into transportation to Bredova.”

It was a great imposition on Michele and his family, but Maylily answered that she would do so without standing on ceremony.

For now, she had to somehow get through the immediate future. If she endured this period, the day would come when she could return to the stage and go back to her hometown. Until then, she wanted to live properly and steadfastly.

Michele insisted on accompanying Maylily, worried about sending her off alone, but he couldn’t break her firm resolve.

“If I disappear, the Count will investigate everything around me. You could be included in that. So it’s better for me to move alone.”

And so, he had to be content with looking into transportation from Roden to Bredova. To make it difficult for the Count of Everscourt to easily track her movements, he planned a route that involved multiple carriages and trains. Ships were excluded as a means of travel, since they could have a negative effect on Maylily’s morning sickness.

Michele personally purchased tickets that could be booked in advance. To the apologetic Maylily, who didn’t know where to put herself, he said with a brazen smile,

“I bought them with the money I made by deceiving you, so take them without burden. Think of it as my apology.”

At that shameless banter, Maylily couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh as well.

Meanwhile, Maylily said her goodbyes to Mrs. Keaton on her last day of work and, day by day, bought the items and emergency rations she needed for her disguise during the escape. As a precaution, she also received an additional prescription for morning sickness medicine from the hospital. The luggage she packed while avoiding the increasingly frequent visits of the Count of Everscourt was hidden deep inside the wardrobe.

While she was making thorough preparations, more than a week passed in the blink of an eye. And before she knew it, only one day remained until the Count of Everscourt was to leave for the imperial villa.