The Whipping Maid of House Calley - Chapter 121

Sheila started her morning as usual.

“Your eyes look a bit swollen.”

Cedric, who had been reading the newspaper, said as he looked at Sheila’s face while she set down the tea.

‘Damn it….’

Skin this pale shows everything, no matter how much you try to hide it.

Flustered, Sheila opened her mouth to come up with some kind of excuse.

“No, th-this is….”

But before she could even make up a plausible excuse, he spoke first.

“Was yesterday hard on you?”

At Cedric’s words, Sheila recalled how she had cried for a long time beneath him in the punishment room before going back to her room and collapsing face down on the bed, crying again.

Embarrassed by the memory, it was awkward, but it also gave her a perfect excuse.

“Yes…, a little.”

“If it’s too much, I told you to use the safeword anytime. Why, did you want to get it over with quickly?”

“N-no! It’s not like that….”

With a maid’s instincts ingrained in her, Sheila automatically denied that kind of question.

“Or should I change the safeword to something else? ‘Bernard’ or ‘Marisa’? That might cool me off for sure too.”

Not sure if he was joking or serious, Sheila gave an awkward smile.

“Anyway, think about it. I’m more than willing to change it.”

“Yes….”

After that exchange, Sheila became certain once again that he had bought her.

Otherwise, it would be too much trouble to set a new safeword for a relationship that only had one or two times left.

With a mood similar to usual yet subtly different, the morning passed.

It was just after lunchtime when Rufus, who had been sorting the mail that arrived at the mansion, called out to Cedric in an urgent voice.

“Young Count, I think you need to go to Lotas immediately. An audit has come from the Lotas government, and they’re looking for the president. They say the audit won’t begin unless the president is present, and until then, all operations have been ordered to stop.”

“What?”

Cedric’s voice, unusually, rose at the sudden situation.

It had been about two years since the company was established.

From the beginning, it grew without major difficulty, and in less than a year, it had settled into place and begun generating enormous profits.

The finances of House Calley had also quickly begun to rely on that profit.

About six months before returning home, Cedric had gradually organized the procedures so that reports and approvals could be handled in writing even if he wasn’t on site.

For now, the place had been left in the hands of Edouard Cancelo, who had accompanied him as a study tutor abroad.

Edouard, who had once been Cedric’s private tutor, was knowledgeable in politics and economics, loved the arts, and valued trust. In short, he was one of the few people Cedric trusted.

“What exactly did they say the purpose of the audit was?”

“They wrote that a report was filed accusing the company of embezzling taxes and even funneling that money back to Beloica.”

“Ha…!”

Cedric let out a dry laugh.

As a company founded by a foreigner, it had adhered to tax laws and regulations more strictly than any other.

So for a report to be filed without any grounds, it was clearly either the work of those trying to check Cedric’s company, Rovenhagen, or an act of overreach by the Lotas government itself.

“Either way, I’ll have to go.”

Since all operations had been halted until the president arrived, the losses would be considerable until the audit was over.

“Sheila, prepare my travel bag. Pack for about a week for now.”

“Yes, Young Count.”

Sheila, who had been listening to their conversation in tension without even being able to interrupt, quickly answered.

Rufus also went out to prepare for the business trip.

While Sheila packed, Cedric looked over the letter from Edouard once more and gathered the necessary documents.

“Young Count, the bag is packed.”

Sheila, who had prepared the travel bag as Cedric instructed, spoke carefully.

Cedric lifted his head and looked at Sheila.

“You….”

Sheila silently waited for his decision.

Since she’d become his maid, she might have to accompany him on his trip.

At that moment, the door to Cedric’s room burst open and Bernard Calley entered with Rufus.

“Where do you think you’re going all of a sudden?”

Rufus, who came in behind Bernard, made a face that said ‘that’s how it happened.’

On the way to fetch Cedric, he’d run into Bernard and quickly informed him that they had to leave for Lotas.

“There’s been a sudden audit of my company. I was on my way to report it, but since you’re here, I’ll be off for a while.”

“I should’ve known from the moment you said you’d stoop to running a business….”

“….”

“You think you can become the lord while leaving the territory like this whenever you please? There’s a limit to showing off. If you’re not confident you can handle it properly, then quit right now!”

Even though it was Cedric’s business that kept the family finances from falling into deficit, Bernard harshly scolded him. Cedric, who didn’t respond to Bernard’s baseless faultfinding, spoke without losing his composure.

“For now, the matter is urgent, so I’ll go and come back, then explain in detail.”

Bernard, who took Cedric’s attitude as disregard toward himself, spoke in an even more furious voice.

“Fine, we’ll see when you get back!”

After Bernard vented his anger one-sidedly and slammed the door as he left, Cedric spoke first in the chilled atmosphere.

“Let’s go.”

Rufus, who had been wondering if he’d said something wrong to the Count because of Bernard’s behavior, came to his senses and replied, “Yes, Young Count.”

Rufus picked up Cedric’s travel bag that Sheila had packed, and Cedric took his document case from the desk.

“Um, Young Count….”

Sheila called out to Cedric.

Before Bernard barged in, he had been about to give her an order and stopped.

“Stay at the mansion and wait. I won’t be gone long.”

Sheila nodded.

Her blue eyes were filled with concern for Cedric. Swept up in the sudden situation, she had momentarily forgotten her own circumstances.

“Shall I see you off….”

Cedric gave a faint smirk as if to say it was unnecessary.

“No need. I’ll be back.”

The door shut with a thud, leaving Sheila alone in the large room.

After standing there blankly for a moment, Sheila hurried toward the window, just like sometime before.

She wanted to see him off as he left.

A carriage Rufus had already prepared was waiting in front of the entrance.

Soon, Rufus appeared outside and loaded Cedric’s luggage onto the carriage that would take them to the train station.

Then he disappeared somewhere for a moment.

Cedric, who got on the carriage first, left the door open and waited for Rufus.

Unlike last time when he looked up at his window, today he didn’t look toward where she was.

‘Something really big must’ve happened at the company.’

She couldn’t understand the exact details, but it was clear the situation was serious.

Even if it wasn’t as serious as it seemed, just traveling to and from Lotas would take at least three days.

Rufus returned to the carriage about five to ten minutes later.

As he climbed in, the door closed and the carriage set off.

‘Goodbye, you perverted young count.’

Sheila quietly pressed her palm against the window.

Sheila had just made up her mind. While he was gone, she would leave this mansion.

So the sight of Cedric sitting indifferently in the carriage was the last image Sheila would have of him.

It had to be that way.

***

The next day, Sheila repaid all the small amounts of money she had borrowed from her coworkers.

The only thing she couldn’t repay was the 5 solids she had borrowed from Molly.

“Molly, don’t worry. I’ll definitely pay you back before the next paycheck.”

When she said that after running into Molly in passing, Molly gave her a look as if asking what she was talking about.

“That was the plan from the start. Why are you making a big deal out of it now?”

Yeah. Because I’ll be gone from here before then.

Sheila said with a bitter smile, “Molly, what does it mean to live well…?”

“If you’re going to grab a busy person and spout nonsense, at least pay me for it,” Molly replied indifferently to the serious question filled with the weight of life.

“At this rate, you’ll turn into ‘Donmimol.’”

At Sheila’s sincere warning, Molly made a relieved expression and said, “So you knew you were ‘Donmishei’ all along!”

• [t/n] Donmishei (돈미셰): Slang abbreviation of 돈에 미친 새끼, literally “money-crazed bastard,” used to insult someone obsessed with money and willing to do anything to get it. The final syllable “셰” (she) echoes Sheila’s name (셰일라), creating a wordplay that ties the insult to her. Likewise, “Donmimol” (돈미몰) swaps in Molly’s name, meaning “money-crazed Molly.”

It seemed she had been frustrated for a long time without being able to say it.

“And you knew but never told me?”

“What’s the point? It’s not like you’d change,” Molly answered as if it didn’t matter. “And no matter what people call you, you’re still just you.”

At Molly’s words that followed, Sheila suddenly pulled her into a tight hug.

“Uh…! Hey, hey! What’s gotten into you!”

Sheila didn’t resent the coworkers who called her Donmishei, but she always felt more grateful toward Molly, who saw her as she was.

“What do you mean, what’s gotten into me. You said you’re like my big sister!”

Sheila clung to Molly and shook her from side to side, acting cute.

‘You have to be happy, Molly.’

She planned to have Jerry repay the money she borrowed from Molly at double the amount. But if Sheila disappeared before that, the one who would be most shocked would be Molly.

Beyond shock, she would probably even feel betrayed.

Sheila felt heavy-hearted, having to do something hurtful to someone she was grateful to.

Even if she couldn’t write a letter, she had to at least send word through Jerry that she was doing well.

Sheila, holding back from saying anything more so she wouldn’t give off any strange signs, finally let Molly go.

“Get back to work. The young lady will be looking for you.”

“Yeah. You should get some rest while the young count is away.”

Sheila replied that she understood, then turned around and wiped away a single tear.

There was no time to drown in sentiment like this.

Back in her room, Sheila began packing the clothes Molly had bought for her into her worn travel bag.