The Whipping Maid of House Calley - Chapter 127

<Part 5>

On the day Jerry came to the Calley mansion and revealed the truth about Sheila’s sale, someone was watching them from a distance.

He was the same person who had been watching when Jerry searched Fred’s house. To be precise, he was one of the trackers Cedric had assigned to Fred.

Jerry didn’t notice their presence. In fact, what they were observing wasn’t Jerry but Fred, so it was only natural.

One of the trackers began tailing Jerry when Jerry went into the cabin, eavesdropped on Fred and Ernest’s conversation, then hurried off somewhere.

After going in and out of a suspicious pub called ‘White Shadow,’ Jerry boarded a train heading to the County of Calley.

The tracker, who witnessed him calling Sheila out early the next day and meeting her, immediately met with Rufus and reported everything that had happened.

Rufus, after receiving the report, relayed it to Cedric at once.

It was just before he was about to leave for the Quentin Hotel to meet Eloise.

“Young Count! If you’re ready, shall we head out now? I also have something to report….”

As soon as Cedric stepped out the door, he asked, “What is it? What do you want to tell me?”

“The gum boy from Holzeroad has been tailing Fred in Broden since the day before yesterday and even infiltrated his house.”

Calling Jerry the ‘gum boy,’ Rufus whispered what he’d heard that morning into his master’s ear.

This time, Cedric didn’t rebuke Rufus for whispering. Sheila was inside his room.

“And late last night, he arrived here by train and just met Miss Sheila before leaving.”

Cedric’s expression hardened as he listened in silence.

“You didn’t hear what they talked about?”

“That’s correct.”

So that was why her expression hadn’t been good all morning…?

Cedric glanced toward the room where she was and thought for a moment, then checked the time and said, “For now, let’s go.”

Cedric sank into thought the entire way to the hotel.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“No.”

“You’re lying.”

“Actually, I’m… not feeling very well.”

“Should I call a doctor?”

“No! It’s really not that serious.”

He thought she was sick, but it was for a different reason.

‘No matter what Fred said, that bastard must have blabbed, Jerry heard it, and came to tell Sheila.’

Seeing how absent-minded Sheila had been, despite always being so sharp, it was certain she had found out everything.

Even that fact he had never intended to reveal….

Cedric had hoped Sheila would never learn that she had been sold.

There was no need for her to know, and nothing good would come from it.

If Sheila truly knew everything, it meant his plan had been completely derailed.

Yet, in that moment, he wanted to know. How she would react after learning everything. And the truth hidden within that reaction.

That was why, that night, after finishing his duties, Cedric dragged her into the punishment room.

And that had been the last time.

Because the next day, he received urgent news of the audit from Edouard and had to leave for Lotas.

During his stay in Lotas, Cedric grew increasingly gaunt.

Of course, part of the reason was that he was busy.

He was working through a large amount of tasks out of a sense of debt for having left things to Edouard alone for four or five months after returning home, and a sense of responsibility for the damage Sylvia had caused the company because of him.

After he somewhat finished handling the clients, he proceeded with a lawsuit against Sylvia Stacy.

On the day Sylvia left like that, because she withdrew the request she had made through her father, it was revealed that the report against Rovenhagen was false. And Gabriel, unable to find any violations to the end, finished the audit with a regretful expression and left.

But regardless, Cedric intended to hold Sylvia fully responsible for the losses that had occurred.

In the lawsuit that began like that, Sylvia did not admit to her charges. Considering her usual straightforward personality, it was unexpected.

The reason was simple.

Because Cedric had declared that he would no longer see her.

Now, the only thing left between Sylvia and Cedric was this lawsuit.

“If you promise to keep seeing me, I’ll admit to everything right away and compensate fully.”

Sylvia, coming out after one round of mediation, said directly to Cedric.

“That’s enough.”

Cedric refused.

When all kinds of persuasion failed, Sylvia’s stubbornness flared up as well.

Setting aside that Cedric rejected her proposal, wasn’t it too much to cut ties with a friend over such a trivial prank?

She had clung to Cedric for a moment, but Sylvia originally valued friends more than men.

But as Cedric continued to treat her coldly, Sylvia’s temper slowly rose.

“Do you know your face looks like a mess right now? What, things not going well with her?”

It was obvious who Sylvia meant by ‘her.’ At her sarcastic remark, Cedric rebuked her coldly.

“That’s none of your concern.”

“Can’t I at least give you some advice as your senior?”

As a senior from the academy and also a senior in terms of sexual orientation, Sylvia stepped closer to Cedric. Then she spoke in a low, suggestive voice.

“From talking to her, that girl seemed like a complete vanilla who doesn’t know anything. Cedric, your personality…, no, should I say your sexual orientation? Anyway, there’s no way you had a normal relationship with her. Did you at least reach a proper agreement beforehand?”

Sylvia asked as she placed a hand on his chest. Cedric, having his weak point struck, couldn’t respond.

“My, my…. Cedric. That’s not like you at all. Did you like her that much? Enough to want to take her by force? Then what are you going to do about marrying the Young Lady of Vivarini?”

Sylvia, not knowing that the marriage talks with Eloise had already fallen through, continued.

“You know how important the count’s seat your grandfather will pass down to you is. But you know what? That position won’t disappear even if it’s not you. Then is there any reason for you to take that position while hiding your true nature? If you break yourself, in the end nothing will remain. What meaning is there in becoming a count as nothing but an empty shell?”

Sylvia, as if feeling sorry, brushed Cedric’s cheek with the back of her hand.

Cedric slapped her hand away and said, “I’ll keep your advice in mind.”

After saying that briefly, Cedric shifted the topic to the lawsuit, the only thing connecting the two of them now.

“There’s plenty of evidence, so it’s pointless to hold out. I’ll see you at the next hearing.”

The next court date was set for a few weeks later.

Cedric turned and walked away, leaving her behind. Rufus, who had been standing at a distance, followed after him.

When Cedric arrived at the company, a letter had come from the one watching Sheila.

Inside it was a detailed account of Sheila’s daily life working at the general store.

Rufus read the letter aloud in front of Cedric.

During his stay in Lotas, it was the only moment when Cedric’s expression came alive.

That’s right.

Louis was someone Cedric had planted.

At the moment he hurriedly left for Lotas after hearing the sudden news of the audit, Cedric, who had been coming down the stairs from the third floor, quickly gave Rufus instructions.

Before getting on the carriage, Rufus passed on Cedric’s words to the people he had arranged to monitor Sheila.

“If you tail her, be careful not to get caught under any circumstances, and have at least one person stationed at the carriage stop. If Miss Sheila goes anywhere, follow her without fail. If she settles somewhere, arrange a shop nearby and post a job listing. It doesn’t matter how much money it takes, make the conditions appealing enough for Miss Sheila to take the bait. If possible, a general store would be best.”

Arranging those people had been Cedric’s order after he learned the day before that Jerry had come.

Rufus handed them a generous sum of money and gave them the address of Rovenhagen to report future progress.

And within just a few days, things unfolded exactly as Cedric had instructed.

The man stationed at the carriage stop secretly slipped money to the coachman when Sheila boarded the carriage and sat beside him. After arriving at the destination, he got off ahead of her and kept watch.

After confirming that she was staying at the Nest Inn, the man used the money Rufus gave him to arrange a nearby general store. Perhaps because they had been in business a long time, the couple, quick to sense money, readily accepted the proposal and coordinated their story with him.

If Sheila hadn’t taken the bait, he would have continued observing her and repeated similar setups multiple times.

But fortunately, Sheila took the bait right away.

Under the alias ‘Louis,’ the man pretended to be the couple’s son, observed Sheila, and sent letters to Cedric.

The Mario couple were also quick-witted and skilled at handling situations, so there was no major difficulty in deceiving Sheila.

“They say she’s adapting well to the job. She handles customers skillfully, so the shop owners like her. There’s also money coming in separately, so the business is doing even better.”

A faint smile appeared on Cedric’s face as he listened to the report.

In his eyes, a madness that could no longer be hidden flickered.

Seeing that, Rufus suppressed the chill that rose on his skin and finished the report.

Cedric, who had been listening quietly, said, “I’ll wrap things up by tomorrow morning and leave in the afternoon. For Wellingford.”

The next day, Cedric finished all his work and headed to Wellingford. More precisely, to Mario’s General Store, where Sheila was.

And finally, he stood in front of the place he had only known through reports, her room.

Cedric knocked on her door.

At last, he would see her.

A surge of exhilaration boiled in the hand that knocked.

***

Knock, knock.

“Ma’am, what is it…?”

At the sound of the knock, Sheila hurriedly opened the door, then, upon seeing Cedric standing in front of it, muttered blankly.

“Y-you, why are you….”

As Sheila stepped back, Cedric entered her room and shut the door.

“‘You’…? You don’t even call me Young Count anymore? That’s disappointing.”

‘Disappointing…?’

Why you? I’m nothing to you anyway….

Unable to bring herself to say the thought out loud, Sheila kept stepping back.

Before she knew it, her backside touched the windowsill beside the head of the bed.

As Cedric stepped toward her, he suddenly picked up the banana lying on the bed.

“You were playing by yourself, sticking this in?”

“N-no!”

Sheila shouted in embarrassment.

She had only tried putting the tip in a little, she hadn’t actually gone all the way.

“Sure you weren’t.”

Cedric said lightly, bringing the tip of the banana to his nose and sniffing it.

Seeing right through the woman’s obvious lie, the corner of Cedric’s lips curled up.

A chill ran down Sheila’s spine.

The smile on Cedric’s face, thinner than it had been about half a month ago, was unsettling.

‘Sh-should I jump out?’

Glancing at the window, Sheila seriously considered it. Reading her expression once again, Cedric spoke.

“What, thinking of jumping?”

Sheila looked at Cedric, startled.

“Even if you jump from this floor, your body won’t come out unscathed. Of course, I’ll respect your choice. If you break your legs, it might be even better for me. My maid won’t be able to run away as she pleases anymore.”

While Sheila hesitated, unable to do anything, Cedric crossed the narrow room in a few long strides and stood in front of her.

Despite saying he wouldn’t care if she jumped, Cedric wrapped an arm around her slender waist as if catching her before she could go anywhere.

Then he said, “Did you enjoy your freedom enough? Let’s go back now, Sheila.”