The Whipping Maid of House Calley - Chapter 128

The cold, heavy scent of the man who had suddenly intruded made it impossible for Sheila to come to her senses.

‘How on earth…. No, since when did he know?’

For someone who had supposedly just found out she was here, his attitude was far too composed.

Then again, that wasn’t what mattered right now.

“Let go of me…!”

Her firm voice trembled pathetically.

Fortunately, even at that pitiful voice, Cedric obediently released his hand.

He raised both hands as if in surrender.

But that didn’t mean he intended to let Sheila go so easily.

“For now, let’s go back, Sheila. We can talk there.”

Cedric spoke as if it were only natural, telling her to return to House Calley.

Sheila looked at him with defiant eyes.

“N-no, I don’t want to!”

Cedric looked surprised. It made sense, since this was the first time Sheila had ever said no so firmly and directly.

Until now, she had always expressed refusal by making trivial excuses or beating around the bush.

Sheila spoke again.

“I-I’m sorry for leaving so suddenly, but I want to quit being a maid now. I’ve already found work here like this.”

Sheila didn’t mention the ‘whipping debt’ left behind, nor the fact that she had been sold, which she learned from Jerry.

“A job….”

Cedric muttered softly, then spoke again.

“This place won’t do, Sheila. Mario and Cecilia aren’t good enough people to entrust you to.”

Cedric spoke as if persuading her. But Sheila’s expression turned startled when the names of Mario and Cecilia came naturally out of his mouth.

“How do you know about them……?”

Seeing Sheila’s expression, filled with shock and confusion, Cedric let out a short sigh.

“How do you think you managed to find work at a general store the moment you arrived here? Just luck?”

At Cedric’s words, Sheila’s eyes filled with horror.

Don’t tell me they were bought by Cedric? When…? How…?

Seeing the confusion in her eyes, he said, “I can explain everything. For now, let’s go.”

He frowned slightly, looking extremely tired.

‘Then why go through all this trouble…!’

Looking at him, Sheila felt a surge of emotion rise up.

There were so many things she wanted to demand from him. But Sheila couldn’t bring herself to say anything carelessly.

After hesitating, Sheila opened the wardrobe and began packing her few belongings into her worn bag.

If what he said was true, there was no point in staying in a shop that had been bought by him.

While Sheila packed her small amount of belongings, glancing at him, Cedric peeled the banana he was holding.

And of all things, it was the end that had gone into her hole….

The moment Sheila noticed, her eyes shook violently. Seeing her gaze fixed on it, he asked, “Want some?”

“N-no! I’m….”

As Sheila shook her head, he took a bite of the peeled banana.

Her face flushed hot.

“Sorry. I’m hungry.”

At his words, Sheila’s expression turned blank.

Neither saying he was hungry nor apologizing suited him.

Sheila shook her head.

Again, that wasn’t what mattered right now.

Sheila resumed packing her belongings. Her hands moved as she packed, but her mind was deep in thought.

If she could just escape as far as Holzeroad next door, she felt like she could somehow manage….

As Sheila stalled while packing her few belongings, Cedric said, “Just pack roughly. If there’s anything you need, I’ll buy it for you.”

Of course you would.

Since wasting money was practically his hobby, at least she could be certain his words weren’t a lie.

But to Sheila, these belongings weren’t things she could buy with money.

Her sister’s keepsakes, Molly’s gift, and even the items she personally treasured….

“I’m almost done.”

Afraid she might get dragged away without even finishing packing at this rate, Sheila quickly gathered the rest of her things.

“Let’s go.”

After confirming she was done packing, Cedric made a graceful gesture as if escorting her.

With trembling legs, Sheila passed by him and went down the stairs. Cedric followed silently behind her.

Thump. Thump.

Her heart pounded the entire way down the stairs.

As she opened the door of the general store and stepped outside, she saw a carriage stopped in front.

Recognizing Sheila, Rufus gave a brief greeting and opened the carriage door.

To Sheila, that open door looked like the gaping jaws of a beast aimed straight at her.

‘If I get on that, it’s over.’

Suddenly, Sheila changed direction and started running.

Rufus’s startled voice rang out at the sudden turn of events.

“Young Count, I’ll-!”

“That’s fine. I’ll go.”

Cedric’s voice that followed was frighteningly calm. Even as Sheila desperately fled, his attitude remained utterly unchanged.

Hearing the sound of footsteps chasing after her, Sheila darted into a narrow alley.

‘Of course….’

There was no way she could be this lucky.

She had thought it before, but it seemed the luck she’d been given in life had all been used up when she entered the Calley mansion as a maid. Even that had gone into becoming Judith’s personal maid.

Using her small frame, Sheila weaved through the narrow alleys.

Of course, the only reason she hadn’t been caught yet was because Cedric wasn’t running at full speed.

He was probably enjoying this, like a beast toying with its prey.

‘I won’t get caught! I won’t end up like my sister!’

Sheila gasped for breath.

She was barely managing to escape, but if this continued, she would definitely be caught.

‘I need somewhere to hide or someone to help me.’

Even though it was late at night, the alleys weren’t empty. There were drunks and vagrants here and there, and Sheila avoided them as she ran.

“You might think this place looks easy, but it’s not. There are a lot of drifters, and it’s quietly a rough place.”

She had been cooped up in the general store all the time, so she hadn’t realized it, but now that she was running through the alleys at night, she finally understood what Jerry meant.

When she reached another fork, Sheila prayed silently and turned left.

Thud!

“Ow!”

As she turned the corner, Sheila collided with a man. She hadn’t expected someone to be there right around the turn. The impact made her drop the bag she was carrying.

As Sheila staggered, the man, reeking of alcohol, reflexively grabbed her arm.

“Ah, I-I’m sorry.”

Sheila spoke in a small, urgent voice. When she looked up at the person she’d collided with, the face of an old man with sunken cheeks came into view.

In that instant, Sheila grabbed the old man and asked, “Could you hide me for a moment? I’ll compensate you.”

They say even brushing past someone is fate, so wasn’t colliding like this also fate?

In this situation, without someone’s help, it would only be a matter of time before she was caught. He was drunk, but if she was lucky, the old man might help her.

At that moment, the man holding Sheila broke into a grin.

“Ah, well, who do we have here?”

At the old man’s reaction, as if he recognized her, Sheila’s eyes widened.

“Sir, do you know me?”

As she asked him, Sheila searched her memory. Was he a customer who had come to the general store?

If so, that would be a relief.

She had been friendly to customers all this time, so he wouldn’t pretend not to know her.

Then it happened.

“Sir…? You shouldn’t call your brother-in-law ‘sir.’ It’s me. Me. Duker.”

Duker, now so gaunt he was unrecognizable, revealed his identity in a hoarse voice.

Sheila froze on the spot.

“Ha… fuck. Bitch, what a coincidence. I’ve had nothing but bad luck since I met you.”

As Duker spat out curses, traces of his former self could be seen in his gaunt face.

Sheila tried to shake him off, but instead he grabbed her wrist. In the filthy alley, Sheila began to be dragged along by Duker.

“Let go! Let go of me!”

Sheila resisted, but it was useless. Though he was gaunt and looked like he was on the verge of death, like an old man, Duker’s brute strength was more than Sheila could handle.

“One bitch dies however she wants, the bastard calling himself your brother comes and beats me and takes my money, and now what did the younger sister do to end up running away? I’ve had nothing but bad luck getting tangled up with you lot, but what a lucky break. Before I die, I’ll make sure I…!”

Ignoring Sheila’s resistance, Duker spewed vulgar words in a slurred voice.

At that moment.