The Whipping Maid of House Calley - Chapter 143

Cedric knew why the noble being transported had jumped from the carriage.

For a noble, honor is as important as life.

But that wasn’t the reason Cedric felt the urge to jump from the carriage.

Sheila had reported him.

He had told her there were ways like that to give her a reason to live, but deep down, he had been hoping for her forgiveness.

‘But I should accept the punishment you’ve given me.’

When the officer said there had been an anonymous tip and asked whether he had ever engaged in human trafficking, Cedric confessed without resistance. He even presented the contract of sale as evidence, something he could have destroyed.

If this was Sheila’s will, he intended to accept it without question.

With a resigned expression, Cedric closed his eyes.

‘So I could let go of everything like this.’

As Sylvia once said, being the heir or the count was something that could be replaced by someone else.

“Brother, what on earth did you do?”

“Take good care of the family while I’m gone. And don’t forget my warning about Sheila.”

To Alfonso, who questioned him as if demanding answers, Cedric left those as his final words.

Judith sniffled with a handkerchief in hand as if watching a tragic play, and the rest of the family were absent, likely out enjoying themselves.

It was obvious how Bernard would react to his downfall.

On the surface, he would pretend to be concerned, but inside, he would think it served him right.

Whenever he saw Cedric busy with the Duker incident and various other matters, Bernard would pick pointless fights.

“How long has it even been since you returned from Lotas? You’re out every single day. I suppose someone as capable as you has many places calling for you?”

“You say you won’t marry and turn your parents’ lives upside down, and now you’re having the time of your life. Then again, if you truly thought of your parents as parents, you wouldn’t spout such nonsense.”

Whenever Cedric asked what exactly he was trying to say, Bernard would evade the question, saying it was nothing.

In the end, he had no intention of having a proper conversation and was only being sarcastic.

Cedric shut out such trivial matters and focused only on restoring Sheila to how she used to be.

It didn’t matter what happened to him. He just wanted her to find a reason to live again.

And just as Cedric had said, she gradually regained her strength.

As soon as she began to recover, Sheila wrote a letter to somewhere. Watching Molly come out to send it at Sheila’s request, Cedric became certain that she had reported him.

What was bound to come had finally come.

Cedric turned back from the step he was about to take outside and returned to his room, then began carefully putting his affairs in order.

After writing down everything Rufus would need to handle after his arrest, Cedric stopped by the bank a few days later and deposited a generous severance into Rufus’s account. At that point, there was nothing left to do.

When he closed his eyes, Sheila came to mind again.

Just thinking of her made his throat dry.

In the past, even after noticing her longing, he hadn’t sought her lips because he feared it would come to this.

If he’d known it would end up like this anyway, he should have acted more freely and followed his desires.

Lost in thoughts of Sheila, Cedric felt disgust at himself for being unable to let her go even in a situation like this.

Cedric gave a bitter smile, and the officer who had been watching him closely looked at that smile with a puzzled expression.

***

A gag order regarding Cedric’s situation was issued within the Calley estate.

It was a measure taken by Count Bernard Calley, who returned to the estate late and grasped the situation.

Even so, the fact that Cedric Calley had been arrested for violating a royal decree and taken away by the guards would soon be splashed across the newspapers.

So Bernard’s measure was nothing more than a temporary fix to prevent strange rumors from circulating within the estate or spreading outside.

Bernard also sent people to investigate the situation, but all he heard was that Cedric had been involved in human trafficking and had confessed to all the crimes.

Cedric refused all visits. He was even refusing visits from Rufus.

“Given the nature of the case, he’ll soon be transferred to the royal guard and stand trial.”

Rufus said to Sheila. Molly was away for a moment.

“Then…, what will happen to him?” Sheila asked.

“Since the Young Count has already confessed to everything, there likely won’t be any unexpected turns. Violating a royal decree fundamentally includes the crime of disrespect toward His Majesty the King, so the sentence tends to be heavier than the nature of the offense itself. For that reason, until just a hundred years ago, violating a royal decree was punishable by death without exception. As kings are well aware of that weight, they do not issue decrees frequently unless it is a very special case. No matter how much times have changed, violating a royal decree will not be treated lightly.”

The more detailed Rufus’s explanation became, the paler Sheila’s face grew.

“I don’t understand why you’re making that expression, Miss Sheila. I thought you wanted the Young Count to receive severe punishment.”

Rufus’s tone was cold.

“I….”

When Sheila couldn’t easily continue, Rufus spoke again as if to say that was enough.

“I have many things to convey, so I’ll speak first. The Young Count left instructions, knowing it would come to this.”

“He knew it would come to this?”

Sheila asked back in surprise, but Rufus ignored it and continued.

“First, regarding the, ah, sale, the young count said to inform you not to worry, as he intends to keep it secret that the person involved was you, Miss Sheila. And here….”

Rufus held out an envelope.

“If you take this to Chambers Bank, you should be able to confirm the deposit transferred under your name. The Young Count said that money cannot heal everything, but since it’s the only way he can compensate you, he asks that you accept it. And if you intend to continue working as a maid elsewhere, he said not to leave abruptly like last time, but to speak to the head maid and be sure to receive a letter of recommendation.”

“W-wait a moment!”

Sheila cut off Rufus’s endlessly continuing words for now.

There had been too many things she couldn’t understand since earlier.

What on earth was this bank deposit, and what did it mean that he had prepared all of this in advance?

“I don’t understand what’s going on right now.”

“You don’t understand? Wouldn’t you be the one who understands best, Miss Sheila?”

At Rufus’s sharp words, Sheila’s face flushed with confusion.

“If I was rude, I apologize.”

Rufus apologized with a face full of displeasure. Then he added to Sheila, who still looked bewildered.

“To be honest, I’m a bit confused as well. It may not compare to the feelings the Young Count holds for you, Miss Sheila, but I also feel apologetic toward you. No, let me apologize properly. I have committed a grave offense against you. I’m sorry.”

Rufus bowed his head and apologized. As he learned more about her at Cedric’s instruction, he began to feel sorry for her.

After explaining only what was favorable to her, it was he who had made her sign the whipping maid contract.

At the time, he thought that as a secretary, all he needed to do was handle whatever his master wanted.

But things gradually went in a strange direction, and in the end it led to Cedric’s arrest.

As the only person who had witnessed everything, Rufus felt responsible for not having stopped it before it reached this point.

“However, it’s also true that I feel some resentment toward you, Miss Sheila. Of course, I know that makes no sense. You’re the victim.”

After piecing together Rufus’s rambling, Sheila asked, “Wait a moment! Are you saying you think I reported the Young Count?”

At Sheila’s question, Rufus, who had been sunk in grief, widened his eyes and asked, “No… isn’t that the case?”

Sheila also opened her eyes wide and replied, “Of course not.”

A brief silence fell between the two, both staring at each other wide-eyed.

Sheila was the first to speak again.

“Then does the Young Count also think I reported him?”

“Most likely.”

At Rufus’s matter-of-fact reply, Sheila felt as if she’d been struck hard on the back of the head.

“Why would I?”

“Pardon?”

“What?”

Their faces, still wide-eyed, were filled with confusion.

This time, Rufus spoke first.

“It’s not written explicitly, but it seems the Young Count took everything as a punishment you were giving him and confessed to it all.”

“What do you mean….”

“If the Young Count had denied the charges, they wouldn’t have been able to do anything. Without a confession or evidence, they would have dismissed the anonymous tip as nonsense. But the Young Count personally submitted evidence and acknowledged the charges. Why do you think he did that?”

After hearing that, Sheila said firmly, “Please tell him I didn’t report him.”

“That’s not possible.”

Rufus replied just as firmly.

“The Young Count is not meeting anyone, and he’s even refusing letters and lawyers. And he’ll soon be transferred to the capital.”

“Damn it.”

“Pardon?”

At Sheila’s muttered curse, Rufus asked in surprise.

Sheila ignored it and said, “Can’t I go see him before he’s transferred?”

“That’s absolutely not possible.”

Rufus strongly objected. Then he added carefully, “To be honest, it’s not as if I haven’t tried that method.”

He had already applied for a visit by lying that he had come with Sheila, but Cedric refused.

“In the letter as well, he specifically instructed that Miss Sheila must not be exposed, so I tried lying even knowing he would be angry, but he still refused to come out.”

At Rufus’s words, Sheila covered her face with both hands.

“Did you think you could live properly after becoming a criminal?”

“Even if you don’t get caught, many people turn themselves in out of guilt. Do you think you can endure that guilt? Just because you didn’t kill with your own hands and only ordered it, do you think you won’t feel any guilt?”

Then why did you become a criminal yourself?

Even as she resented him, Sheila knew the answer.

‘It’s all because of me.’

Sheila blamed herself.

If it weren’t for her, Cedric would have had nothing to do with such filthy matters. The path laid out before him had been smooth.

Yet because of her foolish plan, he dirtied his own hands with blood in her place.

“I bought you from your brother only to protect you.”

Only then did the words she had once let pass by come back to her.

‘You pervert…, idiot….’