The Whipping Maid of House Calley - Chapter 146

Cedric’s mind, with his eyes closed, was filled entirely with thoughts of Sheila.

After Marquis, who had personally come all the way to this filthy prison, left without gaining anything, Cedric opened his eyes again.

The moment he opened them, the filthy environment he was in, in other words, the punishment she had given him, spread out before him.

Over the past few days, after being arrested at the estate, taken to a detention center, and then transferred again to the royal guard’s prison, Cedric was taken aback by the harsh conditions he had never experienced before.

Of course, with punishment awaiting him, the poor conditions of the detention center and prison were not an important issue.

Cedric was also afraid of what kind of verdict would be handed down. Violating a royal decree was a grave crime among crimes.

And even knowing that, the reason he acknowledged the crime himself was because he feared being hated by her more.

In the end, the fact that he hadn’t been forgiven by her was what tormented him the most.

But how many times had he already driven her to collapse?

“I’ve wronged you far too many times. So many that I can’t even list them all. I’m truly sorry for everything.”

He turned her, who was living diligently while struggling against her fate, into a whipping maid. And then he eventually dragged her into the punishment room. Knowing she was saving money, he interfered with her side work and took away her oil. And in the worst possible way, by buying her, he ruined her long-held wish.

So it was only natural that her anger wouldn’t disappear with just a single apology.

“I know it’s too late, but I’m sorry.”

The only consolation was that he was able to properly apologize while looking at her face, which had regained some of its strength compared to before.

Even as he apologized again and again, Sheila’s expression had been flickering with resentment and anger.

“I didn’t say it expecting forgiveness.”

“It’s fine if you don’t forgive me. I’ll accept whatever punishment comes.”

How could he dare ask for forgiveness?

If her anger would be relieved by killing her brother with her own hands, he should have left it that way.

“If you’d done what you wanted, you’d be guilty of incitement to murder. Did you think you could truly live as a criminal?”

Instead of spouting righteous words like that, he should have helped her live properly.

He didn’t want to stain his woman’s hands with blood. At the time, he thought that was the way to protect her.

Without even understanding one-tenth of her pain….

In the end, Cedric ended up imprisoned for the same crime as the brother she had wanted to kill.

In the end, her hands were not stained with blood, but he left an indelible bruise in her heart.

Only after seeing Sheila, unable to get up as if she had lost the meaning of her life, did Cedric feel his heart drop.

Cedric couldn’t forgive himself for turning her into that state.

He had become someone who should apologize to her, yet never expect forgiveness. That fact pressed heavily on his chest.

So if by punishing him she could return to how she was before, Cedric resolved that he would willingly accept whatever punishment came for the sins he had committed.

“Meal!”

With the soldier’s shout, a prisoner’s tray was shoved in front of Cedric.

There was no need to even look at the menu. It was nothing but rough, hard rye bread and a foul-smelling stew.

“Ha.”

Cedric let out a short sigh and forced himself to chew and swallow the food.

In the early days after being transferred to the royal palace prison, thanks to Marquis, he had been served fairly good meals. Because of that, Cedric refused to eat.

What he deserved was punishment, not special treatment.

Cedric resumed eating only after he began receiving the same food as the other prisoners.

“Ugh!”

Nausea rose as he ate. There had already been several times when he vomited after forcing food down. But Cedric ignored the urge and pushed the food down his throat.

Because that way, he wouldn’t die and could receive the punishment she was giving him.

Cedric was certain that the ‘anonymous informant’ was Sheila. No, at this point, it didn’t matter who reported him. Whoever it was, whether Sheila forgave him or not, the only thing he had to do was faithfully accept his punishment and beg for forgiveness.

***

While the Calley estate was already in turmoil over Cedric, another upheaval struck.

Eloise arrived at the Calley mansion with her luggage packed.

“Oh my, Miss Eloise… what brings you here without any notice….”

At the news of Eloise’s visit, Marisa came out to receive her. Sheila, serving as Marisa’s maid, was with her.

“Did you perhaps come because you’re worried about Cedric?”

“No, I… it’s not that….”

Hesitating, Eloise opened her mouth.

“I… came to see Alfonso….”

“Alfonso?”

While Marisa was taken aback, Alfonso, who heard of Eloise’s visit late, hurried down from the second floor.

“Eloise!”

“Alfonso!”

Seeing Alfonso run out with a shocked expression, Eloise burst into tears and ran into his arms.

“Oh my! Oh my!”

Marisa let out exaggerated exclamations of surprise at the sight of the two. To Marisa, who had never imagined their relationship, Eloise was simply the woman who had nearly become engaged to Cedric.

Sheila, who had once seen the two dancing together on the terrace, was less shocked by their blatant display than she had been back then.

Sheila watched them with a dry gaze.

The flustered Alfonso pulled Eloise off him and said, “What exactly do you think you’re doing!”

“Alfonso….”

At Alfonso’s cold reaction, Eloise stared blankly as if betrayed.

“You wrote it in your letters. You said that now Cedric had been arrested, it seemed likely that you would become the next head of the family.”

At Eloise’s words, Alfonso became even more flustered.

“Wh-when did I ever say that…!”

Cutting off Alfonso’s attempt to deny it, Eloise said, “Don’t do this, Alfonso. I think I’m carrying your child! It’s already…, sob, it’s already been two cycles I’ve missed!”

At Eloise’s words, Alfonso quickly looked around.

“What is all this….”

Marisa, who had been standing still watching them, clutched her head and collapsed backward.

“Madam!”

“Madam…!”

Sheila and another maid caught Marisa as she fell.

“No, now isn’t the time for this.”

Marisa sprang back up like a spring and said to Alfonso and Eloise,

“Both of you, come to the drawing room!”

***

“You’re pregnant? Is that true?”

“I think so. I’ve never missed a cycle before, but now it’s already been twice…, sob.”

There were no signs of morning sickness, but after sleeping with Alfonso several times and then missing her cycle, Eloise was convinced she was pregnant. Once might be possible, but twice made no sense otherwise.

Just as she was feeling anxious, Alfonso’s letter arrived.

As it happened, after Marquis Vivarini saw the news of Cedric’s arrest in the newspaper, he declared Eloise’s marriage was off and instructed that a convent be found for her. If she revealed her pregnancy to such a father, it was obvious she would be quietly forced to undergo an abortion and then be locked away in a convent.

Terrified, Eloise had no choice but to pack her things and leave that very day.

It was fortunate that Cedric had already been arrested and was no longer there.

“It’s definitely Alfonso’s child… right?”

“Of course! Please believe me, Countess. No, Mother.”

“Mother?”

Marisa, startled, asked back, then suddenly burst into laughter.

“Mother, you say. Then I’ll speak more comfortably from now on.”

Eloise nodded.

“We’ll contact Marquis Vivarini ourselves, so don’t worry too much. You only need to focus on prenatal care, dear.”

Marisa beamed with a bright smile.

Thinking about it, Eloise wasn’t a bad match for Alfonso.

She was originally from a family they had considered as a match for Cedric, the future head.

There was a time her interest shifted after seeing Sylvia, the young lady from Lotas, but that was only when she had thought of her as Cedric’s match.

With Cedric declaring he wouldn’t marry and then being arrested on top of that, being able to form an in-law relationship with Marquis Vivarini either way was, no matter how she looked at it, a gain.

“Mother, giving a definite answer when Father isn’t even here yet is….”

At Alfonso’s words, Eloise glared at him.

She had been upset since earlier, when he pushed her away. That was why she had loudly announced her pregnancy in a public place. If she gave him time, it seemed like he would only try to deny it further.

“Enough! When has your father ever had an opinion? He’ll just complain about this and that while staring at Cedric’s face again.”

Watching Marisa openly disregard her husband, Eloise felt this household wasn’t proper either.

“There’s one problem, Mother.”

“A problem?”

“My father has always said this. Rather than marrying a man who can’t even inherit a title, it would be better to enter a convent and at least preserve the family’s honor.”

Eloise glanced sideways at Alfonso.

“Oh my! To say such things to such a fine bride, what nonsense!”

Marisa took Eloise’s side. Then she casually brought up the matter of the heir.

“We’ll only know once everything is settled, but honestly, we don’t know what will happen with the heir situation either. I’ll write as much to Marquis Vivarini, so for now, don’t worry too much.”

Seeing that things seemed to be going more smoothly than expected between the two, Alfonso finally let out a sigh of relief.

***

“So that’s the kind of relationship they had? Is that why the Young Count said he wouldn’t marry?”

“Then he could’ve just married another noble lady. Why did he say he wouldn’t marry at all?”

“Since the Young Count said he wouldn’t marry, did Master Alfonso act out in anger and do it with her?”