The Whipping Maid of House Calley - Chapter 147

The maids whispered among themselves here and there about Eloise’s sudden talk of ‘pregnancy’ the moment she stepped into the mansion the day before.

Sheila, who had suddenly been assigned to serve Marisa, had no chance to join in. On top of that, she had fled when Bernard openly criticized his eldest son’s declaration that he wouldn’t marry, so she didn’t even know about Cedric’s statement.

For Sheila, the fact that Eloise barged in claiming she was pregnant with Alfonso’s child felt more absurd the more she thought about it.

‘If she’s already missed her cycle twice, then when exactly did it start….’

Judging by Alfonso’s reaction the day before and Marisa’s attitude now, it seemed certain that the child Eloise was carrying was Alfonso’s.

‘No matter how much of a mess this family is, sleeping with the woman who was supposed to be engaged to your older brother is too much, isn’t it?’

Well, the atmosphere between the two had already been sticky since the Young Count’s appointment ceremony.

‘That’s not what matters right now.’

Sheila shook her head.

Thinking about Cedric suffering in prison made her heart ache. She was so worried about what the verdict would be that she couldn’t even sleep.

And yet his family only cared about their own reputation.

“It seems Master and Madam are relying entirely on His Highness the Crown Prince.”

At Rufus’s words, Sheila initially thought that must be the case. But watching his family from the side, regardless of his relationship with the Crown Prince, it didn’t seem like they cared much about his safety at all.

“Are you feeling any morning sickness?”

“No. Not at all….”

“That’s a relief. Go on, eat.”

Even now, Marisa was eating with Eloise, her face full of smiles.

As Eloise picked up her fork, Bernard, who was dining with them, watched her with satisfaction.

Bernard recalled the conversation he had with his wife the day before.

“What? Who’s pregnant with whose child?”

When he returned from his outing and heard the news, Bernard had exploded in anger.

“Honey, instead of getting worked up, think about it. This might actually turn out well. Cedric already said he has no intention of marrying, and now look at his situation. In circumstances like this, do you think Marquis Vivarini would even look our way?”

“Even so! Of all people, how could it be Miss Eloise…! Ugh!”

“Enough! She’s already carrying his child, so the matter is settled. Just accept it and stop saying useless things. Understood?”

“What? You’re calling what the head of the family says useless?”

After venting his anger with both a verbal and physical argument, by the time morning came and he thought it over carefully, Bernard realized that everything Marisa said was right.

Although an unfortunate incident had occurred because of Cedric, if they formed a marital alliance with Marquis Vivarini’s family, people wouldn’t be able to speak carelessly about the Calley family.

He had already summoned Watkin, their physician, to confirm the pregnancy, and Alfonso had acknowledged that it was his child.

Bernard immediately wrote a letter to Marquis Vivarini.

Stating that Eloise was pregnant with Alfonso’s child and had come to the Calley estate, and urging that the marriage be hastened….

‘I’ll soon be holding a lovely grandchild in my arms.’

As Bernard was lost in happy thoughts, a retching sound came from the other side.

“Ugh!”

The one retching was not Eloise, but Marisa.

“Are you alright, Madam?”

Her maid Sheila quickly approached and wiped her mouth with a napkin.

“I’m fine… ugh!”

As if she had indigestion, Marisa kept retching repeatedly. At the second retch, Bernard spoke in an irritated voice.

“If you’re not feeling well, then go inside. What kind of uncouth behavior is this!”

At her husband’s scolding, Marisa lifted her head and shot him a glare.

“Can’t you tell? Out of love for my daughter-in-law, I’m having morning sickness in her place. You wouldn’t know, but things like this happen sometimes…, ugh!”

“Madam!”

As Marisa kept retching, Eloise’s appetite seemed to vanish. She frowned and quietly set down her fork.

The meal, which had been on the verge of becoming a pleasant one, quickly turned into a mess.

***

When her first day off since becoming Marisa’s attendant came, Sheila promptly got on a carriage heading to Holzeroad.

Getting off in front of the restaurant run by the guild, Sheila recalled what Bill had said before.

“Today is the last time you come here. Don’t ever show your face here again.”

It had almost become a place she could never return to. But because she hadn’t gone through with the job, Sheila could come here whenever she wanted.

‘Not just here.’

If she had gone through with hiring someone to kill her brother, she would have been on edge no matter where she went or what she did.

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

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It doesn’t matter…? That doesn’t add up. Do you think that’s possible if you become a criminal?”

As his words surfaced in her mind again, Sheila’s eyes reddened.

Only now did Sheila realize how recklessly she had been living.

She had always wanted to survive, yet at the same time felt like she didn’t deserve to be happy.

That was why she had constantly pushed and exhausted herself.

‘From now on, I don’t have to do that anymore.’

Steeling her gaze to hold back her tears, Sheila boldly pushed open the restaurant door.

As usual, Sheila spotted Jerry chewing gum behind the bar and gestured for him to come out.

After noticing Sheila, Jerry said something to the large man in the kitchen and stepped outside.

The two moved to a quiet place with few people around.

Sitting on a rock on the hillside overlooking her sister’s grave, Sheila asked,

“You got my letter, right?”

“…Yeah.”

When Jerry hesitated and gave a short reply, Sheila’s voice rose.

“And you still did that?”

No matter how she thought about it, the only person who could have reported Cedric was Jerry. He was the only one who would have noticed she disappeared from Mario’s General Store and been alarmed. That was why she wrote him a letter as soon as she regained her senses.

“I reported it before I got the letter.”

Jerry said as if it was unfair.

“I panicked and acted on impulse. You told me not to come often, so I went to the store after a while, and you were gone. Of course I freaked out.”

From Jerry’s perspective, the one who figured out the store and took Sheila away could only have been Cedric Calley.

When Jerry pressed them after realizing everything, the couple who ran Mario’s General Store reluctantly admitted it.

Jerry returned to the guild first. Then he told Bill everything that happened and flew into a rage.

“The Young Count took Sheila! I won’t let this slide. That noble bastard!”

“And what are you going to do if you don’t let it slide?”

Leaning back in his chair, Bill tapped the desk with his fingernail as he watched Jerry’s outburst.

“I’ll do something! If it comes to it, we can just commission “that organization.” There’s nothing they can’t do.”

“You’re saying we should get rid of the Young Count? He’s a high noble. You know how much it costs to deal with a noble.”

“Damn it, money, money!”

“Calm down and think for once. What do you think the Young Count is going to do to Sheila?”

At Bill’s final question, Jerry, still fuming, slammed the office door and went outside.

As Bill said, Jerry didn’t have the money to get rid of a noble. And Bill, who did have the resources, didn’t seem like he would help.

With no way to vent his anger, the idea that flashed through Jerry’s mind was ‘reporting.’

Having grown up in a guild where information was everything, Jerry knew all sorts of big and small incidents happening around him, as well as the stories covered in the newspapers.

Of course, when he read the articles about the royal decree on human trafficking, he thought it had nothing to do with him.

But when it came time to report the Young Count, he even remembered the gossip articles saying the Crown Prince attended his appointment ceremony, showing how powerful his connections were.

“I didn’t expect him to be taken in so easily either. I just wanted to warn him that just because he’s a noble, he can’t act however he wants!”

As frustrating as it was, just as Bill said, it didn’t seem like Cedric would do anything bad to Sheila.

Then he received Sheila’s letter saying she was safe, and he began to think he might have done something unnecessary.

But the report had already been filed.

After hearing Jerry’s explanation, Sheila buried her face in her hands.

“Haah….”

As Jerry said, it was more accurate to think that he went along quietly because of his own will.

“Hey, are you crying? Either way, he’s being punished for the crime he committed. It’s not like I made something up!”

Sheila lifted her head and stood up.

“I’m leaving.”

There was no point continuing the conversation. They weren’t getting anywhere.

Watching her, Jerry asked, “Why are you so angry? What is he to you?”

“What do you mean what he is!” Sheila snapped.

What is he to me…?

‘Yeah… what is he?’

After shouting, Sheila found herself at a loss for words. She turned her body sharply away from Jerry.

“Anyway!”

She continued, “If the Young Count doesn’t return safely, I don’t think I’ll be able to look at you the same way as now.”

There was a trace of tears in Sheila’s voice.

Just imagining that Cedric might not return safely made her heart tighten with emotion.

What she said to Jerry was sincere.

If something really happened to him, she felt like she would end up resenting Jerry for reporting him.

“Ha… now I get it.”

At Jerry’s unexpected response, Sheila turned back.

“You get it?”

“Yeah.”

Jerry nodded at Sheila, who asked back in disbelief.

“So you like him.”

At Jerry’s words, Sheila’s face flushed bright red in an instant.