ESP 49

chapter 49

When Lucinda had complained a few times about the heating system on Undine Isle, Bryony honestly found it hard to relate. Sir Gideon Arrington had installed the best heating system in Algonquin at Thierry Haven, but he was stingy about fuel costs for anyone but himself, and so rarely lit the fires in the dead of winter.

That was why Bryony preferred places like Ebony Heights or Undine Isle, where the fires were always kept warm. She didn’t care much about the acrid smoke that sometimes came from burning them.

However, unintentionally, Bryony discovered a problem with the Algonquin-style heating.

…At first, she thought it was a hallucination. She had been reading a horror novel, so when she heard a woman’s voice, she thought it might be the ghost the delivery boy had mentioned. But she calmed herself and listened carefully. Soon, she discovered the source of the sound.

It came from the fireplace.

On Undine Isle, fireplaces were installed on each floor in the same positions. This was to connect the flues and vent the smoke through a single chimney. With the technology available when the mansion was built, there was no other way to manage the flues. But this setup meant that if one floor had a fire, smoke would spread to the others, and sounds from the flue-connected rooms could be heard elsewhere.

Bryony crouched by the fireplace, tucking her pajamas tightly so she wouldn’t catch fire.

The sound seemed to come from above. Crackling fire mixed with voices made it hard to pinpoint, but if someone were on the first floor at this hour, she would have first heard footsteps descending the stairs.

The floor above was the study, and above that were the locked rooms on the fourth floor. Although she knew she shouldn’t eavesdrop, she couldn’t help herself. One of the voices belonged to a woman.

There were only three women in the house: herself, Lady Lucinda, and Myrtle. Lady Dimsdale had gone to bed early, so it couldn’t be her. Myrtle’s room was next door, and Bryony would have noticed if she had come and gone. That left the study or the fourth-floor rooms—and the person was someone Bryony didn’t know.

…And this was Keith’s house. So the only person who could invite guests was Keith.

A female guest at this hour…?

Keith could have had a guest even during his one-day stay on Undine Isle, and it didn’t have to be a man—but secretly meeting someone like this was highly unusual. In Lady Dimsdale’s words, it was “extremely inappropriate.”

Crouched by the fireplace, overhearing a conversation she couldn’t understand, Bryony’s face flushed—not only from the heat.

Now that I think about it, why did Keith come to Undine Isle?

Dmitri might have had reason to come. Since Undine Isle had been empty for a long time, it lacked many things compared to Ebony Heights, and his meticulous care was needed. But Keith had no urgent reason to come today. A few hours ago, Bryony had been surprised but secretly pleased by his unannounced visit. The thought of seeing him in the morning was exciting.

But… what if he came for this secret meeting?

It was strange that he would call a guest here instead of Ebony Heights. If it was because there were fewer eyes here, it meant he intended to do something with the guest while “no one was watching.”

Her heart raced. She had to calm herself with deep breaths, pressing one hand against her chest. The thought of Keith alone in the study with a woman she didn’t know made her uneasy and sent a sting through her heart.

Rationally, no matter how inappropriate it was, Keith could do it. He was the owner of the house and her ex-husband, after all.

She clutched her pajamas tightly.

Even so… did he really need to bring a woman into a house where his ex-wife was present?

She recalled his cheerful demeanor—how he would secretly glance at her and smile when their eyes met, unbeknownst to Lady Dimsdale. She had repeatedly told herself that his smile meant nothing—but now she realized it wasn’t meaningless. Keith had been watching her!

Bryony got up and paced the room. The interior felt oppressively warm and stifling. She couldn’t open the window because of the rain, so she noticed the gown draped over a chair and absentmindedly put it on over her pajamas.

When did she come into the house…?

If she hadn’t sneaked in another door when Keith arrived, it would have been around the time everyone was gathered for dinner. With so many doors on Undine Isle, it was easy to slip inside unnoticed.

Bryony had heard Dmitri locking doors a few hours earlier.

Lady Dimsdale was in the house, too. Letting someone in secretly was reckless and reckless behavior. Keith wasn’t the only problem; anyone coming into the house unannounced was also at fault.

Biting her lip, Bryony made up her mind and approached the door.

I need to at least see what she looks like.

Surely, the guest wouldn’t stay until morning. They’d likely leave before sunrise and exit through the back door. With the rain, the swampy area was dangerous.

She tied her gown tightly, went barefoot to avoid making noise, and stepped into the corridor. She knew which window gave the best view of the back of the mansion. Ignoring the cold on her feet and her impatience, she walked slowly to the corner and into an empty room, whose window overlooked the back pier. It was dark, but objects could still be discerned.

Pressing her forehead to the cold glass, Bryony stared at the rain outside. She couldn’t help but feel pitiful about her situation. Divorced in Ebony, oppressed by her father in Shoberry, and forced to rely on Undine Isle for safety… and now this.

But she did not cry. She was hurt, but tears didn’t come. If she had cried whenever she felt like it, she would be a very different person now. Her feelings now were closer to anger and disappointment than sadness. She pressed her face to the glass again.

“…!”

Her eyes widened.

…There was someone at the pier.

Less than half an hour had passed since she left the room, and the conversation in the study had ended. Bryony unconsciously felt relief that the guest was leaving. She focused intently on the scene outside, forgetting to breathe.

It was the shadow of a tall woman. At first glance, she looked thin enough to be mistaken for a man, but Bryony had heard her voice and guessed she was a woman. She wore a raincoat and moved quickly enough in the rain to untie a moored boat. Bryony narrowed her eyes. She had never seen a woman like this.

As the woman jumped into the boat, her hood slipped off, revealing bright red hair. Though the distance and darkness obscured her features, Bryony recognized the hair color immediately.

The woman pulled the hood back on and began rowing vigorously. The boat didn’t belong to Undine Isle; she had likely borrowed it.

Where did she come from…?

A tall, red-haired woman rowing alone in the rain was rare. She was impressive, but not a suitable match for Keith. Seeing her row alone at this hour seemed unlike him, leaving Bryony confused.

After a heavy rain, the swamp was as muddy as a midsummer monsoon. Shortly after leaving the mansion, Keith’s boots were caked in mud. He had to probe the ground with his cane to ensure it was safe.

When the weather improves, I’ll need to put up a fence here.

But if it kept raining like this, a fence wouldn’t help. Paths for one or two people would appear and disappear unpredictably.

The horse trailing him hesitated in the muddy path. Keith coaxed it gently forward. Though dawn had just broken, he wandered the swamp with the horse at Dmitri’s request.

Dmitri, why do you look like that? Didn’t you sleep?

Keith had slept well on Undine Isle, but Dmitri looked exhausted, with a pale, worried face that concerned Keith.

It’s nothing. More importantly, may I go out for an hour?

You can go, but at this hour?

I need to retrieve a boat.

Apparently, someone had left a boat on the other side of the river overnight, and it needed to be returned.

Where is the boat?

It was borrowed nearby; we just need to return it to the owner.

Then I’ll take care of it.

Even though Keith offered, Dmitri didn’t refuse, clearly exhausted.

Once out of the swamp, Keith mounted his horse. He expected the boat to be tied somewhere along the river. Finding it wasn’t difficult.

Crossing a small bridge and riding slowly along the river, Keith felt surprisingly refreshed. He had previously been disgusted by the swampy air, but the mix of rain and fresh air felt invigorating. The sky was clearing to a soft blue.

But his surprise grew when he spotted an object—a boat—just a hundred steps away.

Keith instinctively pulled the reins.

“…Bryony?”

It was just past six in the morning. Bryony was at the pier, dressed for outing, alone. There was no one else around. Keith barely restrained himself from riding straight to her.

Bryony looked up at him. Her gaze held a mix of caution and suspicion, not the warmth of a greeting.

Keith was utterly confused.

“Bryony… what are you doing here? Why are you out at this hour alone?”

“And you? Why are you out alone at this hour?”

“Well…”

He couldn’t say it was Dmitri’s request, as that would reveal someone had visited Dmitri. Keith had responsibility for allowing the guest, and the guest was likely an Orlov.

“Just taking a walk… What about the boat?”

He felt foolish asking. The boat was the one Dmitri mentioned, and he had to return it.

“Why? Is this boat important?” Bryony asked.

Keith dismounted. She had been watching the boat from the riverbank.

“Bryony, you were looking at the boat.”

“I was just walking.”

Keith looked at her feet. She wore wooden clogs, not boots, and her hem and shoes were soaked. If she was just walking, she had a peculiar hobby.

“Finish your walk and let’s go back. We can talk there.”

Bryony stared at him, as if questioning a liar.

Keith had done nothing wrong, but he couldn’t help feeling a slight thrill at her amber eyes fixed on him. Her hair, roughly braided over her shoulders without Myrtle’s help, looked so innocent he might have mistaken her for a fairy in Vernon Forest.

“Keith… maybe…” Bryony inhaled, then shook her head.

“…It’s nothing. I can walk.”

“Of course, but walking from here will take an hour.”

She had left the house before six. Keith began to worry genuinely. Walking alone in this environment was too dangerous. Despite her familiarity with the area, swampy terrain after rain was best avoided.

He reached out.

“Quickly, get on the horse. Let’s change your clothes.”

She hesitated, then took his hand after a long pause. Her hands were cold, and Keith resisted the urge to cover them as he helped her mount.

Few people passed by here, so they could retrieve the boat later. Keith confirmed it was securely tied, mounted, and rode with Bryony in front of him, holding the reins as if protecting her.

A memory of a few days ago flashed through his mind. He took a deep breath.

Not today. I have to resist.

Experience taught him that willpower alone might not be enough, but Bryony was fully aware and awake—today could not repeat past mistakes. He convinced himself that the figure in front was a wooden doll, not Bryony. Though its neck smelled faintly, and the shape of her body was evident beneath the coat…

Bryony glanced at him with a sulky expression.

“Why haven’t we started?”

“…Ah, sorry.”

He tried to sit further away, but space on the horse was limited. Riding together required sitting close for safety. Bryony, understanding this, leaned naturally against him.

This is not Bryony. This is a beautiful wooden doll that looks like Bryony.

Only after repeating this to himself several times could Keith finally urge the horse forward.