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Chapter: 71
Aunt, You Have to Help Me
Merran was propped up against two large pillows at the head of her bed. She had an open book in her hands, so it seemed the butler was right—she was past the critical stage.
Merran stared at Classie with her mouth open, and when Classie came closer, she asked in a bewildered voice,
“Auntie, why did you shove Karen like that?”
“I came in a hurry. You—are you alright?”
Classie bent down and examined Merran’s face carefully. Even though they said she had improved, the once healthy, glowing face still bore signs of suffering.
Their parents approached next to check on Merran themselves.
“Where does it hurt?”
“You’re able to move?”
“Did your fever go down? You still have to be careful, you know?”
Merran had answered Classie casually moments before, but when the Kalashi couple came close and worried over her, she grew shy and fidgety.
And every now and then, she glanced toward Kishin, who stood quietly in the back.
Eventually, even the count and countess seemed to notice. Classie’s mother patted Merran’s back and rose from her seat by the bed.
“Now that we’ve confirmed she’s safe, that’s enough. Your grandfather and grandmother haven’t rested for nearly a month; they’re exhausted. We’ll go down now. Classie, stay with Merran a little longer, will you?”
“I will.”
At her answer, the couple took Kishin with them and left the room.
As soon as the door closed, Classie immediately smacked Merran on her uninjured arm.
“You little fool! I told you—before getting off the carriage, always check if another carriage or horse is coming! Why would you jump out without looking?!”
But the Merran who had been smiling a moment ago suddenly burst into big, fat tears.
Did she hit her too hard?
“Sorry! Does it hurt?”
Classie panicked and reached for her arm, but Merran pulled away, then threw herself into Classie’s arms and sobbed miserably.
“Auntie, what do I do? Sir Dernick says he doesn’t want to marry me!”
“…What?”
What kind of nonsense was that? Classie blinked, not understanding.
“Why are you suddenly talking about Sir Dernick?”
Karen exhaled sharply behind them, as though she already knew the whole story.
Merran spoke through hiccuping tears.
“Father looked like he was going to leave for his hometown again, so I couldn’t stand it anymore and asked Sir Dernick—shouldn’t our parents meet and talk about our marriage?”
“And then Sir Dernick said he wouldn’t marry you? Wasn’t that a proposal?”
“Yes! And that’s partly your fault, Auntie!”
Merran suddenly pushed Classie so hard she nearly fell over. Classie grabbed the table to steady herself.
“What are you talking about?”
“You told me what Sir Dernick said was basically a proposal!”
‘And this is exactly why I didn’t want to answer that stupid question…”
Classie cursed inwardly.
“I wasn’t that firm about it, okay?”
“You still said it was a proposal! If you’d said no, I wouldn’t have confronted him!”
“Yes, yes—if things go well it’s thanks to you, if they go wrong it’s my fault.”
Classie snapped back sarcastically.
Karen scolded her from behind.
“Lady Classie. Lady Merran is injured right now.”
Classie waved her off and sat back down.
“Fine. Anyway—so you got angry because he said he won’t marry you and jumped out of the carriage? Don’t tell me you did it on purpose.”
“How can I sit alone with Sir Dernick facing me after that? I wanted to get out quickly! And of course that was the exact moment another carriage passed right by.”
Karen added tearfully from behind, as though remembering the scene.
“You were covered in blood and Sir Dernick carried you all the way back. You don’t know how terrified I was.”
“And yes,” Classie said, “the message about your accident came from Sir Dernick to Kishin.”
Karen chimed in again.
“Sir Dernick stayed here taking care of the lady until she stabilized. He barely slept, constantly looking after her—truly, they looked like the perfect pair. Even someone from the Grand Duke’s household came to fetch him, but he refused to leave and stayed here.”
Merran clutched her blanket tightly, her cheeks flushed as she bit her lip.
Classie sighed.
“Sir Dernick doesn’t seem to dislike you. So why did he say he can’t marry you?”
Merran whispered in a small voice,
“He said he likes me too… but he can’t, because I’m the daughter of his benefactor.”
‘So Kishin’s guess was right?!’
“And he also said he’ll never have someone he loves in his life. That the person he marries shouldn’t be someone he loves—but someone… calculated.”
‘So that was supposed to be me?’
Merran had no idea, of course, but Classie felt as if she’d been pinched sharply and forced an irritated laugh.
“I see. He has… unique taste.”
“That’s right. He’s strange,”
Merran whispered in an even smaller voice.
Classie suddenly had a bad feeling. Even though Merran had been rejected, she still blushed whenever she talked about Dernick.
…Could it be that Merran still wanted to marry him? After all this chaos?
Suspicious, Classie tested her.
“Anyway, since it wasn’t a proposal and he has no intention of marrying you, just stop it, Merran. Stay friends with Sir Dernick for life if you want, but look for a different man to marry. With your qualifications, you can choose anyone as long as it’s not him.”
“No! If it’s not Sir Dernick, I don’t want anyone!”
Just as Classie expected, Merran shouted with her face turning pale.
Classie sighed.
“But Sir Dernick said he doesn’t want to marry a benefactor’s daughter. And the Grand Ducal House doesn’t seem willing to step in either.”
Suddenly Merran threw off her blanket, got up, and climbed onto Classie’s lap.
“Merran, goodness!”
She hadn’t clung to her aunt like this since she was a child, so Classie was startled.
“Auntie… you have to help me.”
Merran hugged her like a little child, crying and whining.
“You promised. When I helped you marry Sir Kishin, you promised you’d help me too.”
“I did. Because at the time, I thought you two liked each other. But Sir Dernick says otherwise.”
“Auntie!”
“No, listen, Merran. If you only wanted Sir Dernick because of his status, then fine. Marriage permission comes from the Grand Ducal House, not from him personally. We could scheme something together. Helping you isn’t the issue. But you love him.”
“!”
“If you marry him when he’s already said no… Right now you two are really good friends. But that could break instead.”
Everything Classie said was sincere—and for Merran’s sake.
Classie herself was used to breakups. More specifically, to being dumped. Even if someone insulted her or rejected her, she could get over it quickly. Her recovery time had gotten so short that when Kishin had rejected her, she recovered in five minutes.
But Merran? The moment Dernick said he couldn’t marry her, she jumped out of a moving carriage and ended up gravely injured. Merran was far too emotionally swayed by him.
What if she approached the Grand Ducal House now and forced a political marriage? Classie feared what would happen.
If Merran were just burning with ambition—wanting to become a grand duchess—that would actually be easier. Ambition wouldn’t make her jump out of a carriage.
But Merran wasn’t like Classie. She didn’t seem to understand any of this.
When whining didn’t sway her aunt, Merran suddenly got up and dove under her blanket. After a long silence, Classie approached and gently patted the blanket.
Then Merran suddenly threw the blanket aside and screamed, crying,
“Even if it’s not me, Sir Dernick is going to marry someone someday! And it won’t be someone he loves! So why not me?! At least he likes me!”
“He likes you, that’s why he won’t marry you.”
“Stop it! I don’t want to hear it! Auntie, you’re stupid! You’re a promise-breaker!”
Merran ducked back under her blanket, curled up, and continued sobbing.
“Our lady barely escaped death and is only starting to recover. She needs stability right now. Must you torment her like this?”
Karen snapped at Classie as though Classie had shoved Merran out the window.
Classie sighed, pushed Karen aside, and left the room.
* * *
After that conversation, Merran refused to eat anything. Not just meals—she refused her medicine too.
Karen, Anna, her parents, and even Classie each took turns bringing medicine to her room, but it was useless. The only thing Merran drank was water.
After three days of this, everyone was begging her just to take a bite of something.
But Merran stubbornly refused.
The physician who came to examine her spoke in an angry voice.
“Did someone fight with the patient? She’s only barely out of danger, not fully recovered. She needs months of careful rest. Which irresponsible person fought with her? She was improving, and now her condition is worsening again.”
He had no idea what happened, but Classie felt as though he were scolding her directly.
Her face grew hot.
After he left, her mother quietly pulled Classie aside.
“You fought with Merran, didn’t you?”
Since Merran had been refusing food ever since talking with Classie, her mother seemed to have guessed even without knowing the details.
When Classie didn’t answer, her mother took her hand.
“I know. If you got angry at Merran, then Merran must have been at fault. But even so—we can’t let her die like this. She’s the only blood of Mary left. Once she gets better, you two can fight again if you must. For now, please—just this once—give in. Yes?”
Her mother’s eyes reddened as she stared at Classie. Then, in a whisper only she could hear—
“If Merran dies too… how are you going to face Mary…?”
“!”
* * *
