MDCHC 92

chapter 92

To lift Daniel’s sulky mood, we drew together, practiced tying ribbons, and even took a bath together.

Thanks to that, Daniel’s mood improved a lot, and seeing his chubby little body and rosy cheeks made my own gloomy mood lighten considerably.

We lay together on the narrow bed, and even in that cramped space, when we opened the storybook, Daniel’s eyes were heavy with sleep.

The story had reached its climax, just at the moment when the sweet potato sprout was about to peek out.

“Did you fight with Dad?”

Suddenly, Daniel lifted his head and asked.

“Sweet po—”

I had been admiring the beautiful story that illustrated the miracle of life through the sprout of a sweet potato, but his question instantly caught in my throat as if I had eaten a roasted sweet potato whole.

“…Huh?”

I asked him, pretending not to have heard.

“Did you fight with Dad and Mom?”

But like a kind and innocent child, Daniel repeated his question patiently for me.

“Uh…”

I had no choice but to answer, subtly raising the storybook to hide my expression.

“You shouldn’t do that. You should get along.”

“R…right?”

“They say a couple’s quarrel is like water under the bridge.”

“Huh? Where did you hear that?”

Peeking over the edge of the storybook, I saw Daniel’s eyes wide and shining, with all traces of sleep gone.

“It’s from Maya.”

Daniel’s dedicated maid’s name slipped from his mouth. I had thought she was a good maid, but she really had no filter in front of a child? Tomorrow morning…

No. Considering I was about to divorce, what right did I have to scold the maid as the Countess of Winchester? Later, Lord Winchester would handle it himself.

Or the new Countess of Winchester would.

‘What’s this? Why does my chest sting like this?’

Thinking of the new Countess of Winchester made my chest ache. My nose pricked, and tears began to well up.

“Mom?”

Perhaps sensing something was off, Daniel called out to me.

“Uh, uh-huh?”

I answered, again raising the book just slightly. I felt like tears might spill at any moment, but I couldn’t let Daniel see me like that.

“You’ll make up tomorrow, right?”

“……”

“You’ll reconcile with Dad tomorrow, right?”

“Well…”

Normally, I wanted to give Daniel only positive answers, but I couldn’t lie.

“Mom…”

Perhaps sensing something unusual, Daniel clutched the storybook with his chubby little hands. If he tilted the book or pressed his face against it, he might see my tears.

I didn’t want to show a child that I was crying. He would worry. Daniel already seemed to feel a subtle unease.

“Oh dear, it’s very late. Good children go to bed now.”

I closed the book and turned my body so Daniel couldn’t see my face, then blew out the candle beside me.

The room went dark. His eyes would adjust to the darkness, and outside, the moonlight and starlight would make shapes visible—but for now, Daniel couldn’t see anything.

“Here, here we go.”

I hastily pulled the blanket over him and laid Tosuni in his arms. Daniel couldn’t see my face, and I couldn’t see his clearly either.

It was a relief. Seeing his face would only deepen my guilt.

I couldn’t lie in front of Daniel’s pure and innocent face.

“Sleep well, Daniel.”

I patted his chest. Soon, his small snores matched the rhythm of my hand, and I finally stopped.

My eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and I could see Daniel’s angelic sleeping face. In the distance, insects chirped, and further away, stars twinkled.

Unlike my tumultuous heart, it was just a calm autumn night. I lay on the narrow bed, trying to sleep.

Hoping that tomorrow, the sun would rise anew.

“Hmm?”

When I woke to the commotion, it was still the middle of the night. Perhaps even the insects sensed something, because the faint sounds of the autumn night had stopped.

Instead, a noisy sound drifted into the room from far away.

“What is that?”

I muttered without realizing it, then quickly covered my mouth. Peeking sideways, I faintly saw Daniel still sleeping soundly. Thankfully, he hadn’t woken.

I pushed his hand back under the blanket and carefully got out of bed.

Even when opening the door quietly, I checked to make sure Daniel didn’t wake. He was still deeply asleep with his eyes closed.

I looked around the corridor for someone to ask about the noise but saw no one. The earlier commotion had calmed slightly, and the Camellia Mansion was quiet as usual.

With no way to call a servant from the corridor, I eventually went down to the lower floor. I spotted a maid.

“Did something just happen…?”

“Ah!”

The maid screamed in surprise the moment I spoke. Apparently, she hadn’t heard me approaching.

“Oh, it’s Madam… uh?”

Upon realizing it was me, the maid exhaled in relief, then suddenly widened her eyes as if remembering something and quickly turned her head toward me.

“Madam, why are you here?”

“Why am I here?”

The maid spoke as if I were somewhere I shouldn’t be. I frowned.

Although I was about to divorce, it hadn’t happened yet. Being addressed like that as the Countess of Winchester was somewhat unpleasant.

“Lord Winchester went out looking for you just now.”

“What?”

“Then why are you here?”

The maid pointed toward the dark outside, then back at me. Realizing she had pointed at me, she quickly withdrew her finger.

Now wasn’t the time for manners.

“Where did Lord Winchester go?”

“Um… well? He suddenly ran out of the room and told us to get ready to speak immediately. He said he had to go find you.”

I blinked. I was on the second floor—where on earth would he go to find me?

‘Ah… he must have seen my things missing from the room and thought I had left the house.’

Finally, I remembered I hadn’t told Lord Winchester a word. Naturally. Which wife would report her whereabouts to her soon-to-be ex-husband?

“He ran down the stairs in a rush and with a very scary face, telling us to prepare immediately. So we thought something must have happened to you…”

The maid’s eyes scanned me quickly from head to toe. Realizing I was perfectly fine, she seemed even more flustered.

On her face, I could read, “Why on earth is Lord Winchester doing this?” And I felt the same.

“Did he say where he was going?”

“No. We didn’t even have time to ask. As soon as the stableman brought the horse, he mounted and sped off.”

I looked outside. It was still pitch dark.

“What time is it now?”

“Just after 2 a.m.”

I was shocked. I had known it was the middle of the night, but I hadn’t realized it was this late. Daniel was sound asleep, deep in slumber.

“He went out at this hour?”

I stared outside in bewilderment.

What on earth had Lord Winchester been doing without sleep until now?

No, more importantly, why had he suddenly rushed out at this hour?

And where on earth could he possibly be going to find me in the middle of the night?

Questions raced through my mind, but the answers had disappeared into the pitch-dark night.