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Chapter 05
(5) The Eastern Annex Is Heaven!
“This is where the current Count of Glister’s younger sister used to live. She was born a bit… lacking, they said, so to avoid becoming a stain on the family, she was sent here and eventually passed away—”
“Wow!”
Leah, who had been whispering the sorrowful story with teary eyes, was startled by Roan suddenly throwing her arms wide and cheering, completely ignoring the tragic tale.
“Milady?”
“Wow, this is amazing!”
Roan stood there for a while staring at the eastern annex, then began swaying her arms excitedly as if she were dancing.
“This is great!”
Great? Leah doubted her ears.
“Milady, I don’t think you understood what I said. This place is—”
“I heard you, I heard you!”
Leah tried to confirm again, just in case, but Roan was still happily bouncing around.
“I thought it would be some filthy underground storage or something!”
“Well… that’s—”
How could an annex in a count’s estate be an underground storage?!
Leah swallowed the words that were about to burst out and stepped closer to Roan.
“Milady, this is a place where those abandoned by the family spent their final days—”
“I know, I know. You said that!”
Why does she keep repeating it? Roan waved her hand dismissively.
“I was worried because you looked so gloomy. Wow, this is luxury! Luxury!”
What part of this is luxurious? Leah couldn’t understand.
As if suddenly full of motivation, Roan briskly walked into the eastern annex. Inside, it felt dark and quiet, as if no one had set foot there for a long time.
“Still, that butler at least cleaned it before moving the luggage. Good, good. Basic moving etiquette, I suppose.”
Roan chuckled as she looked around at different things. After checking the dust on the furniture and window frames, she spoke with satisfaction.
Leah couldn’t understand why Roan was so delighted in this old, worn-out place filled with faded furniture and a lonely atmosphere.
“Milady, as I mentioned earlier, this place is—”
“Oh, where abandoned people come, right!”
“Y-Yes…”
Overwhelmed by Roan’s energy, Leah could no longer continue. Roan placed her hands on her hips and turned to her.
“It’s all about how you look at things. I was really scared earlier, but this is actually great, don’t you think? Look—there’s plenty of space, lots of rooms, probably a kitchen too. As long as there’s a place for me, a place for you, and somewhere to cook, that’s enough.”
“But still…”
“And I saw some land outside before coming in. We could make a small garden—plant flowers or vegetables.”
Wow, look at this land. The house is one thing, but this much land around it is huge. Roan unconsciously thought of the tiny one-room she used to live in.
Even if a room was the size of a closet, adding just one window, a balcony, or even a ridiculous bit of extra space would make the rent skyrocket. But here, far from the suffocating eyes of the main house, she could freely use all this space.
“This is heaven. Heaven!”
Watching Roan laugh loudly, Leah felt despair, thinking she had finally ended up serving a madwoman.
The eastern annex had terrifying rumors surrounding it. Recently, the Count’s deceased younger sister had lived here. She had been slightly deficient from birth, and to hide her existence, the family had confined her here.
She had been physically weak and didn’t live long, eventually dying here from illness. Before her, there were also stories of abandoned concubines being locked away here. Generation after generation, this place had a dark history, even rumors of ghosts appearing.
“For that reason… please understand why we can’t come here often.”
“That’s too much!”
Leah shouted tearfully at the maid who wouldn’t even look toward the annex.
“I’m scared too!”
The maid who brought Leah’s belongings pretended not to hear and quickly ran away. Sniffling, Leah picked up the items and entered the annex.
“You’re back?”
Inside, Roan had already rolled up her sleeves and was cleaning.
“Milady!”
Startled, Leah rushed in, dropping the items.
“You shouldn’t be doing this yourself!”
“It’s fine. I’m just moving around for a change of pace.”
People who are used to working shouldn’t suddenly stop, I guess. After doing a bit, my body feels refreshed. Roan smiled brightly, saying something Leah couldn’t quite understand.
“But still…”
Leah fidgeted, but Roan continued moving busily.
“Why did you take down all the curtains?”
Leah asked, noticing a pile of curtains stacked in one corner. Heavy, long curtains—when had she taken all of them down? They were piled up like a mountain on the floor.
“Who knows how many years they haven’t been washed? They’re full of dust and faded from sunlight… honestly, they look like they’d make you sick. So I got rid of them.”
Roan replied.
“What’s the point of a big, fancy house if you live in gloom? That’s how people get sick—and maybe even attract ghosts. And what if it’s far from the main house? Isn’t it better to live comfortably without worrying about others?”
In the main house of the Glister family, all the important people came and went. The Count handled affairs there, and all blood relatives lived there while receiving education for the family.
Being separated and placed in an annex like this alone would have been psychologically devastating.
“I… I don’t understand you, milady.”
Leah hesitated before speaking quietly. It could have sounded rude, but Roan only grinned.
“It’s better if two people share the work instead of one doing everything. I won’t be completely useless.”
My body’s been trained through countless part-time jobs, she added silently.
Like Leah said, this place had always been used by those abandoned by the family.
And after sending them here with just one maid, the family likely ignored them completely.
That meant a noble doing nothing and a single maid handling all kinds of chores in this large annex. When the body is exhausted, the mind follows. Serving a master drowning in despair while doing all the work here couldn’t have been easy.
“Alright! Next, let’s sort out the unnecessary stuff!”
Roan urged the bewildered Leah and rolled up her sleeves again. After that, she would get rid of these uncomfortable clothes too.
It was only much later that Alexis found out Roan had been sent to the eastern annex.
“But you don’t need to worry, young master. Your residence remains here.”
The butler spoke politely. Alexis’s lips twisted slightly.
“You separate newlyweds and then tell me not to worry? That’s quite something to say.”
“Ah…”
The butler flinched at his sarcasm.
“But, young master, you—”
“Enough.”
As the butler tried to protest with a reddened face, Alexis waved his hand dismissively.
“Leave.”
After the butler left awkwardly, Alexis’s expression hardened completely.
The wife forced upon him by family arrangement meant nothing to him. That was why he had left her alone on their first night and spent his time outside drinking with meaningless companions.
This family he could never grow attached to—this place was nothing but a prison he had no choice but to return to. Because of that, he had never once thought about how his faceless wife might feel while he wandered outside.
‘The eastern annex…’
His eyes darkened.
Though infamous within the family, the annex held a different meaning for him.
‘It must be miserable.’
He collapsed onto the bed, covering his eyes with one arm.
A passing memory surfaced—
A woman always dressed in white, like a sinner, her long hair flowing.
“Alexis…”
Her fading voice, trembling fingers, thin arms reaching out as she cried every time she saw him—
“Please… tell my brother… please… tell him I’m dying here… I’m dying in this place… beg him to let me out… please…”
“Please!!”
Crying out in desperation, collapsing—a pale, pale woman.
Alexis shut his eyes tightly.
Something he didn’t want to remember had resurfaced. The eastern annex. His forgotten bride would likely fade away there just the same.
But as always, there was nothing he could do.
Then, just as now.
With his eyes tightly shut, a fierce storm raged inside his chest.
