TLMS 19

Chapter 19

Edward may have expected words like “I overstepped my place” or “If you oppose it, uncle, I won’t go.”

But the answer that came from Eugenia’s mouth was completely different.

“Nothing has changed here since I left. Don’t you ever feel suffocated?”

“Eugenia!”

“Well, I guess people who can do whatever they want don’t feel the need to change the atmosphere of the house.”

“What are you talking about right now?”

“Are you really asking because you don’t know, or are you pretending not to?”

Eugenia let out a small laugh.

“Either way, I feel sorry for you, uncle. That outdated mindset that can’t keep up with the times.”

“You think you can just say whatever you want…!”

“Anyway, going to a neighbor’s party isn’t against the law. It’s something everyone does.”

Without even blinking, Eugenia cut him off.

“It’s only here that people look down on it. Only in this Plenigan mansion! And it’s not even a problem for men, right? Only young women are taught that enjoying parties and talking to unfamiliar men is shameful. Isn’t that ridiculous?”

“You seem to be misunderstanding something.”

Edward suppressed his anger and explained.

“Our family doesn’t absolutely oppose or forbid parties. You must have heard that from Jane or Delia.”

“Sure. Parties where only women gather, or short daytime garden parties.”

Eugenia scoffed.

“But dance parties where men from other regions come? Those are forbidden, right? And parties where people drink all night too. Other families already know about it. They say the Plenigan family is excessive.”

“That’s only because there were rumors that bad people attend those parties.”

Edward refused to back down.

“You’re young and a woman, so you don’t understand how dangerous the world is. You could be deceived by worthless men who follow parties around, or learn shameful habits. Young women like you should be protected. So—”

“Your words sound nice. But they don’t work on me.”

Eugenia cut him off sharply.

“Do you know what people around here say about the Plenigan family? You probably want to hear, ‘The ladies of that house are very modest and well-behaved.’ But unfortunately, everyone says, ‘Their traditions are outdated and suffocating.’ I’ve even heard people say you live like it’s 100 years ago.”

“Eugenia, you…!”

“You can’t completely cut off interaction with your neighbors, can you? If you don’t want to become the subject of gossip, it’s better to allow parties. I acted for the sake of the Plenigan family.”

Then Eugenia gave her uncle a big wink. Edward could only gape, unable to continue.

“There’s no way he can ever win against Eugenia.”

Watching the two, I thought to myself.

Not long after, perhaps because she had been told to “properly educate her daughter,” Helen began nagging Eugenia.

“Eugenia, as you know…”

Still displeased with her daughter’s appearance, Helen smoothed her skirt irritably.

“There’s a painting by old Lady Alice that shows a proper lady shouldn’t run around attending parties.”

“Oh, I think I know which one.”

Eugenia didn’t look concerned at all.

“‘Alice, who only loved dancing, falls and breaks her leg,’ right?”

Since I was in charge of cleaning the library on the second floor of the east wing, I immediately pictured it.

A child happily dancing, her skirt fluttering, her pretty shoes shining.

But the painting beside it had a completely different mood. The child was lying on the ground in an ugly position, her face twisted as if she was about to cry.

“Yes. You remember it well.”

“Of course. I was often locked in the library as punishment when I lived here.”

Eugenia scoffed.

“For talking back to adults, coming home late, or talking to strange men in town—things they said were unfeminine. I was locked in the library and told to reflect while looking at those ‘Punished Alice’ paintings.”

“I can still see those paintings in my head even with my eyes closed.”

“Thinking about it now, old Lady Alice must have had terrible taste.”

“Eugenia, watch your mouth!”

“Just think about it. Naming such punishment paintings after herself—I’d never agree to that.”

“And locking a child in a library to look at those paintings all day? That’s just stupid. I’m the proof, aren’t I? I was locked in there all the time, but did I become a woman the Plenigan family can be proud of?”

Helen looked completely at a loss.

“Anyway, you are still a relative of the Plenigan family. If you live here, you must follow its traditions.”

“Why? Are you afraid I’ll die like in that legend after going to a party?”

“Eugenia!”

“Adelaide, was it? The young lady of the Plenigan family who supposedly died after enjoying a party late at night because old Lady Alice cursed her.”

Eugenia chuckled.

“I kind of want to test it myself. Maybe I’ll come home late from a party. If I drink all night with men and come back, maybe Lady Alice’s ghost will appear in front of me. I’ve always wanted to see a ghost!”

Then she spun around lightly, almost dancing, and went back to her room, not caring about her mother’s feelings at all.

“Are you enjoying the show? Why are you just standing there? Get back to work!”

Helen snapped at me—though she had been more focused on watching them than her own task—and went downstairs grumbling.

The small change Eugenia brought to the Plenigan mansion didn’t affect Delia much. She was too timid and passive.

Delia didn’t enjoy meeting many people or attending parties. She preferred staying quietly alone, reading or thinking.

But for her older sister Jane, it was like a storm.

Jane originally loved lively things like dancing and parties. But because of the strict family traditions, she had always been too intimidated to enjoy them.

With Eugenia creating the opportunity, Jane finally found courage she would never have had on her own.

Eventually, Eugenia and Jane attended a dance party at the Simmons mansion.

Eugenia also tried to persuade Delia to join, but Delia declined. Instead, she helped fix Jane’s party dress.

Edward wanted to stop his grown nieces from attending such “vulgar” events, but for the sake of appearances, he had no choice but to allow it.

Eugenia had already gone around telling neighbors that she would definitely attend, and that her generous uncles would never forbid their nieces from going out at night.

“Edward is not a fool.”

Ian said this after returning from chatting with neighbors.

“He must know how the Plenigan family is viewed around here. He knows people call them outdated.”

“It must be an awkward position for him. He wants people to say ‘the women of the Plenigan family are modest,’ but instead, people say they are overly restrictive.”

“That’s what annoys me,” I said.

“From the outside, you’d think they did something outrageous. But all they did was dance a little, talk to people, and come home at nine. They didn’t even stay all night!”

“Yet Edward and Thomas turned pale and interrogated the maids who accompanied them.”

“Come to think of it, the family traditions don’t only restrain women,” Ian said.

“Men are also bound by them in their own way. That’s why they react so strongly when they think those traditions are being broken.”

“I think Eugenia said something like this before,” I added.

“People who can act freely don’t feel the need to change traditions.”

“The men are bound by tradition too, but not in a way that harms them. That’s why they don’t feel how suffocating it is. If you’re not the one suffering, it’s hard to realize.”

“I agree,” Ian said.

“It seems Eugenia plans to keep pushing for change. And Jane is joining her.”

“They say Jane might become the next head of the Plenigan family,” I said.

(I kept quiet about the rumor Amy and Carol told me—that Edward and Thomas were secretly hiding women to have sons.)

“Maybe… the Plenigan family will really change. Throw away all this nonsense about ghost curses.”

“But before that, I still have something I must do.”

Aileen’s death.

Whether it was really a ghost’s curse, as the maids claimed, or something else—

“I have to find out the truth.”

No matter how much the Plenigan family shook, I didn’t forget what I had to do.