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Chapter 34
“Ean, what if… what if someone is doing this on purpose?”
I took a brief breath before speaking. Ean slightly furrowed his brows at my words.
“Pardon?”
“If there’s a purpose behind spreading those rumors.”
“A purpose?”
“Maybe someone from the Plenigan family is trying to send a message. Of course, the painting placed over Aileen’s body at the beginning might have been a coincidence.”
“But after Anne died, perhaps they thought they could use the painting as a way to send a message.”
It must not have sounded entirely unreasonable, because Ean formed a crease between his brows as he thought for a moment, then nodded.
“If it’s a message from the Plenigan family, then it would likely concern the conduct of women.”
“Right. Maybe it’s a warning—that if you bring disgrace to the family, you’ll be cursed like this. It does sound absurd to do something like that when the family is already mourning, but it does feel like something someone from the Plenigan family could think of.”
“In that case, then…”
Ean organized his thoughts briefly before speaking.
“Then the idea would be that the painting on the floor was meant to catch the attention of you or the other servants to spread rumors. But because you didn’t say anything and simply put it back in its place, the rumor didn’t spread, so they ended up spreading it themselves.”
“Yeah. I don’t know which family member it is, though.”
“I do see your point, my lady.”
Ean seemed to agree for the moment, then suddenly asked,
“But who exactly would that message be intended for?”
“Huh? Well, the women of the Plenigan family, of course.”
I answered casually without much thought. But Ean shook his head.
“Currently, the women of the Plenigan family would be Lady Melissa, Mrs. Helen Jenkins, Mrs. Catherine Plenigan, Lady Delia, and Lady Lucy. Among them, Lady Melissa can probably be excluded.”
“Still, apart from the old lady, there doesn’t seem to be anyone who needs to be warned about proper conduct. Mrs. Jenkins and Mrs. Plenigan are just as strict about family decorum as the old lady, and Lady Delia and Lady Lucy are both quiet and cautious as well.”
“Still, we can’t be sure. Maybe it means, ‘continue behaving properly as you always have.’”
As I said this, I suddenly realized I had overlooked something important.
“Ah, Eugenia.”
“Lady Eugenia isn’t a Plenigan family member; she’s a Jenkins.”
Ean pointed out, but I waved my hand.
“No, if you think about it that way, then her mother, Mrs. Helen Jenkins, should also be counted as Jenkins.”
“Mrs. Jenkins is a bit different. She did take her husband’s surname, but she is originally from the Plenigan family.”
“Honestly.”
I raised my index finger.
“If someone wanted to criticize the behavior of Plenigan women, then the only fitting target right now would be Eugenia.”
“Even though her surname is Jenkins, she can’t deny she’s closely related to the Plenigan family. If she stays out of sight, she might be ignored, but while she’s staying at the Plenigan estate, she naturally becomes a problem. The Plenigans are extremely sensitive about reputation and public perception.”
“Moreover, when Eugenia stayed here as a child, she was constantly scolded and often locked in the study, told to reflect while reading Punished Alice.”
“And even now, Edward and Thomas often argue with her. From the Plenigan family’s perspective, they can’t simply overlook Eugenia.”
“…And Lady Eugenia also encouraged Lady Jane to do something forbidden by the Plenigan family as soon as she arrived here.”
Ean seemed to accept my reasoning and added that as well. I nodded vigorously.
“That’s it! So whoever is messing around with the paintings and leaving messages, even if we don’t know who, it’s very likely directed at Eugenia!”
“My lady, listening to this, I think it may not simply be a message.”
“Hm?”
“Perhaps what this implies is…”
Ean suddenly cut himself off.
His expression looked serious, which startled me a little. But he didn’t continue right away, as if deep in thought.
“Ean, what is it?”
I grabbed his arm in surprise. Only then did he snap out of it, as if waking from a dream.
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
He quickly replied.
“I just thought of something for a moment.”
“What did you think of? Why stop halfway? Don’t tell me you were criticizing me in your head?”
“If I were going to criticize you, I’d say it out loud.”
Ean smiled, returning to his usual expression, and my rising unease quickly disappeared.
“It’s probably not a good idea to jump to conclusions too quickly. Anyway, I hope nothing more tragic happens, and that rumors about the painting don’t spread any further.”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Since we had finished our conversation, I gathered the blotting paper and iron I had brought—originally pretending to clean candle wax stains in Lord Penwood’s room—and prepared to leave.
Ean glanced at my expression for a moment, then asked, “Wouldn’t it be better for you to return to the Whittington estate now?”
“Ean, did you hide a lover at the Whittington estate or something? You only think about going back immediately.”
“Are you perhaps secretly meeting a lover here in the Plenigan estate, my lady? Why are you so reluctant to return?”
At his words, I let out a small sigh.
“Let’s both stop joking. This isn’t the time for that, and I’ve already explained countless times why I can’t go back yet.”
“I do find it comfortable here. I don’t have to work, I’m treated like nobility, and I get to drink expensive liquor freely.”
Ean spoke lightly, but his expression was serious.
“However, haven’t we already investigated enough? There’s no further method. The conclusion has already been reached. The Plenigan estate is currently suffering through consecutive funerals.”
“But continuing to poke around would be impolite, and if it’s discovered, it would place Lord Whittington in a very difficult position.”
“Ean.”
After thinking for a moment, I spoke in a low voice.
“You said just now that the Plenigan estate has been holding consecutive funerals. Not for people who were already ill, but for those who were perfectly fine until recently.”
“It’s all a coincidence, my lady.”
Ean shook his head.
“It’s tragic, but just coincidence. Death is fair to both the young and the old. The police already completed their investigation.”
“The police probably checked far more thoroughly than we ever could. The idea of a detective protagonist outsmarting incompetent police only exists in novels.”
“I’m not looking down on the police.”
I puffed out my cheeks slightly.
“But even the police are human—they can miss things. They’ve already accepted the Plenigan family’s version of Aileen’s cause of death.”
“That would be difficult to conceal directly.”
“You’re just like the Plenigan family, acting as if nothing is wrong.”
“Lady, you’re doing the same thing, aren’t you? Please don’t single me out.”
In the end, under my insistence, Ean sighed and agreed to continue observing the Plenigan family and neighbors. Of course, he also added at the end, “Don’t forget the 15 flins.”
As I wiped the floor, I stretched my neck and massaged my shoulders whenever I could. I was exhausted from the unfamiliar work of being a maid every day.
‘I want to quit immediately.’
Feeling irritated, I tapped the floor with the cloth.
‘Ean gets to pretend to be a noble, drink expensive alcohol, and be treated respectfully. What an easy life.’
But sometimes, Ean looked far more exhausted and mentally drained than when he was at the Whittington estate.
Even if he said otherwise, he must be under a great deal of mental strain.
And what he said earlier also lingered in my mind—if my identity were exposed, it would put my grandfather in a very difficult position.
If it were only me, I didn’t care if I was insulted or looked down upon. But I couldn’t tolerate causing trouble for others, especially my grandfather and Ean.
‘If Ean’s disguise as a noble were exposed, it would be even more troublesome than mine being revealed. Even if he enjoys good food and treatment, the pressure must be enormous. Especially considering my grandfather.’
For their sake, I had to find a convincing answer as soon as possible.
‘In any case, it’s certain that someone is playing tricks with those paintings in this estate.’
The two frames that had fallen in the study were clearly not an accident.
‘I’ll investigate only that far. If it turns out to be nothing but a prank, I’ll accept that the consecutive deaths in this estate were unfortunate coincidences. But…’
I made up my mind.
‘If there’s a purpose behind it, then there might be secrets behind the sisters’ deaths as well. That would mean Aileen’s death wasn’t a coincidence either. I will uncover this for sure.’
