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Chapter 05
“Of course, he’s the Marquis of Charmeaux, respected by everyone.”
“Can someone who’s never known a warm touch or a kind embrace in childhood truly be respected by all?”
For a moment, Madame Séverin was at a loss for words. As she faltered, I drove the point home with a mocking emphasis.
“Sure, perhaps Antoine, raised under your discipline, might grow into a brilliant marquis—intelligent, calculating, someone who knows what’s best for his house.”
“Naturally. That’s why he must receive the proper education…”
“But I want my brother to grow up loved, to return that love, and to be respected by everyone for it.”
It was a familiar tale: children abused early by overbearing parents, only to be abandoned once the parents could no longer impose their power.
If Antoine grew up like that, I’d be in trouble too.
Even the original story made the nations and people painfully obvious. If history followed that template…
I shivered at the thought, imagining a guillotine’s blade glinting before my eyes.
‘Honestly, if I were to be reborn, I’d rather be a rich family’s puppy or cat.’
Anyway, he needed to be raised right from now. I steeled myself once more.
“Of course, he should be taught by a qualified teacher. And in that regard, you’re unfit—both as a teacher and as a nanny.”
I pulled a neatly folded piece of paper from my pocket and tossed it toward Madame Séverin.
Recognizing it, a strangled gasp escaped her teeth.
“Adelaide? What is that?”
“Evidence of where the nanny was last night.”
“M-Mistress! No! That’s… it’s nothing!”
“Hand it over.”
My mother unfolded the paper and began reading aloud.
“…When the clock strikes midnight, I’ll be waiting in the stables. Please use your loving rod on me…?”
“W-What is this? Madame Séverin! Explain this outrageous letter!”
“It’s nothing, nothing, mistress! I… I’m innocent! I protest!”
“So it seems, it’s not my son who’s corrupt, but you.”
My mother’s voice rose sharply.
“How dare you! I… I trusted you… sniff…!”
“Eleanor, losing your temper won’t do you any good. Calm yourself…”
“Do I look calm to you? Haa… ha…”
Her face flushed with shock and anger.
“Fetch the stablemaster immediately… sniff!”
She clutched her chest and collapsed against my father. He managed to calm the storm.
“Madame Séverin, perhaps you should seek employment elsewhere. I’m afraid I can’t provide a recommendation.”
Madame Séverin protested as if the world had ended.
“W-What! Mistress! I truly did my utmost for the young master! Just one more chance, please!”
“Thank you for your service.”
Like a desiccated fish, Madame Séverin froze, lips moving but saying nothing. Realizing no excuse could change the outcome, she hung her head and left the room.
“Antoine, it’s all over now. Surprised, aren’t you? Sorry—I should have left you in your room.”
Though he didn’t understand the adult conversation, Antoine sensed the tension and buried his face in my sleeve.
“Sniff… sniffle!”
Sniffle? Could it be… no, it couldn’t.
I gently pushed his head aside, only to scream.
“Antoine! Don’t get your nose on the silk!”
“Hah… I thought we’d found someone trustworthy, but I feel guilty for Antoine. And Adelaide… how frustrating it must have been for her not to speak up, out of concern for her sick mother. Perhaps we should raise them ourselves?”
Eleanor finally calmed herself, resting her forehead against the window, sighing deeply. Her heart still ached from betrayal and shock.
Charles glanced at her once before picking up a pen to post a notice for a new nanny.
“No need to say you’d die, Eleanor. You’ll faint again. We can find someone better. By the way… Ellie, don’t you feel that Adelaide seems… changed today?”
“Changed…” Charles searched for the right word.
“Love… love and respect, perhaps.”
He tried to recall what he had learned at Adelaide’s age. The memories were hazy, but he remembered something akin to Madame Séverin’s strict regimen. In a household with only boys, life had been like military training: power, influence, wealth—the only ways to earn respect—on a meticulously structured schedule.
He couldn’t endure it and ran from home. Only traveling the world as an adult did he realize there were other ways to earn respect.
Eleanor herself was proof. Weak, gentle, and yet he straightened his clothes when entering her room, almost unconsciously.
“According to her logic, the most respected people must be on battlefields, not in cathedrals.”
Yet how did ten-year-old Adelaide, so young, understand this? Her serious expression suggested experience far beyond her years.
Charles’ thoughts were interrupted by Eleanor’s scolding.
“Of course the children will seem unfamiliar—you don’t visit often! That’s why I told you to come home more!”
“Do you think it’s fine for me to wander outside while leaving my own house?”
Charles raised his voice in protest, then quickly lowered his pen, uneasy about leaving her alone. Indeed, the children grew so fast, they startled him each time he returned.
Especially Adelaide, who barely had the chance to wear the dresses or shoes brought as gifts. He couldn’t help noticing her changes.
“I didn’t realize how much she cares for her brother.”
“Well… she’s ten now. Old enough to have some sense.”
“If she matures twice, she’ll even outsmart us, huh?”
“Darling!”
Eleanor’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit. Charles chuckled, leaning his head on her shoulder.
Yet today, Adelaide seemed more than just grown-up in body.
When he met her eyes, a mix of violet and ocean-blue, she looked utterly unfamiliar. Had she truly matured—or had something happened?
“Perhaps we should find a way for her to help at home?”
“I’d like that… but we must hire a new nanny before you leave.”
“Hmm. Since she’s matured, maybe we should reward her with a proper gift?”
“That’s not a bad idea. We’ll invite the merchants soon….”
Though the children wanted something else entirely, Eleanor quietly buried her face in her husband’s chest.
Madame Séverin and the stablemaster were dismissed immediately.
Until a new nanny arrived, Antoine and I were confined to the estate.
Yet I felt no boredom or confinement.
It wasn’t just the vastness of the Charmeaux estate or gardens. Every corner held the scenery of my childhood, the sights I thought I’d never see again.
The central fountain, especially, became our favorite spot as the days grew warmer.
“Sis! Let’s play at the fountain again today, okay?”
“And get scolded for soaking your clothes again?”
“Hehe…”
Antoine tugged my arm, a little stronger than before, perhaps.
“Uh…?”
He stopped mid-run, tilting his head.
“Who’s that man?”
“That must be…”
Today, there was a visitor at the fountain. A guest whose presence brought immense delight.
