TWWRCBAT 61

chapter 61

One of the guards, seeing Sian with his hat pulled down low, tried to act like he recognized him.

“Yes, I’ve seen him a few times. At Ikkeullim.”
“But what brings him here…?”
“That man beat up our Rinet’s—well, the owner of Ikkeullim’s—mother, and then…”

When the guards heard Sian’s words, they turned their gazes. They stiffened when they saw Rinet and Masha framed in the doorway.

Rinet was the kind of regular customer who always brought them piles of cookies and fruit as a service and paid low for coffee. Hearing that someone had assaulted such a woman’s mother, their eyes turned to William.

“You insane bastard. After hitting our Ikkeullim owner’s mother, he has the nerve to swagger around?”
“What? This man assaulted Miss Rinet’s mother?”

The guards glared at William as they spoke.

“No, I’m the victim. I was hit by that man.”

He looked around, claiming there must be a witness, but there was no one. In this neighborhood, people didn’t bother with neighbors even if they were noisy. Everyone was too busy making a living to care about others.

“Since a report’s been made, the regular customer should come with us. So—well, you don’t have to.”

The guard, a little embarrassed at having to escort a regular, then noticed something. It looked as if some kind of divine blessing had fallen: a sword with silver dust scattered around it, planted in the ground, bore a crest. The crest was very clear—there was no doubt it belonged to Theord.

The guard’s eyes widened in shock and he glanced back at Sian.

“Te-Theord….”

“Shh! I’d like to speak with that man for a moment—if possible. For reference, our Rinet knows nothing, so please keep quiet about me.”

“Yes, yes! Of course. We’ll step away for a moment so you can speak freely.”

Though Sian wasn’t even their direct superior, the guards blinked in astonishment and slipped away like a receding tide.

William trembled and looked at Sian. Sian’s expression, different from when Rinet was nearby, took William by the chin and lifted his head.

Even from just standing close, a sharp murderous intent prickled the skin like thorns.

“Weren’t you taught to look someone in the eye when you speak, Sir William? Or rather, you’re no longer a knight—just a bum now.”

Sian’s red eyes reflected him as if he were drowning in blood. The suffocating atmosphere made William swallow dryly again and again, shaking.

“I-I’m sorry for not recognizing such a noble person.”

“That’s not what I meant to say. Apparently you have a very poor comprehension.”

Sian could not have failed to recognize the crest he’d just shown. It was a crest he had often seen during his time as a knight. Seeing that Sian was hiding his identity from Rinet and thinking to use that as leverage, William immediately changed his mind.

If Sian caught him, he felt sure he would be killed on the spot. Sian—who looked like he’d beat someone and bury them before explaining why—bared a ferocious smile.

“I’ll say only one thing. Trash—listen carefully. Don’t ever show your face around Rinet again. And stay away from her mother. If you don’t, I’ll make sure you can’t set foot in Irein anymore.”

❅

Hearing the noise from outside, Rinet shut the door immediately. Then she stared hard at Masha. Under her daughter’s gaze, Masha didn’t know what to do; she pulled over a shabby chair.

“H-Here, sit.”
“Do you think I came in here for a leisurely chat?”
“S-Sorry…”

Even as her daughter glared at her, Masha bowed her head and apologized. Rinet, displeased from beginning to end by Masha’s presence, kept sighing deeply.

“What brings you here?”
“I didn’t come to play.”
“Isn’t it your working hour?”
“That’s right. I was supposed to be working.”

Rinet answered curtly to the cautious questions, then glanced around the house. It was shabby to the extreme. There was hardly any household goods in the collapsing home.

The wooden windows were old and barely functional. The door’s jamb had fallen away, leaving the frame warped. Even with wind coming in through the windows and door, a musty smell hung inside. A small mouse skittered in and out, watching its chance.

Seeing Masha living in such a place, Rinet roughly swept her bangs back.

“You left us to live like this.”
“I’m sorry.”
“So what are you going to do from now on? Keep living off of that trashy man’s face? What a fine idea, for someone who used to be the Countess of Pruina.”

“Ugh…”

Masha tried not to cry in front of Rinet, but tears burst out anyway and she bowed her face quickly. The fingertips that clutched her skirt were cracked and bloodied. Hard labor had left dirt packed into the cracks of her hands.

She never got a drop of water on them except when washing, and yet the ring Kenis had slipped onto her always shone on those usually-white hands. Kenis, who bought jewels every season and had dresses fitted for her, loved to adorn his wife. He even forbade her from embroidering for fear she might prick her finger.

Even if he didn’t love her, he had been a devoted husband. The woman who left such a man like discarded goods ended in miserable ruin.

If Masha had never left the Pruina estate that day, she wouldn’t have to do such backbreaking work now. Her husband would still be a successful businessman and her children would have been raised well, presentable to the world.

But she left it all. She even abandoned the child she bore. Claiming she left for love was a cowardly excuse; Masha could not say anything in front of her youngest.

“Will you continue to live like this? You were once the Countess of Pruina and a noble of Florence.”
“…Ugh, ugh…”

Rinet refused to comfort the sobbing Masha—not even once did she embrace her. Still, Masha reached out and touched where Rinet had grabbed her just now, holding on so that the warmth wouldn’t slip away.

Rinet offered her handkerchief. Masha took it and wiped her tears.

“What are you crying about? Don’t cry. You can’t afford even tears.”
“Y-Yes. I won’t cry anymore… sob.”

Masha managed to wipe her face and smiled toward Rinet. Even if her daughter never acknowledged her as a mother and treated her like trash, seeing her child still made her happy. Masha, who had failed to do that until now, hurriedly shook off her tears.

“I’ll ask again. What will you do now?”
“I—I’ll leave. So I won’t bother you anymore, Rinet.”
“Do you have money to leave?”
“I’ll sell this house and go.”

It was a decrepit house that wouldn’t fetch much. Even if she sold it and left, she probably wouldn’t have enough travel money to settle anywhere else.

“I told my brother I met you.”
“W-What…”
“Father also knows. But he said he wouldn’t look for you. And knowing my brother’s personality, he probably won’t try to see you. Esther’s at the villa, so she won’t know.”

Hearing Rinet, Masha didn’t feel hurt. She could understand if her husband and son turned away from her—it was all her fault.

“E-Esther’s at the villa?”
“Well, there’s nothing to hide—she’s my biological daughter, so he knows. My sister cheated with my fiancé. She was broken off from her marriage before it could happen, and was chased off to the villa.”

Masha’s eyes widened as if she’d lost words. She grabbed Rinet’s hand without meaning to.

“Mother, I’m sorry… If I’d been there—if only I’d been the only one in that place—I would have stopped it…”

Masha now understood why Rinet had left the affluent Pruina estate to run a shop. She apologized over and over; it was all her sin, and it seemed that sin had been passed down to her child.

“There’s nothing to forgive. So—”

Crack—

As she spoke, a sound like something collapsing rang out. Masha suddenly grabbed and hugged Rinet.

“Rinet! Are you alright?”

Sian, who had handled everything outside and had been waiting, heard the strange noise and burst in, wrapping his arms around the two of them.

Thud—

It seemed the patched wood over a leaking spot had rotted. As the timber fell to the floor, part of the roof caved in and collapsed onto the place where Rinet had been standing.

When the dust settled, before Sian could check Rinet, Masha quickly looked all around.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Seeing Masha’s worried face, Rinet frowned and stepped away from her embrace.

“Don’t act like you did something a mother should do.”
“No, I was just worried.”
“If you were so worried, you shouldn’t have left in the first place! You didn’t worry then, and now you do?”

More harsh words might have come, but Rinet held back. Sian patted the small girl’s shoulder.

“Rinet, even if you hate your mother—”
“If you’re going to say ‘she gave birth to you,’ keep your mouth shut.”
“Yes.”

Sian was about to say something else, but Rinet silenced him.

“This house is wrecked; how will you manage? You probably can’t even sell it now.”
“I’ll borrow favor from the neighbor and stay for a while. Don’t worry about me—carry on with your life. I’ll live my life.”

Even in this situation, Masha refused to beg Rinet for help. Though she had carried and borne her daughter for ten months, she felt she had no right to ask for the money Rinet had earned with her blood and sweat. Rinet, watching Masha force a smile, turned to Sian.

“Sian, I’m sorry, but can I borrow a carriage?”
“Certainly. Please wait a moment.”

When Sian left, Rinet looked at the robe draped over the chair—the shabby robe she’d worn when she’d come to see her earlier.

“Put this on.”
“Huh?”
“I said put it on.”

Rinet helped Masha into the robe and led her out to the main road, where Sian had hired a carriage.

“Thank you, Sian. I’ll take care of things from here.”
“I’ll step out. But come tell me at home later. Don’t get excited, okay?”

Useful and decisive, Sian pressed a gentle kiss to Rinet’s forehead and withdrew.

Rinet pushed Masha into the carriage, gave the driver the address, and climbed in.

“W-Where are we going?”
“Don’t worry. It’s not home.”

Rinet didn’t attempt to calm the fidgety Masha. Arms folded and silent, she opened the carriage window when it stopped.

“Oh! Come in, please. If you’d told me, I’d have come to fetch you.”

At the familiar voice, Rinet offered a faint smile. The carriage entered the courtyard and Conrad had come out after hearing the news.

“Our Rinet! Come on in—who’s that behind you?”

Conrad looked surprised to see Rinet entering with a woman wearing a robe.

Rinet sighed deeply and then said, “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have come here, but there was nowhere else to take her. She’s my cousin’s wife.”