[TKOSINM] 16 - Mysterious Letter (2)

The maid went to pick up letters that had arrived at the Count’s house in the early morning. She was in charge of sorting letters and sent them to each respective owner. Usually, most of the letters came for the Countess or Riel. Irene rarely received private letters unless it was an invitation for a tea party or a ball.

“Huh?”

There was an unidentified private letter for Irene. The maid checked the letter countless times, but she couldn’t find the sender, there was only ‘To Irene Chase’ written on it. It was indeed quite a queer letter.

“Is that a letter for my sister?”

The maid heard a cheerful voice ask behind her. When she turned her back, she was surprised because Riel stood coyly before her.

“Miss, you were not feeling well. What brings you here? You will catch a cold because of the cold air in the morning.”

“I know, but I was lonely without my sister by my side. So, I want to have some fresh air.”

“Miss…”

Riel’s words made the maid pity her. It was a matter of the fact that everyone in the house knew that Irene and Riel’s relationship had drifted. They all thought Irene was cold-hearted because she had one-sidedly chosen to abandon her sick sister.

The maid looked at Riel with a pitiful look. Riel was confined in the house because she was weak and could not go outside, and now she was abandoned by her sister.

Riel suddenly smiled as if she had just remembered something and then pointed at the letter the maid held. 

         “That’s a letter for my sister, right?” She asked. Her eyes were deceivingly bright.

         “Oh, yes! But I don’t know who sent it. I couldn’t find the sender’s information on it.”

         “I see. Is this the only letter that came to my sister?”

         “Yes, for the moment.”

         Not long ago, Irene had taken all the letters that had piled up for her, so this was the only letter that had come, addressed to Irene as of current.

         “Give me that letter. I will pass it to my sister.”

         “What? But…”

         The maid showed a look of disagreement. She would be going against Irene’s order because it was a rule that letters should be delivered to their owners. The aristocrats especially emphasised that rule because they often sent secret messages to each other. 

         “It’s fine. I just want to make up with my sister. Can you help me?”

         Riel’s words made the maid hesitant. She briefly contemplated before deciding that the contents of the letter were most likely just trivial, unimportant matters, so she gave Irene’s letter to Riel. 

         “Then, thank you for your help.”

         Riel picked up Irene’s letter and headed to her room. When Riel headed to her room, everyone who passed looked worried at Riel.

         Riel tightly locked the door after arriving at her room. She looked at the red envelope in her hand, as the maid said, it only had the recipient’s name written on it. There was no information about the sender.

         Riel ripped the upper side of the envelope and took out the envelope’s content. There was only a single sheet of paper inside of it. It resembled a love letter.

         “What is this?”

         However, the letter contained writing that was far from that of a love letter. Riel’s hand trembled as she read the letter. With each line that she read, it became crumpled as she crushed it. 

         Riel slammed down the paper on her desk with a loud thud. Her breathing became rough, and then she grabbed her chest tightly and collapsed down to the ground. Riel tightly bit her lips. She suddenly flashed back to Irene last night, who had coldly shrugged her away. 

         Why would you do that?

         “Why would you do that to me?” The pent-up anger could be heard from Riel’s voice.

♔♔♔

         Noel’s carriage entered the grounds of Count Chase’s estate. From far away, he could see a figure waiting for him. Noel thought that it must have been Irene because he had already sent a letter to inform her of his arrival that afternoon. Noel purposely did not reveal his identity so as not to leave any evidence with respect to the letter.

         Contrary to his expectations, the first woman he met was not Irene. But the woman also did not look like a maid.

         “Hello, I’ve been waiting for you.”

         “Why is it not Miss Irene Chase to come out?”

         Noel asked the woman in front of him, who appeared to be frail as if a single touch from him would cause her to fall. The woman, Riel, shook her head and answered with a troubled face.

         “I’m sorry. Something came up, and she asked me to meet you instead. Ah, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Riel Chase, Irene’s younger sister.”

         There was a moment of interest in Noel’s face when he heard Riel’s introduction. Noel remembered her from the information he had received from Tom when he had asked to have Irene Chase investigated. A younger sister with a weak body. Presumably, Irene had delayed her entrance to the Academy by one year to enter with her.

         You don’t look like her at all.

         Noel could not believe that they were sisters because Irene and Riel did not look alike at all. Instead of dull, faded milky tea hair, Riel had colourful blond hair and purple-coloured eyes, not olive. The ambience between them was also completely different. If Irene felt like a calm night, Riel felt like a stinging daytime.

         Riel blushed under Noel’s gaze. Then she opened her lips to speak.

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