[TKOSINM] 228 - Friedan

When she heard the butler’s voice, Irene’s attention was drawn back to him. Belatedly, the butler bowed.

“Sorry for being rude.”

“…Do you remember me?”

Irene asked with her gaze fixed on the old butler’s white hair. With his head lowered for a silent moment, the butler slowly answered.

“Yes. I remember.”

“I see.”

Irene wanted to hear more from the butler. What was she like when she was a child, and what kind of life did she lead? Above all, she wondered why she used to live here.

“I will take you inside first.”

However, at the butler’s following words, Irene held back all the questions that rushed into her mind at once and nodded in agreement. After all, she could not stand outside forever.

As the butler politely guided them inside, Irene looked around the mansion while strolling alongside Noel.

I do remember now.

The mansion was relatively small compared to the Grand Duke’s residence. Perhaps that was why with every step she took, the afterimages of her past self-running around playfully passed by.

“The bath water is ready. I shall have dinner prepared when you come out after washing.”

“...how is my aunt doing? Is she all right?”

The butler, who was about to leave, froze at Irene’s question. Beneath his glasses, his eyes sank heavily. Before long, he answered.

“My mistress has missed the Duchess for a very long time. But no matter how many letters she wrote, not a single reply came back... Oh, I have made a mistake. Anyhow, I am glad to see milady again. Thank you very much for taking such a long trip here.”

Irene knew that the butler’s words were not mere words of gratitude. He was talking around the answer to her question.

It was said that her aunt’s physical condition was near death.

“Then have a nice evening.”

When the butler, who was nervously observing Irene’s expression, left, Noel quietly went to Irene’s side and spoke to her.

“Irene, are you okay?”

“Yes…”

In response to his worried voice, an awkward smile was pulled across Irene’s lips.

“Actually, I don’t have much memory of my aunt.”

“You don’t have to force yourself to smile in front of me.”

“...”

At his sharp words, the corner of Irene’s mouth went down. Her head lowered.

“I cannot recall very clearly, but I know that she was a good person. Because the moment I entered this place, I felt nostalgic for some reason. So…”

An unsettling feeling also stirred Noel as he held the depressed Irene in his arms.

She couldn’t reach her.

The butler’s words about how none of the Viscountess’ letters got a reply kept bothering him.

Count Chase had imprisoned Irene for too long.

When he heard her story, he thought that man was simply oppressing her to care for her ill sister. But on the bigger picture, she even delayed entering the academy for a year for Riel Chase. Plus, she could not even properly debut, and there were several nasty rumours about her circulating in the social world left neglected.

There’s no way Count Chase wouldn’t know the rumours.

It was odd in every way.

Why did the Count interfere with the meeting between himself and Irene? If she became a member of the Grand Duchy, Count Chase’s status would also rise.

Not to mention the affair concerning Boris Gertin.

His family was on the verge of destruction due to debt.

Currently, it had collapsed entirely, and not a trace could be found. As such, the situation of the Gertin family was the worst. But he allowed Irene to get engaged with a man from such a diminished family? He heard that back then, Irene asked for the engagement herself. Yet, it made no sense that Count Chase, who valued the family’s status, accepted that kind of proposal to Irene, his eldest daughter, his direct bloodline.

It doesn’t seem like an act of accepting Irene’s plea.

Besides, if Irene were to marry him, there would be no one left in their family to support Riel.

Why did Count Chase allow Irene and Boris to be engaged while embracing all these shortcomings?

Was he trying to get rid of Irene…?

But why? Even though they did not want to spare her any love, was there any reason to push their own family into such an abyss? The Chase family’s actions toward Irene were all contradictory. How they appeared and their ulterior motive were different. There was no connection.

Noel looked down at Irene sadly.

Irene doesn’t seem to know yet.

He thought it might be better not to know. He did not want Irene to hurt again. Noel’s pupils darkened.

If the reason for isolating Irene from the world and alienating her from the family was not Riel Chase, what could it be?

I will have to find out.

Whatever the reason was, the wounds Irene had to receive were never acceptable.

♔♔♔