A Stepmother’s Marchen

Chapter 13

“Madam?”

“Oh, thank you Gwen, you can go to bed now.”

“Well, madam.”

“Yes?”

As I turned my head to the side, buried in the soft goose pillow, I saw Gwen standing at the door with a momentum that felt quite similar to Robert.

“What’s wrong?”

“Is that… is that all right?”

“What do you mean?”

“…No, nothing. Have a good night’s sleep…”

Gwen, who bid me goodnight politely, went out, and I, who was left alone in the warm room, stared blankly for a moment.

It’s weird. Everyone is acting weird. Why take turns asking all those weird questions? It doesn’t matter if I’m okay or not at this point.

—-

“Achoo!”

Damn it, I think I ended up with a cold. No matter how thick I wore, I felt chills, which was a clear cold symptom.

Gwen touched my forehead and the nape of my neck and insisted on bringing a doctor in.

“You catched a cold. Eat and rest well for a few days.”

As my doctor said, I simply had to stay stuck in bed for a few days.

While I was lying in my place, Lucretia visited me several times to wish for my recovery. Lord Valentino came and left too.

At first, I thought I only had coughs and chills, but later I got a fever. The boundaries between dream and reality became blurred throughout the continuous sleep.

When I open my eyes, will I stay in the past, or will I return to the future I know?

“Is our fake mother pretending to be ill again?”

Whose voice is this? I’ve heard it before.

Oh, yeah, it’s little Leon. Boy, what are you talking about?

No, why is he here?

“…Wen, Gwen…!”

“Madam? Oh, young master, you can’t be here.”

“Why? I’m not gonna do anything.”

“You can’t stay here. Come here quickly.”

Fortunately, Leon was dragged out obediently instead of throwing a tantrum as usual. I kept falling asleep. I woke up repeatedly, and later I lost the energy to react to the sound of words coming from the side.

“She looks dead.”

“Shh, speak quietly.”

“Elder brother, is fake mother going to die, too? Then go into the ground like our father?”

“Who’s going to die? Tsk, at any rate…”

……I pretended not to hear Elias and Rachel’s words.

I didn’t even have the energy to call the maid.

Sigh, this is what you’re gonna say when you’re next to someone who’s really sick?!

“She looks very sick. Is it really a cold?”

“She’ll be fine when the fever goes down. Don’t worry too much, young master.”

Throughout the day and night sleep due to pain, I was plagued by dreams mixed with reality, the past, or the future.

It took six whole days for the fever to finally go down.

“Now your fever has gone down. I’m so glad you’re feeling better.”

“So, how’s everything?”

What could have happened in just six days? Gwen, who was changing my clothes, seemed to pause for a moment when I asked her without thinking.

“Gwen?”

“Oh, yeah, yeah. You’re hungry, aren’t you? I’ll bring your meal in a minute.”

What’s with this sudden suspicious feeling?

My eyes can’t fool me. I have known Gwen for a long time, she seemed to be uncertain, rather than staggering to hide something.

….Or was it just that I became sensitive after being sick?

“Madam…?

Half-dazed and suspicious, I suddenly came to my senses, left my room and headed to the dining room.

I don’t know how the hell I got here. What possessed me?

“I’m glad I’m feeling better.”

I tried to clear my mind by shaking my head. The colorful stairs and marble busts carved with ivy pieces on the railing felt strange.

In my bewildered view, I saw the knights standing guard at the entrance as always.

I walked right through the entrance. Then, I looked back. The knights, who were staring at the back of my head with an unknown vague gaze, quickly turned their eyes.

What’s wrong with them? What’s this confusing atmosphere?

It was difficult to define where and how it was strange, but there was certainly a strange energy lingering in the air. Is it some kind of anxiety or agitation…?

And it felt unfamiliar even to a person like me who had been in this mansion for nearly a decade.

Even after my husband died, I’m sure…

No, it’s just that I’ve become sensitive.

As soon as I walked into the dining room, Lucretia, who was eating with the children, jumped up from her seat and welcomed me, “Oh, madam, I’m so glad you’re feeling better!”

“Thank you. Is everything alright?”

“What could have happened? Please sit down.”

As soon as I sat down smiling at Lucretia, who gently tapped me on the back of my hand, Elias, who had been fighting bravely against the roasted carrots, glanced and muttered, “You’ve come to life after moaning like you’re going to take your last breath.”

“Elias, how could you talk to your mother that way?” I closed my eyes tightly when I heard Lucretia’s soft voice.

Gosh! Elegant Countess, you’d better refrain from saying that for a peaceful morning for all of us!