Chapter 5

            Jerome finally spoke, his voice trembling with agitation. He hesitated for a moment before continuing in a more serious tone.

"I thought you were different from your mother. I always believed you were someone who would never overstep boundaries no matter how well you were treated by us. But I guess I was wrong. How could you even think, no, dare to become entangled with my nieces and nephew? Was that your intention from the beginning?"

I was completely taken aback by the accusation, finding it utterly nonsensical and unfathomable. What was this man even talking about? Did I hear him correctly?

"I thought Estelle would have a harder time without you, so I let her be with you, but there's no excuse for this. Did your mother teach you to forget their noble status and covet what my nieces and nephew have?"

His words were infuriating, and I could feel my anger rising, but I forced myself to remain calm.

It was evident that Jerome was the only connection we had to the outside world, and he didn't seem to be an enemy, at least not yet.

If he had been working with the people who imprisoned the siblings here, he wouldn't have bothered coming and going.

Provoking him or inciting his anger wouldn't do me any good, and it could potentially harm the children. I needed to be cautious and level-headed.

Taking a deep breath to steady myself in the bitter cold, I spoke calmly.

"Viscount, I don't know what misunderstanding you have, but as you can see, it's freezing cold here. Lady Estelle is vulnerable to catching a cold, and we are all just doing our best to endure these conditions. None of us have ever crossed any lines, and we are merely trying to survive. The stove is the only source of warmth we have, so we gather around it to keep ourselves from freezing to death."

I explained it like that, but for sure the things we’ve done here were not rooted in a master-servant relationship, but rather, we lived like commoner friends, supporting each other to survive.

Nothing we did had ill intentions, and I had no reason to be accused of anything. Everything we did together was for the sole purpose of survival, and I hoped Jerome would understand that.

Those who deserve criticism are the ones who imprisoned us here, along with Jerome himself, who unfairly judges me for things beyond my control.

Ha! Are you seeing things differently now? If you knew it would be such a mess, you should have gotten us out of here long ago!

It seemed that Jerome's anger wasn't solely directed at our sleeping arrangements but rather at the thought of his precious nieces and nephews living in such conditions.

It was absurd for me to bear the brunt of his anger, pity, and deprivation.

These conditions were a harsh reality, and taking out anger on me wouldn't change that. It's all because of my lowly status in this world.

Jerome appeared to contemplate my words for a moment, then sat down on a nearby chair, his shoulders slumping as if he had never done so before.

"Yes, yes... It will be difficult to endure... Perhaps it would have been better that way."

What is he muttering to himself? There were so many things I wanted to ask, but I had to be cautious in how I approached the topic.

"Viscount... How long do the young masters and young lady have to stay here? Is it still dangerous?"

I knew the plague must have subsided by now. We were aware that we were trapped here, not for our safety but as part of some cunning plot.

Instead of answering directly, Jerome made another remark.

"Sasha, will you help us out?"

Us? There were only the two of us here, so who else could he be referring to?

But soon, I understood what he meant. Jerome led me to the mirror door, and as he opened it, there stood Mr. Harris, with his impressive spy-level infiltration skills.

On a new tray cart, various fantastic items were arranged - thick winter bedding, white fur rugs, fur slippers, leather coats, extra winter wear, kerosene boxes, and more.

It was remarkable how they managed to bring all of this.

Silently and swiftly, we brought everything inside. This was the first time I looked outside the mirror door since arriving here.

The dark and lengthy corridors made it impossible to even discern the location of the exit. As I suspected, there was a lock on the outside of the door.

Though I only glanced at the hallway briefly, an overwhelming urge to run outside surged within me.

Until now, I hadn't expressed this longing, but the stifling confinement had taken its toll on me as well.

I yearned to step outside and feel the fresh air on my face, the soft touch of snowflakes, and the solid ground beneath my feet.

The scents of fir and spruce trees, camellias, and cyclamen flowers in the backyard, keeping it green even in winter, called to me. But it was an impossible dream.

"Eventually... Sooner or later, somehow, all of you will find a way out of here. Please take good care of the children and continue doing your best, just as you always have."

After that, our watchman and lunch provider vanished quickly. The door was locked from the outside once again, as expected.

I stood in the room for a while, where there was barely any space to move.

On the new tray cart, a delightful aroma filled the air, a stark contrast to before. If they could bring something like this, they should have done so earlier.

And they considered bringing kerosene, so why didn't they also bring us an extra stove? Were they concerned that we might start a fire if we used it here and there to keep warm?

What do you mean we'll come out somehow sooner or later? Does that imply they plan to take us away forcibly? Will that even work?

I lost track of how long I stood there, rubbing my cold hands and descending the stairs. Lethias barely regained his senses when he heard the commotion, eyes wide open.

"Wow, what's all this?! Kids, come and see!"

Naturally, Benya and Estelle, who joined him downstairs, were visibly amazed.

"Sasha, where did you get all of this?"

"Well, your uncle must have arranged it."

 I tried to answer Estelle's question as simply as possible. I couldn't bring myself to reveal the conversation between Jerome and me. She wouldn't believe it, would she?

They wouldn't even believe it.

"Oh, it's warm!"

"Am I seeing things? This can't be real, right?"

The food on the tray cart was truly a delicacy.

There were delectable canapés, still-warm cocoa, butter, olives, pork stew, roast veal, raw ham, various pies, fruit tarts, cookies, flatbread, and goat cheese to spread on them.

The cheese Estelle had missed so much.

"Is this a Christmas gift?"

"It seems so. Well, I'm ready for it!"

"Did Lethy-Oppa prepare all of this?"

"Perhaps not necessarily..."

Indeed, Christmas was just around the corner. Spending Christmas and New Year's in this place felt like the worst. What's more, it would be the same next year.

Nevertheless, the warm winter clothes to ward off the cold and the delicious food they hadn't seen in a long time revitalized the children's spirits, creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere.

Thankfully, it was a bittersweet moment.

I couldn't believe this was solely to show their care for us.

Deep down, I felt that all of this was treated as the most natural thing to do as if it were all within the bounds of normalcy, but bringing us food couldn't make up for everything...

If the late duke and madame could see this, they would shed tears of sorrow.

"Is something wrong?"

I blinked and looked up.

Benya, who appeared by my side without my notice, was studying my face as if he were implying something.

For some reason, his eyes seemed to search for something, so I quickly shook my head.

"No, I was just a bit confused. But, well, at least it's a relief. The cold might be a bit more bearable now, right?"

"It’ll hold on until winter is over."

Benya's eyes lacked any hint of joy as he murmured meaningfully. He sensed that all of this would likely only prolong our confinement, and it seemed to bother him a little.

"Seriously, we're not kids anymore..."

His words disturbed me. Hasn't he also engaged in childish sword fights not too long ago? I don't like this situation either, but I have to find some happiness in it.

Carefully, I reached for his hand and gave it a gentle tug, flashing a mischievous smile.

"It wouldn't hurt to enjoy these comforts for a day. It's better than nothing."

"Yes, it's fortunate we have plenty of kerosene."

"Exactly. We don't need to worry even if we use it recklessly."

No more sleeping huddled together like a human stove. Sigh, I have to endure such insults just to survive.

Mother, forgive your poor daughter. I'll remember the Viscount's insult to my mother and make him pay for it someday.

The long-awaited and satisfying meal brought joy to us.

The quantity was generous enough to serve as our 'basic meal' until Christmas, and some pies and cookies were set aside for New Year's breakfast.

After boiling water and taking a bath, we donned soft, thick winter coats and warm furry slippers before heading back to the library.

With the stove and candles lit all day, the library, which used to feel like a freezer, had become somewhat warmer.

The sound of the bells on Christmas and New Year's Eve became more frequent and lingered longer, but even Estelle didn't pay much attention to them now.

We laughed and ran through the library, reading books, and pretending to reenact a play we had seen the previous Christmas.

It was amusing to see how much of an impact those 'gifts' had on us. Lethias, in particular, seemed quite hopeful that Jerome hadn't forgotten them.

This hope was like a double-edged sword – pure and yet uncertain.

Thankfully, none of us caught a cold. The winter of that year passed relatively smoothly. Although it felt slow, time continued to flow steadily.

𝔼𝕟𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕍𝕠𝕝𝕦𝕞𝕖 𝟚:

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕚𝕣𝕪 𝕋𝕒𝕝𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕒𝕤𝕪

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