Chapter 184. Keep It Tightly Shut Like a Dead Mouse
“Ugh-.”
At the momentary feeling of her stomach contracting, a short groan burst from Deborah’s mouth.
“Why is it like this…….”
Deborah muttered, stroking her stomach with an anxious expression.
A symptom that had been repeating frequently these past few days.
The first time she experienced this heavy, pulling pain in her lower abdomen was at Rosewick, that is, when she was dragged to Chambrin.
On that day when he, having learned the entire truth, confined her to the bedroom in a furious rage.
Although she was anxious, the mansion was turned upside down due to the Duke bringing up the breakup of the engagement, so it was not a situation to ask about such things.
Moreover, she was not in a position to do so either.
Anyway, she experienced those symptoms a few more times since then, but because it soon became fine again, she did not consider it very serious.
She had simply thought it was a symptom arising because the due date was approaching, but suddenly, the thought that it might not be the case crossed her mind, and she began to grow anxious.
Even though the situation was like this, should she try discussing it with Mrs. Charlotte at least…… just when she was having such thoughts.
Knock, knock-
At the sound of a knock on the door, Deborah’s hand flinched for a moment.
After a moment, through the door that opened, someone approached.
A maid with a youthful face whom she was seeing for the first time.
Of course, it wasn’t that she knew everyone here at Elfengreen, but even so, she mostly knew their faces to some extent.
She probably entered as a new maid after I left this place, Deborah thought to herself as she stood up from her seat, engaging in such trivial thoughts.
“……Um, someone has come to find you.”
The girl, who still clearly retained the air of a young girl, spoke hesitantly.
Since she probably knew who she was from the rumors floating around the mansion, her cautious attitude was not impossible to understand.
No, more than that-
“Someone has come to find me?”
Just who on earth could have come to find her, when it was natural that there was no such person.
At the question asked back in wonder, the girl nodded her head and opened her mouth again.
“He is a gentleman…….”
A gentleman? Then that meant the person who came to find her was a man, just who on earth…….
“……What should I do?”
Sizing up the mood, the girl asked what she should do.
Around that time, Deborah noticed something strange.
Usually, guests who came to visit Elfengreen were limited to the guests of the members of the ducal family.
This was because a situation where a guest came to visit a servant within the mansion was a very exceptional case within Ruvake, where the class order and the distance between social statuses were distinct.
That, in other words, also meant it was something that should not happen.
Therefore, it was strange.
If it were a formally visiting guest, it would have definitely reached the ears of either Mrs. Charlotte, the housekeeper, or Greig, the butler…… so she wondered how this girl had come to find her.
If it were the Mrs. Charlotte she knew, that fact probably would not have been delivered to her.
If so…….
“By any chance…… did they say who the visiting guest is?”
At the question asked back, the girl blinked her eyes and answered.
“I don’t know that…… but the butler called him Master Jade…….”
Ah, at that name the girl informed her of, a low groan burst from Deborah’s mouth.
The place the girl informed her of was a secluded spot in the outdoor garden.
In truth, it was not an appropriate place to make a guest wait, but if that opponent was a person who should not be here, the story changed.
Knowing that, Deborah’s footsteps became even faster.
After approaching while carefully scanning the surroundings, the figure of someone finally came into her sight.
Jade.
At that appearance seen after a long time, her heart suddenly surged with emotion.
The appearance of a kind friend seen in this anxious place where there was not a single person welcoming her could not be more welcome.
“Jade.”
At the softly calling sound, the back that stood facing the opposite side turned toward the rear.
“Deborah.”
Looking at those blue eyes that were subtly shaking, Deborah approached rapidly close to him.
“How did you come here?”
Although she already knew that the Duke had gone out since she heard it from Mrs. Charlotte, she still asked out of wonder that he had come directly to this Elfengreen.
Jade would not want to visit this place either, but even if there were an occasion to visit, it would not have been easy to cross that gate…….
“I asked Greg, ah- Mr. Greig. I know it is difficult, but I asked him to let me meet Deborah just for a brief moment.”
Only then did Deborah learn the reason he was standing here.
It was a story she had heard once from Jade in the past.
When the previous Duke, ‘Randler von Cheister’, was alive, the special bond that Jade and he, who was his loyal butler, had built up.
Even so, how could he come here…….
In the event that he chanced to run into the Duke, she could not help but be anxious considering the ordeal he would suffer.
“After receiving the letter…… I could not possibly just stay still.”
As if reading those thoughts, Jade answered words she hadn’t even asked.
And then, he began to inspect Deborah here and there.
“Are you okay? Is there anywhere uncomfortable?”
“……I’m okay. More than that, Jade, you shouldn’t stay here long. First, go. Go and-”
“I will try to meet the Duke of Cheister once.”
At those absurd words that cut in urgently, Deborah’s breath stopped for an instant.
“What…… do you mean, Jade is going to meet…… whom?”
Of course, she did write content asking for help in the letter.
Because she was so desperate.
Although she knew that leaning on Jade like this was too shameless, even so, she had no choice.
It was a request she would absolutely never make if it were her own affair, but with the child involved, she had no luxury to weigh things out.
But even if that were so, to meet him directly.
It was an absurd thing.
She had personally seen it all—what kind of feelings he harbored toward Jade and how he treated him-
She wondered what on earth those words meant.
“I will meet him and…… try asking, just what he plans to do.”
“No, absolutely not. No, he won’t even meet you right away-”
As she shook her head in panic saying it won’t do, Jade quietly held both of Deborah’s arms.
“Then what are you going to do. After you give birth to the child, if by any chance the Duke says he will kick only Deborah out…… you will be separated from the child just like that, can you endure that?”
At that terrible assumption uttered through Jade’s mouth, Deborah’s golden eyes shook violently.
“No…… no, absolutely not. Jade……. This child is my child. My child.”
As if someone were going to snatch it away, Deborah shook her head violently and tightly embraced her stomach.
Looking at that appearance, Jade’s face distorted miserably.
Just how they should break through this obstacle, at the moment when strength tightly entered the hands holding Deborah’s arms.
“My, my.”
Rustle, along with the sound of treading upon dry grass, a sinister voice settled down over the garden.
The two startled people turned back at the same time.
“It is a sight too good to look at alone.”
“…….”
“…….”
Brightly, that cold gaze curling up the corners of his lips into a smile began to slowly look back and forth at the two people standing close together in turn.
“A rat who is constantly, greedily eyeing my place.”
Along with the words ‘And-’, the blue eyes that were pierced into Jade moved again to the opposite side, to Deborah’s face which was turned white as a sheet.
“A rat who stole my child and ran away.”
At the words of reproach mixed with mockery, Deborah’s pale face stiffened like ice.
“Since two rats are, dare to, fearlessly, in my house, committing treason.”
From the tone that spoke as if chewing every single word, one could know how enraged he was right now.
Raymond, who stared intently at Deborah’s face which did not make even a slight movement for a long time, turned his head back to the opposite side.
“When was it that you used to put on all sorts of hypocrisy before me, asking if my heart was only worth that much.”
“…….”
“To think you are in a state drooling, completely infatuated by a wench pregnant with someone else’s brat.”
At those insulting words, a slight spasm occurred in Jade’s jaw momentarily.
The moment the trembling clenched hands entered her sight, Deborah only then snapped out of it.
If the emotions of the two people were triggered further here, a scandalous incident like last time might break out by any chance.
Even though it was obvious he would be reluctant, she could not let Jade, who ran all the way here because of her, fall into such danger.
Therefore, she subconsciously stepped forward before him urgently.
“I’m sorry. This is all because I-”
“That mouth.”
However, the words that were coming out were immediately sliced away by those coldly flowing words.
“Shut it.”
At that sharp threat which suddenly turned fierce, Deborah subconsciously inhaled a rough breath.
Glaring at such a Deborah as if to kill her, Raymond finally added one more word.
“Until I tell you to open your mouth.”
“…….”
“Keep that mouth tightly shut like a dead mouse.”
Do you understand? At those sharp words asking back, the light in Deborah’s eyes soon cooled down coldly.
