Chapter 025. The Shadow Pacing the Corridor
The hand tilting the wine glass paused for a moment.
As the golden alcohol sloshed in the glass, now revealing its empty bottom, Raymond hesitated briefly.
Should he have another drink, or call it quits here?
The deliberation didn’t last long.
He knew well that drowning insomnia in alcohol wasn’t a good solution.
In the end, Raymond set the glass down on the table, rose from his seat, and walked to the window.
Opening the window by turning the handle, a gentle breeze brushed softly against the nape of his neck.
Even though it was past midnight, the air wasn’t particularly cold, making it clear that spring was well underway.
*Haa*—just breathing in deeply and exhaling seemed to clear his cluttered mind.
“……”
It had been quite a while since he’d been unable to sleep this late into the night.
Of course, he was never one to sleep deeply, but it had never been this bad.
He had attributed it to moving from a quiet place during the winter to a bustling one, or to the bothersome matters of the noble council and the commoner’s council.
Until now, he had made excuses to avoid facing the real reason.
But now, he could no longer deny it.
He knew where these unpleasantly chaotic thoughts stemmed from.
During the day, while returning home, a scene had suddenly caught his eye.
It wasn’t anything particularly special.
It was just one of those common sights—servants gathered for a picnic on a pleasant weekend.
Normally, he would have passed by without a second thought, but the reason his gaze lingered was because of someone’s radiant smile.
The woman had always appeared tense in his presence.
Perhaps that was why.
He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her face, squinting and smiling brightly under the warm sunlight.
Even as the carriage circled the expansive garden and finally stopped at the manor’s entrance, her face, her figure, remained vividly etched in his mind, as if imprinted there.
Even so, how could he, no matter how out of his mind, do something like that?
Was it the alcohol he’d drunk outside finally hitting him, or had he momentarily lost his senses to an impulse?
No matter what excuse he made, one thing was clear: he wasn’t in his right mind at the time.
That’s why he must have given that insane order to the kitchen to send food there.
‘—Pic…nic, the garden… You mean send food to the maids sitting in the garden, right now?’
If even he felt this way, it wasn’t hard to understand why Robin had asked repeatedly with a dumbfounded expression.
Of course, he had responded with a sharp glare instead of words.
In any case, he regretted that impulsive action less than ten minutes after Robin, tilting his head in confusion, had left.
Realizing it was a pointless act, he considered calling Robin back, but it was already too late—the order had likely reached the kitchen by then.
Knowing that retracting it would make him look even more foolish, he let it be, but the uneasy feeling lingered.
When he thought about it, no one would assume he had shown such kindness for someone specific among them.
“Right, who would know?”
A bitter, self-deprecating laugh slipped out unintentionally.
Who would ever guess that he, the head of the great Cheister family, was so unsettled because of a lowly maid?
And an orphan, no less—something he had always despised.
*Hah*, even thinking about it himself, he found it absurd and laughable.
The foolish act he’d done today was enough.
He was different from his cold and despicable father, who had neglected his wife and child, swayed by cheap romantic games his entire life.
What he was feeling now, this impulse, was merely carnal desire.
Something that would fade once indulged, like mere release.
Yes, it had to be. Surely.
“……”
But then, why did his heart feel so uneasy?
The breeze, which had felt refreshing moments ago, now irritated him.
“……Damn it.”
Finally letting out a low curse, Raymond abruptly stood up.
*Bang—!*
A tremendous crash echoed through the darkened corridor.
* * *
A heavy silence hung over the tense atmosphere in the servants’ hall.
As if time had frozen, not even a breath could be heard, only the relentless *tick-tock* of the clock echoing through the space.
The female servants, lined up in rows, rolled their eyes with stiff expressions.
Everyone seemed deeply puzzled by the situation.
And understandably so—standing like this for over ten minutes was unusual enough to spark curiosity.
Lady Charlotte was known for being strict and meticulous, with no room for error.
Even Mary, the kitchen matron who had known her for nearly twenty years, said she’d never seen her smile, which spoke volumes.
But even considering that, Lady Charlotte’s demeanor today was unusually grim.
*Cough.*
A cough broke the precarious silence, erupting from somewhere.
Lady Charlotte’s sharp gaze briefly darted toward the sound, but as silence returned, she finally opened her mouth.
“This morning, I heard something utterly shameful.”
Her icy voice reverberated heavily through the spacious hall.
As if the very act of speaking it was dreadful, Lady Charlotte paused to steady her breath, her brow visibly furrowing.
“You there.”
The maid singled out flinched as if seized by a spasm.
“…Yes, ma’am.”
“Recite the clause in the employment contract regarding relationships among servants within the manor.”
At the unexpected command, the maid’s face froze in confusion.
Of course, she vaguely recalled such a clause in the contract when she was hired.
But that was ages ago—who would memorize it word for word?
Her mind went blank, and the maid’s face flushed red.
*Tch*, clicking her tongue in disapproval, Lady Charlotte’s gaze slowly swept over the crowd.
“Anyone who remembers?”
At her low question, everyone lowered their heads, glancing around nervously.
In the midst of the silence, someone suddenly raised their hand.
It was Ludmilla.
With a triumphant expression, Ludmilla raised her hand, and Lady Charlotte nodded after a moment.
With permission granted, Ludmilla smiled confidently and began reciting the contract clause in a self-assured voice.
“Article 3 of the employment contract: All those employed by this family are strictly prohibited from personal relationships or inappropriate conduct with other servants, and violation of this rule may result in immediate termination of the contract and other penalties—this is clearly stated.”
No one knew why she had memorized it, but everyone looked at Ludmilla with awe as she recited it flawlessly.
“Very accurate.”
At the words of praise, Ludmilla’s haughty eyebrows arched even higher.
“However—”
Cutting her words short, Lady Charlotte’s expression crumpled abruptly.
“Unfortunately, last night, an incident occurred within Elfengrin that violated this rule.”
A murmur rippled through the ranks in an instant.
“Silence.”
Her resonant voice quelled the noise in the hall, enveloping it in silence once more.
“Late at night, someone was pacing the second-floor corridor in a shameless chemise.”
Given the gravity of the matter, everyone kept their mouths shut, eyeing each other curiously, wondering who could have been so bold.
“As the person responsible for managing you all, I am deeply disappointed before I even reprimand such behavior.”
And why wouldn’t she be?
Though Lady Charlotte was strict with the servants, she was equally strict with herself.
Coming from a family that had served the Cheisters for generations, she took great pride in her role as Elfengrin’s housekeeper, tolerating no lapses.
Having disciplined herself to be a model for those below her, this incident must have caused her indescribable disappointment.
But sadly, no one in the hall was considering Lady Charlotte’s feelings at that moment.
Everyone’s focus was solely on the identity of the person who had wandered out at night in a chemise.
Who could it be? If someone was sneaking around the manor at such a late hour, their rendezvous must have been with a man within the household.
As everyone waited with curious eyes for Lady Charlotte’s next words—
Her mouth finally opened.
“But, just this once, I will give them a chance.”
A chance? The unexpected word brought confusion to everyone’s faces.
Wasn’t the point to expose the shameless culprit and ensure such an incident never happened again?
Knowing Lady Charlotte’s usual demeanor, the maids exchanged bewildered looks.
But Lady Charlotte, the source of their confusion, surveyed the crowd with an impassive expression.
“So, let this never happen again. Never.”
Standing straight with her chin raised, Lady Charlotte fixed her gaze on someone.
“I will be watching closely from now on.”
Her low, piercing words seemed like a warning directed at someone specific.
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By Anna 💓
