Chapter 77
People's evaluations of the Duchess were largely unanimous. Compared to the previous Duchess, Rosalyn, who had been relatively strict and fastidious, she gave a relatively gentle impression and was kind to people, which only made the contrast more pronounced. Everyone said she possessed a warm charisma while being affectionate.
However, Sasha's thoughts were a little different. The Duchess had periodically visited Dilton Manor while Rosalyn was still alive. Each time they met, the Duchess never gave the impression of being as magnanimous as the world assessed her to be. Of course, she would smile kindly whenever she saw young Sasha, but there was something slightly sharp, even peculiar about her.
The summer when she was twelve, having just finished solving a demanding exam paper under Lady Mome's guidance. Sasha suddenly frowned at a strange smell coming from somewhere in the corridor and walked toward where she presumed the smell originated. And through a cracked open door, she discovered the Duchess, younger than she was now.
She was alone in the room, the window open, sitting perched on the windowsill smoking a cigarette. Cigarettes. It was something Lady Rosalyn would never have let slide had she discovered it. She met eyes with Sasha, who had been peeping at her through the door crack, and calmly stubbed out the cigarette. Then with an unconcerned face, she beckoned Sasha over, took out a white candy from her bosom, and pressed it into Sasha's hand.
Anyone could see it was the kind of candy one roughly popped into one's mouth to quit smoking. She nonchalantly pressed it into Sasha's hand and asked her to keep it a secret. Sasha nodded that she understood.
Then Sasha realized the Duchess was looking at her legs. Sasha belatedly noticed the hem of her skirt had rolled up to her knees and quickly pulled it down. She had come out just as she was after being struck with a birch rod by Lady Mome.
“I'll keep your secret too. I'll pretend I didn't see.”
The Duchess, younger than she was now, said.
To whom? Sasha was about to ask but suddenly closed her mouth. And obediently, she popped the candy the Duchess had pressed into her hand into her mouth.
Far from sweet, the candy had a strange sour taste. Only now did Sasha know it was the distinctive taste of some medicinal herb that aided in smoking cessation. The taste of the candy she had eaten then remained vivid even now. She furrowed her brows as though she could still feel that unpleasant sour taste.
The Duchess, seen again after a long time, exuded the same feeling as back then. Not the same face that had worn a smile of moderate kindness and elegance befitting her appearance.
“You've been on everyone's lips lately, Sasha.”
“Indeed. Nothing seems to go smoothly since the birthday party, Aunt.”
“Come to think of it, wasn't it all because of that man from the beginning? From what I hear, these days you not only meet him frequently but even bring him into the house.”
“Yes. It's true.”
“Unless you're truly thinking of marriage, I can't help but wonder if you're not rushing things a bit. They say times have changed, but people are still strict about premarital relations. Especially old people like me, even more so. And especially toward women.”
It was an uncomfortable change of subject. Sasha let out a light sigh.
“We are seeing each other seriously, so you needn't worry, Aunt. Contrary to the rumors, he is a prudent and thoughtful person. The kind of thing you fear will not happen.”
Sasha answered clearly and firmly.
The Duchess silently stubbed out the fully burned cigarette in the ashtray. It was already her second one.
“Is that so? Hmm. I'm glad to hear it, but on the other hand, it's also a pity. As you know, Sasha. Jeffrey truly likes you.”
Another abrupt change of subject. The Duchess, who had become less kind to Sasha than before, was unhesitating.
“He's been that way since he was young. Didn't he always follow you around?”
“…….”
“Back then, you used to cry and cling to Jeffrey, but now the situation has reversed.”
Sasha remained silent. Because it was a past she herself did not know.
It was clearly talking about a time long before the 'real' Sasha had gone missing.
“I had hoped you would marry Jeffrey.”
Without warning, the Duchess swooped in and took Sasha's hand, gripping it as if to envelop it. Even though it was summer, her hand was so chillingly cold that it had an eerie quality.
“I'm truly delighted that you care for me so much, Aunt.”
As if to say that wouldn't work, Sasha spoke with a gentle smile. It was a polite refusal.
It meant she would never marry her son.
“If that's how it is, it can't be helped. Sasha, still, if you wish to call it off midway, do come find me anytime. After all, you can postpone it as much as you like before the marriage vows. Of course, it becomes rather complicated afterward.”
“I will.”
“Good. Then I suppose I'll have to endure my son's hysterics again. Sparks will inevitably fly your way too. I'll try to block them as best I can, but he's not the sort to be stopped just because I try to stop him.”
The Duchess was still holding Sasha's hand as if cradling it. She continued slowly.
“Won't you please understand about this matter as well? He surely didn't do it with bad intentions.”
The conversation naturally flowed into a tone asking her to cover up Jeffrey's affair. Her attitude seemed to show little real interest in Sasha's marriage. As if she had summoned Sasha for this purpose from the very beginning.
Sasha gazed at her with a briefly expressionless face.
“I don't intend to make a big fuss about the matter either. That strange person who came to the manor, and various other things—I judged it better that way in many respects. I merely...”
Sasha took a deep breath for a moment before continuing.
“This matter could have affected not just me but Uncle as well, so that weighs on my mind. Fortunately, that room was already nearly empty, as if its contents had been cleared out once before.”
“…….”
“That is all I wished to say. As you know well, Aunt, Jeffrey is the type to affect those around him when things don't go his way. Unfortunately, in this matter, Jeffrey was the one who first told an outsider the manor's secret with his own mouth.”
In other words, keep your son in check. Sasha spoke softly with a slightly cautious-looking face.
If you don't keep your son's loose lips in check even now, who knows if it won't affect not just me but the Duke as well.
“If I sounded out of line, I apologize, Aunt.”
When the Duchess offered no particular response, Sasha spoke as if smoothing things over, with a face that wasn't sorry at all.
“No, I understand. Sasha. You must have been the most hurt by this matter; how dare I add anything?”
The Duchess, who had been silent the whole time, belatedly answered Sasha that it was all right.
The Duchess no longer took out a new cigarette. Instead, she took out from her bosom a container filled with white pellets familiar even to Sasha and pushed one into her own mouth.
“Jeffrey was certainly rash this time. Of all places, to tell Mr. Butler's son about that place. Because it was Mr. Butler's son, he should have been even more careful.”
It was a meaningful murmur. Sasha unconsciously narrowed her eyes at those words, then opened her mouth.
“In any case, the detective is no longer coming to the manor. I had the staff seal that room again two days ago.”
“Hmm. I see. The secret room is no longer a secret room, then. It was probably a room even the butler didn't know about. Which is why I thought perhaps only you and Jeffrey knew of it.”
Sasha faltered for a moment. Despite thinking she had managed her expression immediately, the Duchess noticed Sasha's displeased face and, as if consoling her, stroked the back of her hand and asked.
“Don't you remember, Sasha? Oh, it's understandable. It was so long ago. It was none other than you who told Jeffrey about that room. I heard as much from Jeffrey not long ago.”
The real Sasha had known of that room's existence, and furthermore, had told young Jeffrey about it.
At the sudden unfamiliar information, Sasha merely blinked for a moment. Then soon replied calmly, “I never imagined that would come back around like this.”
A brief silence passed. The Duchess removed the hand that had been holding Sasha's and asked gently.
“It's understandable, Sasha. Your memories of that time have been hazy since the accident that day.”
“…….”
“Come to think of it, you used to wake up crying at every turn, saying you had nightmares. Do you still have nightmares from that time?”
The carriage accident. She was asking whether she still had nightmares about that carriage accident, which had taken the real Sasha's parents.
Sasha shook her head.
“...No. I don't have them anymore.”
As she had been trained, she lied skillfully.
***
Sasha and Isaac had decided to communicate only by letter until the matter was settled. Late at night, on the day he arrived at Lancefield, Isaac immediately sent her a brief letter saying he had arrived safely.
And not long after, a reply arrived from Sasha saying she was heading for the duchy. She also conveyed that she would be unable to send letters for the time being. Isaac wrote back saying he understood.
It was late at night. About three days had passed since leaving Dilton Manor, and Isaac was sitting perched on the desk in his officer's quarters, checking the letters that had arrived for him. There were not many letters. However, upon spotting a letter from his grandmother, Caroline, among them, Isaac unconsciously furrowed his brows.
After letting out a deep sigh from the pit of his stomach, he opened and read the letter Caroline had sent him. As always, he first skimmed through it quickly. Then he read it slowly as if reviewing it.
The letter was shorter than usual. Caroline's letters had always been at least two pages, but this was merely one. Even that was not enough to fill a single page.
I'm sorry to go back on what I said before, Isaac.
Your father wishes to see you. To be exact, he wants to see Miss Grayson, whom you are to marry. He says it's not because of that incident that he's looking for her. He insisted even before that that he must see you and Miss Grayson.
He left everything to me all this time, so I don't know why he's acting this way. It's not as if I can look inside his head just because I gave birth to him.
Anyway, the point is that once the situation is settled, you are to bring Miss Grayson to the estate. Your father wishes to meet and speak with her personally.
Perhaps, as always, he'll ask a few words and that will be it. Don't be too burdened.
That was all the letter contained.
Isaac slowly read the words written in Caroline's handwriting, which seemed somewhat hastily written, once more. And reading once more the passage about his father, who had always been indifferent to him, acting strangely, he silently gripped the edge of the desk. Until his knuckles turned white.