Episode 63
Just as she disembarked from the boat and before she could head to the promised location, someone approached and wrapped her in a fierce embrace. Startled by the sudden contact, Rowena tried to push the woman away, but a tear-soaked voice crashed into her ears. "Angela..."
The elderly woman who had suddenly seized her was none other than the Viscountess of Senes standing before her. "I'm not Angela." "I'm sorry. You look just like my niece, so I... Call me Lauren."
The viscountess, looking at Rowena with a tearful face, had welcomed the two of them with all her heart from the very beginning. Originally from Esselwood, she had married into this foreign land and lived there for decades; a widow who, after losing her husband a few years ago, managed her estate alone.
A steadfast patron of the arts who sponsored Jeremy, Lauren was also warm and gentle by nature—everyone who knew her adored her. Rowena and Demian were no exceptions.
Lauren willingly gave the mother and son a spacious guest room and provided them with food, clothing, and shelter without asking for anything in return. Moreover, she even encouraged Rowena's writing. She was a benefactor without equal.
"I'm sorry. From the start, I've done nothing but rely on your kindness."
"Don't say that. The fact that you're the niece of Jeremy Dish, my favorite author, is an honor for me."
Even if it was a request from a favorite writer, Lauren was a big-hearted woman to accept them into her mansion without asking anything. She believed Rowena's story—that she had lost her husband early and fled to escape gambling debt collectors—without a shred of doubt.
And it wasn't just her; the entire household believed Rowena's words at face value. This was partly because Lauren's interests lay solely in managing her vast lands and farms, and partly because this was a remote countryside in a very small country, where news from distant foreign social circles never reached.
Rowena lowered her eyes slightly with guilt and made a vow.
"I will definitely repay this kindness. I mean it."
"How disappointing. Aren't we family now? It's already been half a year."
Lauren shot Rowena a glance without malice, then waved broadly at Demian, who was riding a foal around the meadow. After confirming that the groom was holding the reins to prevent any accidents, she led Rowena toward the villa.
"Right. How is your writing coming along? Will you finish it soon?"
"Yes. It's almost finished. I think I'll complete it soon."
The novel she had started writing again was precisely the work she had set her mind on publishing five years ago. It had been her only hope, yet ironically, it was the writing that had sparked everything. After learning the whole truth from Killian, she had resolved to dispose of it. But every time she tried to throw it into the fireplace, her hands simply would not move. It was then that Jeremy offered her a piece of advice. "Writing holds no sin, Rowena." "But..." "Rather, by completing that piece, you may be able to put your past to rest."
Lost in thought though she was, it lasted only a moment. At Lauren's voice, Rowena pulled herself from her reverie.
"I'm truly looking forward to it. Don't forget your promise to show it to me first."
"I'm just embarrassed because it's lacking. It's my first novel."
"You've been working on it since a long time ago. I'm sure you've written it wonderfully."
"Thank you, Lauren."
As the two returned to the mansion amidst that warm conversation, someone was waiting. He was a tall, striking young gentleman.
"Oh, Cedric!"
Lauren's face lit up the moment she saw the familiar back, and she quickly strode toward the man. At the same time, the moment the man turned around, his eyes met Rowena's.
He was a handsome man with a gentle impression, wavy platinum-blond hair, and purple eyes. While Rowena was frozen in surprise at the unexpected visitor, the man called Cedric's eyes went wide.
He looked as though he had seen a ghost. Rowena tilted her head in confusion, and Lauren squeezed between them.
"My, what a surprise. Who shows up without a word?"
"Sister."
Lauren pinched her younger brother's cheek and, beaming, introduced him to Rowena.
"Diana, this is my youngest brother, Cedric Godwell. He has no interest in business and spends most of his time abroad doing insect research."
"Ah..."
Rowena, grasping their relationship, smiled faintly. Lauren continued, introducing Rowena to her brother.
"Cedric, this is Diana, the niece of novelist Jeremy Dish."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, madam."
The surprise in his eyes lasted only a moment. Removing his hat, Cedric strode right up to Rowena. Alarmed by his unhesitating gait, Rowena took a couple of steps back, but he closed that exact distance, bent at the waist, and stared intently at her face.
"...Mr. Godwell?"
Frozen like a butterfly pinned to a board, Rowena pursed her lips. It wasn't teasing—there was nothing sexual in his eyes, either. His gaze was brimming with curiosity and an inexplicable longing, like a scholar who had discovered a strange new specimen.
"Cedric!"
While Rowena's face turned beet red, Lauren came up and slapped his broad back hard.
"It's not polite to stare at someone like that!"
* * *
Following that strange first encounter, Cedric Godwell had been staying at the mansion for ten days now. For a rural estate standing alone in the countryside, it was fairly large with many rooms, so Rowena tried her best not to pay attention to the new resident.
But the more she tried to ignore him, the more he closed the distance. Every time they gathered for a meal, Rowena barely managed to calm her roiling stomach, which felt like it might seize up. He didn't speak to her, nor did he approach her as brazenly as he had that first time. He simply stared at her. Like a scholar who had stumbled upon a new research topic.
Lauren, caught in the middle, watched Rowena's reactions from her delicate position.
"I'm sorry, Diana. You must be uncomfortable because of Cedric?"
"No. I'm the one freeloading here. Since he's Lauren's family, he can stay as long as he likes."
She was forcing a smile, but the shadows beneath her eyes were distinct. Lauren sighed and shook her head.
"I really don't know what's gotten into him. He's not usually like this. Ever since he was young, he never showed interest in anything, which was rather worrying."
Though she called him her younger brother, the age gap between them was nearly that of parent and child, and he was a youngest sibling she doted on dearly. Despite her grumbling, the deep affection underneath made Rowena listen intently without realizing it.
"His personality is... a little peculiar, but his mind is astounding. Once he sees something, he never forgets it. Then one day he took an interest in birds, earned a doctorate in the field, and was even appointed as an associate professor at a foreign university. It was an event that utterly crushed Father's hopes that he would assist his older brother and support the family business."
"And then?"
"The family fiercely opposed him. They went so far as to notify him that they would cut off all the support they had provided until then."
"Did he become a professor in the end? Or did he give up?"
"Well."
Lauren waved her hand and let out a deep sigh.
"He made an enormous sum of money from an academic book he wrote and published himself, so he neatly kicked aside the family's wishes and his professorship both, and this time he fell in love with minerals. Not just gemstones, but all kinds of minerals that form depending on the geology."
"..."
"In just one year, he earned another master's degree, and now he's preparing for his doctorate."
It was what people called a "genius"—though his range was somewhat unpredictable and capricious. Rowena, who had been momentarily dazed, belatedly reacted.
"Didn't you say he just turned thirty-two? That's remarkable."
"Remarkable, my foot. He needs to marry and settle down, but he's still a child."
Still, perhaps proud deep down, Lauren shrugged her shoulders and clicked her tongue softly.
"His strange research obsession and his wanderlust are problems, but what worries me most is that when he fixates on something, he goes mad for it. I wonder when he'll marry and give me a cute nephew like Demian. He really is an eccentric."
"Mom!"
Just as Lauren's lament threatened to stretch longer, a cute little interrupter came pitter-pattering up.
"Demian. Did you finish the homework Mom gave you?"
"Yeah! All done. Hey, can I ride the foal to the mines with Cedric today?"
"What?"
At the sudden words, the two women looked at each other almost simultaneously. As they stared into each other's wide eyes, a low voice came from above their heads.
"He said he hasn't been anywhere except the farms around the estate since he got here."
Rowena snapped her head up and locked eyes with Cedric. At some point he had grown close to Demian; Cedric, stroking Demian's head, curved his lips toward her.
"I imagine it'll take about half a day."
His tone was gentle, but his eyes gleamed like a cat before a fish. It was a feeling that made the fine hairs stand on end—curiosity, and an eerie chill. Rowena grew uneasy and shook her head firmly at Demian.
"No."
"No? Why?"
"It's dangerous."
Even if there was little risk of her identity being exposed in this remote countryside, she could not allow him to be sent off somewhere with that unknown man.
"But Cedric's coming with me!"
Demian pursed his lips and scrunched up his face.
"If I say no, then no."
"Mom!"
Rowena opened her mouth to sharply scold the whining Demian, but Cedric—eyes narrowed—cut in. Rowena couldn't believe her ears.
"Overprotective."
"...What did you say?"
What came next was even more outrageous. Cedric twitched the tip of his nose and added,
"You're like a frantic hen."
"..."
It felt as though someone had poured cold water over her head. In the frozen atmosphere, Lauren shot to her feet to rebuke Cedric, but Rowena, rising a moment faster, slapped his cheek.