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Chapter 3
The
funeral took place solemnly. Most of the mourners were relatives and
acquaintances of Duke Arpad. I stood beside Alexander in a black veil and
watched the mourners put flowers on the Duke's coffin.
"I
can't believe it. I can't believe you'll end up like this...."
An
old woman said with her red nose tightly covered with a handkerchief. Alexander
lowered his head to greet the old woman and whispered to me a little to explain
who this old woman was to me.
"Mrs.
Cassier is my mother's godmother."
The
'my mother' that Alexander meant, meant the former Duchess who gave birth to
him. I thanked her with a bow, then extended my hand to the old lady.
"Thank
you for coming…."
"How
dare you!"
Geez!
Instantly
a bitter palm fell on my cheek and the black veil I was wearing flew off. Even
my hair bun fell. I held my tingling cheek. A red-haired woman, who was quietly
shedding tears at the old woman's side, looking at me fiercely.
"Oh,
Catherine! What are you doing?"
The
frightened old woman hastily pushed the woman who slapped me away and
approached me. With worried eyes from the old woman, I forced a smile to tell
her I was fine. But my puffy cheeks made her face look awkward.
"Sister."
I
thought I was going to fly because of the slap earlier, but I thought it was a
bit strange that I was still able to stop. It turned out that Alexander was
standing behind me and supporting me. I pushed him away. It's very
uncomfortable to be close together in a situation like this.
"Come
to your senses! Where do you think this is? How dare you show your face. If it
weren't for her, Tristan would still be alive and well!"
The
red-haired woman raised her hand again as if she was aiming for my other cheek.
Fortunately, this time Alexander moved quickly. He grabbed the red-haired
woman's hand and lowered it so my cheeks could avoid swelling.
"Why
did you get in my way? Alex, what were you thinking!? If only Tristan hadn't
brought them in the first place… Huhuhuu."
A
tear fell from the woman's eye. She looked pathetic, but I wasn't a good enough
person to hand a handkerchief to someone who just slapped me.
"There's
no one to blame. I'm sure you must be exhausted from going through a tough
situation like this."
Alexander
got between me and the young woman so she couldn't come near me again.
Instantly the young woman collapsed and began to sob. The old woman who was
nearby looked at me and the young woman alternately, then she turned her back
to calm the young woman.
"Sister?
Sister! Ha! That doesn't make sense. She's not even a member of the
family!"
Instantly
the eyes of the mourners fell on me. I don't want to be here anymore. The
funeral for Duke Arpad was for those closest to him only. My presence here and
my mother are not considered.
I'll
be leaving soon though. I smiled, unable to do anything else. Several mourners
looked at my face with frowning faces. I let go of Alexander's hand that was on
my shoulder. I heard him calling out to me, but I just left without picking up
my fallen veil. I went into the room and locked the door. I just wanted to
watch my mother's funeral till the end. No matter how unwelcome we were in this
place, my mother was still my mother. Even if she was someone who prioritized
the happiness of life over my existence, she would still be my mother.
But
in the end, I couldn't be with my mother. My mother is no longer in this world.
She's gone forever. If I knew she was going to go that way, I wanted her to pat
me on the head one last time. I want her to say 'I love you, my daughter'.
Mother... I want to be loved even more.
Now, I'm crying. I remember Alexander's face, I wonder how he could look so normal. When
a woman named Catherine slapped my cheek, I remembered the smiling face of an
old woman behind a handkerchief that covered her mouth. I remember Catherine's face
looking at me as I walked out of the room.
"...Ugh!"
I
gasped, then held my cheek which felt very sore. I've never been slapped like
this before. Why am I experiencing this? What did I do wrong? This is really
sad.
I
miss my mother. I miss my mother who never forgets to comb my hair and take
care of me when I have a fever. I miss my mother who screamed at me when I fell
from running around as a child. She put medicine on my knee and said "I
told you to stay still!"
Now
I'm 20 years old. I've become an adult a long time ago, but I still act like a
child. If only I had known something like this would happen, I would have
followed my mother. When she asked if there was a present I wanted, I should have
asked her to come with her. I wouldn't interrupt her honeymoon with Duke, as
long as I was around her.
I
pulled my sleeve and wiped my tears. Even if I cry like this, in this world,
there is no mother who can hug me anymore. That is a heart-wrenching fact. I
really don't have anyone now. The fact that came to me instantly made me
suffocate.
I
cried for a long time. I can't keep crying like this because later it will be
hard for me to walk away with too puffy eyes. It would be a problem if I
stumbled while walking because I couldn't see well.
So,
I touched my damp cheek, trying to get up. Thanks to the slap I got, I finally
came to my senses. I began to put my things into the suitcase that I had
prepared last night.
Darkness
peeked through the half-open curtain. It is late. The sun was setting fast in
winter. Even in the northern part of the country, Arpad is a very dim place at
night.
Perhaps
the mourners had already left the residence. It should be time for the
relatives to go into their rooms and rest. I've been starving all day, my
stomach is growling. Even so, I just laughed at my hungry self at this moment.
I
quietly went out, down the corridor with my suitcase. Obviously, there wasn't
anyone, but the atmosphere was really tense as if someone had suddenly
appeared. I'm lucky because I have quite a few layers of clothing. I stopped in
the middle of the corridor and took off my coat.
I
don't care about other people, but I don't want to meet Catherine or the old
woman. Luckily until I got to the stables, I didn't meet anyone. It was quite
surprising because there were no maids walking around every corridor to light
candles at night. "Shhh, good boy."
When
the stables door opened, one by one the horses blinked. Among them was a brown
horse with a diamond on its forehead moving as if it recognized me.
"Yes.
It's me, Ophelia."
I
stroked the horse's mane and laughed. This horse was a gift from Duke Arpad who
found out that my hobby while still at the Baron's Manor was horseback riding.
"Come
with me. You are the only one I have in this Manor."
The
horse followed me without understanding what I was saying. Leaving the stables,
I put the saddle on the horse and tried to tie the leash. While I was tying the
rope, suddenly,
"Where
are you going, Sis?"
The
voice pierced through the silent darkness. I turned towards the voice, and there
was Alexander standing next to the tree looking at me.
How
long has he been here? White snowflakes piled up on his shoulders, he was still
wearing the black suit he had at the funeral at noon.
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