Chapter 3: Maid Bell
I wiped away my tears and drool with a guest handkerchief, then blew my nose too.
This is such a mess.
Thinking that, I almost started laughing again, so I hurriedly covered my mouth to stop myself.
My body hurt, I was exhausted, and I couldnāt take any more.
“Calm down,” I told myself.
I stepped out onto the balcony, took a few deep breaths, then came back inside, and when I happened to glance into a hand mirror, an awful face was reflected back at me.
My makeup was completely ruined, making me look like a childās scribbled prank drawing.
“This is terrible.”
As I stared blankly at that scribbled face, laughter surged up again.
Ah, my chest hurts.
My pleura feels like itās cramping.
I crossed my arms under my chest and pressed my body tightly, holding my breath and forcing myself to endure it.
There was a knock at the door, and Lloyd called out.
“Young Lady, are you all right?”
“Iām fine.
ā¦Ah, maybe not so fine.
Iād like to ask a maid to fix my makeup.
Could you call someone?”
“Yes, actuallyā”
Before Lloyd could finish, the door burst open, and a woman rushed in.
I was startled, but it was my personal maid, Bell.
“Young Lady.
What in the world happenedā
Eh, what is with your face!?”
Bell stared at my face.
Startled, I tried to hide my face with the handkerchief I was holding, but then I remembered I had just blown my nose with it, so I ended up covering my face with both hands instead.
“Bell.
You came at just the right time.
Fix my face, please.
Lloyd, forget everything you just saw.”
As soon as I said that, Bell immediately pushed Lloyd out of the room.
“We will call you once the preparations are finished, so could you please wait outside?”
Bell spoke politely, but her movements were quite rough.
She was different from her usual cheerful, attentive self.
Once she closed the door, Bell handed me a new handkerchief.
“Iāll go prepare, so please wipe your face with this.”
“Bell?
I canāt use this.
Iāll just wait like this.”
Without listening, Bell wiped my face with it anyway.
She pressed the handkerchief into my hand and quickly left the room.
It was a high-quality handkerchief Bell had splurged on just for this day.
White silk embroidered with layers upon layers of white silk thread, a luxurious piece.
The pure white handkerchief was now pitifully stained by my makeup.
“You said it was really expensive.”
As I stared at it, quiet tears began to spill out.
They werenāt the hysterical tears from earlier.
I pressed the white handkerchief to my eyes.
When I pulled it away, mascara had transferred in the shape of my eyes.
It looked like a stamped image.
Honestlyā¦ really.
I had been meticulously made up for the wedding.
Bell returned and swiftly cleaned my face, then applied light makeup.
As expected of Bell.
The way her hands moved across my face felt pleasant.
In my previous life, after I entered the marquis household, Bell had been sent away.
The one who replaced her as my attendant was Jasonās mistress, Mary.
That was probably a fake name.
She usually hid the beauty mark under her eye with makeup.
She treated me roughly.
Having my hair brushed hurt, and her makeup work felt careless at best.
Perhaps she resented me for sitting in the position of wife.
Because I was lost in thought, I didnāt seem to notice Bell calling out to me.
“Young Lady.
Are you all right?
I heard some strange rumors, but surely they canāt be trueā¦”
“What kind of rumors?”
Bell hesitated.
“ā¦That Jason-sama is a sodomite and a murderer, and that he has as many as three illegitimate children, or something like that.
There were all sorts of things, but just from what I overheard, it was along those lines.
When I was told you had returned to the estate, I panicked and rushed back, so maybe I misheard.”
What?
“What!?
What are you talking about?
Is that true!?”
“Oh, then it really was just a rumor.
Well, it did sound strange.”
At that moment, as if perfectly timed, there was a knock at the door.
It must be Lloyd.
“Come in.
I want to explain things before Father and the others return.
Otherwise the whole estate will fall into panic.”
Lloyd entered the room with a serious expression.
I had him sit on the sofa for now.
Both of them waited quietly for me to speak.
“First, tell me about the rumors Bell heard.
This is the first Iāve heard of them too.
Where did you hear them?”
“From the time I left the servantsā waiting room until I begged acquaintances from other houses to let me ride in their carriage.
Everyone was extremely confused, and I heard all sorts of things, but they were all shockingā¦”
“Who was talking?”
“The guests who were rushing to return home, the servants, and people connected to the church.”
I had thought the guests would have left quickly after I did.
“Someone from the church came to the waiting room and told us the ceremony had been canceled, so we rushed out in a panic.
Even before that, it was noisy outside, and I felt something was off.
It was also strange that a Rose Ducal House footman came into the waiting room at such an awkward time.”
Lloyd reacted with a sharp twitch.
“Please tell me more about that.
What did the Rose House footman say?”
Bell pressed a finger to her temple.
“If I remember correctly, he said to a footman from the Deal Marquis House that things were about to get busy, then asked whether the preparations to welcome the bride were complete.”
“And what was the reply?”
“That the rooms were ready, flowers were decorated throughout the estate, and all the servants were waiting in new uniforms.
To welcome my young lady.
I was so proud.”
Bell beamed, looking very pleased with herself.
“Since it was your wedding, Young Lady, I was practically the star in the waiting room too.
I was in a good mood, drinking tea and everything.
I also made sure to exchange information thoroughly with the marquis householdās footmen.
When it came to talking about how outstanding Jason-sama was, the servants from other houses looked envious.”
Imagining the scene, I couldnāt help but laugh a little.