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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: I'm Pregnant
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Inside the rattling carriage, Cedric and his subordinate were returning after leaving the Wens Count’s estate early in the morning. Cedric’s expression looked incredibly heavy.
“Things have gotten complicated indeed.”
“They certainly have. How could a maid use something that was placed in Roje’s room?”
“What a ridiculous sight. A mere maid daring to touch cosmetics meant for the lady she serves…”
Moreover, it was a packaged item, and Cedric simply couldn’t understand how someone would open it and apply it to their face.
“It’s quite clear what that girl’s standing in the mansion is now.”
Cedric spoke, mocking Roje’s predicament. He concluded from Doana’s actions that Roje’s position within the Count’s mansion was insignificant.
“What should we do? Should we send cosmetics to Roje one more time?”
Cedric shook his head at his subordinate’s suggestion.
“No, it won’t work a second time. We might even leave a trail, so it’s best not to use the same method.”
Cedric recalled Eric, who had sought him out last night.
‘Father, what on earth have you done?’
‘What are you suddenly talking about?’
‘You sent a gift to Roje, disguised as me. A poisoned cosmetic, I heard. The only person around me who would do such a thing is you, Father.’
Eric had come to him immediately after the incident. Eric was naturally far from intelligent. That’s why he hadn’t expected him to come like this.
‘I will finish my own business. If you’re going to cause trouble, do it after the divorce.’
Cedric felt resentful towards his son, who hadn’t bothered to hide his displeasure.
“That Eric. The way he talks. Who does he take after to be such a mess?”
Cedric clicked his tongue, tsk-tsking, while his subordinate silently watched him.
‘He’s truly a spitting image of you, Master…’
Not only in appearance, but also in speech and temperament, the two were remarkably similar. The only difference, perhaps, was that Eric wasn’t as intelligent as Cedric.
“He’ll only understand my feelings once he becomes a parent himself. The desire to do anything for one’s child.”
Cedric truly loved Eric dearly. Though his expression of love was quite violent, he always believed his method of affection was correct. He thought he had made his son into a proper person through discipline and punishment.
“But… where on earth did that red cream disappear to?”
In the midst of the commotion, he had sent someone to destroy evidence. However, the cream Cedric had sent was nowhere to be found.
“It’s unsettling…”
He had never intended to leave any evidence in the first place. He had planned to retrieve the cosmetic quickly after it was applied, but he couldn’t find the cream anywhere, even after searching the entire mansion.
“Don’t worry too much, Master. Sereun and Gwen are in the mansion, aren’t they? They’ll take care of everything, so we just need to wait for the next opportunity.”
***
The mansion, which had been in an uproar because of Doana, had now regained its usual lively atmosphere. However, no one seemed to know yet that she was pregnant. Jane was busy wiping windows and mopping. The garden stretched beyond the glass door, and Sereun approached Jane, looking hesitant.
“Jane…”
Sereun called Jane softly. His eyes looked incredibly hollow, as if he hadn’t slept all night. After saying such cruel things that day, what more could he possibly have to say?
‘You jerk.’
Jane pretended not to hear Sereun’s voice and simply continued with her work.
“Can we talk for a moment?”
A weak voice echoed softly. Jane flinched at Sereun’s voice. After deceiving both her and Roje, why was he speaking in such a wistful tone? She almost fell for his acting again. Jane found his presence in front of her incredibly irritating.
‘Traitor, liar!’
Not only did he report Roje’s daily life, but he also manipulated her with his innocent facade. Facing him was incredibly painful for Jane. Because she had trusted him without a doubt, her sense of betrayal was even greater. Sereun, watching Jane offer no reply, slumped like a discarded puppy. Sereun’s appearance, as if trying to evoke maternal instincts, irritated Jane even more. *Slam!*
“Hmph!”
Jane closed the wide-open window. Then she snorted and turned her back on Sereun.
‘I won’t be fooled by you again.’
She wouldn’t fall for it a second time. Jane thought that and quickly walked away. Deep sadness shadowed Sereun’s eyes as he watched Jane leave him behind. The fear that his relationship with Jane might be completely severed weighed heavily on his chest. Sereun, shuffling along. Butler Gwen appeared before him.
“Sir Sereun.”
Gwen called out to Sereun, stopping him. As Sereun approached Gwen, the butler looked around before handing Sereun something.
“I need you to take care of the cleanup.”
What he handed over was an empty red bottle. The very red cosmetic bottle that had been found in Roje’s room.
Sereun quietly nodded and took the bottle. The butler’s expression was incredibly somber as he handed over the bottle.
‘Why would Master Cedric do something like this?’
He had served him for 30 years. Sometimes like a brother, sometimes like a friend. Cedric wasn’t like this when he first brought Gwen in. He was more intelligent than anyone, dedicating all his energy to raising the family. Gwen had joined this family solely for Cedric. However, Cedric had increasingly pursued his desire for power, walking a dangerous tightrope that was frightening to witness from the sidelines. This cosmetic sent to Roje must be his new weapon. The moment Gwen saw that cosmetic in Roje’s room, he was so shocked he could barely breathe. He had finally gone too far. It was a shame to say this about Doana, but it was such a relief that Roje didn’t suffer that fate. Of course, he didn’t feel no pity for Doana. It was regrettable that at such a beautiful age, she had developed red blisters not only on her hands but also on her face. But that, too, was Doana’s karma. How dare she lay hands on the Countess’s belongings?
‘Moreover… she even falsely claimed to have been subjected to an indecent act by me.’
Just thinking about Doana was enough to give him a headache. It was a good thing that people believed him, otherwise his accumulated honor would have been shattered in an instant. Gwen walked with heavy steps towards Eric’s room.
***
“Count!”
Doana gently settled onto Eric’s lap as he sat in a chair. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and spoke in a coquettish voice.
“I have good news.”
Doana, looking at Eric with a flushed face, seemed incredibly excited.
“Good news? What I’ve been reported isn’t exactly good news.”
Eric subtly pushed away Doana, who was clinging to him, and spoke in a cold voice. He would usually indulge her charms, but he was in no mood for it now.
“I heard you were assaulted. Is that true?”
Doana subtly avoided Eric’s dark brown eyes as he looked at her.
“Ah, yes…”
She had intended to tell him about the pregnancy first… Eric’s expression, bringing up what had happened that morning, didn’t look good at all.
‘The Count doesn’t believe me either, does he?’
No one in this mansion believed her. Eric, who had been staring at Doana, spoke softly after observing her.
“Did he embrace you?”
His eyes blazed with fury as he looked at her. Veins were visibly throbbing in his neck, indicating he was barely suppressing his anger. Doana, who had been observing Eric, suddenly thought he might believe her. She quickly nodded and tightly pressed her lips together. But Doana didn’t know how much of a scoundrel Eric truly was. He wasn’t worried about Doana being assaulted; he was enraged that *his* property had failed to resist another man’s advances and allowed itself to be defiled.
“Hah, how many more men do you need to throw yourself at to be satisfied? I knew you’d cause this kind of trouble someday.”
Doana, who had trusted without a doubt that he would protect her, doubted her own ears and stared at Eric.
“…Count?”
“You were the one who tempted me from our first meeting, Doana.”
Eric scanned Doana with a disapproving gaze. It was true that he liked her. Doana was beautiful, and they had quite good chemistry. However, he didn’t want a woman who had messed around with other men by his side. Besides, that beautiful face of hers, hadn’t it become quite unsightly now? Eric looked at Doana, whose face, covered in blisters, was wrapped in gauze.
“For someone who was supposedly assaulted to come to me smiling like this. You must have had quite a good time messing around with someone else, didn’t you?”
Doana instinctively knew something was wrong. She had a bad feeling that if she allowed Eric to misunderstand, she might be cast out not only from becoming the Countess but even from her current position as mistress. She gnawed on her lower lip and clung closer to Eric.
“J-Just a moment, Count!”
She urgently called Eric. Then she started rambling out excuses.
“It’s true that old butler tried to defile me. But I escaped with all my might!”
She had originally intended to say he had assaulted her, but she decided she needed to change her approach. She had a feeling that if she stuck to her original plan, Eric might cast her aside. Subtly changing her story, she asserted her innocence and clutched Eric’s hand.
“The reason I rushed here so happily was… because I found out your child is growing inside me.”
“…What?”
Eric’s eyes widened in surprise at Doana’s unexpected words.
“I told you I had good news. I’m carrying your child, Count.”
Doana smiled brightly and gazed at Eric. Eric looked at Doana with a bewildered expression. The anger that had surged to his head suddenly cooled. Eric stared blankly at Doana and asked again, as if unable to grasp the reality.
“A child? Is that true?”
“Yes. I just had it confirmed by the physician.”
Eric pulled Doana, who was sitting on his lap, into a tight embrace.
“Hahaha. A pregnancy.”
To think he had the child he had yearned for. He couldn’t hide his joy as he hugged Doana.
“But… I don’t know if the butler will leave me alone now that he knows about this. He seems desperate to get rid of me whenever he sees me… Our baby will be alright, won’t it?”
Doana subtly hinted her wishes to Eric, asking him to get rid of the butler. Eric silently looked down at her, a deeply contemplative expression on his face. Doana waited anxiously, not knowing what Eric would say.
“I’ll handle the butler. You just focus on taking thorough care of yourself.”
Doana’s face brightened considerably at Eric’s words. She cheered inwardly and nestled into Eric’s arms. Just then, someone knocked on the door.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Gwen, Count.”
At the mention of Gwen’s name, Eric’s brows furrowed.
“Come in.”
He spoke in a low, gravelly voice towards Gwen. Gwen took a deep breath before entering Eric’s room and opening the door. The first thing Gwen saw upon entering the room was Eric, and his mistress, Doana.
“Aren’t you just so happy? I wonder how wonderful our baby will be if it takes after you, Count.”
Doana was sitting on Eric’s lap, acting utterly coquettish. Just moments ago, she was complaining about being hurt.
‘Was it all just an act?’
Her face was full of life. Doana gave Gwen a sidelong glare as he entered Eric’s room.
‘That annoying old man.’
She disliked Gwen. Instead of bowing to her, who would become the Countess, he had insulted her. Doana glared at Gwen and stroked her lower abdomen.
‘Now I’m carrying Eric’s child. If I butter him up enough, I can easily get rid of that old man.’
Although no one else in the mansion believed Doana’s words, Eric had been quite swayed by them.
“Doana, go out for a moment.”
Eric commanded Doana, who was sitting on his lap. Doana wanted to stay in the room with Eric, but she obeyed his command. Doana slowly rose from her seat and deliberately clutched her stomach for him to see. She stared at Gwen with a venomous glare as she brushed past him.
“Goodbye, old man.”
Doana chortled a significant remark beside the butler and slowly exited the room. Gwen had a bad feeling. This morning she collapsed, pale as a ghost, and was dragged to the infirmary, but now she was looking at him with such confidence.
“Gwen, there’s something I want to ask you.”
The Count’s chilling voice pierced Gwen’s ears.
“You would know, wouldn’t you? The culprit behind Doana’s face looking like that.”
“…I don’t know what you mean, Count.”
Gwen maintained an air of complete ignorance at Eric’s words. He knew it was Cedric’s doing, but there was no need to admit it. Eric let out a scoff and curled the corner of his lips at Gwen’s reply.
“Yes. I like that you’re so tight-lipped.”
He leaned back arrogantly in his chair.
“Pretending to not know when you do, and pretending to know when you don’t. Isn’t that how one survives in this line of work? In that regard, Gwen, this job is your true calling.”
What exactly was Eric trying to say? Gwen silently watched Eric, who was beating around the bush instead of getting to the point.
“But I’m curious. Who cleaned up that red cosmetic that my father personally sent?”
“…”
Surely he wasn’t trying to frame him as the one who sent the red cosmetics? Gwen looked at Eric with an uneasy gaze.
“You laid hands on Doana, didn’t you?”
“…What are you talking about? Absolutely not!”
“I, you see, can pin everything that happened yesterday and today on you.”
Gwen’s mind went cold at Eric’s words.
“You helped my father hurt my woman… and on top of that, you tried to defile her?”
“It’s a misunderstanding! I truly had nothing to do with it.”
Gwen’s words were true. Gwen couldn’t have imagined Cedric plotting such a terrible thing. His removal of the red bottle was nothing more and nothing less than loyalty to his master.
“Gwen, the truth isn’t important. All of your actions displease me.”
“…”
“It’s been over three years since I became Count. I am the master of this house now. Yet, you still serve my father, not me, don’t you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I have no need for someone like you who is loyal to my father, not me.”
“...!”
“So, you may leave.”
Gwen felt his breath catch, his mind reeling. He felt nauseous and dizzy at the thought of being cast out of the family he had served his entire life.
“You’re fired.”
Eric mercilessly dismissed the butler who had served him loyally for over 30 years. The butler, who possessed enough ability to restore a fallen family, was treated worse than a dog by the master he had dedicated his life to, and was cast out without even a severance package.
***
“It’s raining heavily.”
A sudden downpour erupted outside the window. Roje mumbled, watching the rain so heavy it blurred her vision. The sky had been so clear this morning.
‘Is it a sudden shower?’
Roje looked out the window, watching the dark sky.
‘On a day like this, I shouldn’t take even a single step outside.’
Roje disliked getting wet from the rain. She enjoyed water activities like swimming, but getting wet while fully clothed was incredibly uncomfortable. From behind Roje, who was leisurely watching out the window, a loud *thud!* echoed as the door burst open. Startled, Roje spun around.
“Madam!”
The person who entered the room was Jane. She had run so fast she was gasping for breath, unable to catch it properly. Her eyes were brimming with clear tears. Jane took a deep, shaky breath and spoke in a trembling voice.
“The butler… the butler is leaving the mansion!”
“What? Why, all of a sudden?”
Roje asked Jane again, her eyes wide. Overwhelmed with emotion, Jane burst into tears, no longer able to hold them back.
“The Count… the Count fired the butler! Waaah!”
Jane cried bitterly like a child. She didn’t even wipe away the tears streaming down her cheeks, just stamped her feet. Could it be because of Doana’s incident? The assault incident that no one believed. That thought flashed through Roje’s mind.
“…When is he leaving?”
Roje asked Jane with a heavy heart. Although her time with Gwen hadn’t been long, the kindness she had received from him had been incredibly warm. Even when she had requested tutoring, feeling like she was trying to crack a rock with an egg, he had readily supported her. Always cheering Roje on from behind, with a smile warmer than anyone else’s. He had helped her adapt quickly to this world from the novel… The thought of him, who now felt like family, leaving, left Roje’s heart utterly distressed.
“Hic… He just left.”
“What?!”
She didn’t even get to say goodbye…! Roje stared at Jane with wide eyes, then bolted out the door.
“Madam!”
She heard Jane’s voice calling her from behind, but Roje disregarded it and ran out. Roje, rushing out, paused at the threshold leading to the garden. *Whoosh.* Rain poured down as if the sky had a hole in it. The heavy rain blurred her vision considerably. Roje opened her eyes wide and frantically began searching for the butler.
‘I can’t see him… Did he already leave in the carriage?’
Gnawing nervously on her lower lip, she turned her head, and the slumped, weary figure of the butler came into her sight.
‘Found him!’
The butler was walking with his head bowed, shuffling along without an umbrella. His figure, alone in the heavy rain, looked somewhat forlorn. She picked up an umbrella that had fallen to the side. Then she ran with all her might towards the butler.
