172 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards 172
==========
Arina and Jack looked extremely surprised at my appearance, as I had become incredibly ill in just a few days. Arina, in particular, was heartbroken, tears streaming down her face.
The way she sobbed as if she couldn't remember where she was was almost endearing. The fact that she was crying for me filled my heart with joy.
"What happened to you? Why do you look like this...?"
If I were determined, I could explain in detail, but I couldn't bring myself to speak, fearing Arina would cry even more sorrowfully. So, I smiled gently and said, 'Something happened.'
They must have been very perplexed to be called so urgently, but there was no hint of annoyance on their faces.
"By the way, Jack, do you remember the story you told me last time? About the suspicious behavior of the street thugs?"
"Yes, I did mention that."
"How is it these days?"
"It's a bit confusing. Some people have disappeared from sight. But why are you asking about that?"
"Because it's worth Silver coins."
Jack's expression changed at my words. The boy swallowed hard, then asked in a low whisper.
"Is it very dangerous? Since it's related to the back alleys."
"I'd like to know who hired them. Or, if I can't find out, it's okay to just find out where they gathered to get the job."
"Until when?"
"As soon as possible. The sooner you come to me, the more Silver coins you can get. And if there are any rumors about the Bishvarts Family, anything is fine, please let me know."
"What if I lie?"
Innocence was as good as a sin for children who roamed the back alleys. So, they nurtured distrust instead of trust, and they sharpened their senses and suspected unexpected favors. Pity was the word they hated the most. Testing the other person's intentions was always a common occurrence.
The reaction Jack showed me was a natural instinct for a child from the back alleys. So, unlike when I was with the Crown Prince, I didn't feel unpleasant or annoyed. I just found it cute, like observing an untamed kitten.
"If I'm deceived, I'm just foolish."
"What if I tell other people that you ordered me to do this?"
"That's just me misjudging people, so I can't help it, can I?"
Jack's brow furrowed fiercely at my candid answer. He was staring at me as if looking at a pathetic young lady who didn't know the ways of the world, which was quite amusing.
After a moment, the boy sighed and shrugged. Then, raising both hands as if he had lost, he opened his mouth in a playful tone.
"You're a strange person, after all."
I smiled gently and retorted to Jack's words.
"You're very cute, too."
Jack's face turned bright red at my words. It was such a delightful sight that I wanted to laugh out loud.
"W-What? What are you talking about! What's cute about me?"
"Are you shy?"
"I'm not!"
"Yes, you are shy."
"Ugh! No, I'm not! Arina, wake up. I think the young lady is out of her mind because she's sick. She seems to have gone a little crazy."
At Jack's words, Arina looked at me with a sullen expression.
"Are you very sick, young lady? Does your head hurt?"
"No. Jack is talking nonsense. He must be unbearable because he's embarrassed. Arina, this is a secret, but Jack is very shy. Look at his red ears."
"Ugh, no! Seriously, if you keep doing this, I won't show up?"
Arina pouted and muttered sullenly at Jack, who was tearing at his hair and vehemently denying it.
"You like it."
"Shut up!"
Jack, who had jumped up from his seat, reached out and grabbed Arina's wrist. He grumbled and complained, but it was only the foul-mouthed boy from the back alleys who took good care of my purity.
"Is there anything else you want to say? Anything else to order?"
"No."
"Then we'll be going now."
"Why not stay longer?"
"There's no good in staying in a noble family for too long."
A bitter taste lingered on everyone's lips at the words that seemed to come from experience.
The world was especially cruel to young children who had nothing. It was even worse for orphans without parents. So, children like Jack learned to give up and accept first. They learned the concept of their place in order to survive for a long time and realized not to be greedy recklessly.
What Jack had just said meant that he had to escape this place before unreasonable greed arose. He was instinctively protecting himself.
"Besides, what's the point of staying long when you're so sick? I'll come again next time. Prepare the Silver coins by then."
"Okay. I'll look forward to it."
Jack grinned as if he liked my answer. Then, he grabbed Arina's wrist and left the room as it was. Disappointingly, he didn't look back even once.
"That cheeky brat."
I chuckled, thinking of Jack's appearance just now, when he had bristled like a cat with its fur standing on end. At the same time, I earnestly hoped that the child would safely bring back proper information.
The cheek that had been hit by the thug subsided in a day, but my body, which had been dragged on the ground by the hair, had many small scratches here and there, so I had to apply medicine diligently for a week.
The scalp where a handful of hair had been pulled out ached every time I used a comb, and the body, stained with bruises, was too much to bear. In particular, my legs, which had been greatly impacted by struggling, were so difficult to walk on that I limped for a while.
But I didn't pay much attention to all of this because it would be resolved with medicine or time. There were no problems except that I couldn't sleep properly due to nightmares.
The doctor said that I was in great shock. So, he said he would prescribe medicine or tea to help me sleep. He said that if I fell into a deep sleep, I wouldn't dream. But if I slept deeply, it would be harder to wake up from the nightmare, which made it even more difficult.
Every time I closed my eyes, someone's large, rough hand grabbed my hair and spewed out profanity. And he mocked me as I struggled and walked forward with large strides.
Even if I got angry, wailed, and spewed out words close to curses, he didn't budge and laughed at my weakness. He whispered gleefully, telling me to try to escape if I could.
The time spent having nightmares felt very long. But when I opened my eyes and checked the time, only 30 minutes had passed.
If I go back to sleep, will I have this dream again?
Since I was tormented like this every night, I couldn't bring myself to go back to bed even after waking up. I thought it would be better to be tired than to have nightmares.
So, whenever I felt my eyes closing even a little, I lightly slapped my cheeks or drank lukewarm water prepared by the maids. I deliberately wandered around the room to stay awake.
But these attempts always ended in failure. No matter how hard I tried, there were times when I was in a deep sleep. I was sitting on the sofa, waiting for food, reading a book for a while, etc. Even if there was only a moment's gap, I would nod off.
And whenever that happened, I would have a nightmare and have my hair grabbed. I wanted to scream and wake up, but even in my dreams, escape was not allowed. I could only let out a sound close to a desperate struggle.
Since I couldn't sleep properly, my face became thinner day by day. My dry eyes were not only sore but also painful, and my hazy mind couldn't properly accept any conversation.
I lost my appetite because I was sleepy, and as a result, it became increasingly difficult to take medicine. The price I paid for my recklessness was too great.
In the meantime, as I began to look for traces of my adoptive father, it was natural that my nerves became sharp.
In particular, I became even more annoyed when I saw Roena whining without doing anything. Even though it was a matter that had to be dealt with secretly, every time she opened her mouth, she blurted out things like, 'Let's ask Aunt for help,' or 'Shouldn't we ask Pulcher for help from the navy?'
Roena stubbornly insisted that she alone could not accept what even Mother and the butler had agreed to.
Every time that happened, I patiently explained again and again, but Roena couldn't understand at all. She just seemed to feel great impatience with the lack of progress and tried to act hastily.
"What if something really big happens? We can't just stand by like this."
Margo secretly manipulated Roena from behind. She subtly criticized me, saying that if something happened to the Count, it was because I was procrastinating. It was a curse that everything would go wrong because of my judgment.
Funnily enough, Roena fully agreed with the old vixen's words and looked at me with resentment every time I passed by. She even sent me accusing glances. It was absurd.
Today, Roena came to me and blurted out Aunt and Pulcher and whatnot without warning. She added that she wanted to find her adoptive father as soon as possible.
As a result, my head ached, so I pressed my temples with my fingers and retorted in a cold voice.
"Roena, please stop. As you know, I was greatly hurt by this incident. I almost didn't make it back to the mansion. Is that all? I even have insomnia because of the shock at that time. Nevertheless, I'm doing my best to prevent the Bishvarts Family from being looked down upon by others. But you only know how to reach out to others and don't make any effort to do something yourself."
"I'm saying that because I think that's the best I can do. I'm trying too. Why don't you listen to me at all? What I said might produce better results."
"Seriously, whining in front of Margo is effort? Is leaving what we have to do to others and standing by with our arms crossed the best you can do?"
Roena, unable to bear my criticism, sobbed loudly. It was a near-childish tantrum.
"What does it matter if we're looked down upon by others in order to find Father? What does it matter if others attack our commercial rights? What are we going to do to protect these things that are nothing without Father?"
"So you're going to hand over all of this?"
Her eyes widened as if she was shocked by my answer. At the same time, she opened her mouth with a trembling voice.
"Don't tell me, Sissae, are you coveting the Bishvarts Family? Is that why you're acting like this?"
For a moment, I thought I had misheard. I swallowed a hollow laugh and asked her again.
"What did you just say?"
"Seriously, is that really what you're like? Is it because you want to have the Bishvarts Family, as Margo said? Is that why you care more about the Bishvarts Family's wealth than Father?"
For a moment, I felt like bursting out laughing. It was because I wondered what she thought of me to say such things.
I had decided to take over the Bishvarts Family, but I hadn't done anything cowardly enough to be condemned like this yet, so wouldn't it be too unfair to be suspected already? I can't do anything about what has already happened.
Of course, there was a suspicious part about whether these results were caused by my words, but I hadn't even confirmed it yet. Therefore, I couldn't be criticized for something that didn't make sense yet.
"If I had thought about taking over the Bishvarts Family."
So, I gritted my teeth and said, spitting out each word.
"I would have stripped you naked and thrown you into the attic a long time ago. To be wary of you, who is close to being the successor. Should I beat all your maids and kick them out? It's not bad to embezzle the property while pretending to look for my adoptive father. Oh, of course, I'll have to send the butler away before I do that, right?"
"Si, Sissae..."
"I'm trying to find my adoptive father and at the same time preserve the property so that you can buy and wear the beautiful dress you're wearing now at any time. So, Roena, if you have the confidence to give up all the things your Mother left you, the dresses in your closet, and your big, beautiful room, you can say you'll ask Aunt for help."
Roena trembled and asked as if she was about to cry. Her eyes, which were still unable to understand, were greatly swollen and could not hide the feeling of condemnation towards me.
"...Why do you keep thinking that we can't protect it?"
"I don't know anything about commerce. That's the same with my Mother. What about you? If not, can you tell me what you can do right now? Of course, you can handle the urgent things with the help of the butler. But what if we have to decide on the things that Father chose and decided?"
"......"
"We don't just lack the time to find our adoptive father right now. We also lack the time to learn how to properly manage the Bishvarts Family. So, do you understand how ridiculous you're being?"
I said in a cold voice to Roena, who was trembling with a pale face.
"So, don't say such strange things again."
My head was heavy with sleepiness. The hand on the desk trembled. I wanted to sleep soundly, even for just an hour. I longed for peace. More than ever.
So, I issued an order to Roena to leave.
"Have you finished saying everything you wanted to say? Then you have to take the next action now. Go to Margo, go to someone else, go out and cry. Unfortunately, I have so much to do that I don't even have time to comfort you. So, would you please be considerate of your sister who is suffering from insomnia?"
I pointed to the door with my finger and smiled arrogantly.
"Get out."
