Chapter 11
Marin looked down at the picnic basket with a proud expression. She had obtained a round cheesecake, bread, and even beef.
The duke’s order to fatten her up seemed more beneficial to her the more she thought about it. Thanks to that order, she was even able to feed her mother properly.
Roanna’s illness was a mental one.
On the same day, she had lost her husband and eldest son, as well as her home and all their assets. For someone already physically weak, it had been an indescribable shock, and her condition had steadily worsened day by day.
Because of that, she needed nutritious food and medicine to restore her strength. That was the only way to prevent her condition from worsening further—and the reason Marin had to earn a lot of money.
Arriving in front of her home, Marin noticed that the hut’s door was wide open. Alarmed, she rushed inside, only to find the house in disarray.
A chair lay toppled over. Trash had been scattered about. Broken plates were strewn everywhere.
“Mom!”
Her strength gave out and she dropped the picnic basket. She immediately ran to Roanna’s room and opened the door—but her mother wasn’t there.
“Mom! Where are you?!”
“Marin….”
A faint voice came from her own room.
“Mom!”
Marin hurriedly opened her own door.
“Mom….”
At the sight of Roanna, something she never could have imagined, tears burst from Marin’s eyes.
Her mother was tightly hugging Marin’s vanity with her frail body. Her hair was completely disheveled, as if someone had grabbed and pulled it.
“Mom, why? Why….”
Tears streamed endlessly down her cheeks.
“This is something you cherish, isn’t it? This was all I could do. I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for? What?”
Marin stood frozen in place, her voice trembling.
“I’m your mother, yet all I do is fall ill and make you suffer. I’m not able to help you at all.”
“……”
It wasn’t like that. She wanted to say that just having her mother beside her gave her strength to endure—but her throat tightened, and no words came out.
So instead, she shook her head vigorously, her movement almost trembling with urgency.
Her mother always blamed herself, but in truth, Marin was the one burdened with guilt.
On the day of the carriage accident, her mother hadn’t been in good condition.
They could have waited a few days until her mother recovered before departing together. There was still plenty of time before Marin’s debutante.
But it was Marin herself who had urged her father to leave early because she wanted to visit the capital as soon as possible.
If they hadn’t left that day, the carriage accident could have been avoided.
However, her mother had never once blamed her for it.
That made Marin feel even more guilty—and she wanted to treat her mother well, if only to ease her own conscience.
Marin rushed forward and embraced Roanna.
She was so thin that she fit entirely within Marin’s arms. Thinking about how such a frail mother had tried her best to protect their memories blurred Marin’s vision with tears.
“Mom….”
“It’s okay. It’s okay.”
At her mother’s gentle patting, Marin broke down crying like a child.
After crying for a long while, Marin’s eyes were swollen as she asked Roanna what had happened.
“The landlord’s wife came by. She said if we didn’t pay the rent by tomorrow, we’d have to vacate immediately.”
“What? The rent isn’t due for another four days.”
Roanna struck her chest lightly with a pained expression.
“Mom….”
Marin took her mother’s hand to stop her.
“That woman misunderstood you as her husband’s mistress. She came in furious and threw trash around and destroyed everything.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. I should have handled this….”
“What are you apologizing for? I’m your mother. I couldn’t even stop her because I’m weak. The only thing I managed to protect was this vanity. It seems I’ve only been a burden to you by continuing to live.”
“Mom, please don’t say that. Everything will be fine.”
Marin suppressed her tears as they threatened to spill again and gently stroked her mother’s back.
“Mom, I’m going to the duke’s castle.”
After barely finishing a meal with Roanna, who had no appetite, Marin stepped outside, and it was already dark.
The hut was located at the foot of a mountain. At night, wild animals could appear, so she usually avoided going out.
But by tomorrow, they were about to be evicted from their home. She had to find a way to resolve the situation.
Each time moonlight filtered through the clouds and illuminated the ground, she quickened her pace.
After some time, the duke’s castle came into view, its tall spires lit by torches illuminating the outer walls.
Marin hurriedly knocked on the castle gate.
Knights opened a side door instead of the large main gate and stepped out.
“Who are you?”
A middle-aged knight examined her with sharp eyes in the middle of the night.
“I’m Marin, working under Assistant Olive. I urgently need to see him. May I come in?”
“You work under the assistant?”
The knight asked back with a doubtful expression.
“Yes.”
Marin looked at him with pleading eyes.
“I haven’t heard anything about you. Hey, Uvis. Do you know her?”
The middle-aged knight called out to a younger knight behind him.
“No, I don’t.”
The young knight with red hair glanced at her face and shook his head.
“Do you know Assistant Olive?”
“No.”
“What do you even know?”
“Nothing.”
“What? Hey! Come here.”
“I don’t want to.”
The young knight quickly fled back inside the castle.
The middle-aged knight and Marin exchanged awkward glances.
“He’s still young and reckless.”
“Yes… Um, sorry, but if the assistant is busy, could you please call Butler Sebas instead?”
At the mention of the butler, the knight’s attitude became slightly more respectful.
“You know the butler?”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
The middle-aged knight went inside and relayed the message through another knight.
Marin waited anxiously outside.
After a short while, Butler Sebas appeared with a friendly smile.
“Miss Marin.”
“Butler!”
Marin called out loudly, relieved that she could finally enter.
“Why are you still out here instead of coming in?”
The middle-aged knight, tense due to Sebas’s arrival, replied stiffly.
“We did not allow her entry because her identity was unclear.”
“I was away for a few days, so this must have happened. I’m sorry, Miss Marin.”
Sebas apologized sincerely. The middle-aged knight behind him visibly flinched.
“No, it’s fine. More importantly, I urgently need to ask Assistant Olive for help. May I see him now?”
“Yes. Please come in.”
Marin followed Sebas into the servants’ reception room she had visited before.
“Please wait here. The assistant will arrive shortly.”
“Yes, thank you very much.”
“From now on, feel free to come in whenever you wish. I’ll make sure the knights and guards are properly informed.”
As he spoke kindly, his arm muscles subtly flexed.
Was it just her imagination, or was he emphasizing “properly informed”?
Marin quickly bowed in gratitude.
“Thank you for your consideration.”
Sebas smiled in return and left.
Not long after, Olive hurried in. He was dressed more casually than during the daytime.
“Miss Marin. What brings you here at such a late hour?”
With a determined expression, Marin stood up.
“Lord Olive. Please help me.”
She bowed deeply until her forehead nearly touched the floor.
“Miss Marin, please raise your head.”
Olive said in surprise, clearly taken aback by her behavior.
“I….”
“Let’s sit on the sofa first and talk.”
Gently cutting her off, Olive guided her to the sofa.
“I’ve only been working for a day, so I know I can’t receive a full week’s wage, but could I possibly get an advance?”
“An advance?”
Olive widened his eyes in surprise.
“Yes. The landlord said if I don’t pay the rent by tomorrow, we’ll be evicted immediately. I could manage even in an abandoned storage shed, but my mother is unwell. So, I’m humbly asking for your help.”
