IWHFH C10

Chapter 10

Since developing madness, Theodore had never been in a position to make decisions for himself.

Whenever he was consumed by frenzy and his violent tendencies erupted, he would try to attack anyone who entered his room. In fact, before Claire, several maids and servants had already been injured to varying degrees.

That’s why I couldn’t even choose my own people.

With the count still absent at the border and Theodore—the heir—having become a madman, he was heir in name only. There was almost nothing he was allowed to do within the estate.

But still.

The only time he had ever stepped forward was when he defied the head butler to ensure Claire could remain as his dedicated maid.

“Claire.”

“Yes.”

“What did you do before working as a maid?”

At his question, Claire paused briefly in thought before answering.

“I usually hunted, ate, and slept.”

“……? Were you a hunter?”

“No. Not a professional one. I just caught things to eat. Ah, I did sell hides and horns sometimes, so I suppose you could loosely call it hunting.”

Theodore’s expression turned faintly puzzled.

“That’s unexpected. With your strength, I assumed you were trained with knights or mercenaries.”

“Oh, I did meet mercenaries often. I learned a bit of swordsmanship too, but I was more comfortable using my fists.”

As she spoke, Claire casually raised her fist.

Theodore, who knew very well what that fist was capable of, quietly averted his gaze.

“Let’s just resume the chess game.”

“Yes, sir.”

The two returned their focus to the board.

Theodore leaned back against the bedhead in a relaxed posture, while Claire sat beside him on a wooden chair placed next to a small side table.

A comfortable silence settled in the room, broken only by their breathing and the heavy sound of rain outside.

Hmm. This game is already lost.

Claire sighed softly after losing her queen due to a moment of distraction.

I want to reset the board.

Just as that small impulse flickered in her mind—

KRAAASH!

A deafening thunderclap split the air, turning the entire room white with light. The lightning was so strong it felt as if even the chessboard had shifted.

“Ah, the mana lamp.”

The power went out, likely affected by the surge, and the light illuminating the room vanished.

This was her chance.

Pretending to check the mana lamp, Claire subtly kicked the side table with her knee and overturned the chessboard.

“You—!”

“My mistake.”

Just as Theodore opened his mouth to protest her shameless reply, another thunderclap roared outside.

“How noisy.”

“Indeed.”

Not only thunder, but the wind itself howled fiercely.

At this rate, will the trees around the annex get uprooted?

She worried a lightning strike might hit one of the old trees. As Claire casually picked up scattered chess pieces from the floor, she spoke without much thought.

“Will the annex be alright? There are many old trees nearby. I’m a bit worried.”

“The annex? Is it even still in use? I thought there were no guests.”

“Pardon? Lady Isabella is staying there.”

“What……?”

Thunder struck again. In the flash of white light filling the room, Claire met Theodore’s wide, shocked eyes.

“W-why is Bella in the annex? I was told my uncle would be taking care of her. Why is she still here?”

“Young master?”

Claire cautiously approached Theodore, who looked as though he had lost his composure entirely.

“Claire!”

As if remembering something crucial, Theodore suddenly grabbed her wrist tightly.

“Bella—go to Isabella right now! She fears thunder more than anything!”

On the day Count Voltaire and his wife—Theodore and Isabella’s parents—had the carriage accident, there had also been thunder.

Isabella, who had been inside the carriage with them, barely survived, but ever since then she would panic whenever thunder struck.

She could not be left alone on a night like this.

Without hesitation, Claire freed her wrist from Theodore’s trembling grip and quickly stood up.

Claire ran.

The relentless wind and rain made it nearly impossible to see even a step ahead. The thunder was so loud it rang in her ears like a piercing noise.

But thanks to that, she was able to reach the annex without being noticed.

There’s hardly anyone around.

The annex was eerily silent.

The only place where she could sense any presence was near the kitchen on the first floor, likely where the servants gathered. But it was unlikely Isabella was being cared for there.

Claire rushed up the stairs and headed straight for Isabella’s room.

“My lady!”

She opened the door without even knocking.

“My lady……?”

But Isabella was nowhere in the room.

Then where? The lights are out everywhere.

The mana lamps had gone out, leaving the room pitch dark, and the hallway was no different.

Where could a child who feared this weather possibly have gone? Could she even make it outside the annex alone in this darkness?

No way.

Claire quickly dismissed the thought and focused her senses. Her beastkin perception picked up a faint sound beneath the rain.

“Sniff… sob…”

A faint, trembling cry.

It was coming from—

“Under the bed.”

Claire dropped to the floor and looked beneath it.

As expected, Isabella was curled up tightly, covering her ears and sobbing.

“My lady! Lady Isabella!”

“Sniff…”

Even though Claire called out to her, Isabella—lost in panic—could not easily calm down.

Should I lift the bed?

Claire hesitated. She could pull the bed away quickly, but she didn’t want to frighten the already terrified child further.

“Mom… Dad… big brother……”

In a brief lull in the wind, the child’s tearful voice slipped out.

Claire froze.

Hearing Isabella’s sobbing voice reminded her of someone.

Her ten-year-old self.

A small Claire, left alone in a silent hut, crying in response to Isabella’s voice in her memory.

But the present thunder snapped her back.

Lady Isabella.

The small Claire belonged to the past. The girl before her was real.

Claire immediately reached under the bed.

Dust and the smell of mildew stung her sensitive nose, but she ignored it completely.

Her hand carefully touched Isabella’s shoulder.

“My lady, Lady Isabella.”

“Eek!”

Startled by the sudden contact, Isabella curled up even tighter.

The thunder did not stop. The child continued trembling.

In the end, Claire could only hold onto the edge of Isabella’s sleeve to prevent her from crawling further underneath the bed.

“My lady. Lady Isabella.”

Another lightning strike flashed.

Growing desperate, Claire recalled the nickname Theodore used for Isabella.

“Bella!”

“Sniff?”

This time, there was a reaction.

Isabella’s hands loosening slightly from her ears, Claire spoke gently.

“Bella. It’s alright. Come out, okay?”

Slowly regaining awareness, Isabella turned her head and looked at Claire.

“Claire?”

Thunder struck again. As the child screamed once more, Claire carefully pulled her out from under the bed and finally held her in her arms.

“Bella! Calm down!”

“Mom… Claire…”

Isabella buried herself in Claire’s embrace, then suddenly froze and pulled back in panic.

“No…”

“Bella?”

Claire gently stopped her from crawling back under the bed again. Even in the dark, her beastkin eyes saw clearly.

Ah.

The floor beneath them was damp and warm.

Isabella tried to pull away again, but Claire instead tightened her grip and pulled her fully into her arms.

“No! It’s dirty! Let go!”

“It’s not dirty at all.”

She meant it.

Feeling the child’s trembling gradually settle in her arms, nothing else mattered.

“It’s okay. Calm down.”

Claire pulled a blanket from the bed and wrapped it around Isabella, covering her ears as well.

The two of them stayed tightly embraced, waiting for the storm to pass.