CWMBR 44

Chapter 44

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*The past

"Are you okay?"

"Yes."

How did Donna know she was here? It was Finn who told her to come here in the first place...

As Bridget tried to pull herself together and make sense of the situation, something heavy suddenly landed on her shoulder.

It was a man’s coat, large enough to completely cover her entire body. Before Bridget could reflexively refuse, Ain spoke first in a cold, decisive tone.

“Put it on. How do you expect to go out looking like that?”

Bridget finally looked down at herself. Her neatly tied hair was completely undone, and the scarf that had been wrapped around her head and neck was frayed and tattered. Most of all, her top was soaked through with alcohol and clinging tightly to her body.

There were even areas where her skin was visible. A few buttons were missing, nowhere to be seen.  

Bridget blushed and clutched Ain’s coat like a lifeline. Perhaps because he had taken off the coat he had been wearing just moments ago, the inside of it felt unusually warm.  

Ain, who had been staring at her blankly, turned away.  

"Let's move first. We can't just stand here on the street."

She saw a carriage standing at the entrance to the alley. Bridget hesitated, then followed him and stopped in front of the carriage.

"I'm sorry, but could you take me to the mansion instead of the theater?"

"You know everyone in the neighborhood, so you're going to go home like this?"

Ain snorted and opened the carriage door.

"My lodgings are nearby, so go wash up and change your clothes before going back."  

"If I go to the hotel looking like this, it will cause even more trouble."  

"Do you think I'm still staying in such an old-fashioned building?"  

Of course, that was what she thought. Whether Ain liked it or not, the best hotel in Glynford was there. However, he seemed to have found another way that suited his taste.

Bridget hesitated for a moment. She wasn't sure if it was the right choice to follow that man to his lodgings looking like this. She had just narrowly escaped a dangerous situation, and she wondered if she was inviting trouble by acting carelessly again. That thought crossed her mind for a moment, but Ain, who was looking at her with a pitying gaze, didn't seem like the type to do anything harmful to her. They had traveled together more than once, and if he had had any ulterior motives, he would have taken advantage of the opportunity long ago.

Bridget hesitated, but eventually got into the carriage. Ain followed her and immediately opened the window. The cheap alcohol smell that had filled the carriage quickly dissipated. Seeing Ain’s attitude of sitting at a distance from her with a disgusted look on his face, Bridget felt relieved without realizing it. She felt as if she were a cockroach, which was not very pleasant, but thanks to that, she could tell that he had no ulterior motives toward her.

"Tell my attendant to buy some clothes."

"Yes."

From the start, every offer of help he extended was a blessing to Bridget. What did it matter what kind of clothes she changed into? She should have been relieved just to avoid looking so terrible.

The carriage traveled down a road Bridget rarely took. It was a quiet residential area with few mansions scattered about. It was a street lined with high-end houses where local dignitaries lived. After passing several houses with high fences, the carriage slowed down in front of one house. The tightly closed gate slowly opened, and the carriage entered the grounds.

That day, Bridget learned that Ain had extended his stay at the hotel while also renting a luxury house on a short-term basis. It seemed that he hadn't even told Finn that he wasn’t staying at the hotel.

"This way, Miss. The bath water will be ready shortly."

Even the servants working in the house were all unfamiliar faces. Bridget couldn't possibly know the faces of all the residents of Glynford, but their refined speech and manners didn't seem to fit the local atmosphere. It seemed that Ain had brought everything except the building from outside Glynford.

Come to think of it, it wasn't surprising. Since Ain was currently hiding his identity, it would be much easier to bring in people he already knew rather than hire untrustworthy individuals to keep them quiet.

In any case, the mansion’s staff showed no signs of suspicion at Bridget’s sudden appearance and simply obeyed Ain’s orders without question. They were the typical silent servants of a high-ranking household.

Thanks to this, Bridget was able to quickly calm her racing heart. The clothes that had been hurriedly prepared for her were ready-made garments that anyone could buy at a clothing store, and they were very ordinary shirts and skirts that could be found in Bridget's own wardrobe. She didn't know if they had deliberately prepared ordinary clothes, but if she wore these clothes home, Mrs. Ottertz would probably not even notice that she had changed her clothes outside.

"Thank you so much."

"Don't mention it, Miss. Is there anything else you need?"

Bridget hesitated at the maid's polite question. She felt ashamed to continue imposing on her, but there were no shared carriage stops in this high-end residential area. Therefore, she had to borrow a carriage from the maid again.

“Then, could I ask you to arrange a carriage for me to go home?”  

“A carriage? Dinner preparations will be finished soon.”  

“No! I’ll be leaving right away!”  

No matter how shameless she was, dinner? Bridget jumped up and waved her hands. And the answer to her question came from elsewhere.

"Without even saying goodbye?"  

"..................Mr. Sherman."  

"I'm the one who saved you, yet the maid is receiving the thanks."  

Ain spoke sarcastically and gestured toward the maid.  

"Go ahead."

The maid bowed her head and left without delay.  

Bridget, who had been staring blankly at the maid quickly leaving, realized that she hadn't even properly thanked Ain and looked embarrassed. Immediately after leaving the tavern, she had been too shocked and confused to even think about thanking him, and after washing up, she had been preoccupied with the thought of leaving this place as soon as possible.

Bridget rubbed her flushed face a couple of times and bowed her head to Ain.

"I'm sorry for being late. Thank you so much for saving me earlier. No, thank you for helping me get dressed like this. I'm sorry for the trouble."

"It was trouble."

He didn't even bother to deny it. As a result, Bridget's shoulders felt even heavier. While it was important to find out what had happened, she had no idea how to repay Ain. She couldn't even bring herself to mention a token reward.

Bridget narrowed her brows in thought, then cautiously opened her mouth, glancing at Ain.

"I... will gladly guide you around the city anytime in the future."

It was the only thing he needed from her, so she had spoken those words with genuine sincerity. But when Ain heard her words, he raised his eyebrows as if to say, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"You're drowning in debt to the point where you have to go to such places, and now you're giving up the only means of making money? You're such a fool."

"Going there was a mistake! I really didn't know it was that kind of place! No matter how desperate I was, I couldn't..."

Bridget's face turned bright red. Ain, who had been watching her silently, couldn't bring himself to say anything more and sighed as he walked away.

"You look like you might collapse on the way, so eat something before you go."

In the end, Bridget had a late dinner at his mansion. Afterward, Ain lent her a carriage to take her home. Considering how close she had come to being attacked, the outcome was surprisingly peaceful. Bridget was able to go to bed as usual.

However, she couldn't fall asleep. She curled up under the blanket. It wasn't because she was scared of the brief incident at the tavern. It was because the man's large presence kept popping into her mind, making her forget her fear. His dirty shoes. His blue eyes that scolded her harshly.

Everything about Ain Wise kept her tossing and turning.

***

The next day, when she met Finn at the theater, he said with a sad expression,

"Miss Pennington! I asked someone to tell you that the appointment was canceled, but it seems that message didn't get through. I received a call suddenly, so I didn't have time to take care of it properly. But was it that kind of place? I was recommended to go there, so I didn't know exactly what it was like."

Since Finn Emerson was an outsider, it was natural that he didn't know. Then the problem was the person who recommended that tavern to Finn.

"When I said I wanted to arrange a meeting between the theater owner and Miss Pennington, Miss Green recommended that place."

"...I see. I’m going to go now."