CWMBR 49

Chapter 49

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That warning was one she'd heard so often it had become a cliché. Seeing Bridget pretending not to listen to the familiar nagging, Magnus added in a troubled voice.

"You've been in a bad way ever since the Penningtons passed away."

Bridget, who had been staring out the window, paused at those words. Indeed, her parents' death had affected Bridget in many ways. Her rapidly declining health was one of them. 

To be precise, it wasn't that she had simply wasted away for no reason; it was because she had been so consumed by grief that she hadn't taken proper care of herself. Until Magnus came running to her, there was no one to check on her condition, so she neglected herself even more.

While there were various factors involved, ultimately, this too was her fault. The fault of not properly caring for her own body. Bridget swallowed a bitter laugh at the absurdity of her life, filled entirely with self-inflicted mistakes.

"Even if you were once healthy, pushing yourself like this will only make things worse. Please, from now on, take care of your health."

Magnus emphasized this repeatedly to Bridget, who merely said she understood. He likely did so because he'd seen her brush off his words countless times before, but even accounting for that, his attitude seemed unusually intense. In some ways, even more so than when she was pregnant.

It meant he cared deeply for her, and for that, Bridget was simply grateful. At the same time, she felt profoundly sorry that because of her, he had not only put his own life on hold but also faced an investigation by the royal court. Magnus's only "fault" was looking after her so attentively.

So, it would be good if she could rest well now, as he suggested. Unfortunately, however, the visitors seeking Bridget never ceased. This time, it was Finn.

By the time Finn arrived, Bridget had recovered enough to tidy herself and sit facing him. Unlike when receiving earlier visitors, she was no longer in a disheveled state. Still, her face remained pale and wan.

"Mr. Emerson."

"I heard you were ill."

"I caught a cold."

Bridget pulled her shawl tightly around herself. It was a thick shawl she'd hastily thrown on, feeling a chill despite being indoors. Finn sighed sadly at the sight as he sat across from her.

"You look half your size."

Bridget didn't reply, lifting her teacup instead. The scent of the herbal tea Jane had served wafted softly through the drawing room. Simply cupping the teacup with both hands conveyed warmth, easing the tension in her body just a little.

"Is there anything you need? Assistance with the lawsuit, perhaps? Facing the Wise family will be difficult for an ordinary legal expert."

"I'm handling it myself."

"I truly have no interest in the Grand Theatre sale anymore. You don't need to be so sharp with me."

Bridget, who had been staring at the still water in her teacup, quietly lifted her eyes and fixed them on Finn.

"Then why did you come?"

"Well, I came because I'm concerned about Miss Pennington."

Hearing him reply as if it were obvious, it seemed as though he and she were somehow well acquainted. Yet, despite his gentle tone, Bridget drew a line without the slightest flicker of emotion.

"There's no reason for Mr. Emerson to be concerned about me."

"How cold-hearted."

Finn gave a wry smile. Like a simple young man rejected in love, he looked down pitifully and began to speak with a sigh.

"Actually, I had a visit from the investigators not long ago."

Her hand tightened around the teacup. Bridget caught a glimpse of the calm surface of the cup trembling slightly and took a sip of tea.

Given that Ain had been suspicious of her relationship with Finn, it was only natural that investigators would come looking for him. However, Bridget had no idea what Finn might have told them. In the past, Finn had often seemed to get along well with Donna, only to suddenly start flirting with Bridget at the strangest moments.

 How furious Donna had been at that fickle behavior. What's more, Bridget had even earned the misunderstanding from other employees that she was throwing herself at all sorts of men. To them, it seemed impossible that Finn would shift his attention from Donna to Bridget unless it was Bridget's doing.

Bridget couldn't fathom what was going on inside Finn's head as he acted like he was playing both sides between her and Donna. Honestly, she wasn't curious or interested in why he was doing it, but if she had to guess, she figured it was probably because of the Grand Theatre sale. Of course, there was also a hint of romantic interest.

"They seemed curious about the nature of my relationship with Miss Pennington."

"So?"

"I told them the truth. That I had developed a one-sided affection for you."

Finn still made Bridget uncomfortable with remarks that could easily be misinterpreted by others. That attitude still provoked a sense of rejection in Bridget.

Noticing her stiff expression, Finn pulled his lips into an ambiguous curve. The lips that had been smiling brightly now drew a line tinged with melancholy.

"But you know, the more I look at it, it seems like they might have fabricated the evidence."

"Fabricated evidence?"

Bridget looked at Finn with puzzled eyes. He had completely wiped the smile from his face and spoke with a deliberately serious expression.

"Yes. The questions they're asking me just don't feel right. It seems like they've already reached some conclusion. For example, the conclusion that Miss Pennington and I have a very deep relationship."

So it wasn't just that he'd been swayed by Donna's words? Bridget recalled Ain confronting her at Bradford Manor. His sharp words, driving her into a corner, remained an intensely vivid memory. 

That Ain had clearly condemned Bridget with conviction. The Ain who had recently come to the Grand Theatre still revealed his suspicion of her infidelity. He had said the child growing inside her might not be his blood.

Was there evidence that led him to such thoughts? But what possible evidence could there be? The belief itself was a lie from the start—evidence to support that lie? Who would create such a thing, and why?

"Lord Wise seems to have made up his mind."

"I see."

Bridget, who had tried to imagine that unimaginable 'evidence,' soon gave up. Even if she knew what the evidence was, it wouldn't change this situation much.

"Aren't you worried?"

"The investigators promised me a fair outcome, and I trust that promise."

"Do you truly believe that?"

Finn, his voice thick with distrust, licked his lips. He glanced toward the doorway unnecessarily, then leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice.

"Some people I know are experts in this field. If you ask them for help, they'll gladly share useful strategies."

His low, earnest voice sounded ready to step in for her at any moment. Bridget fell silent, her lips twisted as if confronting something strange. Then, slowly, she parted her lips.

"What's the price?"

Bridget asked curtly in a dry tone, staring intently at Finn.

"You must have a reason for making this offer to me."

"Naturally, it's to win Miss Pennington's favor. But if you insist on another reason…”

He leaned back, having briefly leaned forward, and rubbed his chin with his hand.

"I'm very interested in Miss Pennington's abilities. That is to say, her writing skills."

Bridget's eyes fluttered slightly.

Finn’s words, then, were truly in a direction she hadn’t considered at all.

"I heard it from Miss Donna. Those drafts I mistakenly thought were Miss Donna's work were actually Miss Pennington's."

Donna, who had been growing impatient with Finn's capricious attention, had indeed pulled such a stunt. She had stolen several drafts stored in the Grand Theatre's writing room and presented them to Finn as her own work. By the time Bridget discovered the truth, Donna's deception had already run deep.

"If I do well, it's good for the theater too. You know that, right?"

Donna had said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"It's a completely different feeling. This will definitely work. Once we get close, I'll try to persuade them to put on a play at the Glynford Grand Theater. Then it'll be good for you and good for me, right?"

Ah, yes. She had said that too. After she'd already done it, Donna told Bridget, who found out later. It was already irreversible.

And it was Ain who had told Donna how to win Finn's favor.