CWMBR 113

Chapter 113

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After boldly declaring he'd return in an hour, Ain left for the office and never came back.

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The next day, and the day after that, Ain didn't show up at Bridget's mansion.

"Hmm, I wonder what happened to Lord Wise?"

Even Gilum was wondering what happened.

"Maybe he suddenly developed a sense of shame."

"Suddenly?"

"All true realizations come suddenly, you know."

Even Wayna, who retorted like that, glanced out the window as if secretly curious. Jane didn't say anything either, but judging by the generous breakfast she'd prepared, it seemed she'd been keeping Ain in mind all along.

Only Bridget finished her meal silently. At least outwardly, she seemed as if Ain had never been there from the start.

Ding-dong!

"Huh?"

Gilum and Wayna, who had been talking, both turned toward the front door at the same time.

"They say even beasts come when you call them!"

"Oh my, is it really Lord Wise?"

Jane tilted her head and approached the entrance. Surprisingly, standing beyond the open door was indeed Ain.

Assuming he'd just barge in as usual, Jane opened the door wide and stepped aside as if it were natural. But Ain stood frozen, not moving.

"I have something to give to Bridget."

Bridget glanced at the entrance with a puzzled look. Jane, watching Ain with bewildered eyes as his demeanor felt strangely different from usual, called out to Bridget.

After being quiet these past few days, what new scheme was he cooking up to turn people's stomachs? Bridget stood at the entrance with a cold expression, glancing at the box Ain was holding. It looked heavy.

"What's that?"

It seemed likely that this was something meant for her. Noticing Bridget's gaze on the box, Ain opened the lid to show her.

"Letters found while clearing out Mrs. Olden's mansion."

Bridget's eyes widened at the sight of the letters piled high inside the box.

"Your name was written on them."

"Ah..."

"Mrs. Olden's family said to throw away all the remaining belongings, but these... I thought it would be better to give them to you."

Startled by the unexpected contents, Bridget froze, then reflexively took the box. The scent of aged paper wafted strongly from the open box. Just glancing at the few envelopes on top made it clear. These were letters she had sent to Mrs. Olden, filled with trivial, everyday stories.

As she stared down at the letters with a strange look, Ain suddenly spoke up.

"Is there anything else... you want?"

Bridget, who had been briefly lost in thought about Mrs. Olden, instantly frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Just anything... from me."

"No."

Bridget answered decisively, as if there was no need for deep contemplation.

"I just want to settle this noisy problem quickly and sign the divorce papers as soon as possible. Beyond that... well."

Bridget agreed to some extent about the problems that could arise if she divorced immediately and became Bridget Pennington. So she also accepted Ain's opinion that it would be better to divorce after resolving some of the threats she was receiving from Donna and Ronan. Because this wasn't a problem to be solved by emotional manipulation.

Bridget didn't think resolving this noisy issue would take particularly long. Evidence to destroy Donna's reputation was abundant, and once it became publicly known that Ronan was implicated in a crime, mobilizing his proud network of connections would become a distant prospect.

Bridget, who had been muttering with an indifferent expression, suddenly let out a low gasp.

"Actually, I've felt quite at ease these past few days since you've been out of sight."

"Ah."

Ain raised an eyebrow at Bridget's words. The slight tension in his tightly pressed, straight lips seemed to grow.

"………………I see."

That was the best he could muster—a half-hearted acknowledgment. Anyone could see something was seriously off, and Bridget narrowed her eyes, staring intently at Ain. When their eyes met, Ain looked away and muttered.

"I get it."

"Should I take that to mean you won't come looking for me with ridiculous excuses anymore?"

"……… ………Yeah. If that's easier for you."

Something was definitely off. She'd thought he seemed strange before, but today it was particularly pronounced. Still, Bridget didn't press him and simply nodded.

"Understood. Take care."

Thud.

She pushed the front door with her foot, slamming it shut behind her. Bridget, who had closed the door without hesitation, placed the box she was holding on the living room table and was just straightening her back when—

Ding-dong.

Not even three minutes had passed before the doorbell rang again. Bridget narrowed her eyes. She strode over and opened the door to find Ain standing there, looking exactly the same as before.

The moment the door opened, Ain spoke quickly, his tone slightly impatient.

"Still, wouldn't it be better to finish what you started?"

"Finish what?"

"I agreed to take care of the errands. You haven't hired a servant yet, and..."

Bridget let out a hollow laugh, and Ain stopped speaking, his expression unnatural. Bridget stared at him, who seemed somehow stiff, and said with a half-smirk.

"Honestly, you haven't done much that could be called 'attending to me.' From your perspective, it might seem like a huge deal, but opening the carriage door and lowering the step—I can do that myself."

"………………Uh, yeah."

Surprisingly, Ain readily accepted Bridget's words, which belittled the effort he'd put in over the past few days. Bridget, who had expected some kind of rebuttal, crossed her arms and tilted her head askance.

"So I’m saying your assistance was pointless. Got it?"

"Yeah."

His nod was strangely subdued. What kind of trick was this?

Bridget stared at Ain for a moment, bewildered, then sighed briefly and grabbed the front door handle.

"Well, have a good trip."

The door slammed shut once more. But even after closing it, Bridget didn't immediately walk away. She didn't hear footsteps turning away from the other side either.

As she stood there, lips pursed in a pout, glaring at the door, the doorbell rang again, just as she'd expected.

Ding-dong.

When she opened the door, Ain spoke first again.

"Hello, Bridget."

"Haa."

Bridget sighed and swept her bangs back. Seeing her clearly annoyed expression, Ain quickly blurted out,

"Since you said my service wasn't satisfactory, I thought I'd introduce a servant who might meet your standards."

At those words, her green eyes narrowed sharply.

"Are you trying to assign me a watchdog?"

"Of course not. Why would I do that to you?"

Ain shook his head sternly. Bridget glared at him in disbelief before speaking calmly.

“Well, if that's what you think, then that's fine. I'll find someone myself, so don't worry about it. Now leave."

Thud!

The door slammed shut with an unusually loud, clamorous bang, carrying her irritation. Bridget spun sharply toward the kitchen. But before she could take three steps, the bell rang behind her.

Ding-dong.

Ding-dong.

Worried she might not open the door this time, the visitor pressed the bell twice in quick succession. Bridget, frowning, flung the door open and snapped irritably.

"What do you want?"

Thinking she was being teased, she looked over. Ain suddenly pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to her.

"The mistress's dignity maintenance fee you never used is still sitting in your account."

What he handed over was likely a document issued by the bank. It was a statement showing the account balance, filled with zeros as far as the eye could see.

"You mean the dignity maintenance fee was paid?"

"Of course."

His answer was confident, as if he knew the only thing he could boast about was money overflowing to the point of being underfoot.

Of course, maintaining dignity as Madame Wise was only natural, but Bridget had no idea such money had been allocated to her. As she stared down at the document with a bewildered expression, Ain explained in a low voice. 

"Come to think of it, there was literally no one back then who could have told you about that account. And sure enough, when I checked, it only had deposit records—never a single withdrawal."

"Yes, just as you said, no one ever told me about that account."

"I... I should have handled things properly from the start. I'm sorry I didn't."

Bridget looked at Ain with slightly startled eyes. Did he just say he was sorry? This man?

Ain kept his gaze elsewhere, unable to see Bridget's expression. With an attitude that seemed to deliberately avoid meeting her eyes, he said.

"That's entirely my responsibility."

Bridget couldn't fathom why Ain's attitude had shifted so abruptly. The only certainty was that his apology didn't resonate with her at all.

Her eyes cold, Bridget checked the documents in her hand, then folded them neatly and tucked them away.

"Well, I'm touched you're telling me now. My days as Madame Wise are numbered, but I'll maintain my dignity for the time being."

"No, I didn't mean you should maintain your dignity as Madame Wise..."

He narrowed his brows in discomfort. After a moment of hesitation, carefully choosing his words, he spoke.

"I'm just telling you, plain and simple. When you have financial leeway, you worry less about what you do."

His blue eyes, which hadn't met hers directly the entire time, glanced up briefly, studying her expression.

"………………More money is always better, isn't it?"

Well……………… He wasn't wrong.