CWMBR 114

Chapter 114

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As Ain said, it was true that more money was always better.

But she wasn't in urgent need of cash, nor was she particularly swayed by his words. Especially since she'd just received a consolation payment from the royal family.

"If you ever feel short on funds..."

Was there anyone who didn't know Ain Wise's wealth overflowed?

Bridget couldn't understand why he was suddenly standing at her mansion's front door flaunting his money.

Frowning, she shook her head, making no effort to hide her annoyance.

"If there's anything else that's mine, set it aside for alimony when we divorce. Yes?"

"... ……………Yeah."

"Anything else you need to say to me?"

"Well………………."

Bridget watched him hesitating to speak, narrowing her eyes and speaking in a cold tone.

"I'm eating. I don't want to be disturbed any longer."

"Ah, I see."

Only then did he seem to notice the faint scent of food wafting from inside. He lightly rubbed his mouth with one hand, lowered his gaze, and took a step back.

"Alright, finish your meal."

Bang.

Bridget slammed the door shut without a word. She felt no need for further farewells, having already said goodbye three times. After closing the door and splashing water on her face a few times, she returned to the dining room. Jane, who had been watching Bridget warily, asked casually.

"Would you like some more?"

Only then did Bridget realize she had finished her meal long ago. Sitting down, she saw her empty plate and shook her head, rising again.

"No, thank you, Mrs. Ottertz."

She was about to head straight back to her room when she suddenly stopped. A box on the parlor table caught her eye.

Had she really exchanged so many letters with Mrs. Olden? They were from so long ago she barely remembered them. It felt strange to think her past self had been so talkative.

While most of Ain’s actions held little meaning for her or were downright unpleasant, she was genuinely grateful for this one gesture of collecting the letters. Just as Bridget started to move toward the box, the doorbell rang again.

Ding-dong.

Bridget's face twisted instantly.

Hadn't she made it abundantly clear she didn't want to talk anymore? Did people just ignore what she said?

Or, as always, were they going to ignore her wishes and do whatever they wanted?

Bang!

"If you're not even going to keep your word about what you just said, then why the hell...!"

Bridget, who had been about to raise her voice irritably the moment she opened the door, faltered.

Instead of the shadow of a large man blocking the entire doorway, a girl with hunched shoulders stood there. 

"Kathleen?"

The girl with the soft features and hair a shade closer to orange than brown was Kathleen, Magella's daughter. She was the girl who often came as an audience member to cheer Magella on during the amateur orchestra's regular performances at the Grand Theater. But after Magella canceled all her regularly scheduled performances because of Ronan, they hadn't crossed paths. The only times they'd crossed paths were when she'd come to deliver hastily repaired costumes for the actors.

The Kathleen she met again after several months had grown quite a bit and looked considerably more mature. Even so, her face hadn't changed so much that she was unrecognizable. Bridget blurted out her name at a glance.

"Ahaha, hello. Did I come at a bad time?"

When Bridget acknowledged her, Kathleen awkwardly smiled and greeted her back.

“Oh, no. I mistook you for someone else and ended up being rude."

Bridget hastily denied her words, tilting her head in confusion.

"But what brings you all the way here?"

"Um…………………"

Kathleen hesitated, rolling her eyes. Seeing her struggle to speak, Bridget glanced outside. Nothing suspicious was visible. Nor did Kathleen appear to be carrying anything questionable.

"Come inside first."

Wayna, who had just finished eating, strolled over to Bridget's vicinity, seemingly gauging the atmosphere. Bridget felt a quiet relief at Wayna's vigilance, even toward a seemingly fragile girl, and led Kathleen into the living room.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"No! I'm fine, thank you so much!"

Kathleen, sitting on the sofa, sat up straight and answered in a voice full of resolve. Bridget nodded in understanding and sat at a comfortable distance. Wayna leaned against the wall, close enough to intervene at any moment.

"That's Wayna, my bodyguard who keeps an eye on my surroundings. You don't need to be scared."

"Oh, I see...!"

Kathleen, who had been glancing at Wayna, let out an exclamation and her eyes lit up. Seeing the girl's pupils filled with pure curiosity and admiration, Bridget finally let a faint smile touch her lips. Seeing that she didn't seem particularly frightened by the mention of a bodyguard, it appeared she hadn't come to harm her. With a sliver of doubt lifted, her voice flowed more comfortably.

"Is Magella doing well? It's been quite a while since I've seen her face."

"Yes, Mother is doing well. Um..."

Kathleen's expression, which had been smiling and nodding, darkened. She licked her lips, bit them nervously, and lowered her gaze. Bridget, watching her quietly, asked gently.

"Do you need help?"

"Y-yes, actually. I do need help. The Grand Theater closed, and I had nowhere else to go, so I ended up here. Madame... No. You're Lady now."

"You can call me by my first name."

"Thank you, Miss…”

Fiddling with her hands resting on her knees, Kathleen hesitated before speaking with an awkward expression.

"Th-that is, Miss Donna came to our alteration room last night."

"………………Donna?"

"Yes, we've been handling the actress's clothes all along……."

Magella's skill was so exceptional that most costume shops would envy her. Not only could she mend clothes flawlessly, but her work was also incredibly fast, so the Grand Theater often sought her help. Even the demanding Donna, who had a separate regular shop for purchasing expensive outfits, came to Magella for alterations.

Even though the Grand Theater was temporarily closed, Donna had more than enough dresses, so business could continue without issue. It meant it wouldn't be strange at all if Magella had been mending Donna's dress just yesterday.

"But yesterday, when she came in, she was furious, saying we'd disposed of something in the actress's pocket without permission... and that she'd hold us liable for damages."

"Something in the pocket?"

"Yes. But we truly never touch the pockets! If there's anything in there, we set it aside separately—we absolutely never throw anything away or dispose of it without permission!"

Tears welled up in Kathleen's eyes as she pleaded earnestly, looking utterly wronged.

Bridget didn't need to hear more to imagine how Donna had caused a scene at the tailor's yesterday. She, more than anyone, had witnessed Donna's tyranny. The tailor's shop was probably out of commission for the day.

"Is Magella okay?"

"... ."

Kathleen pressed her lips tightly together. That was answer enough.

Bridget, who had been rubbing her forehead, let out a shallow sigh. Kathleen, startled by the sound of that sigh, opened her mouth again.

"Well, since Miss Donna was the Grand Theater's exclusive actress... Could you perhaps clear up the misunderstanding? No matter how much we deny it, she won't believe us."

Kathleen seemed to have come to Bridget in a hurry, since she had no idea where Ronan was—the one who at least seemed friendly with Donna. Newspapers were buzzing about their falling out, but Magella and Kathleen had often seen Bridget handling Donna's affairs.

Bridget, who had been looking at Kathleen with troubled eyes, asked in a soft tone.

"What is it she's looking for?"

"A, a note."

"………………A note?"

"Yes. She didn't know what it said, just that it was a note……… She was furious, saying we must have thrown it away thinking it was nothing important."

Bridget narrowed her eyes. After a moment lost in thought, she soothed Kathleen with a calm voice.

"First off, Kathleen. I don't know what basis Donna has for demanding compensation, but it's impossible, so don't worry. You can't claim damages just because a note went missing from a clothing pocket."

"But the actress is close with the police officers…"

"You know those exposé articles about Donna coming out lately? Even because of those articles, the police won't side with Donna's unreasonable demands. Just in case, I'll look into it separately too. So don't worry, go back and take care of Magella. Is Magella hurt badly?"

"She has a pretty big bruise... but she'll be fine with a little rest."

Bridget, who had been looking at Kathleen with a dark expression, nodded.

After that, Bridget comforted Kathleen a little more. Meanwhile, Jane quietly approached and handed Kathleen the apple pie she had baked that morning. Kathleen, her voice breaking, thanked her. She seemed most relieved that Bridget had offered to check on her, bowing her head repeatedly.

After seeing Kathleen off, Bridget turned to Gilum the moment the front door closed.

"Remember the note I gave you? The one with the address written on it."