The sound of knocking woke me up naturally. The butler greeted me kindly and said,
“The master is waiting in the formal dining room.”
I quickly checked the clock. It was the usual time when Cedric left the mansion. That meant I had overslept. I jumped out of bed and said to the butler,
“Tell Cedric I’ll be down soon.”
“Ma’am, you don’t have to rush. I’ll explain it well to the master.”
“No, I’ll go down right away.”
When I spoke firmly, the butler nodded. As soon as he left, I pulled the bell cord. Soon, a maid knocked on the door.
“Why didn’t you wake me earlier?”
“I’m sorry. The master said not to wake you unless there was something urgent.”
“But Cedric is waiting right now.”
The maid bowed her head, looking very troubled. The situation had already happened anyway, so I didn’t say more and hurried.
“Quickly get a dress ready. And brush my hair too.”
The maid quickly brought out a dress and brushed my hair neatly. I glanced at the mirror and checked the clock again. Even though I hurried, I had already passed the time Cedric usually left the mansion.
I let out a sigh without meaning to.
‘I should’ve just told Cedric to go ahead and eat first.’
But I had already told the butler I was coming, so I stopped thinking and went down to the dining room. I almost tripped while hurrying down the stairs, but thankfully I didn’t fall. By the time I reached the formal dining room, I was out of breath.
After calming my breath, I signaled to a servant. The servant slowly opened the door. Cedric was leisurely swirling a glass of wine. I sat down quickly and apologized.
“Cedric, I’m sorry. I overslept…”
Cedric shook his head with a gentle smile.
“It’s okay.”
His voice was very soft. His face was relaxed and full of smiles. I looked at the clock and asked,
“I’m not making you late, am I?”
“I’ll be a little late, but it’s no big deal. You came for me, so what’s a little delay?”
“Still, if it looks like you’ll be late, tell me next time. I think I pushed myself too hard getting ready today.”
“I’ll wait for you anytime, so come down at your own pace.”
Cedric gave a warm smile. I was grateful just for how understanding he was.
‘I didn’t expect him to be this considerate.’
So I didn’t hold back and ate whatever was in front of me so he wouldn’t be late. Cedric watched me for a moment before slowly picking up his fork.
After eating a fair amount, I looked at Cedric. He was drinking wine. Drinking wine in the morning? As I stared at him closely, the corners of his eyes looked strangely sunken, like he was tired. Then Cedric looked up. His sharp gaze softened right away.
“Revril, did you finish eating?”
“Yes.”
I had just taken the medicine the maid gave me. Cedric smiled and stood up.
“Then I’ll be going now.”
I nodded, and Cedric left the dining room. I thought of how tired Cedric looked earlier. Before my father started his trade business, he used to collect herbs and sell them in scented sachets. I got up right away and said to a servant,
“Could you prepare some dried lavender and rosemary?”
The servant nodded right away. Just then, I remembered another ingredient. I quickly called out,
“And also prepare some jasmine oil.”
“Yes, I’ll get those ready.”
Feeling a bit more at ease, I left the dining room. I already wanted to help Cedric, so I was glad I could support him in some way.
The servant returned in just a few hours with the ingredients. They were of such high quality that the scent was amazing. Compared to the ones my father used to get, these were on a whole different level.
I happily sniffed the fragrance and began making the sachets, carefully adding each ingredient. Since it had been a while, time flew by as I worked. Thankfully, I remembered how to make them well, so it wasn’t difficult.
I left a few sachets in my room and picked the best one to take with me. I planned to leave it in Cedric’s bedroom and office.
Cedric’s bedroom wasn’t far from mine. Just a few steps from my room, and I was there. I opened his bedroom door. His familiar scent hit me right away. Breathing it in, I stepped inside.
The room was nearly empty, with barely any furniture. I hadn’t come into Cedric’s room often before, so I looked around with curiosity. The bed was large, but there wasn’t much else. The only thing that stood out was a photo of me. It was from our wedding day, and honestly, I didn’t like how I looked in it.
I stared blankly at my face in the photo before placing the sachet by his bedside. Then I headed straight to Cedric’s office. The servants greeted me warmly along the way. It felt the same as before, but somehow a bit friendlier.
Feeling lighthearted, I opened the door to Cedric’s office. Like his bedroom, it had a forest-like scent. Mixed with the smell of books, it was actually nice. I looked around the room carefully, as if seeing a new world for the first time.
Cedric’s office was lined with books, filling the walls completely. From the way he talked, I could tell he was very educated. On the other hand, I hadn’t received proper education from my father, so there was a lot I didn’t know compared to Cedric.
After glancing over the unfamiliar book titles, my eyes moved to his desk. Unlike the rest of the room, his desk was quite messy. As I moved to place the sachet on an empty spot, I saw a photograph. It was attached to a document and showed dead animals.
Looking closer, the document listed the exact locations where they had died. The places were very close to Cedric’s estate.
Just then, I heard footsteps. I placed the sachet and stepped back from the desk. The door opened, and the butler entered.
Seeing me, he bowed and asked,
“Ma’am, what brings you here?”
“Cedric’s been looking tired lately, so I made a scented sachet for him.”
I pointed to the sachet on the desk. The butler looked at it and nodded.
“I’m sure the master will be very pleased.”
I nodded and fell into thought for a moment. What were those pictures of dead animals about? The sound I heard last night also strangely sounded like a hurt animal crying.
“Ma’am?”
The sudden voice startled me, and I looked up. The butler was now standing very close.
“Are you alright? Should I call a doctor if you’re unwell?”
“No, I’m fine.”
Pretending to be busy, I left the office. On my way back to my room, I couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling.
‘Why is Cedric collecting pictures of dead animals?’
That evening, Cedric returned home at the usual time. Right when I started feeling hungry. He always sat at the dining table looking neat and tidy. I was lost in thought, then looked up. Cedric smiled brightly at me.
“Revril, was everything okay today?”
I nodded and thought of the photo in Cedric’s office.
“I made a sachet today. You seemed tired lately.”
Cedric’s face lit up immediately.
“The butler told me. You made it yourself and even brought it over.”
“Yes. I think the scent might help you relax a little when you’re tired.”
Cedric nodded with a smile. I was a bit surprised. He looked genuinely happy.
‘There’s no way Cedric would kill animals like that.’
There was no reason for Cedric to do something so cruel. Still, the uneasiness in my heart lingered, so I asked carefully,
“Cedric, I saw a photo in your office today.”
“A photo?”
“It was a picture of animals that had been killed cruelly. What was that about?”
“I’ve been investigating something lately. I don’t have the results yet, but I’m still looking into it.”
Only then did I feel at ease. Right, there was no way Cedric would do something like that. I thought I trusted him, but my heart kept drifting elsewhere.
Feeling guilty toward Cedric, I didn’t ask or think about it anymore. Instead, I focused on eating the food in front of me. I was just about to eat some meat when—
“Revril, I think I’ll need to visit the estate for about a month.”
