Childcare Diaries - Chapter 33

Ellie was afraid.

It was as if her older sister had just left her side. The child stroked Marie’s hand, which had become rough from her hard life, over and over again.

She is the older sister who changed one day. Marie thought the child would follow her sister who changed overnight, as the child was starved for love, but she didn’t.

Ellie felt it. Her sister changed in an instant. The child, who was always anxious about whether she would be abandoned, was keenly aware of everything.

Still, at first, she didn’t really think that someone else had taken over her sister’s body. And a day passed and two days passed.

The things her sister did for her increased. Ellie was happy but sad at the same time. She didn’t know why. It felt as if something was squeezing and pressing her on one side of her chest.

She saw her older sister walking around without her brooch, which she loved so much. So, she had asked her sister.

[ “Sister, why aren’t you wearing a brooch these days?” ]

[ “The young master may be stabbed or injured.” ]

[ “I think sister really likes the young master.” ]

[ “Of course, sister likes Ellie and Barry, and also likes Young Master Brielle.” ]

Lies.

Her sister has always been like that. She said herself that the young master was only a means of earning money. She would come home and shout on difficult days, saying that if their family had not been destroyed, she would have been called a young lady and would be living like that.

Marie was furious.

But, as Ellie said it was a lie, her sister was smiling so happily. Her sister’s eyes that gazed at her were so warm and her heart softened.

She suddenly thought of that.

Is it really my sister? Her older sister had abandoned her… it was as if she had been replaced by an angel who came down from heaven.

Ellie was at the age she believed she could even talk to plants, so of course, she believed in angels, too.

A year passed, two years passed, and time passed.

It didn’t matter who she was now. Just that Marie was her own older sister. She was just her family…

Whenever her sister glanced out the window or looked up at the sky with a sad expression on her face, Ellie’s heart pounded and she held her hand tightly.

Marie’s hands, which became rough because she raised herself, were painful and beautiful.

The little girl was afraid. She thought that her sister might disappear while she was away. Ellie sometimes feared that her sister might be in her own imagination, so she couldn’t help it. It was an eternally incurable pain in the child’s heart.

“Sister…”

A small voice rang through the room and disappeared.

“Don’t go.”

Tears running down the child’s cheeks became dots and fell on the back of Marie’s hand.

Kentrail could hear the agonizing sound outside the door. It was as if it was overlapping with the sound of himself calling out to his brother in his dream.

She was right that it was someone’s ruse, as he expected. The culprit approached Marie and targeted Brielle. They even keep hovering around them. A knight who had died in prison without opening his mouth properly had knocked on Marie’s room window.

Now that he thinks about it, it could be that the one who broke the window in the study was targeting Marie.

With that thought in mind, he tightened his fists.

He won’t give the same sorrow he had to Ellie, who is calling her sister so grievously. He will definitely protect the woman he loves.

Even though Kentrail hadn’t yet recovered from the shock of the truth she had confessed, he didn’t have time to flounder in shock.

The enemy was thrusting a sword in front of his neck.

Standing in front of the door for a long time, he turned around, clasping his hands tightly.

*** 

Brielle was depressed. It had been a long time since his dimples had seen the light, which it would show every time he laughed. He used to run around with a smile even in the unusual atmosphere of the mansion, but now, he couldn’t.

[ “Marie collapses.” ]

The first time he heard the news was when he woke up early in the morning and set out to find his nanny. Brielle ran in haste, but Marie didn’t see him with her eyes closed.

Among the expressions he had seen in children’s books, he seemed to know what made his heart dye with fear.

[ “Marie will be all right.” ]

His uncle’s consolation was of little help since Kentrail, who said so, was also anxious as well. So, it was only natural.

Meanwhile, Ellie did not leave the nanny’s side. Brielle wanted to do the same. But, then it was Marie who would be in trouble. Still, he diligently turned away from her and continued to visit Marie whenever he had time.

“She’ll be fine.”

Taylor said as he peered at Brielle, who had been looking for the nanny for a while now.

“Maybe Marie is sick because of me…”

Taylor was taken aback by that.

“How can you say that, Young Master?”

Long after his social debut, Brielle heard about his parents’ accident at the mansion, which not everyone in the family had told him of.

He was the only survivor. While both his parents are dead.

It was used as prey for gossipers in the social world, and unfortunately, it flew into Brielle’s ear.

“…”

“If the nanny hears that, she will be sad.”

“But…”

“It’s absolutely not because of the Young Master.”

Taylor affirmed his words, kneeling on one knee at Briellie’s eye level. “I swear.”

“Hmm…”

Although Brielle was wary of Marie, he knew Taylor was the most loyal knight. Thanks to him, it seemed that the anxiety that had been sitting in the corner of his heart had dissipated a little.

*** 

As Kentrail ordered the knights to summon Derek, he swiftly crept into the mansion without a hitch.

“You’re here.”

It was best for the Count to go see Derek in person, but he couldn’t vacate the mansion now that Marie had collapsed.

“The atmosphere in the mansion was strange, what’s going on?”

He was referring to the stricter security than usual and a depressing atmosphere.

“Brielle’s nanny has collapsed.”

Derek’s eyes, which had been consistently expressionless, grew wide. Worried that something had already happened to the Count, he hurriedly asked. “What happened?”

Kentrail raised his large hand and stroked his face once exhaustedly.

The story he heard from Marie was a secret between her and himself. It was different from being loyal and trustworthy.

“…Something had happened.”

Sensing that his master was in trouble, Derek didn’t press anymore. He felt reassured because it didn’t seem like the mansion was being attacked right away.

“What happened to my request?”

“I’m almost done with the work.”

“All right.”

Kentrail, on the one hand, had a heavy heart. He had asked Derek to join him, and then he was sorry to have him work behind the scenes. However, he decided to put this mind on hold until the war with the invisible enemy was over. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much time to sort things out.

*** 

‘What happened…?’

Finally, Marie opened her eyes.

It was the moment she blinked her eyes as she tried to grasp the situation and tried to raise her arm. A small weight could be felt on her hand.

Rolling her eyes to look, she saw Ellie burying her face in her hands. It must have been a long time since she collapsed. It caught her eye that the child’s face was gaunt.

“El…lie…”

Her voice cracked and didn’t come out smoothly. As Marie was about to wake the child, she looked out the window and saw that it was still dark. So, she decided to stay quiet to organize her thoughts.

‘…I told the Count everything.’

The fact that only she knew. She has someone to share her secret with, and most importantly, he even believes in her.

‘I… never thought of such a positive future.’

It went amazing. Marie felt reassured, though she soon came to regret it.

‘Still, it doesn’t change the fact that there are only a few things I could remember…’

A sigh came, but hearing the sound of the breathing, she could feel Ellie about to get up.

“Sis…ter?”

The child rubbed her eyes and checked over and over in disbelief. She then hugged Marie tightly as she soon noticed that her older sister was awake with a smiling face.

“Uh… why did you just wake up now?”

There was a sob at the child’s words. Marie raised her numb hand and stroked Ellie’s hair. She said softly, “Are you surprised that your sister fell?”

“Of course. How worried Brother Barry and Young Master Brielle were.”

Marie was concerned about the children that would have worried about her. There was no difference between Barry and Brielle with Ellie.

“Why is your face like this?”

“Is that what sister had to say?”

Ellie screamed as she saw Marie stroking her cheek. After hearing their voices, the knight outside hurried in.

“Nanny, you’re awake.”

“Knight.”

“I will tell the Count that you have woken up.”

Marie stopped him from leaving immediately. At this late hour, she didn’t want to make a fuss in the mansion. By now, it was time for everyone to sleep. Nonetheless, there was something she didn’t know. Since she collapsed, Kentrail has suffered from insomnia, Barry was worried and Brielle’s tears kept him from sleeping.

The knight shook his head at Marie, who was stopping him, and went outside hurriedly. It was a call to wake everyone in the mansion.

Ellie shouted to her older sister, who sighed.

“Knowing sister’s up will make other people more comfortable. Not everyone is sleeping because everyone is worried about sister now.”

Suddenly, Marie gazed at her little sister. Ellie seemed to have grown up again while Marie was sleeping. She was sorry for her little sister.

Before her regrets could go away, she could hear the sound of the quick footsteps. It was a sound that felt a little heavy. Of course, the first person to open the door was Kentrail.

“Are you all right?”

As he uttered those words, he strode closer to her bed and began to examine her body. She didn’t suffer any trauma from it, but it seemed like he had to do something like this for his sanity.

Marie nodded her head. But he soon restrained that gesture of his.

“You can’t shake your head like that to a fallen person.”

Ellie was next to her, looking disapprovingly as if sympathizing with Marie . A smile appeared on Marie’s face at that sight.

“I’m smiling right now, see…?”

Before the count could finish speaking, the door opened again. It was Barry and Brielle.

“Sister…”

“Marie…”

As the two rushed to the bed and hugged her, she greeted the children with her arms outstretched.

“The nanny should absolutely rest now. She shouldn’t be hugged like that.”

After Kentrail’s words, the two children quickly ran away.

“Marie… are you okay? Are you sick again because of me?”

“It’s okay, Young Master. The Count is exaggerating.”

At that, The Count rolled his eyes. Again, she wasn’t too careful with herself.

It was the butler who stopped these two quarrels. He brought the doctor. It seemed that the doctor was still dreaming as he had been dragged while sleeping. But, he quickly woke up to the Count’s bitter eyes staring at him.

Marie felt awkward, as if she had feigned her illness.