Childcare Diaries - Chapter 93

Chapter 93

Marie was running down the hallway, her face turned white.

She usually refrained herself from expressing her emotions as much as she could, fearing that the children would be disturbed by the look on her face. So, the employees looked at her with a worried expression.

‘If I had noticed a little sooner…?’

As time passed, tears began to flow down her face as she made her way to where Kentrail was, blaming herself more and more.

‘This is not the time to be like this.’

Wiping her vision blurred by the tears, Marie ran to reach him even one step faster.

Kentrail’s office was finally seen, and the butler who was guarding it was bewildered by her appearance, so he forgot to send a message with a knock inside and opened the door.

At that, She hurried into the office. As usual, Kentrail, who was working among the paperwork, suddenly looked at the open door. There, Marie was trembling with her head bowed. He got up from her seat and hurried to her.

“What’s the matter? What’s going on?”

Without replying, she reached out her hand and held out the cloth.

“What’s this?”

When he received it and looked at it, the cloth was wrapped in some kind of powder.

“Under the young master’s pillow…”

Marie couldn’t finish her words and was choked up. He quickly reached out and lifted her face. Her eyes were red, and tears continued to flow down her cheeks.

“It’s okay. Speak slowly.”

Even in an emergency, he calmed her down as much as possible and wiped the tears with his bare hands.

“It’s like the powder I saw last time.”

Hearing the word powder, he hurriedly opened the cloth. There was a powder similar to the one that was put in the flour last time.

“Butler!”

“Yes!”

The butler, who had been standing in front of the office in an unusual air current, hurriedly came inside.

“Call the doctor immediately.”

As soon as Kentrail’s words were given, the butler ran at an unprecedented speed. Seeing this, Kentrail uttered to Marie.

“Is Brielle in the training ground right now?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go over there.”

He would only be relieved to see his nephew was safe.

Nodding her head, Marie went with him to the training ground. Both of them strode fast as if they had forgotten their faces.

* * * 

Brielle had been training for a while. He swung his sword wide in front of Taylor.

“Young Master. It seems that your sword is slower than the last time?”

When Taylor said that, the child nodded his head.

‘…It’s strange. My body is heavy these days, and I am still tired.’

Signals that there was something wrong with his health had begun, but Brielle, who was the first to be aware of this, was not fully aware of it.

“I’ll try again.”

“Yes.”

This time he swung his sword in the opposite direction. Then, the sword felt heavier than usual.

Brielle tilted his head and repeated the motion again. As he was spending the time like that, he heard a voice calling him from afar.

“Brielle…!”

It was his uncle’s voice.

Turning his head in the direction of the sound, the child put down the sword he was holding, and ran towards them. It was because Marie was also coming.

“What are you two doing here?”

Brielle asked excitedly because they were coming together to the training ground. However, when their faces became visible, the two people’s faces caught his eye. Even Marie seemed to cry.

“Brielle.”

Kentrail, who had come in front of the child, bent over to meet his eye level, then gazed all over him. From the outside, it didn’t look like there was anything wrong with Brielle.

“Do you have anywhere uncomfortable?”

“Uncomfortable…?”

He shook his head at Kentrail’s words because there was no serious pain. Though he paused for a moment before opening his mouth again.

“I am a little tired.”

“His movement while using the sword has also slowed down.”

Taylor added, who was approaching them all of a sudden.

“First, let’s get a checkup from the doctor.”

At Kentrail’s suggestion, Brielle said he understood and asked what was going on. However, Kentrail and Marie, who could not answer easily, just closed their mouths.

* * * 

Marie took Brielle and headed to her room.

They were going to sleep together here today. It was because it was impossible to put Brielle back to sleep in the room where the poison was found, and it was also because he would end up sleeping alone in another room in this situation.

As a result of Kentrail’s willing consent, the child sat down next to Ellie.

“Young Master, are you really okay?”

“Yes. I am really okay.”

A sigh escaped from Marie’s mouth, who was not relieved even as she listened to Brielle.

[ It could have been a big deal. Even the smallest amount of poison, if drank by the Young Master, who was still a child… Let’s keep an eye on the progress. ]

Since Brielle said that there was no pain in his body except for the fact that he was tired, he was prescribed a medicine to replenish his energy. The doctor’s words that things could get into a big mess caught Marie’s mind.

‘If only I had been a little more alert.’

As she combed Brielle’s hair that fell down to his forehead, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. The child, who was paying close attention to Marie’s expression, placed his own hand over hers.

“I’m really fine. On the contrary, my heart hurts more when Marie makes that face.”

As if it was really so, he reached up his other hand and stroked his chest.

“Young master…”

Marie’s eyes, as she looked at Brielle, grew watery. Seeing that, Ellie, who was lying next to him and watching them quietly, got up and sat down.

“Looking at sister’s face now, you look more sickly. So, sister, lay down quickly as well.”

What Ellie said was true.

The troubled Marie was emaciated in half a day. She, who had been watching Brielle to make sure the child wasn’t sick, couldn’t sleep as much as tonight. But, she was forced to lay down on the bed at Ellie’s words.

She planned to get up again when all the children fell asleep. However, Ellie, who knew her older sister well, opened her eyes and spoke.

“I will protect the young master, so go to sleep soon.”

“What do you mean, Ellie! I’m fine. So, you should go to bed quickly.”

This time, Brielle jumped up and spoke. He didn’t want the two of them to spend the night like this because of him.

“I’m really fine. You’re overprotective!”

When he stared at Marie and Ellie like he was really angry, they both closed their eyes and pretended to be asleep. Nonetheless, Marie was worried about Brielle. Meanwhile, Ellie was worried about her older sister and the Young Master, so she couldn’t sleep at the same time.

* * * 

“Master.”

The time when Marie went to sleep with Brielle. Kentrail was sitting opposite Taylor.

“Is this the same poison as last time?”

“Yes.”

His expression hardened even more. Obviously, from that day onward, the employees were thoroughly managed, and only selected people were allowed to enter and exit the mansion. Still, it didn’t make sense to say that the enemy came from within again.

‘No one from the outside can easily go in and out of Brielle’s room… Wait…’

Only one person. Kentrail’s expression hardened in an instant as he remembered the person who had recently entered Brielle’s room. However, for that person to be the culprit, everything was right.

‘Why…’

Taylor looked at the Master in thought, waiting for his mouth to open. It was because he knew that when Kentrail was thinking so deeply, he was sure to bring up important clues.

“…Have you investigated the identification card I spoke of at that time?”

“Yes. They said that the list of identification cards will come out tomorrow.”

“It will be clear tomorrow.”

“Is there anyone you can guess?”

“Yes. There is. I wouldn’t even know if I didn’t put it under the lamp.”

“Who is it…”

“….”

Taylor doubted his ears at the name of the person Kentrail uttered.

“But, he certainly helped us then.”

“That’s right. The reason is that tomorrow, as soon as the list comes out, we can catch them and ask them.”

As he saw the Master’s deteriorating mood, it occurred to him that what he had said was not at all wrong.

‘How many years has it been since we’ve seen each other face to face? How can you have such malicious intent.’

In a moment of goosebumps, Taylor rubbed his arm.

“How about Derek?”

Kentrail asked about the progress on Derek’s side.

“There is no news yet.”

“All right. Report as soon as we get the news.”

“Yes, I will. The Young Master is okay, right?”

“First of all, I have to believe what the doctor says…”

Still, he sighed as he had planned to look into Brielle’s room once Taylor had finished reporting.

“Oh, is there any news from the Royal Palace?”

“Yes. According to the handmaid I planted, His Majesty often speaks with Caveran, but he always dismissed everyone except the chief attendant so she doesn’t know what’s going on.”

“…The chief attendant… he’s known for his heavy mouth, he’s trouble.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll see into that. First of all, if the identification card comes out tomorrow, let’s focus the investigation on this side.”

“I’ll do that.”

After Taylor finally said his greetings, he withdrew.

* * * 

A knock echoed through Marie and Ellie’s room. They, who had not yet slept, glanced at the door.

“Yes.”

Marie got up from bed at the same time as she answered before opening the locked door.

Kentrail’s voice was heard.

“You haven’t slept. I thought you must have been tired.”

He said in a voice full of concern.

“I’m fine. Rather than that, the young master said that he was fine, but he was surprised to have to see a doctor suddenly during the day, so he fell asleep deeply.”

“Okay…”

Kentrail walked over to Brielle, who was lying on the bed.

“Ellie wasn’t sleeping either.”

He put a hand on Brielle’s forehead as he smiled at Ellie, who was gazing at him with her eyes open. It didn’t seem like much had changed.

“You must’ve been very surprised today.”

Kentrail turned and spoke to Marie. Instead of answering, she nodded her head. It seemed to him that Marie was still blaming herself.

“Shall we walk down the hallway for a moment?”

Because Ellie was here, he could not tell the story of the incident, and he also felt that he had to ease the burden on her heart. After Kentrail got up and arranged Brielle’s blanket, he also took care of Ellie’s blanket.

“Ellie, don’t worry, go to sleep.”

“Yes.”

Patting the child affectionately, he took Marie, who was standing nearby, and went out into the hallway.

‘…I should tell her about the person whom I think is the culprit.’

Kentrail walked down the hallway, contemplating how to speak so that she would be less appalled.