Missing Cinderella - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

‘He won’t listen to me seriously anyway.’

Eschert kept close eye contact with Camellia as she talked to her. Patrick carefully intervened between the two of them at that time, and the three naturally continued their conversation in a fairly good atmosphere.

A little confused, Siella stood blankly and watched the three of them. Why was that? A little while ago, she thought that perhaps, Eschert was about to kiss Camellia on her lips. I don’t know. It just suddenly came to me, unknowingly.

Even though she knew better than anyone that [Eschert] wasn’t so kind as to kiss someone in a place where there are many eyes watching. It was only a week ago since Eschert took Edwin and Camellia to the temple. But it seemed like Eschert and Camellia had become quite close. So close enough for them to talk face-to-face with each other.

It was only a week. What happened between the two of them in that short amount of time? What on earth could have happened to cause such a remarkable change in the relationship between them?

When Siella first met Camellia, she could remember how Eschert looked at her with hostility in his eyes before giving her a light nod of head. It seems like the day she would be leaving this place would become much sooner than she thought.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Eschert didn’t return to his private residence after that day, but rather stayed at the mansion. Siella wondered if there was ever a time where Eschert stayed at the mansion for such a long time.

It was busy inside the mansion as of lately. It was because of the banquet that will be held soon to announce Edwin’s safe return to the family. If Eschert doesn’t have a change of mind, then Edwin would one day become the Lord of this venerable family.

Siella inadvertently recalled the memory when she was invited to attend the banquet where Eschert was announced as the Head of the family. Naturally, she also remembered how the vassals looked at her that day.

‘Should I say that it hurts?’

She had become Eschert’s fiancée at that time, so she had no choice but to go with him. However this time, she wondered if there was a need for her to attend the banquet herself. Thinking of it, Eschert didn’t tell her to prepare. No one even told her that there would be a banquet soon. And so….

Maybe it would be alright if I don’t attend the banquet this time.

With that thought in mind, Siella opened the door and lightly sneered as she checked the empty hallway.

‘They weren’t always caring with me, but it has never been this bad.’

After she moved her bedroom to this room, she hadn’t been getting her meals on time at all. It was fortunate that her meals would come even late. There were days where she didn’t even get food. It was like that now. Even though it was already well past noon, the tray with food hadn’t arrived.

Looks like I’ll be skipping lunch today. Siella thought. Could it be that Patrick gave some special instructions to the attendants? I didn’t know he’d get back to me in this way after the farce we had the other day. Or simply because he was so absorbed in taking care of the new guest that he simply forgot that I still existed.

The thoughts that came to Siella’s head soon faded one by one.

“Miss Siella.”

She was about to turn around and go inside her room when she suddenly heard an unwelcome voice. Siella swallowed a sigh and turned her head.

Before she knew it, a smiling Dennis had come closer. His expression was more peculiar than usual, as if he was scheming something. Siella unknowingly tightened her hold to the doorknob.

“Last night, I received a letter addressed to Miss Siella.”

Dennis pulled out a luxurious letter decorated with a gold leaf from his bosom and waved it in front of Siella’s eyes. Siella stared at Dennis as if looking at someone who’s taking her letter as a hostage.

“What are you doing now?”

“Hmm, who knows?”

Siella frowned and keenly asked him a question. However, Dennis only looked at Siella with an even thicker smile on his lips.

She didn’t even want to deal with Dennis anymore, but she couldn’t even close the door because of the letter he was holding to his chest. Siella swallowed a small sigh.

“I want to go inside and have a quick talk with you for a moment, so would you mind stepping aside to let me in?”

“Just say it here.”

Dennis laughed with a ‘ridiculous’ expression on his face at Siella’s firm words.

“Haa… I was trying to be considerate of Miss Siella, but you are so heartless and disregarded my sincerity.” Dennis glanced at Siella with a disapproving look, shaking his head and said, “Since Miss Siella is like this, then I’m really left with no choice.”

Slightly shaking the letter again as if telling her to take a look, Dennis handed it to Siella like he was hesitant to do it. Siella grabbed the corners of the envelope he was holding tightly in his large hand and pulled it from him, trying not to touch him at all.

Momentarily stunned by her actions, Dennis sneered but then looked down at Siella again with a satisfied expression as if he had never laughed so. After checking the envelope with its wax already ripped off, Siella’s face hardened.

“Did you… open this first?”

As if it was only natural, Dennis quickly responded, “One of my duties is to check what comes in and out of the mansion, and make sure that it is safe.” He even shrugged his shoulders as if asking if there was any problem in it. “This was the first time that someone had sent Miss Siella a letter, so I took my time to check it more thoroughly.”

Siella bit her lower lip. The hand holding the letter trembled.

“However, I have never thought that Miss Siella would have a paramour outside of the Duke’s mansion.” As he took great pleasure in Siella’s reaction, Dennis spoke in a voice filled with joy. “No, should I say that I never thought that your paramour would be Count Leroy’s second son, which was your, Miss Siella’s family?”

In that instant, Siella’s hands trembled from anger and humiliation, as well as her whole body, and her movement stopped altogether.

Siella guessed that the letter came from Leonard when she saw the seal of the Leroy family stamped on the envelope of the letter. Leonard Leroy – he was a man who became the Family Head in exchange for Siella’s good cooperation in breaking the marriage to Count Shedland and her engagement with Eschert.

It would be Leonard if there would be someone who could send a letter to Siella. However….

“Ah, come to think of it, men of the Leroy family don’t share a drop of blood with you at all.”

Siella hurriedly opened the letter.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t share blood with your siblings. Wouldn’t it be better to hide such shameful relationships more carefully?”

The letter wasn’t from Leonard. It was just as Dennis said. It was Leroy’s second son, Kyle Yeness Leroy. It was a letter from a man Siella wanted to run away from even in her dreams.

‘How did Kyle, who should be trapped on an island, send me a letter?’

A forever safe and free life from the threatening Kyle. It was one of the things Siella got from Eschert for maintaining their engaged relationship she didn’t know when it might end. But how….

Siella raised her ghastly white face. At the moment when Dennis saw that and was about to speak again with a joyful expression, Siella rushed inside her room, pushing Dennis out of the way who was standing and blocking the door the whole time.

“Wh, what was that?!”

Almost knocked to the floor, Dennis managed to keep his balance. But then, Siella had already disappeared from sight.

(T/N: I really hope that Eschert isn’t the ML. He is ignorant of the FL and I think he had barely managed to keep his promise to the FL as part of their engagement contract agreement. You’ll see in the next chapter.)