ETDO Chapter 38

A heavy rain was pouring outside. It had been fine when we arrived. While Mary asked the doorman to call for the Beaufort carriage, I stepped slightly under the eaves to look outside.

The streets in the bustling city center were well-paved, but not all roads were. 

Would the carriage be able to travel properly in this downpour? 

I looked around, worried, as people hurriedly took refuge in buildings to avoid the rain.

“Lily!”

Startled by my name being called through the rain, I looked around. Someone was waving at me from inside a black carriage parked by the side of the road. I squinted my eyes, trying to see clearly through the heavy rain.

“Ethan?”

Goodness. It was Ethan.

As he gestured for me to come over, the Duke of Berwick’s personal coachman jumped down from his seat and ran towards me with an umbrella. Holding the small box containing the cake, I instructed Mary,

“Mary, you take the carriage we came in and go back to the Duke’s residence. I’ll go ahead with that one. Alright?”

“Yes, Madam!”

I dashed under the umbrella held by the coachman. He opened the carriage door and held the umbrella over me until I was inside. As soon as the door closed, Ethan pulled me towards him urgently.

He embraced me tightly, unconcerned about his clothes getting wet. In an instant, my waist was encircled by his arms, and his hot breath fell on my face. His hand lifted my chin, and his thick tongue parted my lips, invading my mouth.

I responded instinctively but kept my arm outstretched, worried about crushing the cake box in my hand. He kissed me as if he wanted to devour me whole.

“Mmm…”

That familiar fluttering sensation returned to the pit of my stomach once again. This intense throbbing felt unfamiliar, and the fact that it was with Ethan, not Arthur, made it even more so. I shivered.

Heavy raindrops pounded against the carriage roof. Accompanied by the clatter of hooves, we swayed back and forth, our lips locked together.

With a soft smack, our lips parted reluctantly. As I opened my eyes, Ethan’s smoldering gaze captured me.

“Ha… I’m going crazy wanting to take you right here, right now.”

“Can we?”

I replied breathlessly. Ethan chuckled.

“Unfortunately not. I’m on my way to visit someone in the hospital.”

“Ah!”

He must be going to see His Majesty. I had heard that the Emperor, who had looked as pale as wax, had finally taken to his sickbed.

The twins were very fond of their uncle, who had raised them in place of their neglectful father. Because of this, they frequently visited the palace to see him, taking turns. Of course, the Emperor’s consciousness wasn’t clear enough to fully register their visits.

“Then how about something else sweet instead?”

“Something else?”

I held up the small box I was holding for Ethan to see. Having successfully diverted his attention, I carefully placed the box on my lap and opened the lid.

Bite-sized, colorful cakes were neatly arranged inside small paper compartments. Ethan chuckled and picked up a bright pink cake. But instead of putting it in his mouth, he held it to my lips.

“Let’s eat it together.”

It was unexpected, but I was curious about the taste, so I took a small bite. It tasted like tart raspberries. Ethan smiled, popped the rest of the cake into his mouth, and mumbled while chewing,

“Mmm, not bad.”

I chose the next one. The brown cake tasted like coffee. Ethan laughed as he saw my eyes widen in surprise, then suddenly brought his face close to mine.

He licked the crumbs from the corner of my mouth as if it were the most natural thing in the world. His soft tongue and lips brushed against the sensitive skin around my lips. The feather-light touch tickled, and I couldn’t help but smile.

Unable to resist the tingling sensation, I impulsively kissed him. 

And I immediately regretted it.

“Ah!”

Ethan returned the kiss with a fervor that took my breath away. He explored my mouth with an urgency that was far more intense than before as if he were trying to satisfy his desires through the kiss alone.

“H-how much… further to the palace?”

I managed to pull away, panting, staring at his glistening lips.

“Who knows? I’ll have to give permission for us to arrive.”

My eyes widened. 

Did that mean we were still circling the city? 

Did the coachman know what was happening inside?

Seeing my expression, Ethan grinned.

“How about we just keep driving around and doing this instead of going to the palace?”

“E-Ethan!”

My cheeks flushed instantly. He chuckled and then knocked on the carriage wall.

“Unfortunately, I really have to go now.”

I nodded.

But as if reluctant, Ethan kept kissing me until we arrived. Not only his lips but his hands were also very busy. 

Just as his hand finally slipped between my legs, finding its way beneath my underwear, we arrived at the palace. I tried to soothe his frustrated grumbling.

I was finally able to calm him down by promising to see him later that evening. We had planned to attend the opera together.

After dropping Ethan off at the palace, the carriage started back towards the Duke’s residence. Watching the raindrops streaming down the window, I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to calm my racing heart.

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

Mary quickly climbed into the carriage that had finally stopped by the roadside. Relaxing her shoulders, which had been hunched against the rain, she looked up and nearly fainted at the sight of the noble lady sitting across from her.

“Oh my goodness!”

‘Ah? Who is this? Isn’t this the Beaufort carriage?

Mary stared at the other person, her eyes wide with shock when she finally recognized the woman. It was Lady Wellington, Lord Ethan’s fiancée. Mustering her courage, she spoke in a shaky voice,

“H-how did you…?”

“That’s none of your business.”

The Lady cut her off with a voice as cold as ice. Her hazel eyes scanned Mary’s appearance sharply. After calmly observing her laden with shopping bags bearing the department store logo, the lady seemed to have already grasped the situation.

“You’re the Duchess of Beaufort’s personal maid, aren’t you?”

“Yes? Y-yes!”

Mary replied hurriedly, startled. The Lady stared directly into her eyes.

“Aren’t you curious as to why I came to find you?”

Mary swallowed hard. She didn’t know how to respond. 

Nobles rarely went to such lengths unless it was a matter of great importance. There were plenty of servants at their disposal; there was no need for them to do so. The fact that she had personally come to play this guessing game with a mere maid meant that whatever it was, it must be very important to her.

“O-of course, My Lady.”

Mary, usually praised for her quick thinking, instantly adopted a subservient posture. And truthfully, she was secretly intimidated by the Lady, just as much as she was by Ethan.

“I know you’re childhood friends with Alice Howard.”

Mary gasped, stunned. A cold sweat broke out, and her vision blurred. 

How did the Lady know that?

“Y-yes…! T-that’s right, My Lady.”

“But your friend died a few years ago.”

The Lady spoke as casually as if she were talking about a flower wilting in a pot a few days ago. She leaned back against the carriage seat and tilted her head.

“Aren’t you curious how I know about your friend?”

“Y-yes, I-I am curious, My Lady.”

Honestly, she wasn’t curious at all, but she quickly answered. From experience, she knew that telling her superiors what they wanted to hear increased her chances of survival.

The Lady continued, unhurried, “She was my informant inside the Beaufort residence. I used her to obtain quick and accurate information about Ethan. That is, until that foolish girl dared to act on her own.”

Mary crouched further, startled. She made herself as small as possible as if that would somehow protect her.

As she huddled nervously, like a sea turtle retreating into its shell, the Lady’s words struck like a whip.

“That girl mentioned a childhood friend once, and it was you. That’s why I chose you to replace your friend. From now on, you will be my eyes and ears inside the Duke’s residence.”

“What?!”

Mary’s eyes widened, and she straightened up, only to shrink back down like a deflated balloon.

“B-but why…?”

“Because I still need an informant, of course. Now that Alice is gone, I need to replace her, don’t I?”

As Mary anxiously wrung her hands, the Lady continued,

“If you report on the happenings within the Duke’s residence, you’ll be greatly rewarded. Every time you come to report, I’ll pay you double your monthly salary in cash.”

The Lady smiled, watching Mary’s eyes widen. She added casually, 

“I heard your mother back home is very ill, isn’t she?”

Mary fidgeted with her clothes, loss for words. 

The Lady watched her with a leisurely gaze, then reached into her purse and pulled out a small velvet pouch, shaking it slightly.