Guidelines for the Perfect Goodbye - Chapter 127
Next to Guinevere was Nigel. Although he was only thirteen, he already wore a look of complete disillusionment, holding Guinevere’s hand with a thoroughly sour expression.
Or rather, Guinevere was gripping Nigel’s hand tightly, as if to prevent him from letting go.
“Why are you here again?”
Guinevere frowned as she belatedly noticed Cecilia and Lilith. She didn’t seem pleased that they were with her son.
“Do you think it’s alright to wander around like this? What if Adam finds out?”
“Hiccup…!”
Cecilia hiccuped in fear. Ulysses glanced at her and stepped forward.
“I invited her to play with me.”
“You?”
Guinevere looked at her son with suspicion.
“Yes. I was bored being alone…”
“Hah!”
Nigel, standing beside her, let out a dry laugh.
“You two seem to be getting along well without me knowing.”
He smirked, but his eyes were not smiling at all.
“Nigel, this is all because you don’t stay with Ulysses.”
“…”
He ignored Guinevere’s words, as he often did. He would simply shut his mouth when he couldn’t retort with a sarcastic remark. It was evident he had no intention of showing her any respect.
Guinevere sighed deeply, gave them the usual lecture about getting along, and then pulled Ulysses by the hand.
“Let’s go back.”
“But Cecilia, she…”
“Ulysses, you should associate with people of your own standing.”
“…”
“Stay with Nigel.”
“Who says so?”
Nigel grumbled. Guinevere, used to his behavior, didn’t mind and dragged both Ulysses and Nigel away.
Before leaving, she glanced back at Lilith.
“Cecilia is one thing, but you…”
She clicked her tongue with hypocritical pity.
“To think you’d come out here like this, you’ve got some nerve. I’ll be sure to inform Adam of everything that happened today.”
“…”
Usually, Lilith would have begged for forgiveness, asking her to overlook it just this once.
But today, she merely hung her head low.
As soon as Guinevere disappeared, Lilith knelt in front of Cecilia and examined her cheek.
“Are you alright? Is it swollen? The wound… the wound can’t leave a scar…”
“M-Miss Lilith, what if we get scolded when we go back…?”
“Are you worried about Mom right now? Don’t think about useless things. Mom is strong and will be fine.”
“Th-That’s not really logical…”
Cecilia stammered.
“T-There aren’t many physical means to deal with mental pressure, Miss Lilith…”
“Are you talking back to Mom right now?”
Conversations with her increasingly smart daughter were becoming burdensome. She felt both proud and dejected.
“Enough. As long as you’re okay, Mom is fine.”
“I…”
“Hmm?”
Cecilia opened her mouth but then shook her head.
“I’m alright.”
“…Sorry.”
Lilith held Cecilia’s hand and returned to the mansion. She didn’t let go of her hand until the very end.
Just in case, to strongly assert that she had taken Cecilia with her.
But that day, the place Lilith was summoned to was not Adam’s study.
* * *
“Ma-Madam…?”
Lilith called nervously from in front of the countess’s bedroom.
A faint voice came from beyond the door.
“Come in.”
Lilith hesitantly entered the room. Evelyn, half-reclined on her bed, turned to look at her.
The window, with its curtains pulled back, was positioned directly behind her bed.
Bright sunlight spilled over her brown hair, casting a yellow hue on her pale face.
She smiled like a young girl with her emaciated face.
“Hello, gypsy?”
Evelyn’s greeting to Lilith was different from usual. She seemed more cheerful, even lively.
That demeanor made her look like a frail girl… or a senile old woman.
Lilith wasn’t in the right mindset to distinguish between the two. She just felt nervous seeing Evelyn so affectionate towards her.
‘Why did the Countess summon me instead of the Count?’
Evelyn had never called her aside to scold or get angry with her. She usually ignored her or just glanced at her dismissively.
It was the first time she had greeted her so directly.
“I heard you went out today?”
“I apologize, Madam.”
An apology came out immediately. She had indeed overstepped her bounds. Was that why she had been called? Her heart dropped heavily to the ground.
