The Nanny of House Herzen - Chapter 1
1. The Nanny of House Herzen
“Gasp…”
Evelyn was panting heavily.
Blood flowed between her trembling legs, and sorrowful tears drenched both cheeks.
The only saving grace in this hellish pit of despair was the heavy rain. The strong rain washed away the red trails flowing down her pale legs.
Bang, bang-bang!
Gunshots erupted behind her.
The frail woman was so startled that she collapsed into the reeds. Her palms red as they covered her ears.
“Huh…”
A muffled moan escaped through her lips. Her trembling hands, which had fallen from her ears, covered her mouth again.
Her drenched body was shivering, and there was no hiding the chills. The swaying reeds in the wind and rain were her only hope of hiding her tattered body.
The sounds of her pursuers’ footsteps mixed with the wind.
Evelyn clenched her eyes shut. Waiting quietly, she soon heard voices close by.
“Of all the times for it to rain…”
“It’s so dark I can’t see anything. Looks like she might be dead, not even a sound.”
“It’s impressive she made it this far, looking as weak as she does. Let’s call it off.”
“Yeah, let’s head back. The rain is getting heavier.”
The nearby noises gradually faded away.
Rumble!
The heavens themselves seemed to rumble in anger—or perhaps to hide Evelyn in this rain.
“Sob…”
A deep thunderclap mixed with a choked sob shook the dark ground.
But her time to weep was brief. Soon, she heard the howling of beasts nearby.
Evelyn swallowed her tears and felt around her body. Having just given birth to a stillborn, she was as blood-soaked as if she had been shot.
Even amid the storm, the scent of blood was distinct. It was only a matter of time before she would become prey to the beasts.
She crawled through the reed bed, weeping. On a night when the malicious clouds hid even the moon, she crawled through the darkness.
“Gasp, gasp…”
Finally, the forest ended and a path emerged. Evelyn stood on her two trembling legs and shuffled forward. She walked, dragging her feet as if they were lead weights.
It seemed that Evelyn’s time in her life was up. From afar, she saw a light.
It was a large mansion. Unable to gauge which direction she had come from or whose estate it might be, she had no clue.
With the last of her strength, she headed towards the light. But all she encountered was a solid iron gate. There was no nameplate or any sign of what lay beyond.
Bang, bang. She banged on the gate with her whole body.
“Please, save me…”
The harsh sound of the rain devoured her frail pleas. Bang, bang, bang.
Evelyn, with no strength left to stand, found the mansion’s door unbearably heavy. But if it did not open, she would surely die tonight.
She fell to her knees in front of the gate. Lifting her arms that felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, she pounded on the door with her fists. Thump, thump…
“Please, save me…”
How long had she waited? Through the iron-laced doorframe, she saw someone approaching with a lantern in hand.
“Save…”
That was her last word. Evelyn lost consciousness before she could finish her plea.
* * *
Wah, wah. Evelyn was jolted awake by the sound of a newborn baby crying somewhere.
Her body ached as if beaten, and her head felt like it was about to split. It took her a moment to adjust to the pale light seeping through the curtains.
She took a careful look around. The room wasn’t large, but it was not a servant’s quarters in the basement.
When she knocked on the gate last night, she had thought herself lucky just to have a roof over her head to escape the rain, perhaps even a storeroom. But it seemed someone had offered her a bed and changed her clothes.
Evelyn looked down at her plain nightgown, noticing stains on it.
She rubbed her chest with a bitter expression, feeling sticky and damp. Unaware that she had lost her child, her foolish body was still reacting unnecessarily.
Just then, she heard a soft knock on the door. Knock, knock.
She was startled and pulled the blanket up to her neck just as the door opened and someone appeared. Seeing Evelyn awake, the person clicked their tongue sympathetically.
“Are you okay? Are you coming to?”
The tone was informal, unpretentious. Judging by the attire, it was the head maid of the mansion.
‘Ah…’
Evelyn finally realized.
With her body still reeling from the stillbirth less than a day ago, Evelyn was suddenly driven out. Dressed in a blood-soaked nightgown, she had fled across the fields from her pursuers.
In such a state, it was unimaginable that anyone would recognize her as a noble. Her appearance was worse than a beggar’s. It was a miracle she wasn’t turned away but instead was taken in.
So, what could the reason for this hospitality be? She couldn’t help but fear the worst.
Before she could respond, the head maid asked again.
“What about the baby?”
Evelyn looked up at her in surprise.
It seemed she had realized Evelyn had given birth by her appearance. Perhaps this woman had even been the one to wash and change her clothes.
“….Did it die? Or was it taken from you?”
As her life was almost going to be lost, Evelyn had been so preoccupied with her own survival that she had momentarily forgotten her grief over the stillborn child.
Only then did sorrowful tears begin to stream down her cheeks.
