The Nanny of House Herzen - Chapter 44
Before long, the carriage door reopened, and Carius extended his hand. However, with the steward watching, she couldn’t possibly accept the master’s escort instead of the stablehand’s.
Evelyn tried to ignore his hand, but his firm voice cut through the air.
“Take it.”
Evelyn flinched and looked down at him. Recognizing her fear, he offered a slight smile.
“Quickly now.”
Reluctantly, she took his hand and stepped out of the carriage. Carius went a step further.
“Let’s eat before heading upstairs.”
From the moment she stepped into the garden, Evelyn’s thoughts were consumed with Johanson. She desperately wanted to see her, but Carius was already heading to the dining hall.
This was unexpected. Evelyn had never set foot in the main dining hall.
If he planned to have a meal with her, this was going too far. Unable to comply, she softly called out.
“…Master.”
He ignored her. She sighed and tried again.
“Carius.”
This time, he slowed his steps.
“Yes?”
“… I think I’ll head upstairs now. I can come back later…”
“If you go up now, you’ll run into the other nanny. She’s probably packing in a hurry, anxious to leave, and seeing you would make her uncomfortable.”
“….You sent the new nanny away because of me? At this hour?”
She hadn’t considered that someone else might lose their job because of her. Feeling overwhelmed, Evelyn questioned him, and he chuckled.
“I gave her a generous severance and arranged for her to be taken home with her child. You leaving caused quite a bit of trouble for me, so you can’t even share a meal with me?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to…”
“I’d prefer to do something else, but… a meal in the dining hall is more appropriate, don’t you think?”
Whatever he wanted to do, it clearly wasn’t suitable for the dining hall. Pale, Evelyn nodded.
“Yes, just… dinner.”
Carius turned his head slightly, hiding his amusement.
As it was late, the menu for dinner was simple. Evelyn ate sparingly, just as she had done earlier in the day.
After the meal, Carius glanced at his watch.
“Shall we head upstairs now?”
* * *
Seeing the sleeping Johanson, Evelyn burst into tears.
The new nanny had taken good care of her; her cheeks were chubbier, her limbs longer, and her hair seemed to have grown.
She worried that the baby had forgotten her. Cutting her hair seemed like a pointless act.
The head maid, who she thought would be difficult to face, was nowhere to be seen.
The room was exactly as it had been the day she left. She looked down at the sleeping baby, her eyes red with tears, when he whispered in her ear.
“If you’re done looking, let’s go.”
Evelyn couldn’t disobey. Back in Herzen, he was once again her employer.
Hesitantly, she followed him to his room, where a large bath was half-filled with water.
“I’ll wash up… and then come back.”
Evelyn hesitated, but he refused again.
“We can wash together.”
“With people watching, how can I…?”
He chuckled, and she couldn’t finish her sentence.
As Carius began to undo her dress, he asked.
“Is there someone you’d like to bring here as your handmaid?”
A handmaid?
The question was so unexpected that Evelyn’s heart sank.
“What?”
“Shall I find someone you used to employ at your family’s home?”
Did he just say ‘family’? How much did he know and from where?
Evelyn’s lips trembled as she replied.
“What, what do you mean…?”
Lowering her gaze in shock, Carius pulled her dress open. It slid off her shoulders, leaving her in her undergarments.
But she couldn’t focus on her exposed body. She was too stunned by his sudden revelation.
Despite the situation, Carius remained calm. Pressing against her back, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding one of her hands.
“Could someone who cares for children have hands this soft and delicate? I wondered that the first night I held you.”
Evelyn felt like she couldn’t breathe. She had naively believed that as long as she kept quiet, no one would find out who she really was.
His lips touched the tips of her white fingers. He slowly drew them into his mouth and caressed them gently before placing a final kiss on the back of her hand.
“It’s an absurd notion. And there’s no servant in this kingdom who takes baths as often as you do.”
He spoke with a teasing smile, but Evelyn couldn’t bring herself to smile back.
She had bathed frequently not out of preference, but because he had sought her out from time to time. Unable to voice any resentment, she only managed to ask in a trembling voice.
“Did you know….from the beginning? Do you know where I come from?”
“I thought I’d let you tell me in your own time. After all, you were staying in my home, under my protection.”
It was true. Carius had suspected that Evelyn was of noble birth but chose to wait, thinking it more considerate than probing into her past wounds. It was unfortunate that this had given her a chance to flee.
He only delved into her background after Evelyn had left.
