Chapter 7

Bertine returned to the store and called out to the owner at the back.

"There are two children outside waiting for their mother. They're from the neighborhood, and it's not safe, so if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to take them home with me."

"Oh! Just a moment, please. Isabelle! There are children here, you know."

The woman called Isabelle, who looked to be in her early twenties, hurried out of the door, and Bertine followed her.

"It's not safe, so if you don't mind, I can take care of them until I finish work. I think my house is near yours."

"Mom, this is the candy lady! It's the house where Mr. Enrique used to have his store!"

"Oh, that house. Thank you for giving the children candy. David, I told you not to come to the store."

The boy called David looked troubled. His three-year-old sister seemed to be sleepy.

"I know it might be worrying to leave the children with a stranger, but I think it's too dangerous to leave them here alone."

"The third street over, the house with the store on the first floor, right? Could I take them there? I still have a lot of work to do. I'm sorry for the trouble."

"Then, I'll take them. Thank you."

The young mother bowed several times and returned to the store.

They decided to go home with five people. When Evans picked up the little sister, she fell asleep immediately.

"David, is your father also coming home late?"

"No. Dad died in the war."

"I see..."

The war ended with the victory of the Southern Union, but the Union was not unscathed. How many children had lost their fathers in both countries, and it hurt to think that the young mother would have to raise her children for the next dozen years, probably alone.

"I also went to war. It was a terrible experience. But because we won the war, we were able to reclaim a lot of land from the empire. The fathers of these children fought and died for that."

Evans said that and then closed his mouth and continued walking. Bertine felt his helplessness seep into the night air, so she walked silently as well.

"Here we are. David, are you hungry?"

"Um, I'm hungry, but I want to eat with Mom."

"Then, let's wait for her upstairs."

"Okay."

She led them to the living room on the second floor, laid the little sister on the built-in sofa, and had David sit down. She gave him a thin slice of bread with a little jam and a light fruit drink so as not to interfere with dinner.

"Evans, thank you. Your room is at the back of the second floor. There are some things in there, but please bear with it."

"Miss, I'll be grateful for life..."

"Oh, don't be so formal."

Bertine smiled wryly and led Evans to his room.

After that, the mother came to pick them up hurriedly. The young mother brought some sausages from the store, probably bought with her wages. She thanked them repeatedly before leaving with her children. After they left, Bertine looked at the sausages wrapped in greasy paper thoughtfully.

"What's the matter, Miss?"

"Hmm? She's young, but I thought she had experienced a lot more than I have. She got married to the man she loved, had two children. Her husband died in the war, and she works to raise her children. And she brings sausages to thank us. I thought she was a strong and beautiful person. I should learn from her."

Dorothy thought (Miss's heart is also strong and beautiful). She knew Miss's struggles, which even Mr. and the eldest son Herald didn't know. Lately, she thought it might have been better to stay in this country because of 'that person'.

Evans started working diligently the next day, painting, waxing, weeding, and pruning the trees.

"Would you like an advance to pay for your return trip?"

Bertine said, but Evans replied,

"I promised my father I wouldn't go home until I had a good job."

It seemed he intended to live here. He did odd jobs around the house and said he wanted to learn proper construction methods in the city, so he went somewhere during the day.

Bertine allowed him to live with her, thinking he could be a bodyguard with his build. She focused on embroidering handkerchiefs and making bags and earrings to increase her inventory.

After that, David and Camilla started coming to Bertine's place when they felt lonely in the evening or at night. Their mother always brought a small amount of food from the store the next day as a thank you. Even when Bertine refused, she would bring it politely. Bertine felt (she doesn't have to spend money) and thought (I want to help her).

One day, there was a knock on the store door. Dorothy opened it and had a brief conversation before turning back.

"Miss, you have a visitor."

Hearing this, Bertine hurried over. A serious-looking man in his forties was standing at the entrance.

"Who are you?"

"I am Jose. I was sent by Lord Cecilio to find the Lady Bertine de Juan of the Kingdom of Sanlouan."

Dorothy watched from a distance as Bertine had a brief conversation and then sent Jose away without letting him in. After closing the door, Bertine had a stern look on her face for a moment, but quickly returned to her embroidery with a calm expression.

"Don't worry, Dorothy. There's nothing to worry about. I just told him not to worry about us."

Dorothy didn't pry further, thinking if Miss said so, it must be fine.

A little earlier, at the Juan Marquis family in the Kingdom of Sanlouan.

The servants who had been sent back by Bertine's consideration finally returned to the Marquis family and told the Marquis about the treatment at the Lord's mansion and how Bertine had left the mansion and was living with Dorothy.

The letter handed to the Marquis read, "Lord, you want more compensation than I can give. But I will not return to the Kingdom of Sanlouan."

"The Union is so cruel. What kind of life is that child living in a foreign country where she has no acquaintances? It's no good, I will bring her back, even if it goes against the Emperor's wishes. If the compensation is not enough, the Juan Marquis family will pay it over the years. Call Diego immediately."

Diego, the head of the Marquis family's private army, rushed over. Diego, who was forty this year, was also trembling with anger after hearing the story.

"Diego, bring Bertine back. And tell Cecilio Bonifacio that our family will cover the shortfall in the compensation, and we will pay it no matter how long it takes."

"Yes, sir. I will bring Miss back no matter what."

Diego quickly packed his bags and was about to leave the Marquis family at night when he was stopped in the garden.

"Wait, Diego."

"Madam?"

The one who stopped him was the Marchioness Rose, Bertine's father's second wife.

"Sir is upset now. He can't make the right decision. If we bring back Bertine, we will anger the Emperor. If this family falls, over a hundred people, including the servants and their families, will be left homeless. You are included in that, you know?"

"But!"

"It's okay. I will ask my sister to persuade the Emperor. We will discuss the compensation and settle it. So, can you disappear for two months?"

"That would be going against Sir's orders!"

Marchioness Rose gently smiled and took Diego's hand, placing two gold coins in it.

"Your daughter is getting married next year, right? If you are fired from this house, her wedding preparations will be poor. Besides, when your grandchild is born, you will need money. It's okay. I will bring Bertine back when the situation calms down. Leave it to me. For two months, you should relax in the empire. Go to the empire. When you return, go to my family's house. Don't come back here directly."

After confirming that Diego left with a troubled expression, Marchioness Rose returned to the mansion with a faint smile on her delicate white face.

Marchioness Rose was the youngest sister of the Empress.

She always thought she had never been able to breathe freely in her life. She had been compared to her excellent sister since she was a child and was married to a baron's family at sixteen, who was over twenty years older than her.

When the baron died, she thought she could finally breathe freely, but her father had her marry again, this time as the second wife of the Prime Minister. It was probably her sister's idea and the Emperor's order.

Her sister didn't hesitate to use her, and the Emperor probably thought it was a good way to bring the Prime Minister into the fold from the inside.

Her sister, now the Empress, lived freely with power, but when would she have a place of her own? She felt weak at the knees. Her second husband, the Prime Minister, treated her politely, but he doted on his daughter and still loved his deceased wife.

Again, she had no place of her own, and Rose felt despair.

But after ten years of marriage, she had endured and endured, and finally, her estranged daughter was gone. Yet, her husband was willing to give up the family's fortune to bring her back. She couldn't let that happen.

"I'm sorry, Bertine."

The Marchioness smiled with a troubled look on her beautiful white face and returned to her room.