One Day My Sister Died - Chapter 4 - Part 1
Chapter 4 Part 1 The Black Mansion
It was the first time I had ever spoken to my uncle like this without being intimidated.
“Don’t you even wonder why Louise died?”
The moment Louise’s name was mentioned, my uncle’s greasy brow furrowed deeply.
“Is that the problem now? Your sister was doomed from the start. It wouldn’t have been strange if she died at any time. But we’re not the same. The living must continue living!”
“That’s the problem.”
“What?!”
“Even now. At this very moment. The fact that I still don’t know how Louise lived, or how she spent her last days. The fact that no one in the Felice family is curious about that…”
Yuan whispered in a voice worn out with exhaustion.
“That’s the problem.”
Count Felice stood dazed and then let go of Yuan’s arm.
Instead of Yuan, who had been abandoned so futilely, the Count begged the Marquis of Compani, who was squinting to eavesdrop on their whispering.
“Marquis Compani! This child is important! She is crucial to our family! She’s practically a successor! She’s the only link connecting my late brother and me! My niece must help me continue the family business! Isn’t that what’s best for me alone? What kind of family is Felice? If Felice prospers, won’t the whole country be happier? Please, as someone who serves His Highness, show us some understanding!”
The Marquis Compani silently handed Yuan’s arm back.
The sight of Count Felice, who preached loyalty to the First Prince while lying, was too grotesque to tolerate any longer.
Instead of the cold-hearted Marquis Compani, now Yuan turned her back, not even making eye contact, and a torrent of criticism poured in.
“This shameless girl, repaying kindness with enmity!”
The Count’s cracked voice pierced the cold air.
***
The snow, which had piled up around their feet, had finally stopped.
Marquis Compani, fearing that Yuan might say something out of line, hurriedly led her into the carriage.
As the knights quickly reorganized the procession, the Felice people exited the mansion with stiff steps, watching the scene.
Each face looked like they were staring at an enemy who had stabbed them in the stomach.
The Countess, astonished by the size of the waiting knights outside the mansion, momentarily held her breath before getting irritated at the servants carrying Yuan’s belongings, which were no burden at all.
Amid her tense voice, Regina, hidden behind her older brother, muttered low curses as if providing commentary.
That raven-like thing is destroying the entire house. Does she think there’s a paradise where she’s going? Even if she disgraces the family, it’s too much. Even if her sister has died and returned, where does she think she’s going? Regret after death is useless.
It was a perfect harmony of madness.
‘This family is out of its mind.’
The Marquis Compani frowned at the relentless attacks from mother and daughter and scrutinized Yuan.
She was staring at the Felice people through the carriage window without even drawing the curtains. Wondering if she was used to such things, I looked over and saw her white hand clutching the hem of her dress so tightly that it turned pale and trembled.
Marquis Compani shut the carriage door as if shaking off the increasingly harsh curses.
At the same time, pretending not to notice her flinching shoulders, he unfolded a newspaper he had no intention of reading.
Count Felice had deceived the imperial family.
When the imperial family wants to marry into a family, they typically require all candidates to be presented. Specifically requesting the daughter of the “late Count Felice,” they had lied about having a frail nephew.
It seemed they didn’t want to send her away, perhaps because the First Prince had recently been searching for someone close to the secrets of Felice.
I had just heard the plea to keep Yuan Felice, an important child aiding the family business. But…
Marquis Compani’s eyes narrowed.
‘The family business? She looks weaker than her sister at a glance.’
The Marquis glanced at Yuan’s face visible through the newspaper.
She wasn’t comparable to the perfectly groomed noble ladies of the capital who exuded a stench of disdain.
But there was a clear beauty that couldn’t be hidden by her weary appearance or disheveled hair.
A white and slender face. Raven-black hair. A high forehead and neat eyebrows. And large, dark eyes beneath long eyelashes.
Yuan Felice resembled a portrait painted in black and white by some distinguished artist.
‘She’s a beauty.’
Her hastily thrown-on fur cloak resembled that of a maid, and the shoes on her neatly gathered feet, although luxurious, were worn.
Even so, her refined demeanor was enough to make it obvious that she was of noble birth.
It was clear that she had endured mistreatment in this household.
Her rough skin, unprotected by care. Her full, beautifully shaped lips beneath a small nose, dry and parched.
Her deep, large eyes, no matter how much she tried to feign calm, looked so frightened they seemed ready to burst into tears at the slightest provocation.
How could someone so fragile have helped with the family business?
What great secret could there be that the First Prince had been fixated on Felice for the past year?
All these complicated thoughts ultimately led to one conclusion.
‘The Count of Felice is the one who committed the crime. Anyway, it seems to have been roughly settled, so I might as well just follow orders.’
The Marquis quickly skimmed through the news that didn’t make sense and received a report through the slightly open carriage door that preparations were complete.
It was time to leave this nonsensical household.