The One Who Won't Be Abandoned - Chapter 28

His tone was gentle yet carried a strength that made it impossible to refuse. I sat down without resistance, only for Andre to sit right next to me, close enough that our knees almost touched. Despite the large, plush sofa directly across from us, he chose to crowd my space instead.

“I had something I wanted to talk to you about, too. Can I go first?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Given the sensitive nature of my question about the “religious practices” Harmon mentioned, I was more than happy to let Andre speak first.

Andre gazed at me for a moment in silence, his expression growing increasingly somber. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and filled with dejection.

“I’ve been struggling lately.”

“Struggling? With what?”

“The people in the castle… They seem uncomfortable around me. They don’t look at me kindly.”

“What?”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Struggling? Andre? Because of the castle staff? Why would anyone feel uncomfortable around someone as gentle as Andre? My eyes urged him to continue.

“You wouldn’t know since you’ve been staying in your room, but there are nasty rumors about me circulating in the castle. And Harmon, that valet, has been spying on me—probably because of those rumors.”

“Harmon was spying on you? What kind of rumors are spreading?”

“I’d rather not say it myself… but they’re awful. It’s painful knowing they misunderstand me and look at me with such judgmental eyes.”

The idea that anyone in the castle could speak poorly of Andre was utterly inconceivable to me.

“If those kinds of rumors are going around, we need to clear them up immediately!”

D’Hel Castle was Andre’s home. There was no way I could accept the idea of unfounded rumors turning his sanctuary into a source of pain and discomfort.

“The real reason I’ve been spending so much time in your room is that I wanted to avoid everyone else. When I’m around them, I feel like I’m some kind of criminal who’s done something unforgivable. And that Harmon guy… he’s been watching me like a hawk.”

As Andre muttered Harmon’s name, I thought I heard his teeth grind faintly. It was clear he’d been deeply distressed.

“Jeanne, I’m so sad. Maybe I shouldn’t have come back to D’Hel Castle. It feels like no one wants me here.”

Andre lowered his head, his expression heavy with sorrow. Seeing him so defeated made anger well up inside me toward those who had caused him this pain.

“I was so happy when you came back, Andre! I missed you so much!”

“Did you really miss me?”

Andre’s eyes sparkled with expectation as he glanced at me sideways. I didn’t want to disappoint him, so I answered sincerely.

“Of course I did. I missed you terribly. So, so much.”

I reached for his hands, holding them as I tried to comfort him.

“Don’t worry. Everyone will come to see the real you soon enough. I’m sorry, though… It feels like it’s my fault. Ever since I fainted on the day you returned, maybe that caused some misunderstandings.”

“No, it’s not your fault. If anything, it’s on me… As long as you believe in me, I’ll be okay.”

“I’ll always believe in you, Andre. I’m on your side.”

I wrapped my arms around Andre as he leaned into me, his broad shoulders hunched as though trying to make himself smaller. His vulnerability was heartbreaking.

The thought of Andre, freshly returned to D’Hel Castle after six years, immediately facing such hurt filled me with anguish. I felt ashamed that I’d been so out of touch with the castle’s goings-on while confined to my bed.

Imagining how Andre must have silently endured all this pain on his own while tending to me made my heart ache. Tears pricked my eyes as I hugged him tighter.

In the midst of comforting Andre, I completely forgot about Harmon’s mention of a heretical religion or the uncomfortable “rituals” he had implied.

* * *

Oh my goodness. It only took one day for me to confirm that Andre’s words were true. While I had been idly relaxing in my room, absurd rumors had spread through the castle about Andre being violent and merciless. On top of that, there was talk that he crushed servants he didn’t like to death.

I could concede that Andre’s imposing and muscular appearance might lead to misconceptions about him having a rough personality. However, anyone who looked into his handsome face and saw his gentle smile would immediately realize how softhearted and kind he truly was.

I worked actively to defend Andre to the other servants.

Unfortunately, my efforts were met with skepticism, especially since many had witnessed Andre’s intense embrace that had once left me as an unintended example of his “aggression.” Despite seeing me alive and well, most of the staff still regarded Andre as some sort of monstrous troublemaker.

Faced with their stubborn refusal to listen, I took a deep breath to suppress the irritation rising within me. I was seated in my small room with my friends Snique and a few other maids, all gathered around my bed and desk.

Once more, I pleaded earnestly, pouring my heart into my words.

“I’m telling you, our lord isn’t like that. He said he hugged me that way because he was just happy to see me. Please, at least you guys believe me.”

Even as I spoke with complete sincerity, my friends only gave me doubtful looks. I turned to Snique, who was the most skeptical among them. Sitting with her arms crossed over her rounded belly, she looked at me with narrowed eyes, clearly displeased.

Snique had been one of the people who witnessed Andre’s infamous “embrace” firsthand, and she had also been instrumental in spreading rumors about his supposed violence. Disliking how I defended him, Snique shot back sharply.

“That’s how he expresses happiness? Jeanne, you were foaming at the mouth after he hugged you. It was definitely an attempted murder.”

The other maids nodded in agreement.

“Exactly. It looked more like he was trying to kill you than welcome you.”
“I thought you were close with the lord and the knights, but I could feel the malice radiating from him at that moment.”
“And on top of that, he didn’t let anyone near your room while he came and went as he pleased. We honestly thought he’d killed you and was hiding your body in there.”

I groaned and pressed my hand to my forehead.

The fact that Andre spent almost all his time in my room, except when training with the knights, had only added fuel to the rumors.

One particularly bizarre rumor was that I had already died and my corpse was being hidden. Snique, who had tearfully informed me of this nonsense, had clearly believed it at one point, which was both ridiculous and infuriating.

“These weird rumors are really upsetting the young lord. Please, can you help me clear things up and let people know he’s not like that? I’m begging you.”

Snique and the others still looked unconvinced, but after much pleading, they reluctantly promised to help. Still, I could see disappointment flash across their faces.

The unfortunate truth was that Andre’s supposed “ferocity” had become a source of entertainment in D’Hel Castle, which was otherwise so quiet and peaceful that boredom was a constant companion.

While they claimed to be frightened by Andre’s rumored temperament, the servants couldn’t stop gossiping about him, reveling in the excitement of it all. Some even approached me under the guise of “concern,” but their faces betrayed their morbid curiosity.

Of course, they found it thrilling. How often did something so juicy come along to break the monotony? And since the target of the rumors was someone so high up the social ladder, it made the gossip all the more tantalizing.

Andre’s forlorn expression was still fresh in my mind. After all his hard work studying in a foreign land, he had returned only to be misunderstood and ostracized. It was heartbreaking to imagine how lonely and hurt he must have felt. Perhaps his constant visits to my room under the pretense of “nursing” me were his way of seeking solace. I was one of the few people who truly understood his gentle nature.

“He may look big and intimidating, but he’s got such a soft heart. He’s only just become an adult, too. If we don’t care for him, who will?”

One of my friends pouted and finally spoke up.

“…I guess we did misjudge the young lord. I’ve never seen you go out of your way to care about someone like this before, Jeanne. Why didn’t you put this much effort into your exes?”

“Exactly. You always only cared about yourself.”

“Ah!”

Another friend clapped her hands as if she’d just remembered something.

“Jeanne, do you remember Alex?”

Alex. The valet I had briefly dated last year. It had been a clean and amicable relationship, and I remembered it fondly. He had left the castle shortly after our breakup to help his family back in his hometown. I nodded, recalling his kind and honest demeanor.

“He’s getting married next month. Apparently, to the eldest daughter of a family with nine younger siblings!”

“Nine siblings? Why would he marry someone like that?”

“Who knows? Maybe he’s madly in love? But get this—their father recently passed away, so she’s the one providing for the family. Poor Alex, he’s got his work cut out for him.”

“Oh my goodness!”

The group quickly shifted focus to Alex and his soon-to-be wife, chattering excitedly.

While I felt a little bad for Alex and his fiancée, I was relieved that my friends’ attention had moved away from Andre. I knew that distracting them with a new topic was the best way to stop the rumors from spreading further.

Breathing a silent sigh of relief, I pretended to listen intently to their conversation.

* * *

“Huff… huff…”

“Ah, Jen! This feels so good! More. More!”

I stood frozen in place, listening to the unmistakable sounds of intimacy spilling through the closed doors of the reception room. The gasps, the mingling of a man and a woman’s breathy moans, and the occasional ecstatic cries from the woman left no room for doubt.

Why, of all days, did I have to finish lunch earlier than the others? If only I had waited for Snique to finish her tasks so we could eat together, I wouldn’t have walked right into this awkward situation.

Gripping the cleaning supplies in my hands tighter, I clenched my fists, feeling as though they might slip from my grasp otherwise.

Who in the world would dare use the sacred reception room for such a scandalous act? I felt a sense of duty to identify the culprits defiling my assigned area. At the very least, I could confront them later, warning them to be more careful since I was aware of their actions.

But let’s be honest—it wasn’t duty that kept me rooted to the spot. It was curiosity. That insatiable, maddening curiosity was what truly shackled me in place.

To confess, I had no experience myself. I’d told the men I’d dated that I was saving myself for marriage, but the truth was, I’d never felt a strong urge for intimacy. That didn’t mean I was entirely disinterested, though. Stories from friends had intrigued me, and now, this was a chance to see with my own eyes what I had only ever heard about.

Kneeling, I aligned my eye with the keyhole of the reception room door. Why was the keyhole so perfectly designed for peeking inside? I silently thanked its design as my heart pounded with a mix of nervousness and strange anticipation. Bringing my eye closer, I peeked through.

As my focus sharpened, the blurry image beyond the keyhole came into view. The moment I saw what was happening inside, I clapped a hand over my mouth to stifle a gasp.

“Gasp!”

Lady Judith was bent over the table, her dress pulled up to her waist, leaving her lower half fully exposed. Behind her stood Baron Shenton, his pants down to his knees, pressed firmly against her as he moved rhythmically.

Each thrust of the baron’s hips elicited a sultry cry from Lady Judith.

“Jen! Jen! Ahhh…!”

It was only when I heard Lady Judith moan his name that I remembered Baron Shenton’s full name was Jentro. Normally, the baron carried himself like a frail old man, even using a cane to walk. Yet here he was, moving with surprising vigor as he pleased Lady Judith. The baron’s face was a mask of ecstasy, utterly unrecognizable compared to his usual feeble demeanor.

The odd excitement that had initially quickened my heartbeat faded, leaving only embarrassment. My mouth felt bitter for no reason.

Quietly, I stepped away from the keyhole and rose to my feet.

“So that’s why…” I thought to myself. “No wonder the baron, who had supposedly retired, has been visiting Curner Castle so often recently.”

It was a love affair in their later years. Since neither of them had a spouse, there was no sin in their relationship. Acknowledging their love, I gave a small nod and turned to leave.

But as soon as I turned, a large hand clamped over my mouth.

“Mmph…!”

My startled cry was muffled by the palm covering my lips.

“It’s me.”

Standing behind me, face flushed and twisted in discomfort, was none other than Lewis—Baron Shenton’s only son.

His wide, pleading eyes locked onto mine as he whispered desperately.

“Jeanne, please… let’s move somewhere else to talk.”

I stared up at Lewis in shock, my eyes round with surprise, and nodded slowly. The moment I agreed, relief flickered across Lewis’s face, but it was short-lived.

From behind the door, Baron Shenton’s voice—louder and more intense, as if reaching his climax—rang out unmistakably.

“Judith! Judith! Ohhhh…!”

The sound was so clear that it was impossible to pretend we hadn’t heard it. Both Lewis and I, startled and embarrassed, turned our heads in opposite directions, avoiding each other’s gaze as if on cue.

* * *