TDWO Chapter 7
by xxsienna
Anri blinked her eyes and then stared at him intently.
They exchanged glances for a while. It was a very brief moment, but it felt incredibly long.
‘Is he suggesting a staring contest now?’
An amused smile formed on Edwin’s lips. His icy smile caused the woman’s brow to raise slightly.
That’s it.
That disdainful expression on her face seemed to greatly amuse him.
‘…is he messing with me?’
Anri couldn’t hide her discomfort.
The man had a talent for making people feel uneasy with just his gaze.
He would mockingly look at her for no reason, and now he seemed to find it amusing.
“I don’t know if you’ve come the long way or the short way!”
Suddenly, Catherine blurted out loudly, clapping her hands together.
Edwin’s gaze, fixed on Anri, shifted back.
Catherine and Candice smiled brightly.
“We don’t know where you live or who you are. Of course, if it’s difficult to explain, we won’t ask, but we’re curious. Hahaha.”
“Hahaha.”
Following Catherine, Candice covered her mouth with her hand. The laughter echoed as if it were bouncing off the walls.
Anri sat silently, her face expressionless, her back stretched out.
Candice seemed out of place, not only in appearance but also in voice, just like Catherine.
Despite the loud laughter, Eunice still seemed to be asleep.
“Where is Marilyn?”
Suddenly, the man tilted his elegant chin and asked nonchalantly.
His demeanor was like cold water poured on the mother-daughter’s excessive display of hospitality.
Catherine, momentarily taken aback, quickly regained her composure.
“You seem to be in a hurry. We didn’t expect you to arrive so soon, so we haven’t had a chance to tidy up the stables. In the meantime, you can take off your gloves and make yourself at home. Luckily, we have a very lovely guest room available. Hahaha.”
“Hahaha.”
Catherine and Candice’s laughter amplified again, like a dolly song.
Anri felt like he couldn’t bear the pretentiousness and arrogance of the mother-daughter duo, as well as the man’s arrogant and rude behavior.
No matter how much she hated her stepmother and stepsister, she couldn’t tolerate such disrespect toward the women of Wentworth Manor.
Anyway, the fact that he didn’t take off his gloves meant he wasn’t going to be in this house much longer.
Anri stood up abruptly. Catherine and Candice’s puzzled gazes turned to her.
Edwin, too, looked at her with quiet anticipation, wondering what she would say next.
“It seems you won’t be staying in the room for long. I’ll escort you to the stables. It’s not appropriate to host a gentleman of unknown identity in a house full of ladies. Moreover, we don’t know who he is.”
“Anri!”
Catherine yelled back, urgently tapping her lips as if to silence herself.
“Oh my, she didn’t mean it. She’s just so lacking in manners.”
“…….”
Before Catherine could say anything, Anri and Edwin were already exchanging a meaningful glance.
Anri clasped her hands together and took a deep breath, as if she wasn’t going to give in.
Edwin calmly met her stern gaze.
Suddenly, Edwin had an idea.
‘Maybe I should play a little trick on her.’
He’s curious to see what her reaction will be.
“I had a long way to get here; do you mind if you show me to your guest room?”
Edwin suddenly chuckled, even removing his gloves as he stood up.
With her eyes almost rolling back in ecstasy at his charming smile, Candice replied,
“Of course!”
Catherine and Candice both sprang up as if on cue, with Catherine pushing Candice towards the man.
“There’s plenty of room for the coachman and servants, too. Candice will guide you to your room!”
Catherine declared, nudging Candice closer to the man.
Before leaving the drawing room, Edwin glanced back at Anri, subtly curious about her expression.
It was strange.
He had only seen her twice now, yet why did she feel so familiar, as if they had known each other for ages?
As usual, her jewel-like pink eyes are full of cracks.
He had acted as if he would leave soon, so why was he now seeking a guest room?
Who was she, exactly?
Edwin smirked slightly at Anri, a smug expression asserting his dominance.
For a moment, Anri’s pupils dilated.
‘Did he take some kind of drug?’
The man turned and walked away.
Anri had no intention of following the man, her stepmother, and Candice, but she stood frozen in place.
It was incredibly astonishing and surreal.
She’d never been so freaked out in her life except when she’d been reborn as a newborn baby and her father had brought Catherine and the twin sisters home.
‘I want to pinch him; I want to hit him hard on the back of his neck!’
Anri bit her lip, clenching her hands tightly.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
“Please try this.”
“This one is delicious, too. It’s a popular food these days.”
In less than half a day, the man had charmed Catherine and Candice. It was all part of his plan.
No, Catherine and Candice had acted as if they would willingly give themselves to the man from the beginning.
‘We don’t even know if that man is a swindler, a charlatan, or a rogue.’
This was due to the fact that they judged the man by his Rose and Hound carriage.
Just because he rode in a luxury carriage beyond extravagance, crafted meticulously by artisans, he became the number one groom to his stepmother and sister.
He might even be married already.
Anri discreetly placed her glass of water down and observed the man sitting across from her.
The man was clearly a high-ranking noble.
His pronunciation, the curtsy of his supple tongue, and his impeccable table manners confirmed it.
However, being of high nobility didn’t necessarily mean he wasn’t a swindler, a charlatan, or a rogue.
It could be something more sinister and suspicious.
Especially for that man.
“I would appreciate it if you left before sunset.”
Before Anri could finish her elegant remark, Catherine and Candice shot her a stern look.
Eunice rolled her eyes, unable to speak.
The handsome man was intimidating and uncomfortable. That’s why she couldn’t eat well, which was fortunate.
If only he would leave soon, as Anri had suggested.
Edwin couldn’t help but smirk at Anri’s wariness.
On his plate were grilled asparagus and lamb, generously served by the brown-haired mother and daughter.
Looking at the piled-up food, a strange realization dawned on him.
‘I wonder what he’s doing here, really.’
She doesn’t know.
Edwin, who was about to burst into laughter, quickly dabbed his lips a couple of times with a napkin and set it down.
He met the woman’s gaze in front of him.
“Come to think of it, even at a time like this, Marilyn must be desperately searching for Kristan.”
“It’s Kristan, not Marilyn.”
Anri corrected her pronunciation with clarity, looking into the man’s eyes.
A serene smile adorned Anri’s eyes, seemingly crafted.
“Kristan is tossing and turning in his bed, fidgeting and twisting his tail in distress, so we should let him meet Marilyn. Is there any other way? I only asked you to bring him here as a favor to the poor stallion, but I didn’t expect you, ‘who I don’t even know,’ to cause so much trouble.”
“I apologize sincerely; it was unintentional.”
The man offered a rare, harmless smile, though a hint of arrogance lingered.
“I was concerned about causing further inconvenience due to the many watchful eyes, but it seems I have still managed to upset you.”
‘What’s with this sudden apology?’
Anri blinked in confusion, feeling somewhat suspicious.
Earlier, he had mocked her openly while heading to the guest room, and now suddenly he’s playing nice?
“Still, rest assured, I am not a charlatan, a swindler, or a rogue, as you might think.”
“……?”
The man’s specific words, spoken indifferently, momentarily took Anri aback. She felt as if her thoughts had been read directly.
However, considering her cold attitude towards him so far, it was a reasonable deduction. He wasn’t a fool, either.
“Alright, Anri! That’s enough.”
At that moment, Catherine’s reproach intervened. Catherine seemed anxious that the man might leave soon.
Catherine redirected her words toward the man.
“Kristan is not just any horse. Even at a glance, I recognized him as a valuable breed. Since Marilyn and Kristan will be out in the field tonight, who knows what might happen? So the owner should stay with them. It will be dark soon here.”
Catherine and Candice sent sharp glances at the man, and Eunice sighed.
Do they have to endure such discomfort during dinner tonight and tomorrow morning?
“Thank you for your words, but we should assess the situation first. Since this is a mansion where only ladies reside, I too was about to leave soon.”
The awkward dinner came to an end.
Catherine tried to feed the man a little more, but he firmly set down his utensils.
Just as the man was about to get up, Catherine pushed Candice towards him again. It was meant to take him to the stables.
But the man looked at Anri, his sharp, impassive face tilting slowly toward her.
“Would you be so kind as to escort me this time, Miss Anri?”
“……?”
Anri’s face was simultaneously filled with questions and suspicions. Anri and the man’s gaze met for a moment.
Anri, who had to respond, stared into the man’s eyes as if he had the right to peer into them for a long time.
A closer look revealed something deeper.
It was strange.
At first glance, the man seemed expressionless and indifferent, but within those dark pupils, there was a fervent persuasion, no, a determined determination to accept his plea, lurking deep within.
Despite efforts to conceal it, the black determination rooted deep within was clearly visible beyond his eyes.
A slight shiver crawled up Anri’s skin for a moment.
The self-consciousness emanating from the unfamiliar and unpleasant man towards her felt cold and piercing.
Intuitively, a sense of caution arose.
‘Why should I listen to him?’
If she were to refuse…
How will he react?
As Anri’s response was delayed, the man’s complexion froze as if about to crack. His pupils also narrowed slightly.
“If it’s possible, may the young lady who cares for Marilyn help me.”
“…….”
His subsequent words were something Anri couldn’t deny.
