MPBAGS Chapter 78

The child in Mrs. Totten's arms looked to be about six years old. You could immediately tell this was the sick son she'd mentioned - his pallor was obvious. He looks much worse than I expected? I can see why the butler grandfather said there was no hope.

"Butler! What were you doing not sending Ryder back?"

When Mrs. Totten shouted loudly, the butler grandfather bowed his head as if ashamed.

"Don't scold him. I told him not to stop me."

"Ryder..."

As if handling something fragile, Mrs. Totten very carefully stroked the child's head.

"Did you come looking because mother wasn't there?"

"Yes. And since a guest came, I couldn't just stay lying down."

The eyes of Mrs. Totten, the butler grandfather, and the child all focused on me. Yes, it's all because of me. Right?

I wanted to hide behind Henna in embarrassment. But then there might be another rumor about Evangeline hiding behind a maid without knowing shame, so I stubbornly endured.

"Cough. I am Ryder Totten, my lady."

The child's voice was very weak, as if he didn't even have strength to cough. Seeing Ryder cough while greeting made my guilt worse. I should have just told Mrs. Totten to come to the Rohanson estate!

Mrs. Totten looked at me as if asking why I wasn't greeting him back, so I also held my dress and greeted him.

"I am Evangeline Rohanson. Young Master Totten, thank you for welcoming me despite being unwell."

I greeted him humbly as Dolly taught me, but the Totten mother and son looked at me strangely. Where did I go wrong? I tried so hard to follow the instructions!

Mrs. Totten avoided my eyes. Shocking. It must have been too awful to watch. Instead of mocking how terrible my greeting was, she was considerate enough to pretend not to see it.

"Are you satisfied now? Your cough is severe, so let's go in quickly."

"Cough, cough. Yes, mother. Lady Rohanson, I'm not feeling well so I'll go in and rest now."

After I greeted him, Mrs. Totten urged Ryder to go back to his room and rest now that he'd met the guest.

"Yes. Please rest well."

Though the child was staggering, instead of being carried, he walked on his own feet with support. Mrs. Totten quietly asked while watching her son's retreating figure. So quietly that Ryder wouldn't hear.

"How old do you think he looks?"

Age? At most around six years old?

"About six years old."

"Ryder is eight years old. But he looks much younger because he's sick."

The child looks quite young for his age. That explains why he spoke so maturely and fluently. As Mrs. Totten said, he seemed smaller because he was ill.

Mrs. Totten only came back to sit down after Ryder was no longer visible. Gone was the perfect etiquette she'd displayed just moments ago - slumped against the chair, she looked utterly exhausted.

"...That's right. Since you spoke honestly to me, I'll also tell you my true feelings. The truth is, when I heard Lady Rohanson had recovered, I wanted to see with my own eyes."

Mrs. Totten finally admitted her true intentions.

"I was curious how someone who couldn't be cured even with holy water could recover."

Mrs. Totten glanced to the side. Following her gaze, I saw the Sun God's symbol decorating the wall. Rather than being made with simple symbols, it was an elaborate and detailed carving of the same pattern I'd seen on Gabriel's uniform. What kind of symbol is so ornately designed? Gabriel, who drew Donau's corpse like a moth, could never copy this.

"It was such an obvious ploy that you naturally noticed. But I was flustered because I didn't know how to bring it up first."

"The marquis house's butler gave me a hint first."

"The butler...?"

"Yes. He serves the marquis house very faithfully. Working hard behind the scenes without you knowing."

Butler grandfather, I didn't forget to praise you! You'll know it was my help if you get a bonus later, right?

Mrs. Totten seemed unaware that the butler grandfather had been working so hard behind the scenes, repeatedly muttering 'Butler, the butler?' She must be considering whether to give him a raise. Or maybe thinking about how much bonus to give?

Having decided on an amount, Mrs. Totten finished her muttering and returned to the original topic.

"Since you brought it up first, I dare to ask. Is there a way to cure Ryder? How did you get better? Please tell me. If there's any improvement for our Ryder, I can give you anything..."

Finally, the awaited moment has come. Mrs. Totten must be looking at me thinking a lifeline has been thrown down, right?

And I have to shatter her expectations. This must be exactly how a doctor feels when giving a death sentence. Let me prepare to be grabbed by the collar.

"I'm sorry I can't meet your expectations, but there's no way."

"What?"

Mrs. Totten asked back as if she'd misheard. I smiled thinking you can't spit on a smiling face, then belatedly realized I'd look like a psychopath in this situation and straightened my expression. But this also seemed like it would make me look crazy. I really have no talent for acting...

"You're lying, lying, right? You're just hiding it from me, right? Why, was the compensation I offered insufficient? I can even give you the marquis estate. Lady Rohanson, please. Please tell me."

Mrs. Totten seems to think I'm hiding the truth. She even added the marquis estate to the trade list. The closer she spoke, the more her body leaned toward me.

"There really is nothing you can do."

Feeling so sorry for her, I grabbed Mrs. Totten's shoulders.

"Why won't you tell me? Because I used Gabriel to approach you? I did have ulterior motives, but isn't it helpful to you too? Please have pity on Ryder who's in a similar situation to you."

Mrs. Totten looked like she was about to cry. Her completely distorted face clearly showed overwhelming sorrow.

No... I really don't have anything. How can I help? Evangeline just died and I possessed her at good timing. She really won't believe me. This is why the butler grandfather told me to prepare myself mentally. But butler grandfather, your special mission is spectacularly failing.

This won't work. I need to take a different approach. I need to tell her there's nothing I can share. Oh, right. Let me use the rumors circulating!

"Have you perhaps not heard the rumor that I'm not really 'Evangeline'?"

"You're saying that rumor is true? Don't tease me. Your demeanor isn't something that can be learned in a day or two."

Failed. This is all because Dolly taught me too well. It wasn't a day or two, but I only learned for two weeks? My talent is that scary.

I needed to find an excuse that Mrs. Totten would immediately accept and back down. But I can't really think of anything? When I looked desperately at Henna for help, Henna gave me a hint.

Our Henna must be a genius!

Right. Since Mrs. Totten is a huge Sun God believer, this method should work well. I leaned down as if telling a very secret story and whispered in Mrs. Totten's ear.

"I summoned a demon."

"Pardon?"

"I begged a demon to save Evangeline Rohanson."

The word Henna whispered with her lips was 'demon.' After saying it, she startled and covered her mouth - was she amazed by her own brilliant idea?

I smiled the kind of smile that had scared even young Donau. I can't act, but I'm good at imitating a villainess. Or maybe it's just that since Evangeline is a villainess, whatever I do gets filtered negatively.

"Can you abandon your beloved Rahel and turn to demons?"

This obviously wouldn't work. Mrs. Totten is a huge follower of the sun religion. The influence of religion is extraordinary in written worlds. There's a reason saintesses are popular. As expected, Mrs. Totten was speechless.

Still, worried she might be tempted, I added more.

"Even if the price isn't the marquis estate but a human life? Even if it's an innocent person?"

For reference, this was one of the things mentioned in discussions about what Evangeline might do with the children she bought. This is the same horrific rumor that made Misha suddenly shout ‘I can't touch human skin.’

Later, through Misha, I heard that the most popular theory was that Evangeline needed human lives to maintain her healthy body. I used that theory to crush Mrs. Totten's vain hope, but... Still, I definitely need to debut in society to correct the false rumors that spread.