MPBAGS Chapter 92

Kinder held her breath throughout the carriage ride. Worried that her breathing might grate on the listeners' ears, she unconsciously lowered her body and held her breath. She stole a glance at Evangeline.

Evangeline Rohanson had not pushed away the hand Kinder extended. When Kinder asked for help, she readily agreed to step forward. Of course, she had warned Kinder that she couldn't be a "perfect solution," but wasn't this much better than the days when she received not a single answer during a lifetime of prayer?

Why wouldn't it be perfect? Was there a problem with reviving Ryder?

Kinder tapped the toes of her slightly oversized shoes against each other. What Kinder was wearing were the shoes of the young lady's mother, the late Countess. The young lady seemed to have suggested she wear the shoes without much thought, but Kinder was swept by strange feelings.

There was no emotion whatsoever mixed into the young lady's voice when she reminisced about the Countess. She could understand why rumors circulated in society that Lady Rohanson had become a different person. Was that the problem? If Ryder was revived, would he also act like a doll, having forgotten all affection for Kinder like the young lady?

"We have arrived."

"Good work, Melech."

The blindfolded coachman driving the legless horses announced their arrival. Even though he was speaking from outside the carriage where his words could have been swallowed by the rain, his voice was as clear as if he were speaking right beside them.

Lady Rohanson stepped down from the carriage with an escort from the monster that was her right-hand man. In front of the young lady, it obediently rolled over and wagged its tail, truly no different from a dog.

The accompanying maid hurriedly held an umbrella over Lady Rohanson. Following that, the monster extended its hand to Kinder as if to escort her as well. Kinder turned away from the hand and stepped down from the carriage by herself.

Perhaps finding this amusing, the monster chuckled. When Kinder was hesitating and pacing in front of the Rohanson mansion, that man had suddenly appeared without warning and strangled her neck.

"Oops, I made a mistake. It was so noisy I almost killed you. Will you keep it secret that I strangled you? My master told me to bring you back as you are."

Then, claiming it was a mistake, he threatened her to keep it secret from Lady Rohanson. Kinder had never screamed or made a sound, so what could have been noisy? Kinder's heart pounded violently. Surely the noise he mentioned wasn't referring to her heartbeat?

"It's noisy inside, isn't it?"

At the mention of noise, Kinder was reminded of the moment she first met the monster disguised as a guard, and she shivered with goosebumps, averting her gaze.

"Could something be wrong?"

At the maid's speculation, Kinder tilted her head, then suddenly her face turned deathly pale and she ran inside. There was no time to properly check if Evangeline was following.

If there was something that would make the mansion noisy, only one thing came to mind. Ryder's death had been discovered! Usually, no one looked for the child unless it was Kinder, so why! Today of all days! Had they sensed something strange because Kinder wasn't acting as usual and gone looking for Ryder?

"Madam! You must go to the young master quickly! Master Diess is...!"

"Madam, is it true that the young master has passed away?"

The servants who had been whispering among themselves rushed toward Kinder, bombarding her with questions. Kinder ignored them as if she couldn't hear anything, gritting her teeth and quickening her pace.

The place where Kinder stopped was none other than Ryder's room, which would normally be the place with the best lighting in the mansion. However, this place had now become the ugliest and darkest spot.

"Why has Madam come so early... at such a time."

The servants gathered in front of Ryder's room murmured.

"Butler, nanny. What is the meaning of this?"

Kinder's voice trembled. The nanny standing beside the butler couldn't face Kinder and averted her eyes. At least she seemed to recognize that she was currently acting beyond common sense.

"Madam."

The butler called out to Kinder in confusion.

Kinder clenched her fists tightly. Ryder's door had been struck with an axe and was half-crushed. Through the large gap in the broken door, she could see the scene inside Ryder's room. Beyond the broken door, a trembling maid was holding the child tightly in her arms.

"Sister-in-law, you're here early."

The culprit was Diess. Diess, holding an axe, greeted Kinder with a brazen face, acting friendly. He said he would arrive late at night, but he had arrived while Kinder was away and was causing havoc.

"Diess, what is the meaning of this!"

"What do you mean? I was merely trying to check on my nephew's condition. The wrongdoing was committed by that maid."

Diess pointed with a shameless face at the maid beyond the broken door who was tightly holding Ryder.

"Ma, Madam..."

The maid called out desperately to Kinder. It was Weder, the maid to whom Kinder had entrusted Ryder before leaving. Blood was flowing from her face, perhaps from being scratched by the broken door pieces. Even while she must have been distracted by her injury, she was still holding Ryder wrapped in bedsheets, protecting him.

Kinder felt dizzy. Holding Ryder so close, Weder would inevitably realize that the child was dead. But why was she still protecting the child?

Kinder couldn't understand. For some reason, Weder had fulfilled Kinder's request to the end. If Weder hadn't blocked the way, Ryder's death would have been announced long ago.

"I was just trying to see my nephew's face, but she wouldn't let me in, you know? Isn't that suspicious? So I brought an axe and was breaking down the door."

"There's nothing suspicious about it. I asked her to do it. Since he had barely calmed down after being sick, I told her not to let anyone near him. That maid was just following my orders. Didn't the maid say so?"

"Ah... Now that you mention it, I did hear that. I just thought she was lying. I made a mistake."

Diess smiled with a twisted corner of his mouth as he lowered the axe. It was a bizarre smile where his eyes weren't smiling at all. He also hadn't completely let go of the axe.

"Now that I'm back, that should be enough, right? You must be tired from coming to the Marquis house, so go inside and rest."

"Yes, I will. But you know... Sister-in-law, isn't it strange? With all this commotion, my nephew doesn't even blink an eye and sleeps deeply. He really sleeps like the dead, doesn't he?"

"Didn't I tell you? He was sick for five days and finally fell into a deep sleep. He must have been so tired that he wouldn't hear the surrounding noise."

At Kinder's words, Diess wiped away his smile and raised the axe. For a moment, terrified Kinder squeezed her eyes shut, but she felt no pain. When Kinder cautiously opened her eyes, Diess had the axe slung over his shoulder.

"You don't think I'd keep swinging an axe around like a barbarian, do you? I'm a person with common sense too."

Kinder's face flushed red with the shame of being toyed with. Diess had deliberately waved his hand dramatically to threaten Kinder.

"And since sister-in-law has come, I don't need to break down the door on purpose. That maid will open the door for sister-in-law. With you beside me, there shouldn't be any problem if I check on my nephew's condition, right?"

Kinder bit her lip. There was no room for argument. Diess already seemed convinced that Ryder was dead. Even to Kinder's eyes, Ryder, having been sick for several days, looked even more gaunt and lifeless, exactly like a corpse. Since he wasn't breathing or making any slight movements like turning over in sleep, anyone observing for a long time would inevitably realize that the child had already departed. And if the blanket that Weder was wrapping around him were removed, there would surely be signs of rigor mortis throughout his body.

"Ask her to open the door. Why aren't you checking? Aren't you worried about your son, sister-in-law? Come, let's go in together."

"Ah, if the axe is the problem, I'll put it down right away."

Diess threw the axe to the floor. The blade spun and slid to Kinder's feet. It was nearly a serious injury, but Kinder didn't react. Unable to get a reaction from Kinder, Diess changed his target.

"Hey, your mistress is here and you're not coming out? If you don't come out quickly, you're fired. If firing isn't enough, I'll call the guards. I'll hand you over to the guards for the crime of kidnapping and confining the Marquis's heir."

Weder looked at Kinder with shaking eyes. If she had laid hands on a noble's heir, it wouldn't end with just a fine. Since Ryder was dead, she might even be framed as a murderer.

The gathered onlookers began murmuring that the young master might really be dead. Kinder bit her lower lip. What should she do? She felt cornered. One more step and she would fall to the bottom. Or maybe she had already fallen.

No, wait. Kinder looked for Evangeline. If it was the young lady, Lady Rohanson would create a breakthrough.

Where was the young lady? Was Kinder unable to find her way properly after running off alone?

Kinder looked around and drew in her breath as her eyes met something pure white in the corner of her vision.

Lady Rohanson was right beside her. Her presence was so clear and distinct that it was mysterious why she had only noticed now. It was puzzling that she hadn't perceived the young lady until now. But it wasn't just Kinder—Diess and the butler were also unaware of the young lady's presence.

"Please... help me, Young Lady."

Evangeline, who had been observing the situation like a detached third party, disconnected from reality, only leisurely began to move after Kinder asked for help. With each step Lady Rohanson took, the atmosphere completely transformed.

At the first step, people were startled by the suddenly appearing presence; at the second step, they lost their words at Lady Rohanson's commanding presence; and at the third footstep, they held their breath in terror at the oppressive force Evangeline Rohanson emanated.

"Who, who..."

Only Diess managed to speak. Even that was just barely managing to stammer out a word.

Lady Rohanson paid no attention to the likes of Diess and looked only at Kinder. Kinder forgot that the current situation was very pessimistic and was momentarily swept by strange exhilaration. It was as if she had become the only being chosen by God.

Lady Rohanson stood right behind her and gently embraced Kinder. White gloves brushed her shoulders and hair tickled her neck. Cold breath was exhaled near her ear and serpentine temptation could be heard right beside her. It was a whisper that only Kinder could hear. If Kinder had been ignorant about Evangeline, she would have mistaken the voice in her ear for the word of God.

"Mrs. Totten, do you want to revive the child?"

"Yes... Yes."

"Even if what's revived isn't your son? Even if it's someone else borrowing your son's shell?"

Kinder wanted to turn around and ask Evangeline what she meant, but her entire body was captured and she couldn't move as if coiled by a snake.

Hearing those words, Kinder recalled their first conversation. Yes, the young lady had definitely said she was a substitute. It wasn't just that she didn't want to grant Kinder's request? Then Ryder, my son... has he really died forever? So pitifully, miserably, and wretchedly?

"The choice is entirely yours, Madam. Either officially acknowledge the child's death and accept the farewell, or have him pretend to be alive, even if just on the surface."

What Kinder wanted was for Ryder to come back to life. However, as Evangeline had foretold, there was no such thing as a perfect solution.

Kinder quickly accepted reality. The reason she didn't even resist was probably because she was too exhausted. Ryder's last words circled in her mind.

"Since this might be my last, please let me leave at least some final words."

"Even without me, please protect the Marquis house, Mother."

Accept farewell with her son, or accept 'something' that would pretend to be her son on the surface. If Kinder had to choose between the two, it would be the latter. Kinder loved Ryder terribly. She loved him so much that she could use her son's corpse to fulfill his dying wish. Kinder had such selfish love.

"Mom, you love me, don't you?"

Even selfish love was part of genuine love.

"Yes. That's still okay."

Finally, Kinder gave her permission.

"Melech."

"Yes, Young Lady."

Evangeline called to the blindfolded coachman. It was unclear why the coachman had entered the mansion with them.

The two whispered about something, and before Kinder could wonder about it, the coachman's form became blurred. The coachman became black smoke and floated through the air before touching Ryder. The black smoke seeped into Ryder, but thanks to everyone being distracted by Lady Rohanson, probably only Kinder saw that scene.

"The young master moved!"

Some maid in the crowd screamed. Kinder recognized that voice as belonging to Lady Rohanson's maid.

People turned their eyes from Evangeline and looked at Ryder. As she said, the child who had shown no movement wrinkled his eyes. Like a child whining in sleep, he worked his cheeks before Ryder's eyes snapped open.

"Gasp!"

Someone who made eye contact with Ryder covered their mouth. The same was true for Kinder. She was the one who had asked Lady Rohanson and made the choice. But the moment she saw the strange thing that had taken residence in her son's body, she felt nauseous.

Ryder's hand twitched.

"Wh... what is this..."

Of course, the most terrified among them was Weder, who had been holding Ryder all this time. For Weder, she would feel the dead corpse writhing again in her arms.

"Ah, that is quite frightening."

Henna, who had a similar experience, deeply empathized while recalling Evangeline's funeral.