Chapter 08
“Even if I give you the benefit of the doubt a hundred times and say it was murder, just as you think.”
Ian spoke.
“So what are you going to do about it? Are you going to act like an investigator or detective, checking suspects’ alibis and searching for evidence?”
“If Aileen died unfairly, we can’t just cover it up like that!”
My emotions surged.
If it were Ian—Ian, who had always been someone I could open my heart to since childhood—I thought he would understand how I felt.
“I want to know the truth. And if Aileen was wronged, I want to clear that for her. That much, at least, I can do!”
“My lady, I understand that you don’t want to accept your friend’s sudden death. But the only reason you’re presenting as evidence that it wasn’t suicide is ‘just a feeling,’ isn’t it? That can’t be called evidence.
You never know what can happen in a person’s life. Even if Miss Aileen was excited enough to send you an invitation letter, something could have happened within a week to change her state of mind. Especially in a family with such a suffocating atmosphere as this one.”
“But…”
I wanted to argue back somehow, but nothing came to mind.
It just felt like something—like a heavy stone—was pressing down tightly on my chest.
Ian looked at my face and spoke in a low voice.
“You came here to find out how your friend died. And judging by the circumstances, it was suicide. So…”
“You’re saying we should go back to the Whittington estate?”
Anger flared up inside me.
“If what I’m saying is just ‘a feeling,’ then what you’re saying is just ‘based on circumstances,’ isn’t it?”
“My lady, even so…”
Ian let out a sigh.
“As I said before, we’re not investigators or detectives. The body has already been buried, and we can’t conduct any professional investigation. We don’t have the authority or the ability.”
“I know, Ian. And I don’t intend to stay here working as a maid forever. I’ll go back eventually. Just… not right now.”
“Then when do you plan to return?”
“When I’m satisfied.”
I answered firmly.
“Aileen didn’t even get the chance to have her death investigated. So I’m going to give her that chance.
If I come to understand that she truly chose to end her own life—and that there was nothing I could have done—then I’ll go back. It won’t take long.”
“…Understood, my lady.”
Ian studied my expression for a moment before continuing.
“I’m merely in your employ, so I have no choice but to follow your decision. However, my lady… if a situation arises that I cannot accept, then I will reveal our identities immediately.”
“Hm?”
“If I find it impossible to accept that you should remain here any longer, I will make my own judgment and take you straight back to the Whittington estate.”
“What could possibly happen here that would—”
“Ellie, this is the liquor I told you to bring, isn’t it? Can’t you even read the label properly?”
Ian suddenly raised his voice, cutting me off. I flinched in surprise.
“No matter how expensive it is—far beyond what a maid’s wages could ever afford—if you’re working in a fine estate like this, you should at least be able to tell different types of premium liquor apart, don’t you think?”
For a moment, I was stunned by his sudden outburst, but then I noticed Thomas Flanagan just entering the pantry behind Ian’s shoulder and immediately understood.
Ian, acting as deputy butler, had always been keenly aware of people’s presence and shifts in atmosphere. Come to think of it, Simon—the butler at the Whittington estate—was the same. Without even turning around, he could tell what was behind him or who was approaching.
Maybe people in the butler profession really did have eyes in the back of their heads. My grandfather had simply called it “being perceptive,” but that sounded far less impressive.
“Count Penwood, is there anything troubling you?”
Thomas hurried over to Ian. I glanced at his expression, but fortunately, he showed no sign of having overheard our conversation.
“Not at all. I was simply curious about what kind of liquor is served in this estate.”
Ian gave a well-practiced smile. With his broad build and handsome face, even a fabricated smile suited him well.
“I hope you’ll forgive the rudeness of entering the cellar and taking out a bottle on my own.”
“Oh my, not at all! We should have attended to you first. I’m ashamed we failed to properly host our guest!”
Thomas replied in an overly eager tone. Even after just a few days, it was clear he had a weakness for nobility and prestigious families—truly a snob at heart.
“So you like that one. I should have offered it sooner… Though we have plenty of even finer liquors. As you may know, we also run a large liquor shop in town. If there’s anything you’d like, just say the word.”
“Ah, there’s no need to go to such trouble.”
As they exchanged trivial pleasantries, Ian led Thomas out of the pantry. Even in the midst of that, I couldn’t help but admire how Ian didn’t forget to take the expensive bottle of liquor with him.
An opportunity to learn more details about the day Aileen’s body was discovered came sooner than expected.
Carol, who shared a room with Amy in the annex, now mainly worked in the west wing. But at the time of Aileen’s death, she had been in charge of the area I was currently assigned to in the east wing.
Like Amy and me, Carol was one of the lowest-ranking maids with little influence. However, her request to change work areas had been easily granted—because she was the one who first discovered Aileen’s body, and the shock had been too great.
“I seriously considered quitting because of that.”
During a break, I sat with Amy and Carol, sipping tea, and carefully brought up Aileen’s case. I had worried she might refuse to talk about it, but surprisingly, Carol spoke without hesitation.
“But two other maids had already quit because of it, so Mrs. Pierce practically begged me to stay. She said she’d change my assignment and even give me a few days off.
She said it was a sensitive time, with not enough staff and all sorts of rumors going around inside and outside the estate—so it would be a problem if too many people quit at once.”
“It’s a shame I missed seeing that old witch Pierce in a bind.”
Amy snickered beside us. Carol giggled along and continued.
“Well, I was too lazy to look for another job right away anyway. Even if this place is strict, it’s not that different from anywhere else, right? And if I insisted on leaving after being begged to stay, they might not write me a proper recommendation letter.”
“Good thing you stayed. If you left, who would I gossip with? Oh! Now there’s Ellie! Carol, you can leave the Flanagan estate now—I’ll allow it.”
“Amy, what kind of nonsense is that? If anything, I should be the one kicking you out. Go pack your things.”
They burst into laughter again. Among the maids here, they seemed the closest. They were about the same age and both low-ranking, so it made sense.
Seeing Carol joke around like this, it seemed she had recovered quite a bit from the shock.
‘The reason I got into this estate so easily… it’s probably not just because of Baroness Olga’s recommendation. They must have been short-staffed. Two maids quit, and the atmosphere among the rest must have been unstable…’
Thinking that, I spoke to Carol with an innocent expression.
“It must have been really scary. You were the first one to find Miss Aileen that day, right?”
“Ugh, don’t even talk about it!”
Carol shuddered, hugging her shoulders.
“I opened the door to the study on the second floor, and as soon as I stepped inside, there was this strange smell. I had cleaned the study the day before, and there was no reason anyone would’ve brought food in… so I wondered what it was. For a moment, I even thought maybe a rat had died in there.”
“Ugh, this place is old, so there are a lot of rats—especially in the east wing!”
Amy added, shivering. Carol nodded and continued.
“Then I saw something on the opposite side. At first, it was so dark I couldn’t tell what it was. But when I got a little closer, I realized it was a person hanging. I was so shocked I didn’t even realize it was Miss Aileen until others came!”
“Did you call for help right away?”
“Call? I collapsed on the spot. My legs just gave out—I finally understood what that meant.”
“She’s right. Other maids practically carried her back to her room. She was completely out of it.”
Amy chimed in again.
“I was in the first-floor kitchen peeling beans at the time, and things suddenly felt chaotic. When I went out, people were saying someone screamed and were running upstairs.”
Even though Carol had screamed loudly, Amy hadn’t heard it directly from the kitchen. It seemed sounds didn’t carry well between floors unless you were in the hallway or main hall.
Though Carol had been in shock, she hadn’t fainted. What she saw remained vividly etched in her mind like a scene from a painting.
At the top of the bookshelf in the study, there was a small carved wooden ornament shaped like an animal’s head. Aileen had tied a rope there and hanged herself.
All the books from that shelf had fallen and were scattered across the floor nearby. There was also a small pile of books at Aileen’s feet—likely used as a step.
‘Aileen was definitely on the shorter side, even for a woman.’
I fell into thought.
‘But the bookshelves in this estate’s study are relatively low because of the space for hanging paintings. Considering Aileen’s height, it’s not impossible for her to hang herself… but why the study bookshelf of all places?’
With that in mind, I asked Carol:
“Miss Aileen’s room is in the west wing, right?”
“Yeah. All the family members stay in the west wing.”
Carol answered casually, but Amy cut in.
“Except for Sir Patrick and Miss Lucy—they’re in the east wing.”
“Sir Patrick?”
I thought I had learned all about Aileen’s relatives, so the unfamiliar name caught me off guard. Amy lowered her voice.
“You know, the deputy butler who sometimes wanders around drunk in broad daylight.”
“Ah.”
I had a rough idea. Not long ago, I’d seen a man in his thirties staggering past me with a bottle in hand.
At the time, Mrs. Pierce had scolded him, saying, “As a deputy butler, you shouldn’t be drunk during working hours.” He held the same position as Ian, yet his behavior was completely different—memorable even after just one encounter.
“This place is more lenient with employees than I thought. Being drunk in broad daylight and only getting a warning…”
At my words, Carol and Amy exchanged glances. Then Amy spoke quietly.
“Sir Patrick isn’t an ordinary employee. He’s actually a member of the Flanagan family.”
(To be continued…)
