“DUCHESS Sonia, this is all of them.”
“Thank you.” Sonia smiled sadly as she glanced across her room that was so stuffed with wooden trunks that there was hardly any room to walk. Her late mother’s clothing and jewels were stored in those trunks.
“Mother had quite the wardrobe, didn’t she?”
“Not only did she inherit clothes from her own family, she also received them as gifts from your paternal grandmother,” the housekeeper explained. A sad, reminiscent look crossed Sonia’s face as she nodded in response.
Sonia had to prepare several outfits for the King’s birthday celebration next month. Perhaps due to their old lineage, the Clares had an extravagant collection of historical jewelry and accessories. Many of the dresses were made with them in mind. Clares for generations had worn these accessories with the dresses, remade to fit the current trends. Now, as the current lady of the house, the dresses needed to be updated for Sonia.
“Put any of the dresses that have been damaged or eaten by moths in one pile. Bring the ones that look wearable over here,” the housekeeper instructed.
“Should we organize them by color?” Sonia asked.
“Good idea. Let’s go ahead and do that as well,” the housekeeper agreed.
The tailor joined them as the women opened the chests, each radiating excitement. After all, women of any age or social status would enjoy gazing upon a wealth of beautiful, vibrantly colored dresses.
But after a moment of silence, gasps of concern spread among them like a ripple. Sonia stared vacantly at one of the open trunks. The insides of all the trunks were pitch black, as if they had been burned.
“What happened to them...?” she asked.
She checked each trunk. If the clothes were reduced to soot, the fire should have damaged the trunks as well. Yet, upon checking all of the trunks that stored clothes, none of them showed fire damage.
“Did someone take the clothes out, burn them, and then put the ashes back in...?” the housekeeper wondered, but Sonia shook her head.
“That couldn’t be it... They were burned in the trunks. If they were burned outside, the ashes and soot wouldn’t form such clear outlines of the clothing. It would have crumbled when put back inside...”
As Sonia stared at the soot and ashes that had once been fine clothing, the blood drained from her face, turning it a ghastly white. Without so much as budging, she fixed her eyes on the lost clothes.
“Duchess Sonia!”
With the assistance of the maids at her side, the housekeeper pried Sonia away from the trunk, as she didn’t seem herself. The moment Sonia’s hand lost grip on the trunk, she fell flat on her rump and stopped moving.
“Get Sir Crisford,” the housekeeper instructed one of the maids, as she shook Sonia’s shoulders to see if she was conscious.
It wasn’t long before Chris came. He dodged around the trunks to reach Sonia, who was sitting in the center of the room.
On his way to her, he peeked inside one of the open trunks. Understanding what had shocked her into a daze, he said in a soft, kind voice, “Princess, we still have plenty of time before the birthday celebration. I know a seamstress we could summon, so please don’t look so disappoint—”
“That isn’t the problem...”
“It isn’t?”
Chris’ words made Sonia snap back; she slowly raised her head to look at him. Her large, pale blue eyes quivered like ripples struck by the wind.
“The clothes kept in these trunks weren’t just made for my mother and grandmother—they go back for generations... With each passing generation, they undergo repairs and slight alterations. The Clare women have treasured them for so long... But now that they’ve been passed on to me... This is a disgrace to my ancestors! Why did this have to happen...? Is it a sign I’m not fit to inherit the Clare legacy?”
“Princess...it doesn’t—”
“If you look at it like that, it’d explain why all of these bizarre things have been happening. God doesn’t approve of my leaving Him to return to the secular world. This is divine punishment meant to make His will known. But in my blind foolishness, I waltzed right on back to the castle... So He destroyed part of my precious family heritage that goes back for generations... How could I have been so foolish?!” Sonia cried.
It made sense. Come to think of it, ever since she had left the Royal Abbey, strange things were happening left and right. It was a message that she should serve God for the rest of her life.
“It’s nothing of the sort, Princess,” Chris said.
“But...”
Seeing Sonia look at him with eyes so filled with tears that looked as though they were about to start streaming down her cheeks at any moment, Chris offered her a smile and reminded, “Our God does not administer punishment. Each and every person bestowed life on this Earth is given a purpose.
“You are doing everything within your power to ensure the survival of your family name... This may feel daunting on your own, but you’re nevertheless striving to fulfill your duty. I can’t imagine God would punish you for leaving Him when He can see such diligence.”
“I-I...”
“This is coming from the man blessed with God’s protective magic, remember? If anyone was going to receive divine punishment, wouldn’t I lose my magic first and foremost, as your future husband?” Chris said teasingly with a wink.
Putting on a bold front, the housekeeper piped in, “He’s absolutely right! You have Sir Chris, blessed by God, our Holy Father, on your side! There’s no way this is divine punishment!”
The other maids also jumped in. “Right! Let’s find the rascal who played this cruel prank and teach him a lesson he won’t soon forget!”
“Couldn’t it be a natural phenomenon of some sort? Let’s investigate!” another suggested, greatly lifting Sonia’s spirits.
The atmosphere had completely changed, making the room feel bright and cheerful. Sonia wiped away her well of tears and threw everyone a smile. Getting back on her feet, she arched her back in a deep stretch.
“You’re right! But for now, we need to clean out the trunks and order completely new gowns for the birthday celebration! Everything will have to be made from scratch, so we’re going to have our hands full!”
“Right!” All of the staff present responded enthusiastically before briskly setting about their tasks.
Sonia approached Chris, who had been solemnly watching the scene unfold. With no small hesitation, she reached out to hold his hand tightly. The action not only surprised Chris but Sonia herself.
“Phew! You didn’t shock me!” Sonia seemed overjoyed as she held his hand. The reaction Chris gave was rather unexpected.
“S-So I see...! That’s great! Just wonderful!”
He’s clearly nervous. Sweat is pouring down his face, and he’s turning bright red. After the way he had handled Sonia with the calm composure of an adult, it made his reaction all the more puzzling.
“I-I know! Allow me to pitch in. Even I can manage emptying the trunks and cleaning them without getting underfoot,” Chris said and grabbed the closest trunk, which was particularly large.
“The maids can attend to—AAH!” A shocking sight caused Sonia to scream, cutting off her attempt to stop him.
CLACK! The trunk had swiftly snapped its lid with a loud crack, trapping Chris inside.
SCREECH! SCRATCH! SCREECH! SCRATCH! It made a terrifying noise as it slid across the floor with a mind of its own. The trunk threw the room into turmoil, mowing down any trunks or maids in its path.
Everyone began screaming and crying before the impossibly strange phenomenon. Amidst the chaos, Sonia desperately chased after the trunk as she shouted Chris’ name.
“SIR CHRIS!”
“HIYAAAAHH!” Accompanied by that battle cry, a long, large sword pierced out of the trunk. The trunk containing Chris came to a halt before Sonia, who was too astounded to move.