บท 2: The Desperate Bargain
"Lady!"
"Something dreadful has occurred!"
"The Marquis mansion is on the verge of destruction."
Nanny's voice reached me in a frantic crescendo, laden with terror. Her eyes, usually calm and nurturing, now brimmed with an unfamiliar fear.
Peering through the curtains, I observed the gentle glow of the sunrise, casting its warm hues upon the mansion. But a disconcerting symphony of sobbing voices that reached my ears, reminiscent of mourning, shattered the tranquil morning.
"Lady," Nanny panted, finally coming to a halt.
I hurried to her side, my heart racing with worry. "Yes, nanny, what's transpired? Why are you in such haste? Has something occurred? Is someone unwell in our household?" My questions spilled forth as I closed the distance between us.
"No, lady, it's not an illness that afflicts us, but a grave threat looms over the mansion," she explained, her words sending a chill down my spine.
I could feel my fear intensify as I implored, "What are you trying to convey?"
Nanny's voice trembled as she continued, "My lord has suffered a colossal setback in his business affairs."
My heart sank at the revelation. "And now," she continued, "the entire workforce under his command is desperately striving to remedy the situation by securing funds. However, among the mansion's staff, there are whispers we may face the dire possibility of losing the mansion, or, even worse, the family's business."
Dread welled up inside me, mirroring the panic in Nanny's eyes.
"Are we truly at risk of losing the Marquis mansion?" The words tumbled out of my mouth, my voice quivering with anxiety. The very thought of our prestigious family name facing such disgrace sent shivers down my spine.
Nanny's gaze remained heavy with worry as she nodded in response to my question.
The implications of this revelation clawed at my mind. If word of this reached the ears of the empire, the once-respected name of Marquis Balliol would be tarnished beyond repair. My father would undoubtedly endure it all, suffering not only the loss of our ancestral home but also the humiliation of a shattered reputation. The thought of our family's fall from grace was too painful to bear.
"No, no," I whispered to myself, trying to quell the rising panic. "This can't happen. I must take control of the situation. We cannot allow my younger brother to witness our family's downfall."
Determination surged within me as I resolved to do whatever it took to protect our legacy and maintain our status in the empire.
Excalibur is still so little. He still needs to take lots of lessons to succeed the father.
I can't let him lose his childhood.
"Nanny, calm down. I'm going to my father. And I will surely think of an idea to save the family, ok?" I patted her shoulder, but it was still trembling.
I hoped I could bring back whatever our family needed.
I kept thinking of the sentence inside my head many times. I kept walking toward my father's office when I saw Excalibur running inside. He was crying. I hurried and went to him.
"What happened? Why are you bawling your eyes out?"
"Sister..."
"Sister..."
"Yes, yes, sister is here. Say what you have in mind. I will listen to you, ok?" I made him feel needed.
I wiped down his tears, which left marks on his cheeks, even so, he spoke like a kid.
"Father... Father said we are losing everything."
"Father said that we will not even get to eat food, let alone sleep in a soft bed."
Just hearing his thoughts, I felt even more scared than I was. But I still needed to think of something to save my family. Still, what? I didn't know what I should do. I had no skills that I could show to make myself look good in front of the entire empire, even if I became a commoner.
"Sister," he spoke to me, making me snap out of my thoughts.
"Don't worry. I will talk to father," I said and ruffled his hair. I again started running toward my father's place. The hem of my dress kept on coming on my way, which annoyed me. I tried to keep it up above my knees, but then I realized my father didn't like it. It will annoy him even more than he is.
"No, Bernice, make no more mistakes. That will lead to a bad situation," I said to myself.
I reached the front door and knocked.
"Who is it?" It was my father's voice.
"Father, it is me," I spoke in a gentle tone.
"Come inside," he allowed.
I sighed in relief.
"Why are you here?"
"Did you finish your classes?" he asked, just like normal.
"I didn't." I was getting scared answering, even so, I did.
I got scared to the point as if he would raise his hand and start beating me to a point, he needed to call the magician to heal my wound, which would be costly as a commoner.
"Why?"
"Why didn't you finish your classes?"
"Why are you here?" he asked while he was still arranging some papers, but he didn't show me any sign of panic.
"I-"
"Speak what you came here to ask. I have no time to see you stutter," he said clearly.
I too didn't hesitate but said, "Father, are we going bankrupt?"
I said it. Yeah, I did it. But I had no strength to raise my head and look at him. What if he gets angry with me too and shouts, which he always does? But if he can scold Excalibur, then I'm sure I'm no exception.
"Yeah, we are." His voice is calmer than I thought.
"Then what should we do? Should we just give up everything like this and live our life as commoners?" I asked.
"No, I can't," he said.
"I can't give up everything like this when I have responsibility for you two."
"Excalibur is still little. He needs to learn many things. He needed to have a bright future. I need to get a good groom for you as well. You need to have a good family so that I can breathe in peace. So, I can't let it end like this."
So, my father thinks the same as me.
But I never knew dad was worried for me like this. I thought it was always the younger one. But my father is worried about me as well. So, he was scolding me because he too thinks of me. Thank you, dad, for thinking about me as well, so I will not let it go like this.
"Father, I have some land papers which I bought so you can use that too," I said.
"No, it is yours. I can't use what you get for your future," he declined.
"No father, I don't need them. As long as our family is saved, I need nothing, so use it." I was forceful.
Dad sighed
, then he said, "The amount is not that much you think? It is even more than I could even think of, so just give up. I think we will be on the roadside in a few hours."
"No dad, we won't. Please tell me what I can do!!! I can do anything you want me to say." I asked.
My entire body was burning because I had never shouted like this in my entire life. This is my first time.
"Get married," he said.
I looked up with a shocked expression.
"What did you say?" I asked again.
"Get married so that your husband can save our family."
Was it just an act?
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