Baby Prisoner of the Winter Castle

Chapter 6

Clarisse quickly realized that Bessie was not a good person. Clarisse took a bath first before heading up to the old room in the attic, where she pointed out the mistake.

“You lied. You said I would see the duchess after I’m cleaned up.”

“Quiet! How dare a criminal talk back to me like that?”

“But—”

“Don’t you understand? Her Grace doesn’t want to be anywhere near a criminal like you!”

Clarisse grew quiet.

“But if you tell me that there was a woman on the way here with the duke, she might have pity on you.”

Bessie poked at Clarisse’s head with her finger. “So think carefully if you’ve got an answer or not.”

When Clarisse stood there quietly with her lips pursed, the maid picked up the only source of light in the room—a candle—and left. The door closed with a loud thud, and the small attic was engulfed in darkness. Then, Clarisse heard the sound of a lock clicking. Startled, she rushed toward where the light had just disappeared and banged on the door.

“I-it’s too dark in here!”

Despite her agitated shout, the maid responded in a cold voice from the other side of the closed door, “That makes it the perfect place for you to think.”

There was nothing but silence after those words, no matter how much Clarisse continued to shout.

*

Maximilian’s wife, Duchess Athella Sheridan, was a frail woman who looked as if she could be blown away by a gust of winter wind. Her beautiful silver hair and her calm, elegant movements made her the perfect fit for the title of Duchess of the Sheridan Estate, the manor also known as the Winter Castle.

However, that was only on the outside. Behind closed doors, she was just an anxious young woman. She watched Bessie with fear in her eyes as the maid clunked and clattered around the room, organizing and cleaning the duchess’s things.

Bessie had come with Athella from her family’s home when she married the duke. Ladies usually brought their most trusted maids with them to their new homes after their weddings. But in Athella’s case, the situation was a little different. Bessie had come to keep an eye on Athella and report everything she did to her family. They were holding something important over her head, a weakness of sorts, so she was forced to walk on eggshells around Bessie and was unable to say a thing against her.

Still, she mustered the courage to get Bessie’s attention.

“I… Um… Bessie?”

“What?”

“I heard… There was a little girl I was to take care of.”

“Ha! ‘Take care of?’ You, take care of anyone? Don’t be ridiculous. Instead of wasting time worrying about some child you don’t even know, focus on having one of your own!”

The duchess pursed her lips at the word “child.” Her parents, the Daringtons, were waiting desperately for news of her pregnancy.

“You must give birth to a child, or Countess Darington won’t let me return home! How much longer do I have to stay in this freezing hellhole?”

“I-I’m sorry.”

The duchess apologized habitually, even though she knew it was nothing to be sorry about.

“If you are sorry,” the maid said, putting her hands on her hips, “Get pregnant as soon as you can once His Grace returns! How rigid could you be for him to leave again immediately as soon as he comes back home?”

“But the little girl His Grace brought—”

“I told you to forget about it! Are you seriously worried about that right now? And you’re fine with His Grace not ever bedding you?”

Athella’s cheeks flushed at the maid’s bluntness. It had already been three years since their wedding, but they had not yet shared a bed. Maximilian sometimes visited her room for the sake of her honor, but he just left after some light reading. It seemed he never had any intention of spending time with her as her husband. Of course, the only one who knew this in the household was Bessie, who cleaned the duchess’s sheets.

“No, I’m not fine with that, but…”

“Then wear your new dress at least, and try smiling more.”

The duchess lowered her head. It was nice not to hear such insults for the last six months when he was away for the war. Still… I’m a little relieved that he didn’t return right away, though I know I shouldn’t be thinking that… He would return in three days, and her brief period of freedom would come to an end. She had already known it wouldn’t continue for too long when news about the war ending reached Sheridan.

“I-I understand. I will do my best, so take good care of the child for me. All right?”

“I’ll do what I have to do, so worry about your own business. You’re acting like you really are a noble—”

The duchess jumped and grabbed the maid’s arm. “Q-quiet!”

“Whatever. Hmph…”

Bessie pushed her away and scowled. “You’re always acting like such a nice girl, but you’re the one mooching off His Grace for everything he’s got.”

She stormed out of the room but quickly changed her voice to a warmer tone to greet the knights she passed in the corridor. Athella—or Brielle, who had to pretend to be Athella—let out a little sigh. She could not trust Bessie’s words about taking good care of the little girl.

*

Clarisse had fallen asleep squatting near the door and woke up after some time had passed. It felt as if she hadn’t even slept an hour, but her room looked completely different now. For one thing, there was light—a very bright lamp—shining near her. What was more, she was wrapped in a warm, comfy blanket. And best of all, there was bread and soup along with some jam, butter, and chocolate, plus a fun-looking storybook.

“How…”

Clarisse touched the floor under her. She stroked the cold surface a few times, rubbing a few of the stones studding the floor. After a moment, she quickly lifted her head as if she realized something.

“Her Grace… snuck these things inside for me? She herself? Really?”

She asked the same question several times, unable to believe it.

“I-I thought she would be a very scary woman.”

Feeling a little uneasy, Clarisse ripped off a small piece of the bread and put it into her mouth. The warm, savory white of the bread melted on her tongue.

“It’s so soft. I can’t believe Her Grace would give such amazing food to a captive. I wonder what she’s really like.”

Clarisse tried to imagine the duchess. Maybe she was different from the “queen” that she pictured in her mind.

“Maybe her heart is soft like this bread.”

Or warm like the soup. Or perhaps sweet like the jam.

“I hope she’s cozy… like this blanket.”

Clarisse soon felt full and fell deeply asleep as she drew images of the duchess in her mind.

*

The next morning, Bessie walked up to the attic with a look of triumph on her face. The child had spent the night in the cold and dark room, so she surely must have come to her senses and was ready to talk. In truth, Bessie knew she was being quite cruel to the girl, but she had been sent to this freezing place, and she had been unable to return to her hometown for years. All she felt was irritation and bitterness about the situation.

Additionally, there was no one to take her anger out on. Yes, she complained all the time to Brielle, but… Raising a child at the estate? When the knights told Bessie that the duke decided to raise the young princess from the fallen kingdom in the estate until she turned eighteen, she just couldn’t understand.

“Why did His Grace have to bring it here? Why didn’t he just kill it?”

The duke was already not sleeping with the duchess, so a child running around the estate would only make things worse. I must keep it away from the duke—out of sight, out of mind. The child was a criminal anyway, so no one would criticize Bessie for treating her harshly. I’ve already shown it a lot of mercy. I didn’t send it to the filthy, bug-infested dungeon, after all.

However, the ungrateful little brat refused to tell her if the duke had brought a woman with him. She kept going on and on about repaying his kindness. I’ve got to set my foot down. It’ll know who the authority is around here.

Bessie picked up a long brush she found nearby. If she walked into the room holding something she could beat the child with, the little beast wouldn’t dare defy her. She unlocked the door and flung it open.

“What the…?”

The child, who she thought would be huddled over in despair, was sleeping comfortably under a thick, cozy blanket. She was sleeping so deeply that even the sound of the door flinging open did not wake her up.

“You little brat! Where did you get the blanket?” Bessie shrieked.

The child finally blinked her sleepy eyes open.

“Did you sneak out and steal it, and then sneak back in to sleep so— What? You also stole food?”

“Uh…”

Still half asleep, Clarisse stared at the maid with a dazed look. She was still exhausted from the long trip.

“And even an oil lamp?”

Bessie tore through the room, then crumpled up Clarisse’s blanket and threw it on the floor. That was when she discovered the small pouch that the girl was clutching under the blanket.

“What is this now? What else did you steal?”

“No! You can’t!”

Clarisse tried to hold on to the pouch, but Bessie was stronger.

“G-give it back!” Clarisse begged, holding out her hands.

“Sounds like you stole some jewels— Huh? They’re just rocks.”

“It’s my friend! Please give it back!”

“Hmph… A friend? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Bessie opened the window and the wooden shutters, then threw Clarisse’s rocks out.

“No…!” Clarisse watched, forlorn.

But Bessie just shrugged. “You’ll be punished for stealing.”

“I didn’t steal any—”

“You’ll be whipped to death.”

At these terrifying words, Clarisse gulped and swallowed her words. Thinking that the child had finally decided to submit, the maid smirked.

“Do you want to live?”

“Yes, I want to live.”

“Then you know what you have to do.”

Clarisse pursed her lips.

Bessie grasped her forehead and let out a sigh. “Seeing as you’re trying to stay quiet, there really must’ve been a woman with the duke. Did he tell you to keep it secret? Ha! Unbelievable!”

Clarisse watched silently for a moment, then clenched her fists and finally asked, “Do I have to answer your question to live?”

“Yes! What are you, an idiot? How many times do I have to tell you?”

Clarisse turned her gaze to somewhere behind the maid and continued speaking with a very apologetic look.

“Then… May I answer her question, Your Grace?”

Startled, Bessie jumped and turned around.