Chapter 6

“Yes, Mrs. Kloze.”

The butler assistant, who nodded, pointed to a two-story red brick house in front of them. It was a cozy house with ivy adorning one side of the wall completely.

“I heard from Mr. Bowlen that Madam was looking for a boarding house. There’s probably no house in Blauberg that’s more pleasant than here.”

He added secretly after giving a humble smile.

“It’s owned by my mother.”

“Is that so?”

Upon Marianne’s ambiguous reply, he went on until he spat out his saliva in the process of talking.

“It’s the house where my parents and my three brothers lived together, and then my father passed away and all of my brothers got married and lived separately. My mother is alone in here right now. She started the boarding house business a few years ago because she was lonely. It was very popular because the price was cheap and the food was delicious.”

The butler assistant, who had been rambling, lowered his voice slightly while still looking at Marianne.

“Lately, bigger and more sophisticated boarding houses have rose and taken away all of her customers. It’s an old house, but it won’t be too bad for you, Madam. My mother also lost her husband in the early age, so she will understand Madam Kloze’s feeling better than anyone else.”

Marianne, who was sitting in the carriage, looked up at the red brick house. She felt reluctant because Marquis Schneider’s influence seemed to work on her, but she thought it wasn’t a bad choice either.

In the meantime, the sun had completely set, and blue darkness covered the earth like a giant blanket. It would be hard and difficult to find another boarding house at this time.

She decided to accept the marquis’ kindness this time.

“Sounds good.”

Marianne finally got up from her seat. She walked slowly toward the ivy-covered red brick house.

Her eyes shone as bright and clear as Venus that had appeared recently.

***

The light of bluish dawn came in through the window. The dark parlor was also shone with the bluish color of dawn, and the outline of things inside began to appear dimly.

Martin watched Kristoff sitting in the middle of the parlor room with a confused gaze. Last night, he stayed up all night in the parlor. It was because his wife, Marianne, didn’t come back.

Before midnight, Kristoff was much more relaxed than he was at the moment. He thought Marianne would come in quickly with her tailed rolled up, and at least she wouldn’t stay out all night.

He thought throwing divorce papers and leaving the house was a short digression or rebellion to express her disappointment. He had no doubt that she would pick up herself before things got big.

Of course, he seemed rather angry with Marianne. However, when she begged for his forgiveness, he thought about letting it slide willingly for once.

On the contrary, he seemed to have a willingness to appease Marianne. He had no doubt about the confirmed incident report, but he was also prepared to look at it again if he wished to.

However, none of them came true. The front door was only closed quietly, the blue light was the only one that appeared from the dark sky.

It was quite unusual for Kristoff to stay up all night in the parlor. Considering his routine of always staying in the office and managing his work even after returning to the mansion.

Kristoff hated it so much if others were disturbing his daily lives. It was no exception, even if it was Marianne.

That’s why the sight of him sitting in the parlor without even changing his clothes was quite unfamiliar to Martin.

Ding, ding, ding.

Kristoff eventually let out a chilly grin when the clock struck midnight. His eyes turned cold.

Martin unknowingly took a deep breath when feeling suffocated.

ᅳMarianne, what do you think you’re doing and make me angry?

Kristoff quietly tried to control his anger by staring into the air with his sharp blue eyes. Martin swore he had never seen the man so angry before.

He was the personification of a cool-headed person, and he knew how to control his emotions thoroughly, regardless of how upset he was.

However, Kristoff seemed to be engulfed in malicious anger at the moment. He finally grabbed the armrest. The bones on his hand protruded and turned white from how much strength he had put in it. He also felt like hearing the sound of a twisting tree, perhaps due to the current mood.

“Martin.”

Kristoff called him in a low and hoarse voice, as if to suppress his boiling anger.

Martin took a step closer to him and replied, “Yes, My Lord.” his voice sounded louder than usual, probably because he was anxious.

“Prepare the car, I’ll go to Kloze Family’s residence right now.”

“Understood, My Lord.”

He wished Marianne to be in her own home, Kloze Residence, to soothe Kristoff’s anger, but upon thinking of Mrs. Schneider, who would be in trouble, he wished she wasn’t there either.

Looking out of the bright white window, Martin sighed for the umpteenth time. He sought God after a very long time with his eyes closed tightly.

God bless Mrs. Schneider.

***

The morning in the Kloze Family was quieter than usual. Even though they woke up at the same time, eating breakfast, taking care of horses, and getting ready for work, there was an incomprehensible loneliness within the house.

The Kloze have yet to overcome Veronica’s death. The absence of the lovely second daughter brought a deep sense of loss to them, and they regarded that name as taboo to not reopen each other’s wounds.

“What time are you coming back today?”

Upon Anna’s dry question, Fabian took the boiled egg to his mouth and replied, “It’ll be as usual.”

Although they shared the same conversation repeatedly every morning, both of them didn’t look at each other’s eyes as usual.

Fabian Kloze, who works as a low-rank civil servant in the City Hall, wasn’t a prestigious aristocrat, but a sincere and faithful man. His wife, Anna Kloe, was a sweet and modest woman.

The two were experiencing the peak of misfortune upon the death of their second daughter after being in the peak of happiness when their first daughter married Kristoff Schneider.

They withered away little by little like plants that hadn’t seen the sun. They ate and talked with each other, but everything felt dull like an empty shell.

It was during that moment. They overheard the sound of a car. It was Anna who noticed it first. She glanced out of the window and casted her eyes at Fabian.

“Who could be coming in the morning, Fabian? Is there anyone coming?”

“I’m not sure.”

Fabian got up after noticing the existence of an uninvited guest. He walked straight to the front door. Anna followed him cautiously.

The moment Fabian opened the front door.

“!”

He was surprised by the black shadow standing in front of the door, and unconsciously trembled in his place.

Fabian, who was staring at the uninvited guest with wary eyes, realized that the said uninvited guest was Kristoff, his son-in-law.

The reason he didn’t recognize the man as his usual self was because of his unusual vibe. Kristoff looked a bit disheveled, which was not like his usual self at all because he always looked perfect.

The business suit he wore showed a few wrinkles here and there, and his ascot tie was also loose. His eye bags were also deep-colored. As if he stayed up all night.

On the other hand, there was a slight hope in his raven eyes. His eyes were so sharp that they could cut someone’s finger off.

“What’s the matter, Kristoff?”

Fabian looked at him worriedly. Anna asked with her heart almost dropping behind his husband, “Did something happen to our Marianne?”

Fabian’s expression also turned serious upon her wife’s question. He let her second daughter have an unnatural death, but he couldn’t bear to lose his first daughter as well.

The moment Fabian wanted to step forward, Kristoff spoke up. The hoarse voice the man had never let out before coming out of his lips.

“Where is she?”

“……”

Fabian couldn’t come up with anything. It was bcause he didn’t understand what he was asking. No, his body instinctively stiffened at his superior gaze and voice.

“Is she here?”

“……”

Fabian was unable to come up with an answer again. His fingers twitched. He opened his eyes wide, as if making sure that the person standing in front of him was, indeed, Kristoff.

Despite the difference in their status, Kristoff had never treated him recklessly. Fabian appreciated the fact that he always showed his best etiquette.

However, the man standing in front of him wasn’t the Kristoff he knew.

Kristoff pushed him into the house, as if he thought he wouldn’t be able to get anything from Fabian. He was unlike the usual Kristoff, who put manners before everything.

He didn’t hesitate to walk into the house even without the owner’s permission. He looked around the living room like a general who savagely occupied the enemy’s land, and headed straight to the bedroom.

Creak.

He opened the door. It was Fabian and Anna’s bedroom.

“What in the world!”

Anna screamed lowly, voice laced with bewilderment. However, Kristoff’s face didn’t change despite peeping into the couple’s private place.

After opening the doors one by one, he returned to the living room after confirming that no one, other than them, was there. Fabian and Anna followed him after coming to their senses belatedly.

“What the hell is going on, Kristoff? For God’s sake……”

“Have you heard from Marianne?”

“Marianne?”

Fabian tilted his head with a puzzled look, and Anna asked once again with an anxious look, “What happened to Marianne?”

Kristoff stared at them with his sharp eyes. Persistent and sharp, as if looking for even the smallest lie.

He swallowed every word carefully while blinking coldly.

“Marianne handed me the divorce papers and left the house.”

“What?”

“Oh my!”

Fabian opened his eyes wide and Anna covered her mouth with her hands. Fabian held her staggering wife with one of his arms and casted a glance at Kristoff.

“What do you mean? Suddenly asking for a divorce? Was there a problem between the two that we didn’t know?”

Kristoff narrowed his eyes at the words. They looked like they were not lying. He was staring into the air with twitching eyebrows, and whispered softly to himself.

“I truly wanted to know what the problem is about.”

Yes, he wanted to know as well. Kristoff was the one who wanted to know the most about why Marianne tossed he divorce papers to his face all of a sudden.

Slowly dropping his gaze, his black eyes met Fabian. Kristoff said politely as if his senses had returned.

“I apologize for being rude. If you ever get a call from Marianne, please let me know first.”

“Sure.”

Fabian nodded with a gloomy expression on his face. His face darkened after having been struck by lightning (aka Kristoff) in the morning.

When Marianne brought Kristoff and said they would get married, Anna opposed the marriage, she said one side was too superior. She was sincerely worried that Marianne would be put in a hard time because of that.

However, Fabian thought she knew nothing. Even the rumor regarding Kristoff was going to be his son-in-law changed the way his colleagues looked at him.

And then, what about Marianne, who will hold the title of Mrs. Schneider? Her life was going to change dramatically. Fabian undoubtedly thought Marianne would be happy.

However, what happened between them? Was Marianne not happy? Should he also have opposed their marriage just like Anna?

Fabian’s heart sank. All of this seemed to be his fault. It seemed that even his remaining daughter had been pushed to the depths of misery.

“Then, please excuse me.”

“Be careful on your way. She must have not gone far.”

It was when Kristoff was walking with them behind him.

“Marianne isn’t going to contact us.”