When You Turned Your Back On Me, We Became Strangers [EN]: Chapter 7

Theo began to watch over Railey, following her around with a cold demeanor for several days.

The reason for his concern was that he’d heard she wasn’t eating or sleeping well.

It would be problematic for Theo if she couldn’t bear being here and decided to leave.

Because Theo was constantly by her side, Railey couldn’t even discreetly send a letter to her sister through a maid. With each day that passed, Railey felt increasingly drained. She desperately wanted news of her sister’s situation.

“Madam, please try to eat something.”

“I have no appetite. I’ll eat later, please leave me.”

No matter how delicious the food was, Railey wouldn’t even look at it.

Eventually, Theo realized there was only one way to motivate her. But even after sending letters, he received no response, leaving him unsure of what to do.

Theo, once again ignored by Railey, went to his office and sighed. He rubbed his face, trying to ease his throbbing headache as he reviewed documents.

‘Should I go and see her in person?’

He was swamped with work, making it difficult to leave immediately. After checking his schedule, Theo decided to visit Railey’s sister, Leta, directly.

Theo was so busy chasing after Railey whenever he had a spare moment that he naturally began to neglect Anna.

Knock, knock.

A knock sounded, and the door abruptly opened. Anna, looking sulky, didn’t enter but leaned against the doorframe, watching Theo.

“I thought you were busy, so I came to see you myself. Oh, how sad-”

Judging by her behavior, she was clearly quite angry. Since she had never visited him at his office before, Theo ignored her and continued reviewing the documents. He felt exhausted and his body ached.

Theo forced a smile and looked at Anna with a gentle expression.

“I’m sorry, I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. For the time being….”

He tried to appease her, adopting an uncharacteristically apologetic tone. Seeing this, Anna hid her hands behind her back and approached him.

“I brought something the Duke would like, but you’re still not going to look at me?”

Anna smiled, waving a letter in her hand. Theo, recognizing the color and crest on the letter, jumped up from his seat and strode towards her.

“Give it to me.”

Theo reached out to grab the letter, but Anna quickly hid her hand behind her back. Theo’s brow furrowed slightly at her sudden movement.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m the one who should be asking that. Do you realize you’ve been neglecting me lately? It seems like you only have eyes for that letter right now.”

“It must be a letter for me.”

At Theo’s words, Anna shook her head. It wasn’t for him. She playfully wrapped her arms around Theo’s neck and pressed her body close to him.

“I sent a separate letter to get your attention.”

“Really?”

“Of course, I didn’t like seeing the Madam struggling… You seemed busy, so I intervened.”

“Anna, you really…”

Theo felt a surge of affection for Anna, who was now in his arms, gazing intently at him. Not only had she resolved his problem, but she was also acting so charming that his throbbing headache vanished.

She would be a good woman if she wasn’t so greedy. Of course, as a mistress.

“Now that I’ve solved one problem, you’ll only pay attention to me today, right?”

“First, the letter…”

“You can send the letter through a maid. You’re not going to leave me here and go to the Madam, are you?”

Anna’s eyes welled up with tears, as if they were about to spill over at any moment.

‘This is going to be quite annoying.’

Theo hugged Anna’s waist and patted her back.

“Please wait a moment. I have to deliver this myself for her to feel relieved.”

“Then just for a moment, stay just for a moment and then go.”

“Anna, you can’t just force this…”

Theo couldn’t finish his sentence because Anna began kissing and embracing him. She was determined not to let him go, clinging tightly to his body.

“Are you really going to send me away like this?”

Theo, having gently pushed her away, looked at Anna clinging to him. Her slightly parted lips, flushed cheeks, and teary eyes were unexpectedly arousing.

In the end, Theo couldn’t resist Anna’s advances and called a maid to deliver the letter.

“Deliver this to the Madam. Tell her I’m giving her the letter she’s been waiting for.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Also, tell her that I couldn’t deliver it myself because I was busy.”

The maid nodded at Theo’s instructions. Anna’s figure was visible through the open doorway. She looked quite relaxed, smiling with the corners of her lips raised as Theo turned around.

‘That’s why he’s so infatuated. The Madam is so pitiful.’

After Anna arrived at the Duke’s residence, the Madam’s situation changed drastically. Even though she was carrying the Duke’s child, she became a Madam in name only.

‘Well, what can we do? We have to stay on everyone’s good side.’

The maid gave Anna a nod. Anna returned a slight nod and then quickly replaced her expression with a bright smile as Theo turned back around.

She headed straight to the garden to find Railey, who had gone outside for some fresh air because she felt suffocated in her room.

Reaching Railey, she saw her sitting on a chair, leaning back.

“The Duke asked me to deliver this to you.”

The maid handed the letter to Railey, who had her eyes closed. Opening her eyes at the shadow cast in front of her, she saw a paper envelope in the maid’s hand.

“…A letter?”

“Ah, he also said that he couldn’t deliver it himself because he was busy.”

‘She doesn’t seem to know anything. I feel sorry for her, but I have to survive, so I can’t help it.’

The maid felt sorry for Railey, but she didn’t say anything. She was employed by Theo, after all.

Unfortunately, Railey held no real power in the Duke’s residence. The word ‘nominal’ was not an exaggeration but a fact.

“Okay, you can go now.”

Railey said, unable to take her eyes off the letter she had received.

“Then I’ll be on my way.”

The maid gave Railey an insincere greeting and left.

Only after the maid had left did Railey sit up straight. It was Leta’s reply, the one she had been waiting for so long.

The maid glanced back at Railey as she walked away. After confirming that she was reading the letter, she continued into the mansion.

Railey couldn’t bring herself to open the letter for a long time, simply staring at it. Finally, she steeled herself and began to tear the letter open with trembling hands.

“Please, let everything be alright.”

She took a deep breath and swallowed hard before opening the envelope and unfolding the paper. Her tightly closed eyes trembled.

Slowly opening her eyes, she began to read the letter.

[To my beloved sister, Lee,

Sister, I’m sorry I couldn’t send you an invitation. I had to get married in a hurry, so I couldn’t deliver one. I was forced to marry and had to leave home as if I were running away because of Father….

Lord Heriond is treating me well. I heard you’re very worried, but I’m doing well here, so don’t worry too much about me and take care of yourself, too.]

It was a somewhat formal tone for Leta, but the ‘Lee’ written in the letter was a nickname her sister used to call her, so she didn’t have any particular doubts.

Above all, if Theo had understood her warning properly, she thought he would have sent the letter directly to Leta this time.

‘Thank goodness. Really….’

Railey, having confirmed Leta’s well-being, held the letter in her hand and shed tears – tears of relief. She had always felt guilty and sorry for her sister, feeling that she had escaped alone.

If she had endured it to the end at the Trailla Duke’s residence, at least Leta would have been happy. She imagined her meeting someone she loved, happily starting a family, having children, and living a fulfilling life.

It was no use dwelling on the past, but the thought that if she had stayed with Leta until she became an adult, she would have faced a different situation never ceased.

Both herself and her sister.

She might have been happy, or she might have been even more miserable. Nevertheless, Railey regretted the past.

Two would have been better than one. Wouldn’t enduring the pain together have given them more strength?

“…Leta, are you really okay?”

Tears continued to flow. An unknown anxiety kept shaking her and weighing her down. Tears kept welling up, making it pointless to wipe them away.

“I have to be strong. I have to endure here, too.”

Wiping away her tears with the back of her hand, Railey thought of her beloved sister and read the letter over and over again. She had no room to hesitate or any time to spare.

‘I’ll be fine. Leta, I hope you and Buti [possibly a pet or a close friend] are doing well….’

Perhaps this was the last letter. The words ‘take care’ written at the end seemed to tell her not to worry about her anymore.

Wouldn’t she be able to see Leta when she got better? Yes, she can meet her.

Railey clung to that hope. She wanted to believe that the day would surely come when they could meet each other with smiles and happy faces.

Looking at the blue envelope and the Heriond family crest stamped on the envelope’s opening, she carefully folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope, being careful not to tear it.

“Huh? Why is this like this?”

Railey’s eyes narrowed as she went to seal the letter.

The traces of the wax that had been pressed on one side were slightly twisted.