Sophie was seething. She was the one who covered for Elena when she slipped out to meet her lover. Although it was true Sophie did it for a gold coin, she didn’t know that she would be treated this way after protecting Elena’s secret. Nothing had changed since they returned from the trip. She thought her position would be increased, but Elena had not given her any preferential treatment.
‘She secretly snuck out in the middle of the night to sneak out to see a man. She’s not afraid that I’m going to reveal her, is she?’
Sophie was unable to hold back her anger and roughly hung out the washing. Mary approached Sophie with her washing in a basket.
“What’s wrong with you these days?”
“What’s wrong with me?”
“Aren’t you being too rude to Lady Elena after the trip?”
“Ha! Rude? Me?”
Sophie spat angrily. Elena couldn’t treat her like this. It was amazing Sophie closed her eyes for Elena just for a single cold coin.
“Mary, don’t talk about things you don’t know. She’s the one that owes me a debt.”
“What? Debt? Like you, I’m the one who’s indebted to Lady Elena. Don’t act sorry for yourself and behave. I’m saying this for your sake…”
“What do you know? You don’t know about her lover.”
“W-what?”
Sophie winced when she realized the words that inadvertently came out of her mouth. However, she wouldn’t take it back. If nothing changed in her current life, she did not have to keep it secret, and if Elena suspected her, she would just deny it. There was no way to prove that Sophie had started the rumor. If the price for the secret had been a gold coin, which she already had, then there was nothing to lose.
“What on earth are you talking about?”
“It was when we traveled to Glenn’s wedding. In the middle of the night, Lady Elena went out to see a man and didn’t come back until morning.”
“W-what? Really?”
“Why would I lie to you? She told me personally there’s a man she loves.”
“I can’t believe it…”
Sophie held a finger to her lips and looked at Mary, who had an incredulous look on her face.
“I’m telling this only to you, so keep it to yourself. Okay?”
“Oh, I see. So she’s been doing this every night?”
Elena had only left once, but Sophie nodded.
“Yes.”
“Are you the only one that knows?”
“Yes, but Lady Elena doesn’t know that I know, so can you keep a secret?”
“I can’t believe she would do something like that.”
“Again, you can’t tell anyone else.”
Sophie had repeatedly warned Mary to keep it to herself, but at the same time she knew the rumors might snowball. Something explosive could happen.
Sophie swallowed a smile, imagining Elena getting trapped in a scandal.
She would pay for neglecting her.
