Chapter 15 – Life in Confinement

A day spent in confinement was long and slow, with nothing to do except to eat. Aside from reading a few books from the dusty library, the only other entertainment I had was braiding or rolling Estelle’s hair. The library wasn’t receptive to teenagers, having only books about economics, politics, or liberal art fields.

“This ends today,” Letis announced, breaking my train of thought. I stopped hanging the towel I had just washed on the back of a chair and stared at him. His voice had regained some of its usual strength.

I suddenly realized that we were all in the same bedroom playing together, something I would never have imagined us doing peacefully before. The bedroom had a window, but the floor below had no sunlight coming in, except for inside the library.

If we didn’t light a candle there, it would be pitch dark regardless if it was night or day. I figured no one would complain if we laid limp around there while Estelle took her nap in bed.

“What are you going to do?” I asked Letis, curious as to what idea had brought strength back to him.

“We need an explanation. We already know that someone is coming around while we sleep to replace the food in the cart, so how about staying awake all night to wait for them?” He suggested, alternating between looking at Benya and at me.

His plan was similar enough to mine that I saw no reason to refuse it.

“You’ll probably fall asleep in the middle,” Benya smirked, and he tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling.

“That’s why I’m asking you two to join me! If the three of us stay together, we can wake each other up to keep watch.” Letis explained, tired of Benya’s taunts.

Basically, what he wanted was for us to help him keep watch over the cart.

However, even after we managed to get Benya to agree to this plan, we found that it was unnecessary. Just before the bell rang for prayer time, the mirror door opened, and someone came through.

Viscount Jerome Ipolite showed up himself after two weeks of absence.

*

There was no need to mention exactly how welcomed Jerome was by his niece and nephews. Estelle begged to be let out of this hellhole with tears in her eyes, while Letis and Benya looked absolutely relieved.

During that touching reunion, Jerome stared at the children with a vague look in his eyes, and a strange smile that seemed like it had been glued to his face.

Their elation at the Viscount’s arrival lasted until Jerome opened his mouth.

“I apologize. I should have come sooner. You all probably noticed, but there were some setbacks to the plan.” Jerome’s eyes wandered as he spoke.

We stayed silent for a moment until our eyes met his, and Letis questioned the Viscount. “Some problems?”

“Erm… Well… How should I say this…” Jerome evaded the question, shifting from one foot to the other.

“What happened? Did someone else die?”

I had no idea how many people had died from this plague while we were stuck inside the bell tower. However, I remembered that one of the siblings’ relatives was supposed to die from an infection. Of course, everyone took extra precautions after the empress, and the ducal couple died from it.

“… You’re not here to take us out, right?”

Benya’s retort, shaped more like a confirmation than a question, poured oil over the fires of anxiety and suspicion that were quietly burning inside our hearts. Estelle, who hadn’t been able to stay still up too now, froze in place, pale as a sheet.

Letis immediately got to his feet.

“Uncle, I admit that I have no idea how bad the situation is outside, but we cannot stay here any longer! You know Estelle has a weak constitution! She needs warm baths and regular walks, not to mention regular examinations. She can’t continue to live like this! Moreover—”

“Did you think we kept you all in here because we wanted to?” Letis blinked in surprise at his uncle’s sudden stern voice interrupting him.

In fact, that had never crossed Letis mind. Or at least, not yet.

“There is a rumor going around that those who go to funerals for plague patients, bishops who perform death rites, and those who carry the bodies have something in common. None of them wake up in the next morning. People are also saying that you might meet friends for lunch and your ancestors for dinner. How can you children play outside and meet other people in this situation?” Jerome stared at each child impressively for a moment before sighing and returning to his usual warm smile.

No one answered him. Estelle grabbed my arm tightly while her brothers exchanged looks, expressions filled with shock and fear. Pale blue eyes filled with tears stared at me in frustration and despair.

I could understand why Estelle felt like that. No servants or maids to wait on her, and no privacy. Her meals went beyond bothersome to the realm of inedible, and all her baths were cold. She had no toys or books to pass the time, nor could she visit the greenhouse to peruse the various flowers and plants. There was no space to walk or run.

And what about that majestic bell that rang every day at noon and again at prayer time? It’s what shook the entire structure with its ringing.

At that moment, after checking the children’s reactions, the Viscount turned his gaze toward me. The jade green eyes that seemed vacant looked surprised for a moment. “That dress…”

“My clothes aren’t here.”

Our assumed watch guard stared at me, a maid clad in his niece’s clothes, in a blank manner as if he couldn’t comprehend my explanation, so I tried again. “I wanted to ask Mr. Harris for some essentials, but I couldn’t speak to him except for that first day. Therefore, I had no choice but to ask for permission to use these clothes.”

“What? Ah, yes, of course. I hadn’t thought of that. My apologies.” Of course, that apology wasn’t for me, it was for Estelle, even though she couldn’t process what he was saying at the moment.