The End of a Fake Marriage

A high, shrill voice instantly stopped Louis and Alexander in their tracks as they were opening the car door.

“Wait, Alexander!”

Louis’ face hardened as he recognized the owner of the voice. He muttered in a voice that could not hide his discomfort.

“Damn it. We’re caught.”

Louis grumbled with deep discontent, and Alexander laughed softly and grabbed the back of his secretary’s neck.

“Relax, Louis. It’s not you who’s been caught.”

The large hand familiarly massaged the back of Louis’s neck. Having been together from Brighton College to the battlefield, Louis was more like a comrade or colleague than merely a subordinate.

“I’d rather it be me caught.”

“How noble. It makes paying your salary worthwhile, you know?”

“If you really think so, maybe a special bonus would be in order…”
“Shh. She’s here.”

“Tch.” Of course, the thoughts of the one who gives the salary and the one who receives it can be a little different.

Louis, still grumbling, opened the lobby door and looked coldly at the auburn-haired woman running out.

Nina Chambler.

It was impossible for anyone to feel any affection for the unwanted person in the Chambler family.

Bearson Chambler, former Marquis of Chambler and father of Alexander had taken a second wife less than a year after the death of his wife, Blair Chamberlain, and Alexander’s biological mother. (A Marquis is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages)

Incredibly, this new wife was Blair’s friend, Meggie Anasha, a commoner and tailor. She brazenly brought her daughter into the household and took her place beside the late friend’s husband.

The gossip magazines were abuzz about it at the time, and even a passing beggar knew the story of the “lowly Cinderella of the Chamblers”.

Even more shocking, Blair Chambler’s death was not an accident or a sickness, but suicide. And the first witness to her body was her only son, Alexander Chambler.

At that time, Alexander was only sixteen. He was at an age where he couldn’t contain his youthful energy, yet he had to face this tragedy and its ugly truth. The young boy became twisted and violent.

Every day at the Chamber household was filled with punishment, confinement, shouting, and blame. As the years went by, Alexander became increasingly erratic. Gunther Chamberlain, able to command any obedience from him and he is the only person he listened to.

Alexander knew that this only twisted his father further. No, he intentionally provoked him even more, fully aware of the consequences.

“You will never be my heir. Get out! Do you really think I would pass my title to someone like you?”

“You seem to have forgotten that you haven’t even received the title yet, Father. You filthy hypocrite. A traitor who killed his wife because he was blinded by a whore!”

“How dare you…!”

That day, Alexander was locked in the attic of the annex.

Bearson had commanded everyone in the manor to not give Alexander even a drop of water for four days. It was on a day when Gunther was not there, so no one dared to help Alexander.

On the night of the third day in the attic, someone sneaked up on him.

“It’s me, Nina. I brought food for Alex.”
It was Nina Anasha, the daughter brought by Meggie Anasha.

Nina Anasha, who looked so young that it was hard to believe she was the same age as Rene, wore a much more expensive dress than when she entered and had a face filled with happiness and expectation, as if to say, “I’ll save you, so look up to me.”

…Damn it. What a ridiculous situation.

From the moment she entered the Chambler mansion, the girl, blushing bright red, had been desperately trying to talk to him, trailing him like a clingy leech.

“Hey, I’ll talk nicely to my father, too. Let’s not fight, okay? Now that I’m part of Alexander’s family…”

“Hey.”

“What?”

“Who says you’re my family?”

“…What?”

“From the moment that man decided to become your father, he became stranger to me, So don’t get the wrong idea. There was, is, and will be nothing between you and me.”

Alexander brushed Nina aside and left the attic.

The person holding the key to the attic that had locked him in was his father. The fact that she had come with the key meant that it was indeed his father who had sent Nina.

Alexander ran until he felt like he was going to die, then doubled over and vomited. Three days without food meant it was just empty retching, his stomach swirl in agony.

He collapsed on the ground, weak and groaning, his body worn down by the confinement in the narrow attic, a harsh punishment for a growing boy. He was so tired that he fell into a faint sleep on the street.

Suddenly, he was awakened by a horrific scream in the distance.

He jumped up in surprise and saw ominous gray smoke rising from the roof of the annex he had run out of.

It was bright red flames.

A fire had broken out.

***

“Haah, haah! Cough! Ah, Alexander! Haah, haah!”

Alexander watched Nina Chambler, who had run towards him, gasping for breath, with a mask-like smile.

That day, five people died in the fire at the annex. Among them were a nanny who had taken care of Alexander since he was a child and a coachman with whom he had shared a close bond. Both of them had jumped in to save him, thinking he was trapped in the annex, and tragically perished in the attempt.

Nina was the only witness and survivor of that fire.

Nina regained consciousness after three days of unconsciousness from inhaling smoke, but when she woke up, she couldn’t speak properly due to the effects of the smoke.

Naturally, the one who took the utmost care of Nina was her mother, Meggie Anasha. She stayed by Nina’s side for a week, barely sleeping.

Then, one day, when Nina was able to recover, Meggie testified on behalf of Nina, who couldn’t speak properly, about the cause of the fire.

“It was all because of that boy!”

She claimed that the fire had started when Alexander rushed out of the attic, causing an oil lamp to topple over.

The doctor said that Nina suffered burns on her right waist and back, and permanent lung damage due to the fire.

On that day, Meggie slapped Alexander across the face.

“It’s your fault! It’s all your fault! You left her with burns! Nina will never be able to laugh or run properly, she’s a cripple! She just wanted to be accepted as part of your family! My daughter! She’s become a cripple!” With her eyes burning bright red with tears, Maggie screamed at Alexander.

It’s all because of you!

Alexander, it’s your fault, do you understand? It’s your fault!

You ruined our Nina!

Because of you, Nina can’t get married or have children! You’ve destroyed Nina’s life!

As if to make sure the whole world heard, Meggie loudly declared that her daughter had become a cripple because of Alexander.

Alexander could still remember the sound of her voice. In fact, he thought he might never forget it.

“Why, why are we going so fast! Haah haah! Cough!”

“Oh dear! You mustn’t overdo it, miss! You shouldn’t run like that!”

Nina rushed out, coughing violently, while her maid, Melinda, fussed over her, trying to support her.

“Young lady, if you keep doing this, you’ll be in big trouble! You just came up to the capital after recovering a little, and now you’re going back down to Rivernell? Oh, our poor young lady. Sniff sniff.”

Alexander stared at the maid’s tearful expression with a helpless gaze.

Louise nicknamed the maid “Miss Gramophone” because she said the same thing so many times. The main comment was, ‘Poor little girl!’ (A gramophone is an old-fashioned record player that plays music by amplifying the grooves on discs with a needle.)

And the scenes that followed were always similar. It was now Nina’s turn to lean against Alexander, staggering.

“I’m fine, uh, I’m feeling dizzy…”

Look at this.

As Alexander suppressed a bored smile at the predictable routine, Louis, who had been waiting for the right moment, quickly stepped in to support Nina in Alexander’s place.

“Oh dear! Miss Nina, you’re not feeling well! I’ll take you to your room right away.”

Wow, now this is what I call a valuable employee!

Alexander glanced at his capable employee with admiration in his youthful eyes. Louis nodded at Alexander with lightning speed.
It was the moment when Louis Dumpel’s special bonus was determined, with his dazzling ability to improvise, deal with crises, and agility.