Benjamine confidently opened the drawing room door and stepped inside.

She scolded the two maids who were lingering in front of the bedroom.

“What are you doing here? The Young Miss is unwell, yet you stand around doing nothing.”

“But the Madam told us not to come in…”

Benjamine clicked her tongue, cutting them off.

“Tsk, tsk. If it’s not a direct order, you do nothing. Did you at least bring her the hot water bag?”

“Yes, Elder Missus.”

“And do you think your job ends there? You need to replace it with fresh hot water before it cools down.”

“It shouldn’t have cooled yet.”

“Talking back now? No manners at all. No wonder you’re like this—you’ve never been properly taught. Not that there’s much to learn in a place like this.”

The two maids were from Lagos.

Their expressions momentarily flared with indignation, but they quickly bowed their heads deeply.

If they showed their emotions, the elder missus would surely find fault with them.

“I need to see the Young Miss. Move aside.”

Benjamine pushed past the hesitant maids and opened the bedroom door.

“Young Miss.”

She spoke in a honeyed tone as she entered.

She approached the bed.

Cecilia was lying on her side, eyes closed, frowning in pain.

“Young Miss, your cramps must be severe. Shall I massage your arms and legs?”

“Leave.”

“Pardon? Young Miss, I…”

Cecilia opened her eyes.

“I said, leave.”

“A-Ah, Young Miss. I just wanted to check if the hot water bag had cooled—”

“How many times must you make me repeat myself? Leave.”

“…Yes, Young Miss.”

Benjamine withdrew with an expression as if she had touched something scalding.

Cecilia’s face was plastered with irritation and nerves—something Benjamine was very familiar with.

Experience told her that this was not the time to provoke Cecilia.

Stepping out into the drawing room, Benjamine shot a glare at the two maids.

“If you don’t attend to the Young Miss properly, you will be punished.”

With that, she scolded them needlessly before leaving.

The two maids were dumbfounded.

They whispered in hushed voices.

“She got kicked out as soon as she went in, didn’t she?”

“Without a doubt.”

They struggled to suppress their laughter, their expressions filled with quiet satisfaction.

 

❖ ❖ ❖

 

Cecilia clutched her stomach, grimacing.

‘Annoying.’

Whenever her period started, she felt as if she were the most miserable woman in the world.

Even the word menstruation itself felt like it was mocking her.

Her cycle was irregular.

Instead of once a month, she had her period only four or five times a year.

Sometimes the gap was as short as two months, but at other times, it stretched to four.

And when it did come, it lasted ten days, during which she bled heavily and suffered cramps so severe they left her writhing in pain.

The hot water bag pressed against her stomach did little to help.

It didn’t actually alleviate the pain—it merely replaced one form of suffering with another, using heat to dull the agony.

She had tried various remedies—foods, teas, herbal decoctions—said to ease menstrual cramps, but none had much effect.

So she chose the only method that worked: staying in bed for ten days without moving.

If she remained still, the pain was at least somewhat bearable.

But this method came with another side effect.

Her thoughts spiraled endlessly, dragging her deeper into a pit of melancholy.

This time, her cramps were particularly unbearable.

And she knew the reason why.

Her mind was in turmoil.

‘The distance between people can grow in an instant.’

Ever since she had fled Russell’s drawing room a few days ago, Cecilia had been avoiding him.

Using a cold as an excuse, she skipped her daily walks around the castle, and she took her meals in her room instead of going down to the dining hall.

Just like in her past life, she shut herself away in her bedroom.

For the first two days, Russell had sent someone to ask if she would dine with him, but after that, there had been no more messages.

He must have realized she was avoiding him.

At first, he would have been confused, not understanding why.

Then, after facing repeated rejection, he would have been offended.

Cecilia was relieved that he hadn’t come barging in, demanding an explanation.

She had no answer to give.

And yet… She was angry that he hadn’t come.

She didn’t even know what she wanted.

That day in the drawing room, when he had kissed her so effortlessly, now felt like something that had happened in another lifetime.

‘Is this how it ends?’

Just like in her past life, they would gradually become strangers, each pretending the other didn’t exist as time passed.