MPO

CHAPTER Vlll

“Ah, having to spell it out for you to understand. Even so, Anna, haven’t you been working for my family for over ten years? How can you still be so dense?”

Timo shook his head in exaggerated disappointment.

Meanwhile, Anna realized Leila’s performance inside had ended.

Thinking that if she stayed, Timo and Leila might meet, she bowed deeply and exclaimed loudly,

“I’m truly sorry, Young Master! I’ll make sure such a situation never happens again!”

Timo was pleased to see Anna, usually so stiff, acting compliant. His mood had been sour from taking the wrong turn while out drinking with friends, but stumbling upon such fortune made him think it was a lucky mistake.

And then, Timo realized he had yet another stroke of luck.

“But why are you in a place like this, frequented by commoners? Did our noble eldest sister decide to visit such a sordid place?”

Faced with the dreaded question, Anna quickly thought on her feet and responded immediately,

“No, I came here alone to meet someone, having asked for the miss’s permission.”

“Really? Then, where is the sister?”

“She is at the Secreto Café, enjoying some music.”

“Couldn’t she have musicians come to the house? Going all the way to a café to listen to music… Really, what a dull life she leads.”

Anna felt a surge of displeasure from within at Timo’s words. He probably would never understand how precious music is to someone who cannot see.

“Timo, how long are you going to babble? Let’s go already.”

Timo had been on his way to a poker game with a high stake and was looking forward to it.

But now, his interest was piqued more by Anna, or more precisely, by her suspicious behavior.

“Go ahead without me. I think I need to see our eldest sister.”

“Your eldest sister? That halfwit?”

The derogatory term uttered by an unknown man stiffened Anna’s neck.

She wished she could sew the man’s mouth shut, but all she could do was avoid eye contact and keep silent.

She hoped the miss would notice the commotion outside and exit through a different door, not the one she entered.

It was mostly her fault for being complacent, as nobles rarely stepped into commoners’ living areas.

Watching Timo with bated breath, Anna noticed his emerald eyes, resembling those of the Countess, narrow slightly and she broke into a cold sweat.

“Ah, so go ahead. I need to find out if this girl has lied to me or not.”

Anna wanted to tear Timo’s smirking mouth apart.

* * *

Leila, having finished her performance, gasped for breath. She had been completely absorbed in her playing, not even breathing.

She wiped her forehead, drenched in sweat, with a handkerchief, then fumbled for her violin case with her hands.

After packing away her violin, she put on her robe that she had taken off earlier and, touching the furniture around her, leaned on her cane and headed towards the door.

Just as she was about to turn the doorknob, Anna’s voice came from outside.

“I’m truly sorry, Young Master! I’ll make sure such a situation never happens again!”

The only person Anna would call ‘young master’ was Timo von Este, her half-brother, just like Amelie.

Leila held her breath and listened.

Then, not only Anna’s but also Timo’s and another unknown man’s voices could be heard.

Furthermore, being called a ‘halfwit’ by someone she didn’t even know irked her. But that was it. She was too tired to react to every such remark.

Years of accumulated wounds had become chronic, no longer painful but still dull. She was observing the situation when Timo’s voice was heard.

“What’s with this place? It looks so rundown. You came here for some business? What is it? Can I not come in too?”

At Timo’s words, Leila moved her feet, groping along the wall. She would rather die than be discovered here, especially by Timo of all people.