Home/My Youngest Keeps Bringing Me Male Leads/ch 12

Chapter 12

After that, a commotion broke out at the Laverose estate.

"You're leaving right now? You just arrived—what are you saying!"

"But wouldn't the guests be more comfortable at an inn in the city than at our house?"

"It's too late. If you leave now, you won't reach Calben until midnight! I haven't finished preparing the guest rooms yet, so if you could just wait a moment in the drawing room..."

"How can you clean a room that's been empty for years that quickly?"

"I'll help as well!"

"It's not about you, Alfred—we have to think of Marta and Elena's age! Fine, let's do this. I'll stay if you let me help too!"

"Absolutely not! You can't have the young lady cleaning!"

"I cleaned my own room at the Count's estate."

Over the simple matter of who would clean the rooms, the two of them stood their ground, locked in a tense argument.

In the end, unable to bear the sight, the two men stepped in.

"Agnes. I can sleep in the garden! The forest and trees are my home, after all."

"I could clean it with magic, but..."

At that, Agnes and Alfred shouted simultaneously.

"No! The two of you are our guests! We may not be able to treat you properly, but at least we should have the rooms ready!"

"Indeed! That is absolutely unacceptable!"

Though they surely didn't share a drop of blood.

Agnes and Alfred, turning their heads to glare at the two men, looked remarkably alike.

A short while later.

Alfred eventually threw his hands up in defeat against the stubborn Agnes's insistence.

While Silmare and Cesenor waited patiently in the drawing room.

The three employees—only three in total—and Agnes bustled about, making a ruckus as they prepared the guest rooms.

The next problem was dinner.

Another commotion arose over the lack of food fit to serve guests.

"Oh dear, if we don't have ingredients, we can just go down to the village and buy some!"

"We cannot serve the same food the villagers eat to our distinguished guests!"

"Well, then what are we supposed to do? We can't just serve boiled eggs and bread."

After a long bout of arguing, Agnes and the three of them eventually brought back a chicken from the village, and with that, they served dinner to the two men.

Silmare and Cesenor remained quietly silent this time as well.

Finally, after dinner was over.

After showing the two men to their rooms, Agnes headed to her own.

The Laverose estate was arranged with the hall at the center of the first floor, with the employees' quarters, drawing room, and dining room on either side.

On the left side of the second floor were the master and mistress's rooms and the children's rooms, while the right side held the guest rooms.

There were five rooms in a row on the left. The innermost room was her father's—the Viscount of Laverose—and next to it were the rooms of Agnes and her siblings.

To reach her own room, she had to pass by her siblings' rooms one by one.

At the first door by the stairs—in front of Amy's room—Agnes stood still for a long time.

Marta, who usually managed the household, would have taken care of it, but she wanted to check how the room was.

Yet, even with her hand on the doorknob, she couldn't bring herself to open it.

It was a room she had never entered during the entire year since Amy disappeared.

Because facing an empty room felt like it would break her.

Summoning her courage, she opened the door, revealing the desolate room beyond.

A colorless blanket was spread over the bed, and an old doll that Agnes used to sleep with as a child lay on it.

In the corner of the room stood a worn, faded table and wardrobe.

That was everything Amy owned.

All of it was what Agnes had used when she was young. There wasn't a single new thing bought for Amy.

'Because the family's fortunes began to decline right around when Amy was born.'

There was just one thing.

A doll Agnes had bought with the money she earned as a governess.

But that, too, had disappeared along with Amy when she was sucked into the Crack.

Just looking at it made her chest tighten, so Agnes hurriedly closed the door and stepped out.

Next to it were her other siblings' rooms.

Agnes's gaze, as she looked at the rooms of Elizabeth, the second child, and Edmund, the third, turned sharp in an instant.

One year ago, the day Amy disappeared.

Recalling that day—a day she had never forgotten for even a moment—Agnes clenched her teeth.

---

"Bread and omelet again? I'm sick of it!"

Agnes had returned to the Laverose estate on a rare day off. Elizabeth, the second child, began complaining about the side dishes once more.

Agnes lifted her weary eyes and glared at Elizabeth.

"Don't act like a child."

"You get to eat well at the Count's estate! Unlike us!"

"Elizabeth."

She called her name sternly, but Elizabeth paid no mind.

Eventually, she even raised her fork in an unladylike manner, pointing it at the youngest sibling sitting in the corner, and shouted in anger.

"It's all your fault! Because you were born!"

In an instant, the dining room atmosphere froze.

Elizabeth had always been sensitive, and she often threw tantrums after their mother's passing, but this was the first time she had said something so cruel.

'Surely she couldn't have understood what that meant?'

Agnes hurriedly glanced at Amy, but Amy just quietly moved her spoon, as if nothing had happened.

Amy was five years old that year.

Naturally, she was old enough to understand whether someone was saying mean things to her.

And yet, not being flustered or upset meant...

"You... surely..."

It felt as if her heart had frozen.

"That's not the first time you've said something like that, is it?"

"What? Is it wrong to say? It's the truth!"

Amy, who had been silently mumbling, lifted her head. Her eyes were red and swollen.

What on earth had happened to this young sibling while she was away?

Thinking that, Agnes felt a painful ache she could barely endure.

Her voice naturally rose.

"Go to your room right now, Elizabeth!"

"Who do you think you are to order me around?"

"What?"

"Are you the master of this house? Just because you live at the Count's estate, do you think you're one of them? While your siblings are starving like beggars at home, can you even stomach your food?"

"What? Do you not know why I'm living there?"

"What difference does it make if you do? When Father dies, we'll all be thrown out anyway!"

With a twisted smile on her pretty lips, Elizabeth glared at Agnes.

"Our family is already finished! Struggling is useless!"

With those words, Elizabeth stormed out of her seat. Edward, who had been watching the situation, soon rose and followed her out.

In the end, Amy burst into tears. Until Amy stopped crying, Agnes held her tightly.

Agnes felt sorry for Amy.

Her pitiful sibling, who hadn't even received her parents' love.

For such a young child to hear such terrible words from her own sister.

"It's okay, Amy. You have me. I love you so much. I can't live without you. Okay?"

That night.

She held her close, trying to comfort her, kissing her and whispering love until they fell asleep together.

Agnes woke with a bad feeling.

Amy, whom she had been holding tightly in her arms, was gone.

That very day.

Amy disappeared into the Crack.

Perhaps Amy had thought that if only she disappeared, everything would be fine.

If not, she wouldn't have gone outside on a dark night, even out of fear.

After the Crack swallowed Amy.

Agnes blamed herself like a madwoman, blamed her siblings, and screamed at Elizabeth until her voice gave out, fighting with her.

'If that day hadn't happened, Amy wouldn't have fallen into the Crack.'

It was all because I fought with Elizabeth.

Because Elizabeth said such cruel things.

That was the last time she faced Elizabeth.

Whenever Agnes returned home, Elizabeth wouldn't come out of her room, and Agnes didn't go looking for her either.

Edmund, who always hung around with Elizabeth, was the same.

It was as if Agnes had lost three siblings.

Today too, Agnes passed by her two siblings' rooms without knocking.

She only checked on her father's well-being, at the end of the hall.

Her father was still the same.

When she knocked and opened the door, the room reeked of alcohol and mustiness.

Even when Agnes greeted him and asked how he was, he only occasionally let out a hacking cough.

His eyes, always drunk, were unfocused and hazy.

Agnes sighed and stepped out.

'It's okay. Things will get better.'

Before Amy returns, I'll buy pretty dolls and furniture, and find a doctor who can treat Father...

'Then everything will get better.'

But Agnes didn't know what to do about Elizabeth and Edmund.

Just thinking about her two siblings made her chest feel heavy and angry.

After Agnes entered her room.

For a moment, the sound of the next door opening could be heard, but it soon closed again.

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