Romantic Psycho
Jonathan
로맨틱 사이코 Jun 16, 2026 11 views
Chapter 04
From the moment the carriage entered Brit, Ellie couldn’t take her eyes off the window.
Trams she had only heard about were running through the streets, and there were so many people. She had thought Martnley was full of the world’s population, but compared to Brit, calling it a “city” almost felt inappropriate.
The chaotic scenery flashed by, and at some point the atmosphere changed completely. The carriage had crossed a bridge and entered Bellington, the central district of Brit.
Ellie murmured in disbelief.
“I can’t believe I’m actually in Bellington…”
Where was Bellington? It was one of the richest residential areas in Brit—no, in the entire Kingdom of Rosen.
Rows of grand mansions belonging to famous figures often seen in newspapers, luxurious townhouses, and embassies from various countries displayed their flags.
The entire kingdom was in an uproar over the serial murder case in Brit, yet Bellington’s streets were astonishingly peaceful, elegant, and clean. That made it even harder to believe.
Diane, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly murmured.
“Me too.”
Ellie flinched and turned toward her.
Having shed the improvised blouse and skirt she had worn in Martnley to disguise herself, Diane had returned to her usual attire.
With a veil covering her face, it was impossible to guess what she was thinking.
Even without the veil, it would have been the same. Diane was always expressionless. Even Mrs. Willoughby, who had worked in the mansion the longest, could not read her thoughts.
Ellie felt a new sense of tension.
After all, her mistress was rumored to be insane and had even been hospitalized in a mental institution a few years ago.
From a distance she seemed merely quiet and somewhat gloomy—but perhaps the rumors were true after all.
When Diane suddenly declared she needed to go to Brit while the new count and his wife were away traveling overseas, Ellie had been shocked.
‘She never even leaves her room—how did she know I stole the ring?’
Having been blackmailed by Diane and dragged into this late runaway journey, Ellie stared out the window in growing unease.
“Miss.”
Diane gave no response.
“Shouldn’t you return to Windbury now?”
“….”
“The Count and Countess in Midros must already know you’ve disappeared. They must be worried.”
Ellie hadn’t expected the Rockwood lady to listen to her properly, but she was still close to losing her mind from frustration.
So the rest of her words came out almost like self-talk.
“What if this ruins the marriage arrangement?”
It didn’t matter anyway. Lady Rockwood probably never listened to a maid.
“At this rate, I might get fired. Maybe I already have been.”
As Ellie’s muttering faded into silence, Diane suddenly spoke.
“Noble marriages don’t fall apart over something like this. It isn’t that simple.”
Ellie flinched at the sudden voice. A very uneasy thought crossed her mind.
Still not fully trained as a maid, she blurted out what she thought.
“…Don’t tell me it’s because of the arrangement with the Boden family?”
Diane’s brows furrowed slightly. It was only for a moment.
That silent confirmation made Ellie uneasy. If Diane really had run away because of the Boden engagement, then this was no small matter.
…No, that can’t be it.
Just as Ellie tried to deny it, Diane spoke plainly.
“Yes, that’s right.”
Ellie looked up reflexively. For a moment, it felt like their eyes met through the veil.
It was strangely hard to look away. She opened her mouth but couldn’t find words.
“I don’t want to marry Louis Boden.”
Diane said it clearly.
Ellie stammered in confusion.
“Well, but… of course a man thirty years older is… I wouldn’t like that either, but like you said, noble marriages are…”
“The age of the husband isn’t the problem. That doesn’t matter at all.”
Ellie grew even more puzzled.
“…Then what is it?”
Diane stared at Ellie silently for a moment, as if she herself didn’t know how to explain.
“He—”
Diane began to speak, but the carriage suddenly stopped in front of a mansion.
Ellie blinked in confusion. It felt as though nothing had happened, and Diane’s lips had already closed again.
Selden Family Mansion
In the sunniest reception room of the Selden estate, a noblewoman with neatly tied light brown hair paced near the tall windows. She still wore her outdoor hat, as if she had arrived just moments before.
Diane took a quiet breath and lifted her veil.
“Madam, Miss Rockwood has arrived.”
At the butler’s announcement, Lady Selden stopped abruptly and turned around.
Her gray-brown eyes widened in shock when she saw Diane.
“…Diane?”
“It’s been a long time, Lady Selden.”
“Oh my… Diane…”
Lady Selden approached almost in a daze, unable to take her eyes off her, and took her hands.
“You look just like William… I always thought you resembled him, but you look exactly like Lizbel. Especially your eyes…”
She couldn’t stop looking at Diane’s eyes.
Slightly flustered by the sudden closeness, Diane paused briefly before forming a faint smile.
“Thank you for inviting me despite the suddenness.”
She looked every bit the polite, elegant young lady. Ellie, standing near the wall after being guided by the butler, was secretly surprised that Diane could act like a proper socialite. Lady Selden, after dabbing her moist eyes, composed herself and replied.
“Of course. I was truly shocked by your sudden message. Even while arranging the fastest ship, I doubted whether the letter was really from you.”
Lady Selden had moved to Midros after marriage and had lived there longer than in Rosen. She rarely returned now, and Diane had suddenly sent a telegram asking her to come to Martnley.
“And yet you still sent someone to Martnley.”
“Of course. It would be a serious matter for you to be there alone without any proper guardian. I—”
Lady Selden had returned to Midros shortly after Sir William Rockwood’s funeral. Her husband’s business had suffered, and her daughter was about to be married.
By the time things stabilized, her second daughter was also getting married, and before she knew it, five years had passed without returning to Rosen.
“Oh my…”
Regaining her composure, Lady Selden led Diane to a long sofa. Sitting side by side, she held Diane’s hands warmly.
“…You look well.”
“It’s already been five years.”
Lady Selden was genuinely relieved to see Diane healthy, but she could not easily stop the tears when thinking of the Rockwood tragedy.
Diane looked at her with a quiet gaze and a faint smile that seemed sympathetic. But her eyes were observant—Lady Selden, overwhelmed with emotion, did not notice.
“Truthfully, I only recently heard your condition was bad.”
“It seems time has made us distant…”
“I heard you had lost your speech and never left your room…”
“Yes, that did happen for a while.”
“Then when Walter Rockwood—no, I suppose I should call him the Count now—contacted me a month ago about your marriage arrangement, I was truly shocked.”
“…Ah.”
“Yes, the marriage! Is that why you called me suddenly? Is there good news?”
Diane shook her head with an awkward smile.
“I’m afraid not. Nothing has been decided yet. The Count and Countess are simply growing closer with Mr. Boden.”
“I see… Then perhaps good news will come soon. Given the circumstances of the family, Louis Boden would certainly make a good husband.”
Lady Selden, who had been close to the Rockwood family since the previous generation, knew their situation well.
The family needed money to maintain their estate, and Louis Boden, a newly wealthy man, desired noble bloodlines.
Louis, who wanted a son of refined lineage, was specifically seeking a young and pure bride. Diane matched those requirements well.
Everything aligned perfectly, so the arrangement seemed to be progressing smoothly.
