Chapter 4. The Ghost of Seven Years Ago

“Young Master, I think there was a condition. We agreed to play chess if you got five out of ten problems correct.”

“Teacher is such a penny-pincher!”

Jane’s student, Wolfgang, pouted his lips. His grumbling was full of affection for Jane.

“Let’s see if you solved them well.”

When Jane picked up a red crayon and leaned over to grade, Wolfgang quickly covered his test paper.

“Not yet! There’s still time left.”

“Your clock must be broken, Young Master. My clock is already saying the time has passed.”

“Argh, that can’t be.”

Wolfgang begged for more time. Jane proposed a negotiation with a serious expression as if making a very important deal.

“I’ll give you extra time. Instead, you have to read one more picture book.”

“Thirty minutes?”

Since this wasn’t the first or second time, Wolfgang immediately agreed to the negotiation.

“Two books.”

“Thirty minutes and two books, fine.”

From then on, Wolfgang concentrated on solving problems. His tremendous enthusiasm made Jane’s cheeks feel hot.

“Jane, could I see you for a moment?”

While Wolfgang was solving problems, his mother, Merche, approached.

Merche took Jane to one side of the garden and held out a clean envelope.

Jane’s eyes widened.

“Today isn’t payday.”

“This is a bonus. Since you started teaching Wolfgang, the child has developed an interest in studying.”

“I only did what I had to do.”

When Jane firmly declined, Merche stuffed the envelope into Jane’s pocket.

“Thank you, teacher.”

Wolfgang was a famous troublemaker. It wasn’t just because he hated studying, but because he lacked manners and proper behavior.

That Wolfgang had changed after meeting Jane.

Now Wolfgang didn’t throw peas at other people while sitting at the dining table, didn’t shake his legs, read books before bed, and said good night to his parents every night.

And he became a student who couldn’t wait to study, asking ‘When is teacher coming?’

All of this was thanks to Jane.

‘Honestly, I was suspicious just hearing the rumors……’

Though it had been seven years, the fall of the Whitney family was such a big event that anyone could hear the inside story with just a little digging.

It was natural for noble families, where reputation was important, to avoid Jane, the daughter of the Whitney family.

However, people who had employed her as a private tutor all called her the best teacher.

Merche had thought those people were exaggerating her abilities.

But now she was even more enthusiastic than those people.

〈Jane is the best teacher. If she opens a school, I would gladly donate a building to that school!〉

Of course, there were things they lost from employing Jane. Strict nobles, those who usually claimed to be conservatives, began to subtly ostracize her.

Merche didn’t care about such things. Her only son had become respectable, so what did such ostracism matter.

“……I’ll accept it shamelessly. As a sign that I’ll teach Wolfgang even more diligently from now on.”

Originally, with Jane’s personality, she would have left the money envelope on the table and gone.

But her situation was urgent.

The creditors who had said to only pay interest suddenly told her to start paying back the principal amount little by little from next month.

It was unfair, but Jane couldn’t argue. The contract itself was poorly written.

Jane was barely managing to live by paying monthly interest.

Thinking about this made her chest feel tight.

＊＊＊

After finishing work, Jane returned to her house on the hill.

The small house where even the room and kitchen weren’t separated was shabby and humble, without even a proper yard.

But to Jane, it was her only sanctuary and comfort.

Jane unlocked the door and entered the house.

She put down dinner ingredients in the immediately visible kitchen, hung her coat and hat on the wall, then found and tied on an apron.

She skillfully prepared and chopped vegetables to make a decent vegetable soup. When the vegetable soup began to boil, warmth spread through the cold house.

The vegetable soup was quickly finished. Jane ladled soup into a bowl and headed to the window.

Eating while sitting by the window watching the sunset was a small luxury she could enjoy in this house.

Though it was spring, the mornings and evenings were still chilly, but Jane opened the window wide.

She looked at the hill where green sprouts were beginning to emerge and picked up her spoon.

“This is really luxury. Right?”

She stirred the soup with floating ingredients with her spoon and talked to herself.

Two years ago, due to a special amnesty, the punishment that had bound Jane disappeared. Jane immediately returned to the capital.

Because the salary was higher than in the provinces. And she got a job as a private tutor.

There weren’t many families that would accept the daughter of a criminal. So she started by teaching children of merchant guilds.

The former head maid of the Whitney family helped Jane.

〈I’m sorry I could only find this kind of work for you, Miss. And…… I can’t make long-term contracts either.〉

〈I know, Laura. I’ll do well. Nothing will make you uncomfortable.〉

〈Miss, I still can’t believe it. Lady Whitney…… such good people…….〉

Laura cried in Jane’s arms. Jane looked up at the sky and thought.

Still, thanks to my parents, I’m living on.

When word spread that her skills were good, nobles contacted her. That’s how Jane became a private tutor for noble families, and a year ago she was even able to get a small house just for herself.

Though it was rented, Jane was proud of herself for building this much of a life on her own.

Just a few years ago, Jane couldn’t even dress herself.

But now she was good at sewing, could cook fairly well, and knew how to do simple house repairs.

Her childhood friends would be shocked if they saw her.

Living this diligently, someday she would be able to pay off all her debts.

Jane did her best to protect her parents’ final honor.

When that time came, she would shake off all lingering attachments and live a life just for herself.

The only lingering attachment Jane had left in life was her parents.

“No.”

It would be nice to organize things cleanly, but one name buried deep in Jane’s heart suddenly popped up.

Jane’s spoon fell back into the bowl. She stared blankly out the window.

The sky was turning pink. Tree leaves swaying in the wind made pleasant noise. The scent of flowers also drifted over.

At the beautiful sight, Jane felt like tears would burst out.

She had tried to forget, wanted to forget, but whenever she had even a little leisure, it would inevitably come to mind.

Was this punishment he was inflicting on Jane?

Or was it just a ghost she had created herself?

The self who had loved him was dead. She was certain because she had killed it herself.

But it would suddenly come to mind, and each time something somewhere in her body would collapse, leaving Jane troubled.

Jane, who had completely lost her appetite, cleared away the soup bowl and closed the window. The sound of the window rattling in the wind was like Cain’s knocking on her door seven years ago.

Jane sat down on the floor and curled up her body.

His cold eyes that she had seen at their moment of parting tore through Jane’s mind.

She finally shed the tears she couldn’t shed then. In a place where Cain could never see.

＊＊＊

Bang bang bang bang!

When had she fallen asleep?

Jane’s eyes snapped open at the sound of pounding on the house door as if someone were trying to break it down.

Everything around was pitch black. Rain tapped loudly against the window.

Bang bang.

“I know you’re in there! Don’t pretend you’re not there and come out. Miss Jane, if this door breaks, that’s more money, right? Open it while I’m being nice.”

The unwelcome midnight visitors, who even whistled crudely between knocks, were creditors.

Loan sharks Victor and Hamulin.

Jane forced her creaking body up and approached the door.

As soon as she unlocked it, the door flew open. Victor and Hamulin pushed her aside and barged in.

“Jane, we got all wet because of you. Will you pay for dry cleaning?”

They knew she could barely manage to pay the interest, so their reason for bringing up money was obvious.

“Or do you want us to take them off here?”

This was just groundwork for their low-quality jokes.

Jane didn’t waver and stared at the spot where they stood.

A puddle had formed beneath Victor and Hamulin. She thought absently that the carpet would get wet.

“Why did you get a house on top of a hill? It’s killing me to climb up here every time. Will you massage my legs that worked so hard?”

If it was hard, they didn’t have to come. Jane dutifully went to their office in the back alleys downtown to pay interest, so they had no reason to visit.

But these men often came to see her without particular business. They arrived unannounced, poured out crude remarks, and left.

In the past, she would blush at their every word. Now it didn’t matter. Jane stood calmly and listened.

“You bought something nice. Must be doing well.”

Victor and Hamulin walked around on the carpet without even shaking the dirt off their shoes.

“More importantly, why did you go to sleep so early today? You should be sacrificing even the time to sleep to make money.”

Victor, who was as big as a bear, saw Jane’s half-eaten vegetable soup and clicked his tongue.

“You’re so weak because you eat stuff like this.”

He threw her soup bowl into the sink. Soup splattered everywhere, making a mess.

Jane quietly observed their misdeeds without saying a word.

The more she reacted, the more viciously they behaved. They were ugly people who enjoyed watching others’ pain.

Jane swallowed a sigh.

“What brings you here? It hasn’t been long since I paid the interest.”

There were still two weeks left until next month’s payment.

“Jane, our situation has become urgent. You need to quickly repay the money your father borrowed.”

Jane glared at Victor.

“We already finished talking about paying back the principal together starting next month.”

“So pay it back a bit more substantially.”

“……How much?”

“Pay back half for now.”

“Half?”

Jane was shocked.