Chapter 10
‘I look forward to watching men with immense wealth and power destroy themselves through their own bad choices.’
Dominic remembered every word of that outrageous remark. Even if she had been talking about a fictional character, what kind of person looked forward to watching someone else’s downfall?
That wasn’t merely abnormal. It was downright vicious.
The only reason he was willing to tolerate her at all was because, for reasons beyond his understanding, she was the only person Chloe seemed willing to talk to. Otherwise, there wasn’t a single thing about her he found agreeable.
The way her eyes lit up whenever she thought she was making a clever point. The way those small lips kept chattering away. Even the way she stubbornly straightened her back, refusing to yield an inch. Every bit of it irritated him.
“If someone is willing to offer you a position despite your shortcomings, shouldn’t you accept it with gratitude?”
Instead of bowing her head like anyone else would, she actually had the audacity to refuse.
“…Excuse me?”
The woman who had been speaking with such confidence suddenly looked completely at a loss. Oddly enough, the sight eased some of his irritation.
In a magnanimous tone, he continued.
“With that personality of yours, you’ll have a hard time finding work anywhere. So when someone is generous enough to overlook it and give you another chance, accept it quietly and do as you’re told. And if you’re worried about being dismissed again, you needn’t be. This time, it won’t be my decision. Chloe will decide whether you stay.”
Irene stared at him in speechless disbelief.
Dominic merely answered with an infuriating smile. His sister might be timid and sensitive, but she was kind and perceptive. Soon enough, Chloe would see through this woman’s wicked nature.
After all, decent people were instinctively uncomfortable around the truly malicious.
The moment his sister showed even the slightest sign of discomfort, he would simply throw the woman out of the Whitmore estate.
* * *
Resting her chin on one hand across the table, Chloe stared intently at the dazed Irene.
“Miss Irene.”
“…Yes.”
“I’m glad you’re back.”
“Ah… Yes. So am I.”
Irene forced an awkward smile.
The instant she saw Chloe, who looked so much like that insufferable duke, a surge of resentment rose in her chest. Then, just as quickly, she dismissed it.
None of this was Chloe’s fault.
Duke Whitmore had to be out of his mind. The carriage had driven straight back to the Whitmore estate without stopping once, and he hadn’t returned her luggage until she signed a new employment contract. Since everything she owned was packed inside that bag, she had been left with no choice but to sign through gritted teeth.
Only afterward had he casually informed her that her luggage had already been taken back to the same room in the detached residence she’d occupied before.
How could anyone be so unbelievably overbearing?!
His high-handed arrogance rivaled the worst men in the popular romance novels.
Even that infuriatingly handsome face of his!
His voice, too!
“May I ask what happened?”
“…Which part?”
“My brother fired you.”
“Ah… Yes, he did. His Grace dismissed me.”
“So how did you end up back here?”
“Because I wanted to—!”
The words nearly burst out of Irene before she caught herself and snapped her mouth shut.
Chloe regarded her quietly with those clear blue eyes. He was still the girl’s only family. No matter how insufferable he was, criticizing him to his sister would only put Chloe in an awkward position.
“I wanted to come back… and as it happened, His Grace offered me another opportunity.”
An opportunity she had never intended to accept.
‘When someone is generous enough to overlook it and give you another chance, accept it quietly and do as you’re told.’
Even remembering those words made her teeth grind. Across from her, Chloe narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.
“My brother isn’t the sort of person who takes back his decisions, even if it costs him.”
“I suppose he’s softer when it comes to you, Miss Chloe…”
“There may be some truth to that.”
Chloe gave a small shrug, accepting the observation without hesitation.
“Anyway, I’m glad to see you again. But if this makes you uncomfortable, tell me. I’ll speak to my brother for you.”
Without a word, Irene studied Chloe’s impassive face.
She had once had a little sister about Chloe’s age. Amy, who would remain eighteen forever, had always been there to welcome her home whenever Irene managed to get leave.
When it was time for Irene to go back, Amy would put on a brave face and scold her to hurry and catch the train, but she could never quite hide how reluctant she was to let her go.
Perhaps it was simply the fate of every older sister, but Irene could see the same feeling reflected in Chloe’s eyes. Young people were terrible liars. It made her heart ache.
“No. I’m happy to see you again too, Chloe. To be honest, the Whitmore household pays much better than anywhere else.”
Lowering her voice as though confiding a secret, Irene whispered the admission. The corners of Chloe’s lips curved upward in quiet satisfaction.
“Have you read the final volume of <Emma the Bedroom Maid> yet?”
“I… was disappointed. I couldn’t understand it at all.”
“I told you from the start the story was obviously headed toward the count’s family.”
“Not that. It was the random relative showing up out of nowhere…”
“Oh! That part really did come out of nowhere. A nanny ending, of all things.”
Despite the two-week gap between them, the conversation flowed as naturally as ever.
And Irene ended up borrowing several more sensational novels featuring insufferably arrogant men getting the downfall they deserved.
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