My Beloved Oppressor

“As you know, this past winter wasn’t as cold as usual. All of the berries were originally produced smaller.” (The man)

“Still, something like this…”

“Well, I’ll take two pennies off per kilogram for the grapes. How about it?” (The man)

 “It’s not a decision I can make, sir. The owner is away for a while. Would you like to discuss it when he comes?”

 “No. I’m giving it to you at a discount because the lady is pretty. You can’t get something this cheap anywhere else.” (The man)

“Haha ……”

“By the way, have we seen each other somewhere before? Your face is strangely familiar.” (The man)

“No, we haven’t.”

Suddenly, a baby’s cry was heard from the back. Annette stopped talking and turned around.

“Wait a minute.” (A)

Click. She opened the door and turned on a small electric light, and a yellow light came on. The baby was awake and crying.

Annette picked up the baby. The tiny, newly awakened body was as soft and hot as a melting marshmallow. She patted the baby’s back and soothed him.

The crying slowly subsided. Annette leaned against the door, still holding the sobbing baby.

“Would you please sit there and wait for a moment? The owner will be back soon.” (A)

“Okay. Are you the one who came in a few months ago? Are you her friend?” (The man)

“…… Yes, well.”

“Where did you meet her?” (The man)

“In the capital.”

“The capital? Are you from the capital?” (The man)

“Yes.”

“I’ve been to the capital before. Where did you live?” (The man)

“Just …… near Britannia Square.”

“Britannia Square? Isn’t it a rich place? Miss, are you the daughter of a wealthy family?”

The man laughed as if he had told a very funny joke. Annette frowned, looking at the baby without reply.

“By the way, are you sure we haven’t seen each other before? I’m not just saying that but because you’re really familiar.”

“No.”

“Not even …… Oh, how could I forget someone as beautiful as the lady? Where did I really see you? Miss, could it be……”

“Hans!”

Suddenly, Hans’s shoulders shook at the roar that suddenly echoed through the store. He turned back with an awkward smile.

A brunette-haired woman glared at him at the entrance to the store. she said ferociously, striding toward him.

“What crazy tricks are you doing in my store?”

“What trick? I was just telling the lady she looked familiar.”

Bang! The woman slammed the basket down on the table.

Hans immediately stopped talking.

 “I’ve told you many times how you make the staff uncomfortable! I know you’re the main culprit for scaring female customers away.”

“No, I don’t know how often they come when I come…”

Hans’ words blurred at the end. The woman was adamant that she would not be contradicted any further and quickly ended the price negotiation.

“Thirty-two pennies per kilogram. No more.”

In the end, Hans left the store after writing a receipt for a slightly lower price than the first time.

He did not forget to cast a sneaking glance at Annette until the very end.

After Hans left, the woman leaned her head back, shaking her head.

“I’m sorry. Hans has known my brother since he was young, and now that he’s older, he’s learned all these weird things…”

“No.”

“Was the store a sight to behold? Can I leave it with you now?”

“Then I might be asking for money at the time of settlement.”

“Then you have to fill it yourself.”

Annette gave a small laugh. The hand patting the baby’s back stopped and the baby in her arms began to fuss again.

“Oh, give her to me.”

The woman stretched out her arms. Annette hurriedly handed the baby over to her as if she had committed a crime. The woman embraced and snuggled the baby.

“Did you sleep well, my baby girl? Did you miss your mother?”

The baby soon cooed and stopped fussing in her mother’s arms. Once again she fell asleep.

“Annette, look at this.”

“Oh my, …….”

“She even talked in her sleep yesterday.”

“Do babies dream, too?”

“What kind of dreams would babies have?”

The woman muttered as she looked at her daughter with eyes filled with love.

It was the most peaceful and happy scene ever. Annette stepped away and quietly watched the scene.

The woman who had been stroking her  baby for a while said in a small voice, 

 “Oh, Annette, my husband wants to go to the furniture store tomorrow. Do you need anything? Would you like to go see it together?”

“I’m okay.”

“Your bedroom is still very drab. Do you want to have a bookshelf?”

“Then… May I get a small bookshelf?”

“Of course, yes. How big is it?”

“Hmmm, about this much……? I’ll measure the exact size a little later and let you know.”

“Okay. Let me know whenever you need something.”

The woman said as if it were no big deal. Annette stared at her feet with her hands clasped, then replied in a whisper.

“Thank you….Catherine.”

***

It was Catherine Grott who approached Annette as she sat on a bench in a nearby park contemplating death after her divorce from Heiner.

“What are you doing here?”

 “——- “

“Do you have a place to go?”

 “…… Yes.”

“Where are you going?”

“——“

 “…… follow me.”

“No, I ……”

“Please follow me.”

Still hesitant for a moment, Annette followed Catherine almost by force.

They were silent the entire walk. Catherine headed for the train station. She bought two tickets to Cynthia.

Annette had no idea of Catherine’s intentions. Her address, which Annette knew, was Western Road, a 40-minute carriage ride away.

But Annette did not ask first. In fact, she didn’t care where she was going, even if Catherine had a bad heart toward her. Instead, she thought it would be fine if she had.

Catherine opened her mouth only after the train had departed.

“I moved to Cynthia a while ago. The capital was too crowded.”

Catherine did not add any particular reason for the move. However, Annette guessed that it was probably her fault.

Her brother had tried to kill Annette. Whatever the circumstances, rumors must have spread throughout the town.

And even if they didn’t care, they would have had to worry about the problems of their soon-to-be-born child.

Of course, this may be an oversensitive guess. There could be many other reasons. But for Annette now, her thought circuit did not work properly.

They got off the train and headed for the streets of the old town. Catherine said she would reopen her fruit shop there.

Cynthia was less busy

 than the Western Road, confirming Catherine’s statement that “the capital is crowded.”

The buildings seemed to have been built more recently than those in the capital.

Catherine lived in a small mansion near her store. She took Annette to her own house, and as she showed her the rooms on the upper floor, she said.

“The room is a bit small since the house itself isn’t very big, so it can’t be helped.”

Until then, Annette did not exactly understand Catherine’s words.

“Why do you tell me this place…….”

“What?”

“Here, why me.”

“Because it’s where the madam will be staying.”

“I’m not going to …… stay here.”

“Then where are you going?”

“I, just …….”

“Are you going to die again?”

Annette was speechless at the blunt question. Catherine stared at her blankly for a moment, until she walked into the room and explained.

“I’ve done all the cleaning. The luggage can go inside first… Hmm, it looks like you don’t have any luggage to unpack. For now, please use my clothes. My belly is like this, and I can’t wear regular clothes anyway. Meals are on the first floor……”

Annette, still confused and reluctant, could not refuse any longer. She just kept her eyes downcast with a weary expression.

From that day on, Annette began staying with the Grott family.

Catherine, a pregnant woman in her last month of pregnancy, ran a small fruit stand, and her husband, Brunner, drove a carriage. The Grott family was not rich, but they had no major financial worries.

Catherine never asked for rent or living expenses. She only asked if she could help her with chores from time to time, which was a pleasant surprise for Annette, who was feeling indebted

Annette would help Catherine with the fruits and the ledger for the store. She even tried her hand at housework, but she was useless there.

In her quiet, peaceful life, Annette still contemplated death. But for some reason, she was not ready to carry it out as in the official residence.

”Are you going to die again?” 

Annette thought Catherine would ask about it. But Catherine never brought it up again.

That wasn’t the only thing Catherine did not ask.

She didn’t ask if she really had nowhere to go, if she had any property that had been divided after her divorce, what her plans were for the future………she didn’t ask any of them.

She just had a routine conversation with Annette as if nothing was wrong.

Perhaps because of her impression of Catherine in the parlor where they had talked about her dead brother, Annette thought Catherine was somewhat cold and quiet.

Catherine was more talkative and active than she had expected. Contrary to Annette, who had become much less talkative over the years.

However, Annette and Catherine did not have deep conversations. Despite living in the same house, there was still an invisible wall between them.

They never brought up the original arguments that existed in their relationship. For example, stories about David Burkel, the fact of Annette’s miscarriage, or the suicide attempts that occurred after Catherine’s visit………….

I don’t think 10 or 20 years of living together will break this barrier.

Annette thought so.