Translator: Nox

Chapter 20

20

20. Teatime with the Count (2)

Starting with the Bellunita couple, the three of them were captured in a frame, looking harmonious. Young Vincent was also visible in the middle.

Clicking her tongue as she looked at the brightly smiling, cute child, she said,

“How did he end up like that? It’s regrettable, so regrettable.”

They say a person can change in an instant. The young Vincent in that frame probably never imagined that he would lose his sight and spend his days confined to a room.

After roughly looking around the Separate Residence, she went out through the back door and leisurely strolled through the garden. Although the Separate Residence was hidden behind the largest and most splendid mansion, it also had a garden. Going out through the back door revealed a small garden, and turning to the front revealed a larger garden.

It was her first time in the garden. The well-manicured trees and flowers were refreshing to look at. Even the weeds underfoot seemed to be managed and beautiful. She could feel the gardeners’ devoted touch.

The weather is so nice today.

It was almost a waste.

[Since the weather is nice these days, how about having teatime in the garden?]

After returning from her garden stroll, she read the golden-lettered letter she received today and smiled brightly. This was it!

“How about having teatime in the garden today?”

So, she suggested it to him at lunchtime. But Vincent immediately frowned.

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

She thought it was a good suggestion, but he didn’t seem to like it. But the weather was really nice today. Unusually, the sun peeked out from between the clouds, and warm air floated around. It was poisonous to be cooped up like this on a day like this.

“They say it’s good to get some fresh air sometimes.”

“I can’t be seen by anyone.”

“Wouldn’t it be okay for a little while?”

Besides, in this Separate Residence and the garden, she didn’t see any servants other than herself. There was no one around here. It seemed that access to the Separate Residence and the garden was deliberately restricted to servants. So, there was no risk of being seen by anyone.

“How can I go there?”

“I’ll take you there!”

At her energetic shout, his face twisted in displeasure. Ignoring him, she helped him prepare to go out. It was easy to find his outdoor clothes since she had prepared them last time. Of course, he refused, but she really wanted to take him to the garden today.

Taking each step was so difficult. She gritted her teeth and put strength into her legs.

“You’re going to collapse on the way.”

“I, I’ll take good care of you.”

Even the voice that spoke those words trembled. Gripping his slipping arms tightly, she took another step. A sigh escaped from behind her.

“You’re already not taking good care of me. My legs are dragging.”

She was carrying him on her back, bent over halfway. It was natural that his long legs, which were much taller than hers, were dragging on the floor. His body filled her back and overflowed. Besides, he was surprisingly heavy. So, this was an unavoidable situation.

There were many adversities in carrying him on her back. She was careless because he looked thin.

“Go back to the room now.”

“N, no. Huk. E, even if it’s un, uncomfortable, ju, just be, huk, bear with it a li, little.”

Despite his dissuasion, she insisted. She really wanted to take him outside. She could have supported him and taken him, but she chose to carry him on her back in case he refused to go. Gripping his limp arms tightly, she took steps with all her might.

Supporting the weight pressing down from above, she struggled to walk and finally arrived at the garden. Her whole body was drenched in sweat, but she felt proud as she sat him down on a chair in the garden. She smiled brightly and wiped the sweat from her face.

A gentle breeze ruffled his golden hair. His face moved with the wind.

“Where is this?”

“It’s the garden behind the Separate Residence. It’s not good to go too far, and since there’s a table, I thought it would be nice to sit and enjoy teatime, so I brought you here. It doesn’t seem like servants pass by here.”

So, it wasn’t properly maintained and was messy, but she had roughly cleaned it up. It was a table that she often noticed whenever she looked out the window. She thought it was strange that it was placed alone in the garden behind the Separate Residence, but she would use it like this. Since no one passed by the back of the Separate Residence, there was naturally no one around here.

He didn’t ask any more questions. He was just feeling the wind. Seeing his slightly relaxed face, it seemed he didn’t dislike it that much. She was relieved that he didn’t immediately tell her to go back.

She smiled contentedly and took out the things she had prepared in advance, placing them on the table one by one. Then, she guided his hand to hold the handle of the cup. After that, she poured warm black tea into it. It was the black tea he had enjoyed last time.

He really seemed to enjoy Nouvelle’s black tea, and the tea leaves he had received as a gift at that time were quickly used up. So, she asked the golden letters where she could buy it, and they sent her three new boxes.

[Please tell me if you need more.]

What she had felt recently was that the golden letters seemed to be a really good person. She must write back to thank them.

“It’s delicious.”

“It’s what you had last time.”

“I know. The aftertaste is different.”

He looked comfortable as he sipped the tea. He really liked it. Thanks to that, she had been serving him black tea often recently. It was especially good to use as a way to appease him when he showed signs of becoming difficult.

“I’m going to read you a book here today.”

“It’ll be another boring book, I bet.”

“No. It’s an adventure novel. I heard you like Chris, no, Ethan.”

She hurriedly stopped herself from mentioning Ethan. That name was taboo for him now. It felt like it. She picked up the book she had tucked under her arm and sat down on the opposite chair.

She opened the book. And after clearing her throat, she slowly moved her lips.

The speed was slow, giving him the feeling that he had enough time to imagine, the pronunciation was clear, and she didn’t forget to breathe in between. Recalling the parts that Vincent had pointed out to her, she read the book.

The sound of her voice reading the book became smoother than before. She herself thought it was quite satisfactory. Moreover, there were no criticisms from Vincent this time. It was when she realized that and was secretly happy inside.

“What do you look like?”

An unexpected question popped out of his mouth. She stopped reading the book and raised her head. He, who had already put down his cup on the table, was looking in her direction. The moment she met his emerald eyes, her mind went blank. So, she couldn’t immediately say anything.

She never thought he would ask her such a question.

“Wh, why are you curious about that?”

“Because I’m curious. I wanted to know what your shameless face looks like.”

“I’ll read the next sentence.”

Ignoring his words, she lowered her head back to the book. She was planning to change the subject.

But suddenly, long fingertips touched her bangs. It was a small touch. It was so insignificant that it couldn’t even be called a touch. But she was so startled that she jumped up from her seat as if it had touched her face.

The sound of a chair falling over echoed from behind her. She barely grabbed the table, which was shaking from the sudden reaction. The book rolled on the floor. Vincent’s eyes widened, his hands in the air. He had a surprised look on his face.

The wind blew.

“Ah, um… I, I’m sorry for suddenly trying to touch your face… I’m sorry.”

She stabilized the table and put the fallen chair back up. She also picked up the book that had fallen on the floor and put it on the table.

In the meantime, he said with a calmer face.

“Why are you so surprised? I said I wanted to know what you look like.”

“But why are you trying to touch my face?”

“I can’t see, so I have to touch it to know.”

Sitting in the chair, she glanced at him. The other person was blind. He couldn’t see her. So, unless someone told him what her face looked like, he would never know. And seeing him ask like this now, it seemed that no one had told him.

“What do I look like?”

“You look ordinary.”

“I mean, how?”

She couldn’t bring herself to say that she had a face that people pointed fingers at. Biting her lip, she wondered how she should divert his attention.

“How do you look?”

“I’ll tell you later. Let’s finish reading the book first.”

“The more you hide it, the more curious I become.”

“……”

But it didn’t work. He fidgeted with his fingers as if he was going to reach out again. She anxiously watched his fingertips.

“I, I’m a little short.”

“I know that. Something else.”

“……My hair, my hair comes down to my chest.”

“Does it go over?”

“No. It doesn’t go over… I cut it a little while ago.”

She didn’t know because she didn’t look in the mirror, but her hair had grown long enough to be bothersome. So, she had cut it above her chest with scissors a few days ago.

In fact, long hair was burdensome. The hair that she couldn’t manage was dry, and the hair at the back was useless no matter how long it was. Besides, it was a hindrance when she was working, so she had to tie it back. But the reason she didn’t cut it short was her last bit of pride. If even her hair became short, there would be no feminine parts left on her body.

“Is your hair curly? There’s straight hair and curly hair, you know.”

“Mine is… a little like that too.”

“Hmm—”

He groaned briefly and thought about something for a moment, then reached out again. At that moment, she tensed up, thinking that his fingertips would go to her face again.

But this time, it didn’t go to her face. His hand, which was waving in the air as if searching for something, carefully touched her hair.

He held the ends of her wavy hair and fiddled with them.

“It’s true. The ends are bent.”

“……”

He flicked the ends of her hair that were bent upwards with his thumb and smiled slightly. She quietly watched his hand, which was playfully touching the ends of her hair.

“And?”

“And… and… What exactly are you curious about?”

“Everything. Tell me in detail.”

Give me pieces that I can imagine. He was asking her for that.

She pursed her lips, but couldn’t easily speak. She had never talked about what she looked like. She didn’t want to, and she didn’t have a face worth talking about.

“Are you thin?”

Yes, I’m so thin that it’s unsightly. I’ve gained some weight now, but before I came here, I was so thin that I often heard people say that a corpse was walking around.

“I’m average.”

“Are your eyes big?”

“They’re on the bigger side. I often heard people say that all they could see was my eyes when I was young.”

“What about your nose?”

“That’s…”

As she answered his quickly pouring questions, everything that came out was a lie. Except for the length of her hair and the size of her eyes, nothing she told him was true. And those lies gathered and gathered to create one person. Ironically, the one who was completed was Alicia.

Unlike her, her younger sister, who was too pretty.