Chapter 11
11
11. The Baron family's Strange Guest (1)
The Bellunita Baron family receives a lot of letters. Some are from unknown senders, but most are letters asking about Vincent's well-being. Invitations to banquets and parties are also frequently sent.
However, the master never replies to any of the letters. Even if the letters are actually delivered, he doesn't check them. So, most of them are taken care of by the servants before they even reach his hands.
Among the persistently arriving letters, there was a name that particularly stood out.
[Violet]
A woman's name...?
A letter arrives about every other day, but this one is also not delivered to Vincent.
Isabella ordered me to keep these letters separately. Is she someone who needs special attention? If so, why isn't she giving them to him? Since Vincent doesn't read them, naturally, no reply is sent either. Nevertheless, the letters from that 'Violet' piled up neatly in my room's drawer.
And another thing that stood out.
[Are you there?]
...?
I accidentally found it while emptying the ashes from the fireplace. Glimpses of golden letters remained on the burnt scraps of paper. When held up to the sunlight, the sparkling letters were elegant and beautiful.
After that, letters with the same content arrived.
[Are you doing well?]
The letters were written on high-quality envelopes with a stiff texture. The strange thing was that nothing was written on the paper inside the envelope. Did they write directly on the envelope, fearing that the letter might not be opened?
Nevertheless, letters with golden letters arrived every day without fail. Of course, no reply was sent. Vincent doesn't even check them.
Then one day, on Isabella's instructions, I wrote a reply to that letter. She told me to write anything simple, but I carefully considered it before picking up the pen.
[I am doing well.]
However, after sending the reply, the letters stopped abruptly. I was worried that I might have written something wrong, but I was too busy attending to the master to dwell on it. The letter came back to my mind when an unexpected reply arrived.
Still in elegant golden letters. This time, the letters were written on the paper inside, not on the envelope.
[The weather is nice here.]
So? The content, whose intention was unknown, was puzzling, but what stood out more was the slightly smudged last letter. Looking closely, there were water stains all over the envelope. Like tears.
Did they write the reply while crying because they were so happy? Surely not.
I was curious, but Isabella said there was no need to send a reply this time, so I didn't send one. Then, that letter came again every day without getting tired. With the same content. It was as if they were stubbornly demanding a reply.
Eventually, I had to write a reply again under Isabella's orders. I hesitated for a moment, intending to write something light as before. The water stains on the paper came to mind. I felt like I shouldn't write with the same feeling as last time, so I paused and looked out the window. Just then, I saw buds sprouting on the trees and moved the pen.
[Here, buds have started to sprout on the bare branches.]
After that, replies came again, and when I sent one, another reply came. At some point, I was exchanging letters with someone I didn't even know. The content was still nothing special. After the first reply, no more water stains were seen.
[I am doing well today too.]
That's how one slightly unusual routine began.
On a day when I stretched and greeted a refreshing morning, and worried about another day of being exhausted by the master's terrible personality. As always, I changed my clothes, tied up my messy hair into a bun, and opened the door.
"Vincent—!"
But a strange voice was heard.
Right next door, in front of the master's room, stood a man I had never seen before. The tall man in a top hat was knocking on the door and calling Vincent's name earnestly.
"Vincent! Open the door!"
I was wondering about the man who kept knocking on the door even though there was no answer from inside the room. Sensing my gaze, the man turned his head. He widened his brown eyes when he found me.
A moment of mutual exploration arrived. Both the strange man and I openly scanned each other up and down, expressing the question of who the other was.
Then the man finished his exploration first.
"Ah, the new maid who came this time?"
As if reacting to the words "new maid," I immediately bent my back. It was like an instinct that had developed recently.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Paula."
The greeting lasts until the other person accepts it. Unless they are a fellow servant, you shouldn't straighten your back before hearing the other person's reply. Remembering those words, I waited until the other person accepted the greeting.
"Ah."
The man sighed briefly and approached me. Shiny, polished shoe tips came into view in my downward-facing vision. And the man took my one hand that I was holding together.
Surprised, I raised my head, and the man bent his back slightly with one hand behind his back, and left a light kiss on my taken hand.
"Nice to meet you, maid."
A pleasant baritone voice. When I raised my head slightly and met the man's gaze, he curved his eyes.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Ethan Christopher."
"Oh... yes..."
I answered dumbly, trying to gather my dazed mind.
Soon after, his action of straightening his back and letting go of my hand was neat and elegant. Even though his hand had fallen away, my hand was still floating in the air. The back of my hand, where the man's warmth had touched, was burning.
"Vincent locked the door. Can you open it?"
"Ah..."
Only then did I come to my senses and lower my hand. I scratched the back of my hand for no reason and headed for the door.
Although it was very rare, there were times when Vincent's door was locked. I was wondering how he locked it, but if you pulled one of the several strings hanging on the wall next to his bed, the lines connected to the wall would pull each other and the door would lock.
The several strings were connected here and there along the wall like snakes. At first, I didn't notice it because the room was so dark and I was busy attending to Vincent, but I learned about it recently while properly examining the room. The string he pulled to lock the door was connected from the wall to the door.
When I first witnessed that sight, I couldn't believe it and doubted my eyes. Vincent told me that it was installed in case something dangerous happened when he was alone. The first time I witnessed him using it, I was so amazed that I asked him questions about it, but Vincent didn't answer, so I soon lost interest. Perhaps the other strings hanging on the wall are there for that purpose. But he used it in a different way.
Isabella gave me a set of emergency keys in case of such situations. She told me to keep it safe as the Separate Residence was practically my responsibility. So, I used those keys whenever his door was locked.
Fumbling through my apron pocket, I took out the emergency key. At the moment I unlocked the lock and turned the doorknob, I realized that I hadn't asked the man named Ethan Christopher what his relationship with Vincent was.
"Ah, about the master..."
At that moment, something whizzed past through the opened gap. Soon after, crash! The sound of glass breaking echoed. The words that were rushing out were scattered without being finished.
Ethan turned his head following the sound and was shocked. I also identified the shape of the sound. It was a glass bottle that had shattered against the wall. I could guess who threw it from my past experiences.
Sure enough, a chilling voice flowed out from the dark room.
"Close the door."
Really, how dangerous.
I frowned slightly and looked at Ethan. He was still staring at the broken glass bottle. I could see all sorts of thoughts flashing across his dazed face.
Is he experiencing that terrible personality for the first time? Then it's understandable to be surprised. I shook my head and took a step into the room when something else flew and hit the wall. This time it's a glass cup. I left it for him to drink water, but he's venting his anger on something else.
First, I closed the door. It was because I was afraid the man would be in danger.
"There's a young gentleman in front of the door."
"Tell him to leave."
"Who is he?"
Come to think of it, how did this man know that Vincent was in the Separate Residence? Usually, guests who came to see him came to the main residence. That's because they naturally think he's there.
Due to Vincent living in the Separate Residence for personal reasons, it was the butler's job to greet guests who came to the main residence. When the butler was not available, Isabella took on his role.
But the man outside was standing in front of the Separate Residence, even in front of his door.
"It's none of your business. Send him back."
"Master."
"You get out too."
Why is he acting so grumpy again?
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Vincent."
It was the voice of the man named Ethan. He seemed to have calmed down to some extent.
I immediately looked at Vincent. He had already closed his eyes. Is he trying to pretend to be asleep?
"Vincent, let's see your face. It's been a long time since I've seen you. Don't you miss me?"
"..."
"I miss you."
What is this atmosphere? There's something strange between these two men...
"Don't think strange things."
"I didn't."
"I can tell what you're thinking just by your breathing."
"I told you I didn't."
I turned around haughtily to prepare the meal when I realized that I hadn't brought breakfast. Come to think of it, neither the water for washing nor the new clothes... I forgot in the unexpected commotion.
"I'll bring the meal."
"I have no appetite."
"Please wait."
"I said I have no appetite!"
I ignored Vincent's shout and opened the door. I faced the man who had been knocking on the door earnestly from earlier. The man immediately looked inside the room. I quickly closed the door and blocked his view.
"I'm sorry. The master said he doesn't want to meet you."
"Oh, I really wanted to meet him. I have something to tell him!"
The last words were not directed at me. Nevertheless, no answer still came back.
Ethan dropped his shoulders powerlessly. He forced a smile with a disappointed face and said.
"I'll be staying at the Baron family for a few days."
A guest has come to the Baron family.
"It's been a while, Isabella."
"It's been a while, Ethan."
Ethan, who entered the Reception room, greeted Isabella happily. Isabella also received his top hat and greeted him familiarly. Seeing the close relationship between the two, it seemed that this man was not just a simple guest.
