Chapter 15
# 15
- The Baron family’s Strange Guest (5)
But I can’t say that as it is.
“He’s doing well.”
“That’s unexpected. I thought he’d be in despair.”
“Did the person who knew that make such a threat?”
“Did it sound like a threat?”
“If you force someone to do something they don’t want to do, it’s no different from a threat.”
I know it’s presumptuous, but let’s be clear, it was a threat.
“That’s right. It’s a threat.”
But Ethan brazenly admitted it. Bad guy.
“I am a bad guy.”
“……”
He saw through my mind and curved his eyes. I pretended not to notice and wiped the window.
“Maid, I’m serious. That’s why I came to this mansion. I can no longer stand by and watch my friend, the Baron of Bellunita, fall apart. To be exact, he’s useless.”
I sighed and turned to look at him. Ethan continued.
“It may sound cold, but Vincent is in a position where he has no choice but to make such a judgment. And this is something I cannot tolerate before Vincent’s well-being. I don’t want Vincent to be like this. We are connected by family interests before we are friends.”
Ethan smiled bitterly. He didn’t seem like the person who had been checking on Vincent’s condition and grieving just a moment ago. He has the face of a real bad guy. So, he did it on purpose.
“I hope the maid can comfort Vincent a little. So that he can come out of his room.”
“I don’t have the power to do that.”
“Well, it seems to me that you have tremendous power.”
“You flatter me.”
I bowed my head and concentrated on cleaning the window again. I heard laughter behind my back. I pretended not to hear and just did my job.
After finishing cleaning the floor, I organized the cleaning tools. Then, after checking the time, I headed to the study. It was to choose a book to read to Vincent today.
Ethan followed me closely.
Why does he keep following me? Is he free? Even when I showed signs of discomfort, he didn’t care. Eventually, Ethan, who followed me into the study, looked around and asked.
“What are you trying to do here?”
“I’m going to choose a book.”
“Are you going to read it, Maid?”
“I’m going to read it to the master.”
Ethan’s eyes widened. I went to the bookshelf where the fairy tales were placed and scanned the titles. I had taken everything on one shelf last time with determination, but I had already read them all. The stories were short, so it didn’t take long to read them.
Fortunately, Vincent let me read the books. This was also one of the changes that had occurred. He didn’t just say it was boring like he did at first, and he didn’t act like he didn’t want to listen. He just listened calmly and occasionally pointed out my pronunciation and breathing.
‘Too fast. From the listener’s point of view, I can’t keep up.’
‘Ah, I’m sorry.’
‘You have to read each word clearly to understand. You have to be able to imagine it in your head to understand it. Please make it possible to draw the scene.’
‘I’ll be careful.’
Reading alone and reading to someone else was definitely different. My eyes read the words faster than my mouth, and I imagined them by drawing pictures in my head. But he wasn’t. He had to collect the pieces through my voice and then imagine them as if he were putting together a puzzle.
I volunteered simply because I could read, but this was not an easy task either. Taking the fairy tales to make fun of him was actually a good choice. Even when I told him those short stories, I had to be corrected dozens of times.
“You’re going to read it to Vincent?”
“Yes.”
“Does Vincent listen quietly……?”
“He refused at first, but he’s been listening quietly these days. I’ve been reading him fairy tales until now, but I’m thinking of reading him a thicker book this time.”
“……”
I was thinking of gradually moving away from fairy tales. So, I was looking at the books on the shelf above the one where the fairy tales were placed when my cheek tingled. When I turned around, Ethan had a strange look on his face. His face gradually contorted and became tearful, and the corners of his mouth twitched. At that moment.
“Puhahaha!”
A loud burst of laughter erupted.
I widened my eyes and looked at Ethan. He grabbed his stomach and laughed.
“That, that pride, puheup, do, fairy tale, keuk keuk. Peukkeukkeuk.”
Ethan crouched down and hiccupped. He didn’t stop laughing even at my puzzled gaze. I don’t know what made him laugh so much, but I shrugged my shoulders and ignored it. What I’ve felt while watching Ethan so far is that he’s a very strange person. And it’s originally difficult to understand the inside of a strange person.
More important than that was the book I was going to read to Vincent today. I carefully chose a book, opening each of the thick books with dense text.
“This seems good.”
Ethan, who had stopped laughing at some point, took out a book and handed it to me. Looking at the title, it seemed to be some kind of adventure story. It wasn’t too thin or too thick, so it seemed good to read to Vincent.
“Vincent used to enjoy reading this book when he was young.”
“Ah.”
He had been talking about family interests and whatnot until just now, but I guess friends are friends after all. He seems to know Vincent’s tastes well. I bowed my waist to thank him and politely accepted the book.
“Vincent likes adventure novels. He’s been reading adventure stories like a madman since he was young. He mainly read adventure stories about traveling to faraway countries. He hates love stories. He doesn’t even watch them, saying they’re boring.”
“Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind when I choose.”
“I’m more grateful.”
Huh? When I raised my head, Ethan smiled kindly, which was rare. It wasn’t the greasy look he gave when he was trying to seduce someone, but a look of pure joy and relief.
“I’m glad you’re by his side, Maid.”
What does that mean?
“You even read fairy tales to that Vincent.”
Fairy tales, why? As I tilted my head, he covered his mouth with his hand to erase the laughter that was about to burst out again.
“What do you think, Maid? Will Vincent be able to come out of his room?”
“Well, how dare I fathom the master’s deep heart.”
“Shall we make a bet?”
It was a sudden proposal. A bet? When I asked in surprise, Ethan continued.
“If you can get Vincent to take even one step out of his room, I’ll grant you one wish.”
Ethan took a step closer and held out his hand. I stared blankly at his hand and shook my head.
“Christopher, I don’t know why you’re saying this to me, but as I said just now, I don’t have any power. I’m just a maid, so how can I get the master to come out?”
The room was the only sanctuary for him now. He hated taking even one step out of the room. No, he doesn’t even get out of bed. Of course, he can’t live like that forever, but it wasn’t easy to have such expectations for him now.
“So, this is a bet between me and the maid.”
He grabs my hand and lifts it up. He didn’t change his expression even when he grabbed my lowly hand. No, he actually squeezed it tightly as if he wouldn’t let go.
“I hope you’ll listen. For Vincent’s sake.”
“Why are you doing this to me?”
“Because you seem like the easiest person here?”
What, you son of a bitch? I got annoyed and tried to shake off his hand, but he squeezed it even tighter and wouldn’t let go. The strong grip pressed down on my skin, making my hand tingle. I narrowed one eye and glared at him.
“Let go of me.”
“I want to have expectations for you, Maid.”
“What if I refuse?”
“I hope you don’t. I want to remain a good person to you.”
Now it’s an open threat. Even though I was dumbfounded, he smiled brightly as if it was nothing.
“Since it’s a bet, there must be a premise that I’ll win. Hmm, if I win, then…….”
His eyes rolled to the side. He seemed to be thinking for a moment, then his eyes fixed on me again. With rounded eyes, he kissed the back of my hand as he did when he first came here.
“You’ll have to give me your head, Maid.”
Chop. His hand mimicked cutting his throat. His mischievously smiling face was terrifyingly villainous.
Why, me? Why me? I’m just a maid who came to serve the master.
Ethan just laughed happily even when he saw my disgusted face. Now, his smiling face was terrifying. Who said he was a kind person? He was just pretending to be kind, but in reality, he was an unpredictable person. I couldn’t understand why he had come all the way here to threaten Vincent by announcing that he was blind, or why he was proposing such a ridiculous bet to me.
Was he trying to help Vincent, or was he asking me to help him?
And that confusion led to Vincent.
“Master.”
Vincent was silent throughout the reading. He was leaning against the wall, listening to my voice, and he was unusually quiet today. His face, which was drooping down, was covered by his hair, so I couldn’t see what kind of expression he was making. His drooping shoulders also made him look listless.
The book I brought was useless. Seeing his dejected appearance made me feel weak. I lowered my waist to check his face and called out, “Master?” but he still didn’t say anything.
“Cheer up. There will be a way.”
“……Don’t say such nonsense.”
Finally, there was a reaction. But the voice I heard was too gloomy. His appearance was unfamiliar. I would have preferred him to shout or get angry as usual. I’m getting weak when he’s like this.
“Why isn’t it possible? You just have to show that you’re trying.”
“How can I show that? Should I show you the unsightly sight of me falling and groping on the floor? Then I’ll show you as much as you want.”
“Master.”
“It’s forced. You’re just saying you’re going to talk about my condition.”
He covered his face with both hands. His hunched body was aware of his condition and was in pain. Sadness swallows him again.
“Don’t cry.”
“I’m not crying.”
“Your heart is crying.”
“…….”
Vincent exhaled with a hiss. I was worried that he would have another seizure. He’s vulnerable to shock, so I’m always worried when this happens.
‘You’ll have to give me your head, Maid.’
Besides, I was bothered by the fact that it was a bet that Ethan had forced on me.
In the end, I groaned and turned my face this way and that, examining his condition in every corner. Then, I gently grabbed the tip of his index finger and lowered it, and it obediently fell from his face. His shaded face was revealed. He wasn’t crying, as he said. But that dry face was even more pitiful.
“Let’s think of a way together.”
