Chapter 31
31
31. The Count's Circumstances (1)
As I recently came into contact with the people around him, I realized that his life was not as smooth as I had imagined. What you see is not everything. At least, that was the case with Vincent's life. His path, blind as he was, was not something that could be smooth just because he could see.
Violet visited the mansion frequently even after that. Sometimes Ethan accompanied her. Was it because they had become people who shared a secret? She didn't hesitate to visit as much as before. At first, their visits were burdensome, but at some point, I got used to them, and now they have become a pleasure for me.
And that man, Lucas. I couldn't figure out his intention when he told me that he had blinded Vincent. After that, he smiled at me every time he saw me, as if nothing had happened. In the end, his words remained a mystery until the moment he left.
And Vincent's attitude toward Lucas was always as calm as ever. So, does that mean Lucas really isn't the one? What does Vincent know? And Ethan? How much does he know? With my immature mind, I couldn't understand their relationship at all.
Well, what can a mere maid know? How can I apply my standards to their lives?
I can now understand Vincent's attitude of suspecting, guarding, and turning away from people a little better, but I don't think I can do anything. Just because I felt a strange sense of crisis in their relationship didn't mean I could interfere. I just need to do my job well.
Unnecessary curiosity only brings disaster.
I reminded myself once again of the purpose for which I was hired.
[I'm sending this because you're so pretty.]
Golden letters were sent in an envelope with dried flowers. They were white petals that became transparent when exposed to sunlight. I shook it around and put it in my favorite book. And I looked at the clear sky.
The mansion was quiet for the first time in a long time. The bustling days already felt like a dream.
"It's quiet."
"Yes."
Today, I decided to read the books I hadn't been able to read. The place was in front of the window in his room. The day we had tea time together remained a nightmare, and he ended up staying in his room again. Instead of dragging him out, I prepared a seat in front of the wide-open window.
"It's quiet, so it's a little lonely."
"Not at all. I prefer being alone."
"You're so dry."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
There was a sense of ease in his reply. His calm face is turned towards the window. I looked at Vincent like that. What are you thinking about right now? It was a question that popped up frequently lately. I thought he was just a person whose temper had worsened because he was blind, but I recently realized that I didn't really know what was going on inside him.
I pretended not to be, but I'm curious.
What are you thinking about?
"I smell something sweet."
"Something sweet? Ah, I brought something called Pound Cake for dessert today."
I remembered the existence of the cake, which I had forgotten for a while. When I handed over the empty dishes after the meal, the cook handed me something called Pound Cake for dessert.
'He's liked sweets since he was a child.'
His wrinkled face was filled with joy. I tilted my head, looking at the yellow bread inside the transparent lid.
"Pound Cake?"
He showed interest, which was rare. I was a little surprised by his quick reaction.
"Do you like sweets?"
"A little."
Then he quickly groped around with his hands. Thanks to his recent practice, his movements were quite natural, but he couldn't fool me. He really likes sweets. He has a salt-like face and a sugar-like palate, which was unexpected.
I removed the transparent lid, placed a pre-cut piece of cake on a small plate, and handed it to him. When I even gave him a fork, he groped the edge of the plate with his hand, then poked the cake with the fork.
However, the awkwardly poked cake slipped off the fork. Vincent, unaware that it was an empty fork, put it in his mouth and smacked his lips in confusion. Then, he lowered the fork again and made a futile gesture in the wrong place instead of the plate. It seemed like it would take him all day to eat like that, so I just handed him the cake.
He seems to frown slightly, but he puts it in his mouth right away. He chews it so deliciously. He quickly ate one piece and reached out again. When I handed him a new piece, he ate it quietly.
Watching him eat made me curious about the taste. So, I secretly took a piece and put it in my mouth. The sweetness stimulated my tongue. It was really sweet. No, it was excessively sweet. But it's delicious. It was the first time I had eaten something so delicious.
There's such bread in the world. I admired the chef's skills in my mind, and secretly took pieces of Pound Cake one by one and put them in my mouth without Vincent noticing. As the two of us ate, the plate containing the small Pound Cake quickly reached the bottom.
"Fluttering."
"Yes?"
As I secretly took the last remaining piece and put it in my mouth, he tapped on the window frame. Ah, I touched the back of my head. A long string was flying in the wind, hitting the window frame. It was a faint sound, but it must have been clear to him.
"The Hair tie I used to tie my hair is a bit long, so it must have hit the window frame."
"Is it not the one you usually use?"
"Yes. It's different. Violet gave it to me as a gift."
A few days ago, Violet gave me a box with a ribbon as a gift. When I opened the lid, there was a pure white Hair tie with rounded edges and a floral pattern embroidered on the end. The texture was soft, and it looked expensive at first glance. So, when I refused, saying that I couldn't receive something like this, Violet insisted that I not refuse and even held the Hair tie in my hand.
'I was worried about the Hair tie I used when Paula made me a bouquet of flowers in the past. I was able to be brave thanks to Paula's advice. I'm giving you this gift because I'm so grateful, so please accept it comfortably.'
I received a small bouquet of flowers as a gift at that time too. The bouquet of flowers that I put in a vase and placed in my room unfortunately withered after a few days, but this was a gift that I could keep for a long time. Besides, her kind face contained a strange coercion. In the end, I thanked her and accepted it, and Violet even tied my hair with the string herself. It seemed like she knew that I was planning to keep it in the box.
"That's good."
"It's good, but it's also a burden. It's so pretty that I don't know if I can do it."
It was the first time I had ever touched something so expensive and feminine, so I was careful even when touching it. It doesn't suit me at all. I felt embarrassed and fiddled with the Hair tie for no reason, but then I quickly let it go, afraid that even that would wear it out.
Then, Vincent grabbed the string fluttering in the wind. He stretched out his hand as much as he could and fiddled with the string, as if he was trying to figure out what shape it was.
After fiddling with the string for a while, he spat out his impressions.
"It'll suit you well."
"No..."
I was about to shake my hand, saying that it was too pretty to suit me, but I stopped. I thought of the impudent maid's face in his head and swallowed my rebuttal.
"Your beauty will shine."
"Where did you hear those words?"
"Violet says it often."
He said it as if he was just making a joke. I smiled briefly and wiped my hands on my apron. My heart was pricking. I didn't want to drag this topic out for long.
He groped the cake plate with his hand and looked puzzled.
"Why is it already empty?"
"I'll finish reading the book."
I pretended not to know and picked up the book I had been reading. He tilted his head, then sipped his tea instead. I glanced at him and read the book. My voice flowed out quite smoothly.
"You read quite well now."
"Thank you."
Praise always feels good. I smiled contentedly and finished reading the rest of the content.
"You must really like books."
"Ah, does it look like that?"
"Because you always read them with pleasure. It looks like you don't know what to do because you're so happy."
"Yes, I like them. Have I ever told you that I worked at a bookstore when I was young?"
"You did. The day you first offered to read to me."
"Oh, that's right. At that time, the owner told me that the bookstore owner had turned a child into a delusional person when he was young, do you remember?"
"I don't know. I remember you starting this forcibly, pretending to care for me in order to satisfy your selfish desires."
"You have a very good memory."
Then he sneered, asking if I remembered throwing things at me at first and shouting at me to leave. Then he retorted that he remembered you forcibly shoving food into my mouth. When I asked if he remembered smelling because he hadn't washed for so long, he said he remembered you throwing me into the bathtub to wash me.
I laughed ha ha.
"I'm honored that you remember all these memories with me."
He smiled brightly, following me.
"Me too."
A moment of awkward laughter echoed.
"The owner said at that time that he wouldn't read books anymore. How is it, is it good to read after all?"
"I don't know. It would be better if you read it with a little more vibrancy."
"It's a shame that I only have one voice."
"Practice more. Another ego hidden inside you might come out."
"Thank you for your advice."
An even louder laughter than before echoed.
"It would be even better if you didn't do things like a sneaky rat stealing cake."
"......"
My lips, which had been raised upwards, drooped downwards. Devil spawn. How did he know that again?
"How much did I eat... You could have shared some... You're so stingy..."
I muttered quietly and buried my face in the book, which had only one chapter left. He didn't even pretend to hear me and just looked out the window. A gentle breeze blew. His hand was still fiddling with the edge of my Hair tie fluttering in the wind.
"Do you like this kind of life?"
"What do you mean?"
I tilted my head slightly and looked at him over the book. He was still looking out the window.
"I'm asking if you're satisfied with living in this mansion and serving me."
"...Why are you asking that?"
"I haven't heard you talk about your family. When you come to a strange place like this, you usually miss your hometown. Like homesickness."
Family. Forgotten emotions rippled. I tried hard to suppress them from popping up.
I rolled my eyes and put down the book. I raised the corners of my lips as a habit, then lowered them again. I don't need to do this. It's good that he can't see. Because I don't have to hide my expression.
It's easy to pretend to be okay. Because I do it every time.
"Yes. I'm satisfied."
"Don't you want to go home?"
"Not really."
"Why?"
Why? Just because you're family doesn't mean you have to miss each other. The Devil spawn that appeared in my dreams every night and tormented me came to mind.
"Because there's no reason to go back."
"......"
He turned his head towards me. I avoided his eyes and looked down, fiddling with the empty plate with only bread crumbs left. I thought about asking for more next time, and erased unnecessary memories.
"You said you have sisters."
"Yes."
"How many?"
"Four. Five including me."
"Which number are you there?"
"I'm the first."
I spun the empty plate around and answered vaguely. It was an unwelcome topic, so I didn't want to think deeply about it. I quickly answered the questions, wanting to finish the conversation quickly, and didn't add any rambling explanations.
"You talked about your younger sister before. Was it the Second daughter?"
"Yes, that's right. But why are you asking this?"
Embarrassingly. I added, trying to smile. He rested his chin on his hand and looked at me. His other hand was still fiddling with my Hair tie.
