Chapter 95
95
95. That Still Strange Guest (9)
As I went to the back of the mansion, I saw laundry hanging on the clothesline. The laundress put down her basket next to the pole and began to take down the laundry. As I helped her take it down, the laundress frowned again, but it wasn't difficult, so I pretended not to notice and helped. It would have been easier if this man next to me wasn't there.
I sighed at the presence that followed me with every step I took. At first, the laundress tried to stop my actions, but she glanced at Ethan and slowly moved away.
"Didn't you say you didn't want to leave the room?"
"You told me to do something other than sleep."
"I didn't mean for you to follow me around."
"It's fun to watch."
I turned to Ethan, who was standing right next to me, with a cold look.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because I want to get closer to Paula?"
I took a step back.
"That's not funny."
"Oh, but I'm not joking."
"Don't you have anything to do?"
"No."
I was speechless at his brazen reply. I thought he said he was busy last time, but did I hear wrong? But looking at him blankly, he really seemed like he had nothing to do.
I looked at him as if he were the most pathetic person in the world and shook my head. Ethan watched me without paying attention to my reaction. In the middle, he asked, "Shall I help you?" and I was horrified and told him never to touch anything.
I helped take down the laundry, received the new clothes, and went back into the mansion.
"What are you going to do now?"
Ethan, who was following me, asked, but I didn't answer. But that question continued as I went to Ethan's room, organized what I had brought, replaced the water to drink, swept and cleaned the hallway in front of the room, and refilled the stove with coal.
Moreover, he didn't just keep following me, but sometimes he would disappear while chasing me, and then suddenly pop out from somewhere and follow me again. Thanks to that, I had to grab my chest several times.
I was going crazy with the burden of the tail-like presence following me.
I had a quick meal and went to see Robert because I had time left. From the moment Ethan designated me as his attendant, I had to serve both Robert and Ethan.
Anyway, serving Robert was a supporting role to Nanny, and Nanny had been staying by Robert's side without going out recently, as if her business was finished. Therefore, the time I had to focus on Robert was also reduced. Naturally, I stopped writing letters reporting on Robert.
Still, I visited Robert's room whenever I had time. Today, Robert was taking a late nap, so only Nanny greeted me. Nanny, who had greeted me happily, widened her eyes when she saw Ethan standing behind me.
'Are you two getting along well?'
Nanny was so openly amazed that she asked. It was definitely a strange sight. If I kept doing this, I wouldn't be able to avoid someone's nagging.
In the end, I got angry.
"Just go for a walk!"
"Shall we go together?"
He suggested as if he had been waiting for it. I was tempted for a moment, but shook my head.
"Servants can't just leave this mansion."
"We can go nearby."
"I don't want to cause unnecessary commotion."
"Then keep working busily. I'll watch."
At this rate, he seemed like he would follow me around and watch until I went to sleep.
"What are you going to do now?"
I was sick of hearing that question now. I pondered for a moment and opened my mouth.
"I'm going to prepare dessert for the person I serve."
"Robert?"
"……."
Without answering, I headed back to the back stairs. As Ethan was about to follow me again, I told him not to follow me and went down to the kitchen. I went straight to the cook, asked for dessert, and prepared tea to drink together.
I put a thick chocolate cake, cookies, a teapot, and teacups on a silver tray and went up the stairs. I passed Ethan, who was watching what I was holding in my hands, and went upstairs.
"Robert will like it."
"It's for Ethan."
"……."
"If I give you this, will you stop following me?"
Ethan, who had been silent for a moment, replied in a low voice.
"Am I a burden?"
"Yes."
"Bear with it."
"……."
No, this guy really.
"Go back to your room now and sleep again. Sleep as much as you want. I will never disturb you."
"Well, I don't really feel like it right now."
"How long are you going to follow me?"
"Until I get bored?"
A deep sigh escaped on its own. It seemed like a conversation wouldn't work. I hurried to put the tray in the room and run away. I wanted to regain my freedom quickly.
I quickly went up the stairs and walked down the hallway. The sound of footsteps following me also gradually quickened.
"Shall we eat it together?"
"I'm fine."
"Don't say that, let's eat together."
"I decline."
"Paula."
An unwelcome call came. No, I told you not to call my name! I stopped walking and quickly turned to Ethan.
At that moment, the door to Ethan's left burst open, and two maids coming out of the room collided with him.
With a short scream, the two maids lost their balance and fell to the floor. Both of them were holding flower vases, one of which broke as it hit the floor, and the other soaked Ethan's left trouser leg and rolled on the floor. The flowers that had been in the flower vases were scattered everywhere.
Fortunately, I was about five steps away, so I avoided the misfortune of spilling the tray.
"I, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
One of the maids discovered Ethan and was horrified, prostrating herself on the floor. She bowed her head on the floor, which was wet with water spilled from the flower vase, and repeatedly said, "I'm sorry."
The other one was stiff after seeing Ethan, and slowly prostrated herself following the maid next to her. Her crouching body was trembling.
"P, please, f, forgive me……."
"P, please, have mercy."
It wasn't a big deal. It was a small accident and understandable enough. But the maids bowed their heads and trembled in fear as if they had done something terribly wrong to Ethan.
Why? I looked at them with a puzzled expression and then turned my gaze to Ethan. He was looking down at his wet trouser leg.
"Please save me!"
A desperate cry erupted. Following her, the other maid shouted the same thing. 'Please save me! Please don't take my life! Please! Please!' It was almost like a scream. I was startled by the sound. The person who was actually hearing it was not surprised at all and was dry.
Looking at his face without a smile, I felt like I knew why they were trembling. The person standing there now was not the man who was full of smiles and playful, but Count Christopher. A stiff expression and a heavy atmosphere, a target of fear with cruel rumors. Although it was a small mistake, they were trembling in fear because the other party was a nobleman who would not hesitate to kill his own flesh and blood.
Ethan, who had glanced down at the maids trembling while prostrating, took another step. The flowers were trampled and crushed under his feet, but he didn't care and approached me. I blankly stared at him approaching.
"Let's go."
Ethan spat out just one word and walked past me. Only then did I come to my senses and walked after him with a step or two between us. As I did, I glanced back, and the maids were looking this way. Their faces, mixed with fear, were unfamiliar as they turned to Ethan.
One of the maids began to sob, as if she knew that the sudden mistake had been resolved without any problems. The other maid hugged her and patted her, looking like people who had survived a life-threatening situation.
I turned my head and looked at Ethan. He must have heard the sound of crying, but he didn't react at all. He doesn't even look back.
I scanned him up and down. Even looking at him again, he was perfectly dressed. He had combed his hair back with pomade, and not a single strand of hair was sticking out. However, the hair was sticking out jaggedly on the lower part of the back of his head, where his hands couldn't reach well.
Seeing that, the tension suddenly eased. I thought his appearance was neat, but what was that. I felt like laughter would burst out at the unexpected sloppiness. Was he walking around like that all the time? If someone saw it, they would have wondered what it was. He probably didn't even know.
If the maids had seen the back of his head just now, would they have been so scared? If they had come to their senses a little more and looked closely, wouldn't they have noticed his sloppiness? Wouldn't they have been able to tell that he wasn't a scary person? But great fear obscures the eyes.
Come to think of it, whenever I ran into servants, they would look at my back and be startled, or stop walking and freeze. Some people bowed deeply and tried not to make eye contact. Everyone had fear on their faces.
'Ah, so that's why.'
I hadn't noticed. That the air surrounding him was sharp, that everyone was watching Ethan and being afraid of him.
The quick-witted he must have noticed, of course. Perhaps it had been like that since he first came to this mansion. Was that why he was holed up in his room and only sleeping? He chose me as his attendant and did not welcome other servants. Therefore, I was the only servant who went in and out of his room.
The room must be the only space where he can relax. The moment he leaves that place, he has to become Count Christopher and receive people's attention. He didn't do anything, but people were afraid and lowered themselves.
Perhaps sleeping comfortably is the real 'vacation' he was talking about.
Ethan remained silent while walking down the hallway. He doesn't show a playful attitude like before, nor does he talk first. His gait was stiff, and the atmosphere he exuded was a bit heavy. But I, who was the only one who knew his sloppiness, looked around once and whispered quietly.
"Ethan, your hair is sticking out in the back."
It was a small voice, but Ethan must have heard it well enough. As if to let me know, the steps that had been going ahead faltered for a moment. Soon, a hand came up and groped the back of his head. Watching him, I said calmly. It's more to the side.
The pace of walking ahead quickened. Walking behind him, I pressed down on the laughter that was about to burst out. It was my own consideration for Ethan, who must be embarrassed. That consideration didn't last long because the laughter eventually burst out.
