Chapter 7
7
Winston's feet, traversing the Mercedes Manor hallway submerged in the night, halted before a certain room.
After briefly checking his attire, he knocked on the door.
"Young master, it's Winston."
A moment later, a low voice, perfectly suited to the night's silence, replied.
"Enter."
Having received permission, Winston quietly opened the door and stepped inside.
The room was awash with moonlight.
The room with the best moonlight in Mercedes Manor was undoubtedly the head of the family's room.
As it had rained earlier, the moonlight was particularly dazzling tonight. Thanks to this, even with only one candle lit, there was no major problem in carrying out tasks.
This room could be called 'the room that best suits the night,' and the man before him could be called 'the one who best suits this room.'
Even with Winston's entrance, the man did not take his eyes off the documents. However, Winston was not bothered and waited for him with his hands clasped.
After some time, the man put down the documents and picked up an object placed on the corner of the desk.
With a long mouthpiece and elegant curves, the round bowl was delicately engraved with the Mercedes Ducal Family's crest: the moon and evening primrose. The silver object was a Magic Pipe made exclusively for him.
As Khadien put the narrow pipe mouthpiece in his mouth, Winston, who had been waiting, opened the lid of a container placed on one side of the desk.
Inside, it was filled with finely dried Sedation Herb.
He scooped up a spoonful and filled the pipe's bowl.
As Khadien inhaled with the mouthpiece in his mouth, a sizzling sound occurred, and the pipe automatically lit, with thin smoke rising from the bowl.
For a while, he closed his eyes and inhaled the smoke.
Winston silently watched Khadien.
After a while, Khadien gently opened his eyes.
His lifeless, parched purple eyes stared into the air before turning to Winston.
Only then did Winston speak.
"We have hired another tutor for Vincent. He is a talented individual who graduated from the Imperial Academy and received a Ruby Certificate-"
However, Winston could not continue speaking.
It was because of what Khadien muttered with the mouthpiece in his mouth, his eyes closed.
"Vincent's education is the butler's responsibility, so you don't need to report every detail."
Winston closed his lips at his dry words, which felt almost heartless.
Of course, he knew it well.
That it was a report that didn't necessarily need to be made.
But...
After a moment of silence, Winston delivered a new report.
"Also, Young master's condition was not good, so I called the doctor. He has been prescribed medicine and is currently sleeping."
"...Vincent?"
Khadien, who opened his eyes, took the pipe out of his mouth and looked at Winston.
Winston bowed deeply and revealed the truth.
"He was caught in the rain wearing light clothing, so he seems to have developed a fever. It is my fault. I apologize."
"Caught in the rain?"
There was an edge to Khadien's questioning tone.
Winston swallowed hard and barely answered.
"...After hearing the news that another tutor was being hired..."
"I see."
A cold sneer appeared on Khadien's lips.
"I apologize."
"It's not the butler's fault to apologize for."
After thinking about something for a moment, he asked Winston.
"What is Vincent doing now?"
"I confirmed that he was sleeping before I left."
"I see."
Then, he strongly sucked on the pipe and stood up.
Winston watched Khadien with trembling eyes.
"Let's go."
Winston blankly stared at Khadien's back as he left, belatedly chasing after him.
'So, it was definitely the room at the end of the third floor, right?'
I recalled the structure of the manor I had seen in the original work and moved stealthily.
The fact that the coat I happened to be wearing was black made me feel like a thief who had come to rob the mansion.
'I'm not a thief, I'm a tutor.'
But the fact that I look like a thief right now is undeniable.
'I can't help it. Not all the servants know of my existence yet, and I don't want to cause unnecessary trouble.'
Avoiding the moonlight streaming through the windows, I finally arrived in front of Vincent's room.
I put my ear to the door, but I couldn't hear any sound.
I swallowed hard and carefully opened the door slightly.
If Winston was there, I was going to quietly return.
But...
"Huh? There's no one here?"
Contrary to my expectation that Winston would be by Vincent's side, there was no one there.
In this unexpected situation, I threw the door open.
The room was stuffy with heat. It was obvious who the heat was coming from without even looking.
'Where did he go, leaving a sick kid behind...!'
If you're going to leave, shouldn't you at least leave a maid by his side!
I was angry at Winston's lax response.
That's when it happened.
"Sniff, sob..."
Suddenly, a sound like crying was heard in the quiet room. I turned around abruptly.
The sound was coming from the bed.
Gulp.
I swallowed hard once and carefully approached the bed.
When I finally found Vincent on the bed, I froze.
Tears were welling up in Vincent's long eyes.
Vincent was crying in his sleep.
"Mom... don't go..."
It seemed like Vincent was having a dream.
I felt like I knew what that dream was.
[Leaning against the lonely Giant Tree, he longed for someone who would never come.
And on those nights, he always suffered from a terrible fever.
Alone, without telling anyone.]
"...It wasn't just a simple fever."
Was Vincent having these dreams, delirious with fever, every time it rained?
How much emptiness would he have felt after waking up from the dream and seeing the empty surroundings?
"You're still a child."
It was too much pain for a child to bear.
"Even though I can't change reality."
I placed my hand on Vincent's forehead, which was wet with fever and sweat.
"I can change the dream."
A moment later, a silver light resembling moonlight burst forth from under my palm.
Vincent was running in the dark.
To be exact, he was chasing after an increasingly distant back.
'Mom, don't go!'
Having returned to his childhood, Vincent desperately tried to grab the woman who was moving away, flailing his short arms and legs.
But Vincent knew the ending of this dream all too well.
Vincent would never catch the woman.
He would end up chasing after her back endlessly, only to be left alone in the darkness.
Even though he knew that fact so well, Vincent couldn't give up chasing after the woman.
'Mom! Please don't go!'
No matter how desperately he called out, the woman didn't turn around, as if she was heartless.
'In the end, this time too...'
Just as Vincent's knees were about to buckle in despair, he suddenly felt a warm touch caressing his back.
Startled, he turned around, and the space that had been filled with darkness was now brightly lit.
Before he knew it, the lonely space was filled with light,
'Bin-'
When he turned his head at the sudden voice, Vincent witnessed an unbelievable sight.
'Come here, my baby.'
The woman, who had always been moving away, was waiting for him with her arms open.
Vincent blankly stared at her before taking a hesitant step.
And when he came to his senses, Vincent was running towards her at full speed.
Soon, Vincent jumped into her arms.
'Mom, Mom.'
Vincent buried his face in her chest, savoring her warmth, which he hadn't felt in a long time.
He wished this moment would last forever.
"Mom, sob..."
I looked at Vincent, who was still shedding tears.
But I could tell that the meaning of the tears had changed.
'He met his mother.'
Vincent's mother is not mentioned in the original work.
Only that she abandoned young Vincent in front of an orphanage and disappeared forever.
'She never came back in the end.'
Knowing that ending made my heart heavier.
'Is there anything I can do to help?'
At the same time as I thought that, I let out a hollow laugh.
'What am I even talking about, when I don't even know what will happen to my own life.'
Moreover, there were no clues about Vincent's mother in the original work either.
'Khadien might know something, but.'
But even that didn't give me any room to intervene.
In the end, there was nothing I could do.
Except for letting Vincent meet his mother in his dreams.
I looked down at Vincent, who had regained his composure in the meantime, and stroked his forehead with my hand.
"Good night, Bin."
After saying a goodnight greeting that wouldn't be conveyed, I carefully left the room.
I was about to quietly return to my room when,
"Who's there!"
A stern voice fell from behind.
I immediately recognized the owner of the voice.
'Winston...!'
This is a disaster. It seems he's back now.
'What should I do?'
As I stood there without answering, the sound of footsteps grew closer.
But,
'Hmm?'
Is it just my imagination, or does it sound like there's more than one person?
The footsteps stopped right behind me.
"Who is it? Why are you loitering in front of Young master's room at this hour?"
Winston's voice was stern, as if he had mistaken me for a servant.
What should I do? Should I just run away?
'Run away? What are you talking about!'
If I run away here, I'll only arouse more suspicion, and it's already too late to run away.
In the end, there was only one option.
I laughed awkwardly and turned around.
"...It's me, butler."
Coincidentally, the clouds that had been covering the moon passed, and moonlight poured down on my head.
Winston's eyes widened as he recognized me.
"Teacher?"
But Winston wasn't the only one surprised.
I blankly looked up at the man standing next to Winston.
'That man is...'
Silver hair and parched purple eyes that seemed to have extracted only the coldest part of the moonlight, eyes that showed no emotion, and deep shadows cast under his eyes.
'Cadienne Mercedes!'
Why is this man here...!
