# 11
11. The Count's Estate's Strange Guest (1)
The Belunita Count's estate receives a lot of letters. Some are from unknown senders, but they are mostly letters inquiring after Vincent's well-being. Invitations to banquets and parties are also a common sight.
However, the Master does not send replies to any of the letters. Even when the letters are delivered to him, he does not check them. Because of this, most of them are handled by the servants before they even reach his hands.
Amidst the persistently arriving letters, there was one name that stood out in particular.
[Violet]
A woman's name...?
Letters arrive at a rate of once every two days, but these too were never delivered to Vincent.
Isabella ordered me to store these letters separately. Is she someone who requires special attention? If so, why not deliver them to him? Since Vincent doesn't read them, naturally, no replies are sent either. Nevertheless, the letters from this 'Violet' person piled up one by one inside the dresser in my room.
And another one that caught my eye.
[Are you there?]
...?
I discovered it by chance while scooping out the ashes filling the fireplace. On a half-burnt scrap of paper, golden letters remained. When illuminated by the sunlight, the sparkling letters were elegant and beautiful.
Even after that, letters with the same content kept arriving.
[Are you doing well?]
It was writing on a high-quality envelope 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 in case it might be opened without permission?
Despite this, letters with golden writing arrived every single day without fail. Of course, no replies were sent. Vincent doesn't even check them.
Then one day, under Isabella's orders, I wrote a reply to that letter. She told me to write something simple, but after careful consideration, I picked up my pen.
[I am doing well.]
However, after sending that reply, the letters abruptly stopped. I worried that I might have written something wrong, but I was so busy attending to the Master that I soon forgot about it. It was when an unexpected reply arrived that I remembered those letters again.
Still in that elegant, golden handwriting. This time, the writing was on the paper inside rather than the envelope.
[The weather is nice here.]
And so? The intention behind the incomprehensible content was puzzling, but what caught my eye even more was the last letter, slightly smudged by ink. Looking closely, there were water stains here and there on the envelope. As if they were tears.
Did they cry while writing the reply out of sheer joy? No way.
I was curious, but Isabella said there was no need to send a reply this time, so I didn't. Then, the letters started coming every day again, tirelessly. And with the exact same content, no less. It was as if they were stubbornly demanding a reply.
Eventually, I had to write a reply again under Isabella's command. I tried to write it as lightly as last time, but I hesitated for a moment. The water stains smudged on the paper came to mind. Feeling that I shouldn't write with the same sentiment as last time, I hesitated before gazing out the window. Seeing the buds sprouting on the trees right at that moment, I moved my pen.
[Here, buds have begun to sprout on the bare branches.]
After that, replies continued to come, and when I sent one, another reply would follow. Before I knew it, I was exchanging letters with someone whose identity I didn't even know. The content was still nothing out of the ordinary. No water stains appeared after that first reply.
[I am doing well today, too.]
It was a day when this slightly peculiar daily routine had been established.
A day I stretched to welcome a refreshing morning, and a day I worried about how exhausting it would be dealing with the Master's atrocious personality. As always, I changed my clothes, tied my messy hair back tightly into one, and opened the door.
"Vincent—!"
But an unfamiliar voice reached my ears.
Right next door, a man I had never seen before was standing in front of the Master's room. He was a tall man wearing a top hat, knocking on the door and calling out Vincent's name beseechingly.
"Vincent! Just open the door!"
I was watching the man in puzzlement as he continued to knock on the door despite the lack of any response from inside. As if sensing my gaze, the man turned his head. Discovering me, he widened his brown eyes.
A moment of sizing each other up arrived. Both the unfamiliar man and I openly scanned each other from head to toe, our expressions questioning who the other was.
Then, the man ended the appraisal first.
"Ah, the newly hired maid?"
Newly hired maid—as if reacting to those words, I immediately bowed at the waist. It was almost like a reflex I had developed recently.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Paula."
A greeting lasts until the other party acknowledges it. I was told that unless it was a fellow servant, I must not straighten my back before hearing their response. Recalling those words, I waited until he accepted my greeting.
"Ah."
The man let out a short sigh as he approached me. A pair of gleaming shoe tips entered my line of sight, which had been fixed on the floor. Then, he took one of my hands that was clasped in front of me.
Startled, I raised my head. With one hand behind his back, the man slightly bowed at the waist and placed a light kiss on the back of my hand.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Maid."
A pleasant, beautiful voice. As my eyes met his while he looked up slightly, the corners of his eyes curved into a smile.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Ethan Christopher."
"Uh... Yes..."
I answered dumbly, still trying to gather my dazed mind.
Subsequently, his actions as he straightened his posture and released my hand were flawlessly elegant. Even after his hand pulled away, mine still hovered in the air. The back of my hand, where the man's warmth had touched, burned hot.
"Vincent has locked the door, I see. Could you open it?"
"Ah..."
Only then did I come to my senses and lower my hand. I needlessly scrubbed the back of my hand as I headed for the door.
It was very rare, but there were times when Vincent's door was locked. I had been curious as to how he locked it; it turned out that pulling one of the several strings hanging on the wall next to his bed caused the lines connected to the wall to pull against each other, locking the door.
The multiple strings snaked across the wall, connecting here and there. At first, the room was so dark, and I was so preoccupied with attending to Vincent, that I hadn't noticed. It was only recently, when I properly observed the room, that I discovered this. The string he pulled to lock the door stretched endlessly from the wall to the door.
When I first witnessed that sight, I couldn't believe my eyes and doubted them. Vincent told me that he had them installed in case something dangerous happened while he was alone. When I first saw him using them, I was so fascinated that I asked him about this and that, but since Vincent didn't answer, I soon lost interest. The other strings hanging on the wall were likely there for the same purpose. However, he was using them for a completely different reason.
For times like this, Isabella had given me a bundle of emergency keys. She instructed me to keep them safe, as the annex was practically my responsibility. So, whenever his door was locked, I used those keys.
Rummaging through my apron pocket, I pulled out the emergency key. The moment I unlocked it and turned the doorknob, I realized I had forgotten to ask the man, Ethan Christopher, what his relationship with Vincent was.
"Ah, um, regarding the Master..."
At that moment, something shot through the narrow opening of the door. Immediately followed by a crash! The sound of shattering glass rang out. The words I had hastily begun to speak scattered unfinished.
Ethan turned his head toward the sound and was horrified. I, too, confirmed the source of the sound. What had shattered against the wall was a glass bottle. Based on my past experiences, I could easily guess who had thrown it.
Sure enough, a chilling voice flowed out from the dark room.
"Close the door."
Seriously, how dangerous.
I briefly furrowed my brows before glancing at Ethan. He still had his gaze fixed on the broken glass bottle. I could see countless thoughts flashing across his dazed face.
Is this his first time experiencing that atrocious personality? Then it's no wonder he's surprised. I shook my head and took a step into the room, only for something else to fly and smash against the wall. This time, it was a glass cup. I had left it there for him to drink water, but he was taking his anger out on the wrong target.
I closed the door. It was because I was worried the man might get hurt.
"There is a young gentleman at the door."
"Tell him to leave."
"Who is he?"
Come to think of it, how did this man know Vincent was in the annex? Usually, guests coming to see him went to the main mansion. Naturally, they assumed he would be there.
Because Vincent was staying in the annex due to certain circumstances, welcoming guests who arrived at the main mansion was the butler's duty. When the butler was absent, Isabella took over his role.
Yet the man outside was standing in the annex, and right in front of his door, no less.
"None of your business. Send him away."
"Master."
"You get out, too."
Why is he being so spiteful again?
Just then, the sound of knocking on the door could be heard.
"Vincent."
It was the voice of the man named Ethan. He seemed to have calmed down somewhat.
I immediately glanced at Vincent. He had closed his eyes at some point. Was he trying to pretend he was asleep?
"Vincent, let me see your face. It's been a long time. Don't you miss me?"
"..."
"I miss you."
What is this atmosphere? There's something peculiar between these two men...
"Don't get any weird ideas."
"I didn't."
"I can tell what you're thinking just from the sound of your breathing."
"I told you I didn't."
I turned around haughtily to prepare his meal, only to realize I hadn't brought his breakfast. Come to think of it, I also hadn't brought water for washing or fresh clothes... I had completely forgotten due to the unexpected commotion.
"I will go fetch your meal."
"I have no appetite."
"Please wait a moment."
"I said I have no appetite!"
I completely ignored Vincent's shout and opened the door. I came face-to-face with the man who had been so desperately knocking earlier. He immediately tried to peer inside the room. I quickly shut the door, cutting off his line of sight.
"I apologize. The Master said he does not wish to see anyone."
"My, I really must see him. I have something to give him, too!"
The latter part wasn't directed at me. Even so, no answer came from inside.
Ethan let his shoulders slump weakly. With a disappointed face, he forced a smile and spoke.
"I'll be staying over for a few days."
A guest had arrived at the Count's estate.
"It's been a while, Isabella."
"It has been a while, Lord Ethan."
Entering the drawing-room, Ethan offered a cheerful greeting to Isabella. Isabella received his top hat and accepted his greeting with practiced ease. Seeing how close they were, it seemed that man was no ordinary guest.