# 116
116. Even Coincidences Seem Like Destiny (13)
I quickly returned to the mansion. Since it was rest time, I had nothing else in particular to do. I was looking around for a place to sit and rest quietly, but the presence that had been following me since earlier was driving me mad with discomfort.
I stopped walking and turned around.
"Why are you following me?"
"Aren't you going to see Christopher?"
"No, I'm not."
"Really?"
I nodded and turned around. He must have thought we were going together. Just as I was thinking he would go his own way now and taking a step forward, Vincent kept dogging my heels. Even though I was heading in the exact opposite direction from where Ethan's room was located.
I stopped walking again and asked.
"Why are you following me?"
"I haven't been following you."
Then he must have business somewhere else. That was possible too. Feeling embarrassed over a pointless misunderstanding, I took another step forward. But soon I realized it wasn't my misunderstanding at all.
He kept following me. When I stopped and turned around, he stopped as well; when I walked, he started following me again. Whenever I glanced back in between, he would look out the window and feign ignorance.
I let out a groan. I think he was like this during hide-and-seek too. But we weren't playing hide-and-seek right now, and he had even less reason to be following me. I wondered if he had something to say, but that didn't seem to be it either.
After some deliberation, I once again stopped walking and turned around.
"Didn't you say you were going to see Count Christopher?"
"What about you?"
"I was planning to get some rest."
"Where?"
"Somewhere suitable, I suppose..."
Somehow he felt like he was interrogating me. I stopped mid-reply and narrowed my eyes, directing my gaze at Vincent. Surely he wasn't planning to keep following me? I looked at him with that meaning in my eyes, but Vincent just stood there blankly.
"Count Christopher's room is over that way."
Just in case, I pointed in the direction of Ethan's room myself.
"I know."
Vincent furrowed his brow. It was a face asking if I really thought he wouldn't know that. Then what was it.
"Then why are you coming this way?"
"Is there a problem with me walking around my own mansion as I please?"
"......"
When he puts it that way, I had nothing to say.
"Then I will go in a different direction."
I bowed my head to him and headed back the way I came. But Vincent followed me again this time. This was clearly him following me, no doubt about it.
I sighed and tried to fathom Vincent's intentions for acting so strangely today.
"Please stop following me."
"I'm walking around my own mansion—"
"Either way, it's true that you're following me, isn't it?"
When I pointed it out straightforwardly, Vincent suddenly stopped walking. Having walked about five steps ahead, I stopped as well when he abruptly halted.
Turning around to face Vincent, he swept his gaze down the corridor and then suddenly raised his index finger. Then, starting from the window, he pointed at each object in the corridor one by one.
"This is mine, and that's mine too."
At his sudden claim of ownership, I watched him in bewilderment. The fingertip that had been pointing at the display cabinet was now directed at me.
"You're mine too."
"I don't think I am."
I was flustered but rebutted calmly.
"There's nothing here that isn't mine."
Ah, is that so?
I turned around again. Listening to the footsteps tagging along behind me, I walked almost at a running pace. I tried hard to feign calm, but Vincent's strange behavior lately had me thoroughly confused.
Right now, I desperately needed someone's help. Upon reaching a familiar door, I immediately flung it open. Lord Ethan, save me!
But Ethan was nowhere to be seen in the room. I hesitated in my steps and looked around.
He said he'd have lunch with Robert and read a book in his room, so where did he go? That curiosity was resolved the moment I saw the bed. A large, round shape covered in sheets told me what it was.
The only foot sticking out had a shoe precariously hanging on it. The other shoe was rolling on the floor in a state where it had fallen off.
For the past few days, he seemed to be waking up on time and eating his meals properly, but it looks like he buried himself in bed like that when I wasn't around. Since he dressed neatly in the morning, I thought he was going out during the day. I looked at him with dissatisfaction, imagining the sight of perfectly fine clothes mercilessly wrinkled, when Vincent, who had been looking at Ethan along with me, glanced at the table clock on the display cabinet.
"Lord Ethan, please wake up. The master has come."
I first approached the bed and announced Vincent's visit. However, the round shape showed no movement whatsoever. Was he sleeping, or was he pretending not to hear? Unable to figure it out, I tried speaking to him again, but no response came back.
"Lord Ethan."
I shook what appeared to be his shoulder, but he only buried himself deeper into the sheets. In my heart, I wanted to shout 'Hurry up and wake up and save me!' and shake him violently awake, but with Vincent standing behind me, I couldn't bring myself to go that far.
Suppressing my agitated mind, I tried to wake Ethan calmly once more when Vincent suddenly strode over.
"Wake up."
"......"
"Ethan."
"......"
Naturally, no answer came back. Vincent stared at the bed for a moment before casually lifting his foot and stomping on the round shape with all his might.
"Argh!"
The round shape heaved beneath Vincent's foot. After pressing down hard on the sheet once more, Vincent kicked it away this time. The shape rolled away and easily fell to the floor.
The thud was quite loud. Feeling the pain just from watching, I winced. The shape lying on the floor twitched before suddenly sitting up. The sheets slid down, revealing Ethan.
His hair thoroughly disheveled from resisting, Ethan glared directly at Vincent while panting heavily.
"What are you doing!"
"I told you to wake up. Are you deaf? Can't you hear me?"
"I couldn't hear you! I said I couldn't hear you!"
"Stop sleeping. The sun's been up for ages and you're still sleeping away."
"I was taking a nap, a nap! And where do you step on and push people like this? I almost broke my back!"
"If it didn't break, it's fine."
Vincent said nonchalantly as he sat on the edge of the bed. Ethan let out a hollow laugh and wiped his face with his hands. It looked like dozens of curses had crossed his face.
I carefully approached Ethan and bent down.
"Are you alright?"
"Other than my back getting stepped on, I'm fine."
Ethan groaned as he placed a hand on his waist. Wondering if he was in a lot of pain, I reached my hand out, but Ethan's eyes grew wide when he saw the thick bandage wrapped around my wrist.
"Are you hurt?"
"N-no, I'm not."
I waved my hand at his worried question. However, it was in a state where anyone would think I had suffered a major injury. Ethan took my wrist and examined it from various angles. Feeling like I had caused unnecessary worry, I repeatedly said I was fine and tried to clear up the misunderstanding.
"I said it's nothing."
But the complaint popped up from the side. Cold water was thrown on the suddenly warm atmosphere. Ethan's and my faces stiffened. Soon Ethan looked at Vincent with sharp eyes before opening his eyes wide again.
"Why is your neck like that again?"
Vincent had the upper part of his shirt unbuttoned because of the medicine. When Vincent crossed his arms without any reply, Ethan suddenly looked back and forth between him and me. What, what is it?
"You two...... don't tell me?"
"No."
"No, we're not."
I didn't know what wild thought he was having, but Vincent and I immediately refuted in unison. Perhaps embarrassed by the firm rebuttal, Ethan scratched the back of his head.
"So why did you come."
Having calmed down a bit, Ethan looked up at Vincent with a composed face. But Vincent, sitting on the edge of the bed, just glanced at Ethan before silently turning his gaze toward the window. The silence stretched on. Like someone who had no business here from the start.
I stared with wide eyes. What, wasn't he here to see him? Then why did he come? Whether sharing my exact thoughts, Ethan asked with a completely cooled expression.
"Do you have some problem with me."
"No."
"Are you perhaps unhappy that I'm here?"
"No."
"Then what's the reason for coming to find me out of nowhere, stepping on my back, and kicking me. You have no business, nothing to say, and no complaints either."
Only then did Vincent, who had been feigning ignorance, turn his gaze back to Ethan.
"I was bored."
"What?"
It was an attitude of utter shamelessness.
"What are you talking about! You're busy. I thought you were even busier lately."
"That must be your misunderstanding. I'm free today, and I came to see you because I was bored. Or is there some reason I shouldn't come see you?"
"Is something going on?"
Ethan asked with a deliberately serious expression. Seeing him spout nonsense, he must have thought something had happened.
But Vincent shook his head.
"No."
"Then what are you trying to do."
"Let's say it's an entertaining game. Conversation is nice too."
"......Are you seriously crazy?"
Ethan was genuinely flustered, which was rare for him. But Vincent calmly replied, no. Ethan's expression hardened.
Coming to find someone suddenly, stepping on a person who was sleeping soundly with his foot, kicking them off the bed to wake them, and the reason being because he was bored—it seemed to make his anger rise. I could see his clenched fists trembling. Is this what it means when communication doesn't work?
Ethan, who I thought would say something more, unexpectedly chose to obediently crawl back onto the bed.
"Fine. If you have no business, get out."
"Why do you always stay cooped up in your room. It doesn't look like you're doing anything in particular either. Do you really have nothing to do?"
"I said I came here to recuperate. Leave me alone."
"Do you know the story of a person who slept for too long and died? Should I tell you?"
Ethan, who was about to pull the sheets over himself, sat up again. He let out an extremely exhausted sigh.
"......What are you trying to do."
"Let's play."
"Are you going to hold my hand and play with me?"
"Should I."
The joke couldn't remain a joke. Vincent reached out his hand. Ethan let out another deep sigh and dragged his hand down his face.
"If you're joking, stop."
"I'm serious."
"I get it, so get out."
Ethan pointed firmly at the door. Vincent's gaze went to the door before returning to Ethan, by which time he had buried himself in the sheets. When Vincent snatched those sheets away, he tore off the bedsheets and pulled them over his face instead.
Both Vincent and I lost our words. Rather than finding it absurd, it seemed like something was going on with Ethan. As I watched with concern for a moment, Vincent came and stood beside me.
"Does he always act like that. Not coming out of his room, just sleeping."
"......Yes."
Vincent, who had been silent as if deliberating, parted his lips.
"Ethan."
"What."
An answer came back even though I thought he was asleep.
"What's the reason you came here to recuperate."
"That talk again. Are you trying to interrogate me about having some ulterior motive or something."
"No, I'm asking what your real reason for coming here is."
"I came to see their faces because Robert and Joelly were here. Also to ask after you since it's been a while since we last met. There's no other reason."
"When I went out for a village inspection last time, I was attacked by some man."
At that moment, the bedsheets fluttered and Ethan sat up. He rapidly poured out words with a startled face.
"When, where, and who did that? Why did they do that?"
"Calm down."
"I'm asking what happened!"
Seeing Ethan's excessive reaction, I was taken aback.