# 141
141. Met the Count Again (10)
Besides, I had also forgotten to return his jacket. Because of the difference in our physiques, it was loose on me, and anyone could tell it was a man's clothing. So, I took off the jacket I had been wearing. Folding it neatly and holding it against my chest as if hiding it, a strange feeling washed over me.
It smelled... good. As I quietly buried my face in the jacket, the scent permeating the clothes crept into my nose. The scent of grass from the forest, and Vincent's scent. The hand that had draped the jacket over my shoulders came to mind. The touch of that hand caressing my cheek, and the sensation of him pressing close as if he would burrow deep into my entire body also resurfaced.
'You're... so warm, I want to keep touching you.'
His wet voice swept over my ear. Suddenly, it felt as if my entire body was heating up.
"Hey!"
Just then, a sudden call rang out. I startled like someone who had done something wrong. I barely caught the jacket I almost dropped and looked around, only to see Johnny approaching from the opposite end of the hallway.
"Hey, hey, long time no see. Did you sleep in?"
Johnny waved his hand and greeted me cheerfully.
"...What about you?"
"I slept in, too. I was scared thinking I was the only one late, but it's a relief to know you're late as well. If they ask why I'm so late, I'll just say I wasn't the only one who was late. Then I'll get scolded less, right? Huh? But wait, you."
Johnny, who had been scratching the back of his head with an awkward expression, scanned my attire from top to bottom. I was still dumbfounded by his shameless remark about tattling on someone else for being late, but with the sudden change in topic, I had a feeling something incredibly annoying was about to happen.
"Right, hurry up and go."
I quickly wrapped up the conversation and walked past Johnny. However, Johnny changed his direction and followed behind me.
"What's up with you? What are you holding in your arms?"
"It's nothing, so go away."
I had tried to hide it, but he must have finally seen the jacket in my arms. I completely ignored his pestering about what it was and kept walking, but Johnny, trailing behind me, muttered something ominous to himself.
"That looks like a man's clothes..."
His eye for detail was uselessly sharp. Fearing that denying it would only complicate things further, I kept my mouth shut. Then Johnny, who had been quiet for a moment, suddenly gave my shoulder a playful tap.
"Heh— You."
You what? You what! I scowled deeply and turned around. Johnny was looking at me with an ambiguous smile. His expression seemed both surprised and sly. I had no idea what he was thinking, but it was clear he had severely misunderstood the situation.
"I don't know what you're misunderstanding, but it's not what you think."
"Got it, got it. I understand."
"Understand what? I said it's not like that!"
"Yeah, I got it. I'll definitely keep your secret."
That guy, seriously. Even though I glared at him openly, Johnny continued to smile that ambiguous smile and patted my shoulder, so I forcefully stomped on his foot. Johnny's face contorted as he let out a yelp and pulled away. I watched coldly as he clutched his foot in pain and let out a heavy sigh.
"I told you it's not like that. I just went for a walk."
"Ugh, that hurts. What kind of walk were you taking at this hour?"
"I just looked around a bit. Are you satisfied?"
I had originally gone out to get some fresh air, so it wasn't an outright lie. However, it wasn't the entire truth either. My conscience pricked me a bit, but I scratched the back of my neck and brushed off the uncomfortable feeling. Johnny, still rubbing his foot with a pained expression, grumbled in a small voice, asking why I couldn't just say so instead of stomping on him. I pretended not to hear him.
"Don't go saying anything unnecessary to anyone. Understood?"
"...Got it."
When I fiercely commanded him not to let his imagination run wild, Johnny responded reluctantly. As long as he understood, it was fine. I shooed him away with a wave of my hand, signaling him to get going, and turned to leave, but I was brought to a halt by a sudden pull on my arm. Before I could even turn my head, I felt a presence draw close behind me.
"Still, don't wander around at such a late hour. It's dangerous."
"..."
I was puzzled by his sudden concern, but his voice sounded quite serious, making me think he was genuinely worried, so I obediently nodded. Only then did Johnny release my arm. When I looked back again, he was grumbling about his foot hurting just like before. I left Johnny behind and headed back to my room.
There was no one in the room. It was a relief, since running into Alicia would inevitably be a hassle. I quickly changed into my sleepwear and looked around the room, wondering where to put the jacket I had brought back. Feeling like I couldn't just leave it anywhere, I searched for a suitable spot and eventually hid it among my own clothes before hurrying over to Robert's room.
On the way, I encountered a presence I had momentarily forgotten about.
It seemed Robert was having his meal in his room today. The nursemaid, who had been spoon-feeding soup to Robert, saw me standing at the door and offered a morning greeting.
"Welcome. You're a bit late."
"Yes, I'm sorry."
I bowed my head and casually shifted my gaze to the side. Vincent, whom I had just parted ways with not too long ago, was sitting imposingly on one side of the sofa. I had used a somewhat childish method to get in first, worried that leaving him alone would make the situation weird, and I had expected that we would meet again in Robert's room. However, I hadn't expected him to be exuding such a menacing aura.
Seeing Vincent glaring at me with an expression that looked extremely displeased, I felt a pang of guilt. As I hesitantly approached the nursemaid, I could feel Vincent's gaze chasing after me.
"If I had known the Count was coming, I would have prepared breakfast for you as well."
Since we hadn't made breakfast plans in advance, it was only natural that Vincent's meal hadn't been prepared. When the nursemaid spoke with concern, Vincent took a sip of his tea and replied dismissively.
"It's fine. I dropped by suddenly, and I don't have much of an appetite anyway, so don't worry about it."
"Still. Would you care for at least some bread?"
"I'm fine."
Despite Vincent's words, the nursemaid looked troubled, wondering if she should prepare an extra portion for him. Seeing that Vincent had visited first thing in the morning, it was obvious he had come to eat together, so she must have been thinking she should prepare something for him even now. Feeling that we had needlessly made the nursemaid uncomfortable, I glanced at Vincent. However, our eyes met head-on, so I feigned ignorance, turned my head away, and helped attend to Robert's meal.
In the end, only Robert ate his fill. As the nursemaid was clearing the empty dishes, she asked Vincent again.
"Will you be staying for lunch?"
"I will."
"Then I'll prepare it accordingly."
Then she approached me.
"You haven't had breakfast yet, right? I haven't eaten yet either, so would you like to go eat together? Since the Count is here, I think it'll be fine to step away for a bit."
"Ah, I'm..."
I answered while stealing a glance at Vincent. He was staring at me intently with a grim expression, as if sending me silent pressure not to leave. I felt that if I left now, it would be difficult to deal with the aftermath, so I answered awkwardly.
"I don't have much of an appetite. Please go ahead and eat comfortably."
"Is that so? Then I'll just have a quick meal and come back."
When the nursemaid left the room carrying the empty dishes, silence fell over the room. Vincent looked like he had a lot to say, but he didn't try to start a conversation. However, I could feel his hot gaze prickling my back the entire time I was wiping the table, which only made me feel more burdened. I wished he would just speak to me.
"Read this to me."
Just then, Robert held out a picture book, his eyes sparkling. He must have liked it when I read to him before, because he often asked me to read to him like this ever since. I finished wiping the table, washed my hands, and took the book Robert offered. When Robert sat on the long sofa with an excited face, I took a seat next to him.
The picture book was an adventure story featuring a cute pig as the main character. When I opened the book, a drawing of the adorable pig caught my eye. I calmly read through the book. Robert listened intently to my voice, swinging his legs back and forth.
It didn't take very long to finish reading the thin picture book. As soon as I finished, Robert immediately offered a new one.
"This one too, and this one too!"
By the time I had read about four books in a row that Robert handed me, my throat was starting to get dry. I was pouring water from a pitcher into a cup to take a brief breather, when a picture book suddenly popped out from the opposite side. I didn't know when he had walked over, but Vincent was standing next to me, offering me a book.
"Read me this one."
The book he nonchalantly asked me to read had a cute baby sheep drawn on the cover. I lowered the cup from my lips and stared at the book thrust in front of me in bewilderment. It was a book I had read to Robert before. From what I recalled, it was a very cute story about a baby sheep pondering how to have fun with a new deer friend.
"Why this one?"
"Because I want to hear it."
With that, he went to the edge of the long sofa and sat down, patting the seat next to him. As if telling me to hurry up and come over. With no other choice, I went and sat down next to Vincent. Then Robert held out another book he had picked out in advance.
"Read this to me!"
As I was panicking over what to do, Vincent blocked Robert.
"It's my turn this time, so wait."
"That's petty!"
"It's mine, so I can be petty."
Robert puffed out his cheeks and whined, but Vincent paid him no mind and offered the book he had chosen. Seeing Vincent act so childishly against a kid made my face burn with embarrassment.
In the end, I took the picture book he offered and opened it. Just the thought of reading a book to Vincent made me suddenly nervous. I needlessly cleared my throat and began to read.
Even though it was the same book, the feeling was completely different from when I had read it to Robert. My voice gained unintended weight as I read the sentences, and my tone became stiff. I was on high alert, worried I might stutter. Perhaps it was because the memory of being corrected by Vincent while reading in the past still lingered; I kept feeling nervous, as if I were being evaluated.
While I was like that, Vincent was staring at me intently with his chin rested on his hand. It wasn't as sharp a gaze as before, but it was burdensome in its own way.
"...Please stop staring."
I eventually blurted out, stopping my reading. Robert must have lost interest in the reading, as he was lying face down on the long sofa across from us, drawing on a piece of paper. He was busy filling the paper with round, pointy, simple, and abstract shapes, paying no attention to us.
"Where else am I supposed to look if not at the person reading the book?"
"The table, perhaps... I think it would be better if you looked somewhere else."
"I don't want to."
A firm rejection came back. Was he saying he was going to keep staring like that? The burden on my shoulders grew even heavier. I groaned inwardly and opened my mouth again.
"If you look at me like that... I don't think I'll be able to read."
"Are you nervous?"
"Well... yes."
When I answered obediently and shot him a glance, Vincent widened his eyes in surprise. Why was he making that face? As I was wondering, Vincent turned his head and let out a short hum. His face, staring into empty space, looked sullen yet somehow pleased.