# 143
143. Met the Count Again (12)
Because I wasn't certain this was the proper way for our relationship to be. I wanted to help Vincent, and I could stay by his side if needed, but I didn't truly understand the meaning of this kind of contact.
Sometimes I couldn't comprehend the emotions that reached me from him. It felt like the line that had been drawn between Vincent and me since that night had disappeared, but a part of me still wondered—was it really okay to be like this?
If I asked why he was doing this, would he get angry? I blankly looked up at Vincent, who was tucking my grown-out bangs behind my ear.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Just because."
I turned my head and gazed out the window. I absentmindedly touched the ear his hand had brushed against.
"It must be tedious being cooped up in the mansion all the time."
"It's fine once you get used to it."
"Isn't there anywhere you'd like to go? Going out isn't bad either."
"Not particularly, no."
"Speak comfortably. I'll take you there."
Getting permission to go out had become harder since the atmosphere in the mansion turned sour. If I said that, he would obviously reply, 'Who's going to stop you when I'm the one giving permission?' so I let out a small laugh. The hair tucked behind my ear slipped down and covered my face again. Vincent reached out once more and swept my bangs aside.
"Your bangs have grown quite a bit. Isn't it uncomfortable?"
"No."
I felt the hair he had tucked back. It had grown fairly long—long enough that it might look inconvenient to others. The world seen through the gaps in my hair was stifling, but even that suffocation had become familiar now. Honestly, it was comfortable. Because I didn't have to show my face.
The length was too ambiguous to stay completely behind my ear, so my hair kept falling forward. Vincent tucked it behind my ear a few more times. Even when I said it was fine, Vincent kept reaching out, and now he held my face with one hand and swept my bangs back. I stared at Vincent in a daze.
"Why."
"Because you're being kind."
Vincent frowned after seeing my face.
"Is that a compliment or sarcasm?"
"It's a compliment."
"Doesn't seem like it. There's no sincerity in your voice."
"That can't be."
I rebutted and lowered my eyes. A faint sound of laughter reached my ears.
"Then how about going out for a light walk around here? The forest is nice, and if you want, going back to the annex wouldn't be bad either."
"I will follow as you wish, Master."
"Vincent."
"V-Vincent-nim."
Calling his name was still a difficult thing to do. He demanded to be called by his name when we were alone together. So when I called him 'Master' out of habit, his correction would come, just like now.
"Tell me where you want to go."
"Anywhere is fine with me."
"……."
Vincent suddenly fell silent. When I raised my eyes, his face was full of dissatisfaction.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I want to."
"Huh?"
"Repeat after me. I want to."
Flustered by his sudden words, Vincent opened his mouth wide and enunciated each word clearly.
"I, want, to. Say it quickly."
"I... want to?"
"Without the question."
"I want to."
"I want to go out for some fresh air."
"I want to go out for some fresh air."
"I want to take a walk in the forest."
"I want to take a walk in the forest."
"I want to go back to the annex."
"I want to... go back to the annex."
Though bewildered, I obediently repeated after him, and only then did Vincent smile with satisfaction.
"Alright. I'll do everything you said."
"……."
"Think about it once."
After brushing my cheek once, Vincent stood up. Watching him walk away, my mind went blank and a hot flush rose to my face. When I lowered my head, my bangs rustled down. I quickly had to use them to hide my face.
After finishing my duties and returning to my room, Alicia, who had arrived first, was sitting on the bed in her nightclothes. She glanced at me and suddenly let out a scoff.
"You're pretty good, huh?"
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
Since the uproar last time, my relationship with Alicia had grown rapidly cold. We couldn't be called close to begin with, but now we didn't even have simple conversations, treating each other as if the other didn't exist. At most, she would speak to me when demanding when I'd fulfill my promise to her, so her suddenly talking to me today made me question her, puzzled.
"You sly girl. Acting like you're not interested, but saying something to me."
"I'm asking what you're talking about."
"That's a guy's, right?"
Alicia gestured toward my bed with her eyes. There lay a familiar jacket. I hurriedly rushed to the bed and picked up the jacket. It was Vincent's jacket. I had borrowed it last time and still hadn't returned it—how did she find this? My hands holding the jacket trembled.
"Did you go through my things?"
I heard a scoff of disbelief from behind me!
"Why would I go through your things? I was looking for my stuff and happened to see it."
Hiding things like candy or handkerchiefs wasn't difficult. Even if candy and caramels rolled around the room, it wouldn't seem too strange if I said I received them from somewhere, and the handkerchief was hidden in the gap of the bed, out of sight.
But the jacket was different. I couldn't hide it in the bed gap, and it was too big for me to wear, so it was bound to attract attention.
I should have returned it quickly. I left it carelessly because there was no opportunity, and now this situation arose.
"But when did you get into that kind of relationship with that loser?"
"What?"
While I was wondering how to sort out this situation, the strange words Alicia spat out snapped me back to attention. Wondering what this was about now, I turned around and saw Alicia trimming her nails with a scoff.
"That's his, right? The one who used to follow me around saying he liked me."
Alicia clicked her tongue. I pondered for a moment who she was talking about, then realized it was Johnny from the latter part of her words. I was so dumbfounded that I was rendered speechless.
"It's annoying that he's attached himself to you, but he was bothersome anyway, so it works out. You two suit each other. Both of you are pathetic and miserable, a perfect match."
"That's not it."
"Sure it's not. Do you have any other male acquaintance besides him?"
If she put it that way, honestly I had no rebuttal. Certainly, other than Johnny, there was no male servant I was acquainted with. But strictly speaking, there wasn't a female servant I could call close either. Moreover, Johnny and I having that kind of relationship... I absolutely didn't want to even think about it. I got chills for no reason and vigorously rubbed my arms.
"Don't say creepy things. It's definitely not his."
"Then whose is it? ...Don't tell me you have another man?"
Even she found it ridiculous, as Alicia laughed out loud, saying it was absurd. I was about to say it wasn't like that, but it was obvious she'd ask where I got it from, so I racked my brain for a moment. When I couldn't answer immediately, Alicia's laughter gradually died down and stopped completely.
"Come to think of it, the material of the clothes was quite good. Should I say it looked a bit luxurious?"
Alicia's gaze fell on the jacket in my hand. The moment I saw her sharp eyes, I quickly hid the jacket behind my back. I knew it was an action that would seem strange, but my foremost worry was that Alicia might realize it was Vincent's.
"There were circumstances, so I briefly borrowed someone else's, but I haven't been able to return it yet. It doesn't mean anything, so stop saying nonsense."
"Who's this other person?"
"You don't need to know."
I spoke a bit sharply and turned around. I folded the jacket roughly, placed it on the bed, and covered it with the sheet. It would get wrinkled, but getting it out of Alicia's sight was more important right now. Alicia still sent suspicious glances, but I pretended nothing was wrong and unbuttoned my clothes.
"Hmph. I thought it was real when someone said they saw you with some man."
"Who said that?"
I asked almost confrontationally without realizing. There had been a maid who saw me coming in with Vincent last time. I had been worried but was relieved when no strange rumors circulated, but the thought that words might have spread without my knowing suddenly frightened me.
Alicia's eyes widened at my reaction.
"From your expression, it seems to be true?"
"I'm asking who said it."
"I just heard it through the grapevine? They said they saw you with some man, giving off a strange atmosphere together. I obviously thought they were talking about that loser, but you really have someone else?"
Alicia revealed her curiosity, but there was no reason to drag this conversation on any further. I murmured that it was nonsense and turned away to finish undressing. Alicia complained behind me about why I stopped talking mid-sentence, but ending conversations like this was a common occurrence, so she probably wouldn't think it too strange. When I refused to say anything more, Alicia seemed to lose interest and paid no attention.
Fortunately, it seemed no specific rumor had spread. If she had known who the other person was, Alicia wouldn't have stayed quiet. Perhaps the maid who saw Vincent and me chose her words carefully, or maybe she thought it couldn't possibly be the master of this house. Or maybe it really was just a baseless rumor.
But rumors spread in unexpected directions. Words taken lightly had ballooned into a massive issue in a very short time. I learned this fact from Johnny, whom I ran into by chance while walking down the street. Johnny grabbed my arm without explanation and dragged me to a corner.
"Hey, I heard you've been seducing this guy and that guy?"
"What? What kind of nonsense is that?"
A hollow laugh escaped me at the absurd words I suddenly heard. It was too ridiculous to be true. But seeing Johnny's face, it didn't seem like he was lying.
"I figured it wasn't true, right? It was strange that such a rumor was going around."
"I don't even have close female friends, let alone men."
"That's a bit pitiful."
When Johnny made a sympathetic face, I frowned and told him to drop it.
"Someone even asked me if you and I were in that kind of relationship."
"Don't say things that make me uncomfortable."
I had heard similar things before. I rubbed my goosebump-covered arm and shuddered. Johnny grumbled that he felt uncomfortable too.
I'd been feeling strange gazes directed at me lately—was this the reason? But what I heard last time wasn't this kind of content. Had the rumor been exaggerated somewhere in the middle?
When the thought occurred to me that someone might have deliberately inflated it, a certain person came to mind. Johnny asked with a serious face.
"Did you make an enemy of someone?"
It wasn't to the level of a grudge, but there was someone who would welcome this kind of situation.