# 79
79. To You, Whom I Tried to Forget But Could Not Erase (3)
“I want to see the flowers too.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“You’ll get scolded by the Nanny.”
I got nagged a lot by the Nanny for going into the forest last time. I really heard a lot. I witnessed with my own two eyes that a gentle person is scarier when angry. The Nanny didn’t yell or spit harsh words. She just grabbed both my wrists and scolded me gently but firmly.
“It’s scary when the Nanny gets angry.”
“Yeah. The Nanny is scary.”
Robert agreed with a serious face. A sudden sense of camaraderie surged within me.
“Ugly. Give me one more.”
“…….”
But I really wished he’d stop calling me that. Just when I was about to forget, Robert would call me that.
Pointing at a white flower with round clusters of seeds, Robert urged me to hurry and give it to him. I narrowed my eyes, glanced around once, and then grabbed Robert’s chubby cheeks and pulled them hard.
“Our young master really…”
“U, ugh!”
Robert flailed his arms. I pressed hard on his soft cheeks and pulled them, making the corners of his mouth turn up.
“Are you going to call me Ugly again, or not?”
“Ooh, Ugly!”
“Are you going to call me that, or not?”
“I, won’t, do it!”
“Are you going to call me that again?”
Spoiled children need the rod. But I couldn’t whip him, nor could I threaten to spank his bottom like the Nanny. So, after pondering how to warn him safely, I decided to just keep pulling his chubby cheeks.
Robert, who was swinging his arms, slapped my hands a few times, then finally nodded reluctantly. I let out a huff and released his cheeks.
His plump cheeks flushed red. Robert grabbed his cheeks and whimpered. As if to say, ‘Go ahead and cry,’ I crossed my arms and watched him.
“I’m going to tell the Nanny!”
“Go ahead. I’ll tell too. I’ll say that the young master secretly tried to climb onto the horse and fell off.”
“…….”
“If the Nanny finds out that the iron mounting stool hurt you, she’ll throw it away immediately. Then it’s goodbye to the horse forever. Right now!”
Actually, the one who would throw it away would be Vincent. He might even be trying to throw it away right now. Regardless, someone will get rid of it.
Whether my words worked or not, Robert clamped his mouth shut. He had a pouty expression, but seeing as he couldn’t argue back, he must have been thinking of climbing the mounting stool again. How dangerous, did he think I’d just let him?
I resolved to keep a closer eye on Robert from now on.
“Here you go, young master.”
Pretending not to see his dissatisfied expression, I picked another white flower with round clusters of seeds. Robert hesitated. He looked as serious as a person agonizing over the devil’s temptation. As I gently shook the flower from side to side, his purple eyes followed the movement.
Soon, his small hand hesitantly reached out and grasped the flower.
I smirked and handed it over, then picked another one and blew on it. As the white seeds fluttered in the air, Robert widened his eyes and blew on the one in his hand.
When his vision was filled with white seeds, Robert smiled brightly. Seeing him squeal with delight, it seemed his mood had lightened a bit.
A breeze blew at just the right moment, making the seeds flutter even more chaotically around us. While Robert was distracted trying to catch the seeds with his hands, I pulled out the flowers blooming near the forest.
I shook off the dirt and trimmed the roots. Not many flowers were blooming near the forest. Unless we went deeper into the woods, there was a limit to making a bouquet. Since this was the middle of the forest, there was no garden either.
With this much, I can make about three large ones. For the rest, I’ll just have to send letters.
When I brought the bunch of flowers over, Robert showed interest.
“Me too! Me too!”
“Shall we make a bouquet together with these?”
“Yeah!”
He expressed a surprisingly enthusiastic willingness. Before that enthusiasm could fade, I started making bouquets with Robert.
I arranged the picked flowers nicely, while Robert gathered the flowers one by one with his small hands, clumsily putting together a bouquet. Of course, the shape was sloppy.
“Who is that for?”
“My mother.”
“Wow. It’s pretty. You’re doing a great job.”
I didn’t forget to praise him in between. Robert smiled shyly.
The lush, colorful bouquet was bigger than Robert’s body. He sure was greedy. Robert shook it around, inspecting it, then pulled out a red flower and stuck a yellow one in. His seriousness was like watching a bouquet artisan. I laughed secretly because he was so serious.
The second bouquet Robert made was just as big as the first.
“Who are you going to give that to?”
“The Nanny.”
“The Nanny will love it.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
The Nanny was the kind of person who would be deeply touched even if Robert spat out a half-eaten snack for her. I lightly arranged the clumsily made bouquet for him.
“Will you give it to the Nanny yourself, young master?”
Robert’s eyes rounded. It was as if he was asking, ‘Me?’ I smiled and nodded. He then mumbled hesitantly, seeming embarrassed to give it to her in person.
Only after I exaggeratedly told him that the Nanny would be very, very, extremely happy if he gave it to her in person did Robert give a small nod.
It was getting late, so I made the last bouquet. This was for a girl named Carrot. There weren’t many flowers left, so it was less glamorous than the ones Robert made, but I showed off my skills a bit. I combined red and light pink flowers to create a shape a girl would like.
Then, a question arose.
“Is there none for Lord Vincent?”
“Yeah. There isn’t.”
Vincent, they say there’s none for you. I secretly chuckled.
A bit past dinner time, the Nanny returned. She must have only changed out of her going-out clothes and come straight to Robert’s room, as she looked tired. Normally, Robert would have run to her shouting, ‘Nanny!’ the moment she opened the door, but when he didn’t today, the Nanny looked puzzled.
“You’ve used them all.”
“Yes. I used them all, but the amount is a bit much.”
When I handed over the fairly thick stack of letters, the Nanny smiled happily.
“We also made bouquets. The young master made them.”
I also handed over the two prepared bouquets. The Nanny’s eyes widened. Even if the shape was sloppy, Robert had made them all day long. The Nanny’s gaze as she looked at the sloppy bouquets was warm.
“Are these for the Madam and the Count?”
“No. They are for the Madam and Miss Carrot.”
The Nanny’s eyes widened again.
“Nanny, Nanny.”
Just then, Robert tugged at the Nanny’s skirt. The Nanny bent down to meet Robert’s eyes.
“Yes. Young master.”
“This is for you, Nanny.”
Robert held out the bouquet he had been hiding behind his back. A letter was tucked between the flower blossoms. It was a surprise gift.
“Thank you, Nanny.”
Robert gave the Nanny a quick peck on the cheek.
The Nanny, receiving the bouquet, was startled and then her eyes reddened. ‘Thank you. It’s so pretty. What am I going to do.’ At the Nanny’s admiration, Robert seemed shy, unable to meet her eyes, and tapped his toes on the floor. Then he spun around and slipped right into the bed sheets.
“Thank you. I’ll deliver the letters well too.”
“Yes.”
The Nanny couldn’t take her eyes off the bouquet Robert gave her. She gently felt the letter tucked among the flowers, then opened and read it. Her hand gestures were careful.
I stared blankly at her face, which looked like she was smiling through tears.
“Oh my. It has color?”
She asked, looking at the color of the letters written on the paper.
“Yes. It’s colored ink.”
“My goodness. So there’s ink like this too.”
“Is this your first time seeing it?”
“Yes, it’s my first time. I’ve only ever seen black until now.”
The Nanny continuously looked over the letter as if it was fascinating. Weren’t they sold? Except for a brief time in the past, I too had never seen colored ink, but while a lower-class person like me might not have, was it an expensive item that even nobles couldn’t easily buy and use? If so, where did Johnny get this?
“But I don’t know if we’ll be able to get a reply.”
“Pardon? Did something happen?”
“The Madam has been busy again since yesterday, so it’s become hard to see her.”
Her face, which had been brimming with emotion, turned gloomy. I was dumbfounded. No, just what kind of person is she? The only things I had heard about Robert’s mother so far was that she was busy, and again, very busy.
“Hmm, what should we do.”
The Nanny murmured worriedly. I was worried too. I said a reply would come. Imagining Robert waiting anxiously for a reply made me feel uneasy.
Is there a good way to receive a reply?
Ah, there is. One way.
“How about we tell the Master?”
“To the Count?”
“Yes. Couldn’t he deliver it himself and also receive the reply to the letter?”
Actually, this was the most certain method. The Nanny also gave a small nod as if in agreement.
No, why today of all days….
As usual, I waited for the servant at the front door to deliver the letters. The only difference from usual was that there were a few more letters. But today, the servant wasn’t alone. Of all people, Vincent was standing right beside him. Thanks to that, I couldn’t hide my bewilderment.
“You have a lot in your hands today.”
“Uh… yes.”
I glanced at Vincent and bowed deeply. Then I politely handed over the letters I had brought first. The servant took the four letters, looking puzzled.
“What are these?”
“Well…”
It was difficult to spit the words out. I kept glancing only at Vincent’s toes.
Why did he have to accompany him today of all days? Since he asked me to tell him about Robert’s daily life, he hadn’t even shown his face. Honestly, he had no reason to go out of his way to see me. So I had been comfortable, but his sudden appearance only made me feel bewildered.
The Nanny knew that I reported Robert’s daily life to Vincent. Because of that, I was going to ask the servant on behalf of the Nanny, who found it difficult to tell him directly. It was the most certain and accurate method. If I explained it well to him, considering the affection he had shown Robert so far, he would likely readily agree.
Of course, it was also the most unwelcome method. The Nanny hesitated, wondering if she could make such a request while already indebted. I didn’t want to get involved with him either.
But if Robert climbed the mounting stool again and had a major accident, I, who was attending to him, would be punished. Wanting to avoid such a situation, I chose the safe method, but I didn’t know a situation would arise where I even needed his help. Anyway, since I started it, I had to finish it, and I couldn’t just let it slide like this.
At least I was relieved that I was just passing on a request to the servant.
One of the four letters was written by the Nanny to ask him to deliver Robert’s letter. I thought it would be resolved well just by handing this over… I never expected to meet him in person.
As I bit my lower lip and pressed both arms tightly to my sides, something rustled. I rummaged through my pocket and found a few candies. I had received them from Johnny yesterday. Even when I refused, he insisted on shoving them into my pocket. He said these were quite sweet. Ah!
“W-would you like something sweet?”
“Pardon?”
The servant’s eyes widened at my abrupt words. I quickly held out the candies in my hand. I thought Vincent might listen pleasantly if he ate something sweet.
The servant looked back and forth between the candies and me, flustered. Vincent, standing behind him, fiercely furrowed his brow.