80. To You, Whom I Tried to Forget But Could Not Erase (4)
“Are these all candies?”
“No, it’s not that. I... h-have a favor to ask.”
“A favor?”
The question came from behind the servant. Vincent, who had been leaning against the wall watching me as if I were crazy, strode over. I took a step back for every step he took forward.
At that moment, a candy slipped from my hand and rolled across the floor. I couldn’t dare to look up and pinned my gaze to the ground.
“What kind of favor do you want to ask?”
“Two of these letters were written by Master Robert himself. One is for the Master, and the other is for the Madam.”
“Robert?”
“Yes. I ask that you deliver these letters in person.”
I clenched both hands tightly the entire time I spoke because I was trembling so much. I wasn’t the nanny, and I didn’t know if someone as lowly as me had the right to ask him such a favor. That was why I had tried to go through the servant.
But it was already done. Since I had to say it anyway, I emphasized the word ‘in person’ in case he thought to send someone else to deliver them. This only held meaning if he handed them over himself.
“And the remaining two?”
“One is a letter detailing Master Robert’s daily life, and the other was written by the Nanny. I didn’t think you would come in person, so I was going to ask through a letter.”
A rustling sound reached my ears. Vincent had moved to the side, his shoe tip right next to the servant. It seemed he had taken the letters from the servant’s hand.
I felt his gaze on the top of my head. His stare was piercing, as if pondering why I would ask such a thing.
“So you want to receive a reply.”
“That is correct.”
“You could just send it through the nanny.”
“The Nanny said that the Madam has become busy again recently, so she wasn’t sure if we would be able to get a reply. But I thought that you, Master, could meet the Madam in person and receive a reply for us.”
“Why?”
“Seeing how you let Master Robert stay in this mansion, and how you care and worry about whether he has any inconveniences in his daily life or feels lonely, I guessed you must be on friendly terms.”
That was also the reason I had jokingly asked last time if he was going to become his adoptive father. Because he looked so kind. And I thought he would know well enough why I was making such a request. Sure enough, he fell silent for a moment.
“Do you know the reason Robert climbs onto the iron horse statue?”
“Yes.”
“Then you must also know why he didn’t choose the safe method of writing a letter.”
“Yes. I heard.”
“Is it because of the last accident?”
So he also knew that Robert had an accident while trying to climb onto the iron horse statue.
“Yes. I thought that if he receives a reply, he might stop doing such dangerous things like climbing the statue.”
“Do you think this will soothe Robert’s loneliness?”
“No.”
“Then why should I spend my time on such a useless request?”
At that moment, my mind went dizzy.
“Tell me. Why have I become someone who would easily grant a lowly servant’s request?”
A strange sense of intimidation could be felt in his words. The servant listening to our conversation next to us kept glancing nervously. I had no words to answer. The tension seeping into the silence struck my entire body. He was making it blatantly obvious that he was displeased. My clasped hands grew damp with sweat.
I realized that he had turned a blind eye to my attitude when we met by chance in Robert’s room. It was a feeling I hadn’t experienced five years ago.
An attitude of looking down on a mere lowly servant.
No, I hadn’t felt this level of intimidation from him five years ago. Perhaps because of his outward appearance, pity had been greater than intimidation. That was why I had clashed with him even while afraid. Perhaps because of that memory, I thought he would easily grant my request this time as well.
I had overlooked the fact that the Vincent now was a different person.
He was no longer a man confined to live only in his room. The Vincent now was Count Vincent Bellunita. A man no different from any other noble. A noble whom I couldn’t even dare to speak to carelessly, who took it for granted to look down on his inferiors, and who had the power to dispose of me if I slighted his mood even a little.
Throwing whatever he could grab was a laughable level of reaction. He could even point a gun and shoot.
Only now did I feel his authority.
He, too, was a noble.
“That is...”
It was an overwhelming sense of intimidation pressing down on my entire body that I felt for the first time. But the reason I could endure without yielding here was thanks to my past experiences. I know there are times when I must not back down, even if I’m afraid. Just like five years ago, and right now.
I licked my drying lips, straightened my back a little, and lifted the gaze I had kept on the floor. Being short was good at times like this. Because even if I didn’t want to, I had to look up at the other person.
“Because you are someone who would get a reply no matter what.”
“The reason?”
“Because you said that you at least wanted Master Robert not to be lonely in this mansion.”
“…….”
“So, I thought you would grant my request.”
For a brief moment, I calmly met his gaze. Then I bowed my head again. I thought he might say something else, but there was no particular rebuttal from Vincent.
“What’s that box?”
Vincent pointed to the box placed on the floor.
“Ah, this is.”
Inside the box was the bouquet I had made with Robert. It was the Nanny’s opinion that it would be better to put it in a box since the bouquet could get crushed. I swiftly picked up one of the boxes.
“Inside the box is a bouquet. Master Robert made it himself. I ask that you deliver this as well.”
The servant embraced the box.
“This is for you, Master.”
There was one more box containing a bouquet. The bouquet intended for Miss Carrot became Vincent’s share. It was because she thought he might be disappointed if he was the only one not receiving a bouquet while she was asking a favor. This too was the Nanny’s opinion. With her skillful words born from long experience, she had turned Robert’s mind.
This time too, I was about to hand it to the servant, but I hesitated and changed direction. With my gaze still on the floor, I took a step closer to Vincent. The tip of his shoe hovered dangerously close to my toes.
I could imagine his face watching my actions. I swallowed dryly, stretched the box out to him, and bowed deeper. Respectfully.
“Please take good care of this.”
“…….”
He fell silent again. I worried that he might not accept the flowers, or that he might take them and throw them away.
Fortunately, unlike my worries, Vincent slowly took the box from my hands. I glanced at him as he immediately opened the lid and took out the bouquet inside.
Due to a lack of time, it was the only one out of the three bouquets that I had made. The densely packed flower blooms tickled Vincent’s face. His eyes, bearing an indifferent light, quietly looked down at the flowers. He touched them here and there, but he didn’t seem particularly moved.
Still, he couldn’t take his eyes off the flowers for a long time.
“Tell him I received it well.”
“Ah, yes. I will definitely tell him.”
“Has anything unusual happened to Robert?”
“Yes. He is doing well.”
As if refreshing the atmosphere up to that point, Vincent asked about Robert’s daily life. The displeased look from earlier had disappeared. I answered his question while looking at the bouquet in his hand. Holding it felt like his answer that he would grant my request.
“I will take my leave now.”
Now that my purpose was achieved, there was no need to stay here any longer. I hastily chose to flee in case he changed his mind.
Vincent, receiving the letters from the servant, signaled his permission with a nod. I immediately bowed and turned around. Step by step, I distanced myself from him, trying not to show any urgency in my gait.
I entered the mansion with as leisurely a pace as possible. The moment I felt I was out of his sight, I could finally breathe. I let out a sigh and relaxed my body, which had been stiff with tension.
I’m tired. I was wiping my exhausted face when—
“Ugh.”
My body suddenly spun around. Someone had grabbed and pulled my arm. Vincent appeared again in my hastily shifting field of vision. For some reason, his face was stiff.
“You, where did you get this?”
“Pardon?”
He shook the letter in his hand. My gaze fixed on the letter, then dropped to his hand gripping my arm. My tightly seized wrist hurt a little. I frowned at his grip growing increasingly stronger. As if he was holding on to keep me from escaping.
Vincent took another step toward me. I reflexively tilted my head back. His body, taller than mine and now fleshed out enough to look sturdy, loomed over me intimidatingly. His stiff face slowly contorted. Seeing him frowning so deeply, he seemed angry, but strangely, his eyes were shaking.
Why? I couldn’t understand why he was making such a face. His emerald eyes examined me urgently.
“You...”
“Count? Anne?”
At the sudden voice, both our heads turned to the side. The Nanny was standing there with wide eyes. Looking at me and Vincent in turn, she approached in bewilderment.
“Is something the matter between you two?”
Seeing the Nanny suddenly appear, I was also flustered.
“What are you doing here, Nanny? Didn’t you go out this morning?”
“I just returned and saw the Count and Anne, so...”
The Nanny, trailing off, glanced at Vincent’s hand gripping my wrist. I realized it was bad and quickly shook off his hand, taking a step back. Vincent stared intently at me as I did so.
I waved my hands as I looked at the Nanny.
“It’s a misunderstanding. Nothing happened.”
“Really? The atmosphere didn’t look good...”
“No. I was on my way back after asking him to deliver the letters and bouquet, but it seems the Master had something he wanted to ask me. Master, what did you want to ask?”
I looked back at Vincent, trying hard to act nonchalant. Feeling the Nanny’s worried gaze, I forced a smile.
However, his face, now laced with annoyance, was even more noticeable than before. His gaze at me felt somehow sharp, so I couldn’t hold it for long.
I wiped the smile off my face and cast my eyes down. Avoiding his gaze had become a habit now.
“Did Anne make some mistake?”
Sensing the unusual atmosphere, the Nanny asked instead. He glanced at me and let out a sigh. His attitude made it seem as if I had made a mistake, so this time the Nanny glanced at me.
“No. Nothing at all.”
Fortunately, nothing strange came out.
The Nanny continued with a grave face.
“Did you perhaps feel offended by what we asked of you? I’m sorry. I thought you wouldn’t come in person and would send a servant, so I substituted it with a letter, but that was my mistake. However, it is an important matter, so I will ask you directly. Would you have a moment?”
Vincent glanced at me again without any particular answer. The Nanny also looked at me and smiled, signaling me to leave. I alternated my gaze between the Nanny and Vincent, then bowed.
This time, I couldn’t hide my desire to flee. The moment I turned around, I walked away quickly. I felt a gaze sticking to my back. That couldn’t be, but it felt exactly like Vincent was watching me. No way.
As I walked, I rubbed the wrist he had grabbed. He had gripped it so hard that a red handprint remained, and it throbbed.
As much as it hurt, my heart pounded wildly.