# 93
93. That Still Strange Guest (7)
I turned my head to examine Ethan. He was facing Vincent with a faint smile, but that smile looked bitter.
"Do as you wish. I won't force you."
"……"
"If you don't want to believe it, you don't have to."
Just like before, Ethan deflected Vincent's words as if making a light joke. Vincent clamped his mouth shut. His tightly pressed lips seemed to voice his displeasure.
Silence flowed for a moment. It was a very brief time, but the atmosphere was so heavy it felt infinitely long.
I looked back and forth between the two men. Vincent's face suggested he had much to say, but he couldn't easily spit it out, and while Ethan didn't avoid Vincent's gaze, he somehow seemed uncomfortable. What is this, what could it be... From the outwardly unremarkable appearances of the two men, I felt a peculiar tension.
Then a sigh was heard. Vincent furrowed his brow and pressed down on it with his hand.
"Fine, you have no reason to lie. I must have misunderstood."
A voice that somehow sounded weary burrowed into my ears.
Having finished speaking, Vincent tried to turn away immediately. I hastily grabbed him.
"Ah, wait!"
But in my haste, I ended up grabbing his wrist. Vincent came to a halt. I jerked my hand away and took another step back.
Vincent's gaze fell on me again. My waist involuntarily bent into a deep bow.
"What is it."
"I, um, I was wondering if you were alright after last time."
Because he had ignored me that day, I hadn't been able to ask about it properly. I wondered if he had gotten home well, if his poor condition at the time had improved.
Or perhaps if he was hurt anywhere. I had cut my hand, so I was worried he might have injured himself somewhere too. He looked fine on the outside, but what if a hidden area had been cut?
Feeling like this might be my only chance to ask, I gathered my courage to speak. But no answer came back. Perhaps he was trying to recall which 'last time' I meant. So I was about to clarify when—
"I'm fine."
A light answer followed.
Then footsteps grew distant. I straightened up and watched Vincent's retreating back. And when I looked back at Ethan, the smile had vanished from his face, replaced by a thoughtful expression. I kept glancing between the two of them.
"Vincent."
Suddenly Ethan called out to Vincent again. I thought he wouldn't look back, but Vincent immediately stopped walking and turned his upper body slightly.
The face turned toward us was stoic, but I could read the complex emotions held within it.
"It's late, but it was good to see you after so long."
"……"
An affectionate voice drifted through the air. Yet Vincent showed no particular reaction. He stared blankly for a moment before turning away again. The heavy footsteps trudging away were no different from before. Ethan must not have expected an answer either, as he immediately looked at me with a playful smile.
"I'm in your debt again."
"Yes. Thank you for your help."
While I politely expressed my gratitude with my mouth, my mind recalled Ethan and Vincent from just moments ago.
If it wasn't my imagination, something seemed to have happened between the two of them. A tension I had felt in the past lingered between them. No, it was thicker than back then.
However, I didn't pry further. I actually wanted to ask, but Ethan's playful attitude seemed to tell me not to.
"The atmosphere seemed bad earlier, but looking at you two now, it doesn't seem that way? Did something happen between you two?"
"Ah, I met the Master in the hallway at night a few days ago, and something happened then."
I explained vaguely, feeling that going into detail would be troublesome.
"At night... that could make sense."
But Ethan, who I thought would press for details, simply nodded.
"If it's the colored ink Vincent mentioned, is it the kind Lucas used when writing letters? I've seen it before. The one where you add color to that white liquid before using it, right?"
Was that how it worked? The one I received already had color in the ink itself.
"Where did you get it?"
"A colleague I know obtained it for me. They said they borrowed it through an acquaintance of an acquaintance."
"Hmm. I see."
Ethan said it dismissively. I was briefly suspicious, but then thought maybe I had received ink with color already added. But there was a bigger problem.
"But why did you say that? That I was a servant of your household."
"If we're going to deceive them anyway, it's better to do it perfectly."
"What?"
"Life requires hardship and adversity."
What nonsense is this now.
"I thought carefully about what Paula said last time. You said you hoped Vincent wouldn't look into it, right? I'll help things go according to Paula's wishes. Let's fool them, thoroughly and perfectly."
"What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking of helping things turn out the way Paula wants."
"......Why?"
"Can't I help you?"
"It doesn't seem like good intentions. And you told me not to do that. What you said before and what you're saying now don't match."
"That's because you and I are in a cooperative relationship where we help each other. You remember that proposal, right?"
At those words, I let out a soft chuckle. Remember it? It was a proposal I made out of a sense of crisis that some strange guest had barged in, thinking I should at least make him an ally for now. I never expected him to actually accept it. And he remained as unchanged as ever. I thought he'd be different, but he's still a headache-inducing person. If he was genuinely offering help, I'd be grateful, but.
Laughter kept escaping me for no reason. Maybe because of that, Ethan smiled even more brightly.
"You're curious, aren't you?"
"About what?"
"About which side is right."
At that moment, my whole body turned cold as if doused in chilly water. The corners of my raised lips dropped instantly. My relaxed mind snapped tight. The moment I realized what was held within those pleasantly curved eyes, I knew I had fallen into my own trap.
It had already begun.
The bet between him and me.
Damn it!
When I opened the door and went in, Alicia pounced on me. She grabbed my arm and forced me to sit on the bed. I let out a sigh at this expected reaction.
"What's gotten into you."
"You, how do you know that man?"
"Who."
"Count Christopher? That man! I heard he's friends with the Master."
She must have heard the story up to that point. How should I explain this? Telling her everything seemed like it would become troublesome, but not saying anything would only make her badger me until I answered.
"Just, well, we got to know each other by chance."
"How? How on earth do you know him? Don't tell me, the mansion you used to work at was that man's mansion? He was your former master? ......No, that's not right. You said you fell out of favor and ran away from where you worked."
"Why bring that up all of a sudden."
"Why! When else would you have had the chance to connect with a nobleman?"
A rather sharp point. Certainly, if I had any connection to nobility, it would have been then. Even from Alicia's perspective, she must have sensed some warmth in Ethan's attitude toward me.
"Tell me! Is that right or not?!"
Alicia urged for an answer. I hesitated for a moment before parting my lips.
"No, that's not it."
"It's not?"
"Yeah. I didn't work there."
I was going to lie and say yes, but I thought it might unnecessarily make things difficult for Ethan, so I answered honestly. Seeing Alicia's fierce demeanor, I felt like something might happen if I lied. Instead, I didn't give a detailed explanation.
But Alicia's expression after hearing my answer looked strangely relieved. Why was she reacting like that? Puzzled, I frowned and studied Alicia. Whether she didn't even notice my reaction, Alicia turned away from me and muttered softly.
"I thought so."
"Thought so about what?"
"Nothing. Mind your own business!"
She was the one who asked first, but she was getting annoyed for no reason.
"But I thought you wanted to get out of here quickly? Looks like that's not the case, seeing how quickly you agreed to stay when they offered to extend the period."
"That's not it. I have my reasons."
"Hmph! Liar. You sly girl."
Why on earth do I have to be called a sly girl?
"Then how do you know that man?"
"I don't know."
"What? Hey!"
I didn't want to talk with Alicia anymore. I just flopped down on the bed and pulled the sheets over my head. Alicia ranted and spat harsh words, but I closed my ears and shut my eyes. In times like this, ignoring her was the best method.
* * *
Eventually, the original trial employment period ended, and most of the people who came here with me left the mansion. A few people, including Alicia and myself whose trial periods were extended, remained in the mansion.
Just as many had entered at once, they departed in droves. The emptied mansion was filled with new people. Seeing people with noticeably striking appearances reminded me of when I first came here. It hadn't even been that long, but that time felt distant. Come to think of it, why did they hire servants this way? The reason remained a complete mystery.
I looked at the excited faces of those anticipating new experiences in the place they'd be staying, then turned away. With every step I took, my footsteps rumbled heavily, as if laden with discontent.
Like that, I climbed the stairs, stopped in front of the first visible door, and let out a sigh.
I prayed and prayed that Ethan wouldn't do anything. Since my trial employment period had been extended against my will, I desperately wanted to stay quiet.
But that wish was overtaken by an unease that it wouldn't come true, caught in the trap Ethan had laid. I had ended up faithfully serving him.
Standing before the door that somehow felt heavy, I let out a deep sigh. I knocked on the door, but no answer came. I knocked again, but still silence. So I just opened the door and went in, and the room was dead quiet.
I glanced around the interior and set the meal I'd brought on the table. Then I threw open the curtains that had been tightly blocking the sunlight. When I turned around, a round shape on the bed wriggled away from the pouring sunlight. It was well past morning, but Ethan was still sprawled in bed. He had skipped breakfast too.
"Wake up. It's already lunchtime."
He said he'd stay here for a few days, but he was an absolute sluggard.
Ever since deciding to stay at this mansion, Ethan had done nothing but sleep all day. Like someone who hadn't slept in days, he barely ate his meals and slept, and slept, and kept sleeping. I thought he came to recuperate, but looking at his state, it seemed he came for a long overdue hibernation.
When I yanked the sheet, he grabbed it and held on to keep me from taking it.
"Wake up."
"Mmm... just a little more..."
"How long?"
"Five minutes, no, ten?"
"How about using that time to wash up, change clothes, and eat? It seems like it would be time well spent."
"I'll spend that useful time twenty minutes from now."
The demanded time had increased.
"Just wake up now."
"I'm recuperating, so I'll sleep more."
"Go for a walk instead."
"Hmm..."
He was acting uncharacteristically spoiled. He rolled to the other side, showing his determination not to let the sheet be taken. I snorted and yanked the sheet with all my might. The round shape rolled slightly, revealing tousled brown hair. His face was still buried in the sheets.