The Bellunita estate receives many letters. While some are from unknown senders, most are inquiries regarding Vincent Bellunita’s well-being, along with the frequent arrival of invitations to various banquets and parties.
However, Master never replies to any of them. He doesn’t even check them when they are delivered. Consequently, the servants usually handle the bulk of his correspondence before it ever reaches his desk.
Among the letters that arrived with such persistence, one name stood out.
[Violet]
A woman’s name…?
Letters arrived every two days, yet these, too, were never delivered to Vincent.
Isabella ordered me to keep them separate. Is this person someone who requires special attention? If so, why not give them to him? Since Vincent doesn’t read them, it goes without saying that no reply is ever sent. Despite this, the letters from ‘Violet’ piled up, one by one, in my drawer.
And there was one more thing that caught my eye.
[Are you there?]
……?
I discovered it by chance while scooping ash from the fireplace. Golden letters shimmered on a partially burnt scrap of paper. When I held it up to the sunlight, the script looked exquisite and beautiful.
Letters with the same content arrived thereafter.
[Are you doing well?]
They were written on high-quality, stiff-textured envelopes. The strange part was that the paper inside was blank. Did they write directly on the envelope, assuming I wouldn’t open it?
Yet, the letters with the golden lettering arrived faithfully every single day. Naturally, no reply was sent. Vincent never checked them, either.
Then one day, under Isabella’s instructions, I wrote a reply. She told me to keep it simple, but I hesitated, pondering carefully before I picked up my pen.
[I am doing well.]
Ever since I sent that reply, the letters stopped abruptly. I worried I had written something wrong, but I was so busy attending to Master that I soon forgot about it. I was reminded of those letters only when an unexpected response arrived.
It was still in that exquisite, golden script. This time, the words were written on the paper inside, not on the envelope.
[The weather is nice here.]
And? I was puzzled by the cryptic message, but what stood out more was the final character, where the ink had slightly smeared. Upon closer inspection, I saw water stains here and there on the envelope. Like tears.
Did they write the reply while crying out of sheer joy? No way.
I was curious, but since Isabella told me there was no need to respond this time, I didn’t. The letters began arriving again, every day without fail. Always with the same content. It was as if they were stubbornly demanding a response.
In the end, I had to write a reply under Isabella’s orders. I hesitated, deciding against the casual tone I had used last time. The water stains came to mind. For some reason, I felt I shouldn’t write with the same heart as before, so I faltered and looked out the window. Seeing that buds had just begun to sprout on the trees, I moved my pen.
[Here, buds have begun to sprout on the bare branches.]
After that, a reply came, and when I sent one back, another followed. At some point, I found myself exchanging letters with someone whose identity I didn’t even know. The content remained mundane. After the first reply, the water stains were no longer visible.
[I am doing well today, too.]
It was a day when this peculiar routine had become established.
I stretched, welcoming a refreshing morning despite the dread of the grueling day ahead due to Master’s foul personality. As always, I changed my clothes, tied my messy hair back into a tight bundle, and opened the door.
“Vincent―!”
I heard an unfamiliar voice.
Right beside me, in front of Master’s door, stood a man I had never seen before. He was tall, wearing a top hat, knocking on the door and pleadingly calling Vincent’s name.
“Vincent! Open the door!”
I watched him, puzzled as to why he kept knocking despite the silence from within. Perhaps sensing my gaze, the man turned. Upon discovering me, his brown eyes widened.
A moment of mutual exploration followed. Both the stranger and I scanned each other from head to toe, questioning who the other was.
The man finished his inspection first.
“Ah, the new maid?”
At the mention of being the new maid, I bowed my waist instinctively.
“Nice to meet you. I am Paula.”
Greetings must be acknowledged by the other party. I had been told that unless it was a fellow servant, I must not straighten my waist before receiving an answer. I waited.
“Ah.”
The man sighed briefly and approached me. Within my downward line of sight, a pair of shiny, polished shoes stepped into view. Then, the man took one of my hands.
Surprised, I looked up. The man, with his other hand behind his back, bowed slightly and brushed a light kiss against my knuckles.
“Pleased to meet you, Miss Maid.”
A pleasant voice. As I met his eyes, he tilted his head, his gaze curving into a smile.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Ethan Christopher.”
“Oh…… yes…….”
I answered foolishly, trying to pull my dazed mind together.
His movements as he straightened were graceful and flawless. Even after he pulled away, my hand remained suspended in mid-air. The spot where his skin had touched mine felt like it was burning.
“Vincent has locked the door. Could you open it?”
“Ah…….”
Only then did I lower my hand. I scratched the back of it needlessly and headed toward the door.
It was rare, but there were times when Vincent’s door would be locked. I had wondered how he managed it, but it turned out that by pulling one of the many strings hanging from the wall beside his bed, wires connected to the frame would pull against the door, bolting it shut.
The strings wound along the wall like snakes. At first, because the room was so dark and I was so busy, I hadn’t noticed them, but I had learned their purpose after examining the room properly.
When I first witnessed it, I doubted my own eyes. Vincent had told me he installed the system to prepare for danger while he was alone. I had been fascinated, but Vincent hadn’t answered my questions, so I soon lost interest. He had a bundle of spare keys, which Isabella had given to me, instructing me to keep them safe since the annex was under my charge.
Rummaging through my apron pocket, I took out the key. As I turned the handle, I realized I hadn’t asked Ethan Christopher his relationship with Vincent.
“Oh, excuse me, with Master…….”
Just then, something flew through the gap of the opening door. *Crash!* The sound of shattering glass rang out, cutting my words short.
Ethan turned his head, appalled. I, too, confirmed the object: a glass bottle shattered against the wall. From past experience, I knew who had thrown it.
Sure enough, a lethal, sharp voice cut through the darkness.
“Close the door.”
My goodness, how dangerous.
I frowned, observing Ethan. He was staring at the broken glass, all sorts of thoughts passing across his dazed face.
Is this his first time experiencing that foul temper? I shook my head and stepped into the room, and once again, something flew out. This time, it was a glass cup. I had left it there for water, but he was taking his anger out on an innocent object.
I closed the door, mostly out of fear for the man standing outside.
“There is a young gentleman in front of the door.”
“Tell him to go away.”
“Who is he?”
Come to think of it, how did this man know Vincent was in the annex? Usually, guests went to the main mansion.
Because Vincent Bellunita was staying in the annex, it was the butler’s duty to receive guests. When the butler was away, Isabella took his place. Yet here was this man, standing right at the annex door.
“None of your business. Send him back.”
“Master.”
“You leave, too.”
Why is he being so prickly again?
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
“Vincent Bellunita.”
It was Ethan Christopher. His voice sounded somewhat calmed.
I checked on Vincent. He had already closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.
“Vincent Bellunita, let me see your face. It’s been a long time. Don’t you miss me?”
“…….”
“I missed you.”
What is this? The atmosphere between these two men is… strange.
“Don’t think weird thoughts.”
“I’m not.”
“I can tell what you’re thinking just by the sound of your breathing.”
“I said I’m not.”
I haughtily turned to prepare a meal, only to realize I hadn’t brought breakfast. I had been so distracted by the commotion.
“I will go fetch a meal.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Please, just wait.”
“I said I’m not hungry!”
I ignored the shout and opened the door. I came face-to-face with the man who had been knocking so desperately. He immediately tried to peer into the room, but I blocked his view.
“I apologize. The Master said he does not wish to see you.”
“Oh dear, I really must see him. I have something to deliver, too!”
The latter part of his remark wasn’t directed at me. Still, no reply came from within.
Ethan Christopher let his shoulders slump. With a face full of disappointment, he forced a smile and said,
“I’ll be in your care for a few days.”
A guest had arrived at the Count’s residence.
“It’s been a while, Isabella.”
“It has been a while, Ethan Christopher.”
Having entered the drawing room, Ethan Christopher greeted Isabella warmly. She took his top hat, returning the greeting with familiarity. Seeing how cordial they were, it didn’t seem like this man was merely a simple guest.