“Absolutely not.”
I was the most powerless person here. If we were speaking in terms of social hierarchy, I was at the very bottom.
“Should I mention it to Isabella?”
“She is on Vincent Bellunita’s side. I’ve asked her several times, but I’ve been rejected every single time.”
“I will ask Master once more.”
“No, thank you.”
He waved his hand dismissively. Although he sighed, he looked much more energetic than before.
“If I knock on the door a hundred times, he’ll have to open it at least once.”
“You’re quite persistent.”
“I have to be. My friend is working just as hard as this.”
Then, he suddenly smiled brightly. The grin, fresher than a spring day, sent a shiver down my spine. His gaze felt sticky. What is this? Why is he like that? I rubbed my arm, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable.
“It would be quite convenient if you, the maid, fell for me.”
“May I say this in advance? I will decline.”
And even when that hundred turned into a thousand, the closed door never opened.
“You didn’t sleep here, did you?”
I was horrified to find a figure hunched over in front of Vincent Bellunita’s door. It was the same guest who had barged in yesterday. No, I had shown him to a guest room—so why was he here doing this?
“Hmm, is it morning already?”
“Yes. Why on earth are you doing this?”
“I thought if I knocked all night, he’d get angry and open the door, but that was a miscalculation.”
I was dumbfounded watching Ethan Christopher stretch and yawn so nonchalantly. Does he mean he stayed up all night trying to get Vincent Bellunita’s door open? It would be faster to just steal the bunch of keys from me and force it.
“Shall I open it for you?”
I asked, rummaging through my apron pocket. Ethan Christopher’s eyes widened.
“You said you couldn’t yesterday.”
“I’ll be hated for it, but he doesn’t like me anyway. Being hated a little more won’t change anything.”
“I can’t let you go through such a difficult thing.”
Another rejection. It sounded like he was considering my feelings, but I wasn’t so sure.
“But you can’t just stay here waiting in front of the door. We don’t know if it will take days or months for the door to open. As you know, Master is quite stubborn.”
At that, Ethan Christopher seemed to ponder for a moment before shaking his head.
“I’ll try a bit more.”
“If that’s what you want.”
I took my hand out of my pocket and turned away. The rhythmic *thud-thud* of knocking echoed behind my back. I shook my head. He’ll only come to his senses once his knuckles are swollen. He doesn’t realize that door won’t open just because he’s stubborn.
But it seems Ethan Christopher realized that truth soon enough.
When I went up with Vincent Bellunita’s lunch, Ethan Christopher said with a troubled face:
“Perhaps I should ask for your help after all.”
“Yes.”
I walked past him and inserted the key into the lock.
“Will he be very angry?”
“Stay by the doorway. Don’t come inside.”
I couldn’t promise it would go smoothly.
*Click.* The door yielded. Instantly, a stale, musty odor hit my nose. That’s strange; the stench is foul today. Frowning, I went straight to the window and pulled back the curtains. A bright beam of light illuminated the dark room. When I pushed the sash up, the breeze wafted in, subduing the rot.
Ethan Christopher stood obediently at the door just as I had asked. I approached Vincent Bellunita.
“Master. It is time for lunch.”
“……Go away.”
His voice was hoarse—raspier than just sleep-heavy.
“Master?”
“…….”
He wasn’t a man of many words, but something was wrong. As I got closer and pulled back the sheets, I saw his sweat-drenched face. The pillow was soaked in vomit.
“Master!”
I tapped his cheeks to rouse him, but he wouldn’t open his eyes. His condition was alarming. Startled, I looked back at the doorway, and Ethan Christopher turned immediately. The sound of footsteps running down the hallway rang out urgently.
Soon, the attending physician arrived. He was a mess—shirt with mismatched buttons, trousers wrinkled, his feet bare because he hadn’t even found his shoes. His crooked glasses showed just how desperately he had rushed over.
“He has severe indigestion.”
“Pardon?”
“I heard he had been eating a little recently, but it seems he overdid it. Suddenly consuming more food than usual is not good for the body. He must have suffered through the whole night.”
No, it’s not like I fed him that much. He hadn’t eaten breakfast today. He said he didn’t want any, and since he wouldn’t move, I had no choice but to let him skip it. But to think it was indigestion? I had forced him to eat a little more of the rice porridge last night because he hadn’t finished even half of it; it seems his body rejected it violently.
“He is… so frail.”
“His system has weakened significantly. You must be careful.”
“……Yes.”
In the end, I was scolded by the physician. As I bowed to him while he left, I let out a jagged sigh. Being berated for feeding him well—truly.
Returning to the room, I found Ethan Christopher sitting in front of the bed. His gaze was fixed on Vincent Bellunita and didn’t waver. Vincent, however, said nothing. Even though he clearly knew who was beside him, he didn’t give Ethan so much as a glance.
“Why have you become so thin?”
After a long silence, Ethan murmured as if in a sigh.
“More than the last time I saw you… you’ve wasted away. Take care of your health….”
Ethan covered his face with his hands, lowering his head. *If you act like this, how are you supposed to face the late Count….* He murmured, his voice thick with distress.
But Vincent Bellunita was cold.
“Go back.”
Ethan, seemingly catching his breath, lifted his face again. Vincent’s gaze remained fixed on the ceiling.
“Vincent Bellunita. Don’t be like this, come outside. I will help you.”
“And how exactly do you intend to help?”
“Anything. I’ll do whatever I can.”
“Then can you make me see again?”
“…….”
“Can’t you? Then stop talking nonsense and get out.”
He was truly cold-hearted. It was a conversation where the sharp blade of hostility was openly revealed. Standing behind them, listening with bated breath, I clicked my tongue in secret. Despite Ethan’s worries, Vincent’s attitude toward him was vicious. He was bristling with thorns, and all the other party could do was get pricked.
But Ethan Christopher didn’t back down easily.
“How long do you intend to hold out? There is much talk in society right now. They say the Count of Bellunita isn’t recuperating from a party injury, but is hiding something because something has happened to his body.”
“…….”
“You can’t live like this forever.”
“What would you have me do?”
“It’s time to reveal it.”
“You’re telling me to die.”
“Vincent Bellunita.”
“If it gets out that the Count of Bellunita is blind, this time it won’t be an assassin—the very person who made me this way will come with a sword in hand to finish the job.”
Vincent sneered. Ethan shook his head.
“The person who made you this way probably already knows your condition.”
“…….”
At that sharp point, the sneer on Vincent’s face froze. His sightless eyes were still fixed on the ceiling, but it was as if they were pinned directly onto Ethan Christopher.
There was no rebuttal. He agreed.
Silence flowed again. Their mismatched gazes could not meet. Vincent closed his mouth, signaling he was finished.
This was a meaningless waste of time.
Ethan seemed to realize that, too, as he let out a deep, shuddering sigh.
“Vincent Bellunita. Listen… if you intend to keep acting like this, I’m going to make your condition public.”
At the shocking statement, Vincent whipped his head around. His pupils widened, filled with genuine shock. It was the same for me. I forgot that I was supposed to be invisible and stared at Ethan in astonishment.
“Are you crazy?”
“Perhaps.”
“Ethan Christopher!”
Vincent shouted, his voice raw. Yet, Ethan did not yield. His tone remained chillingly calm.
“Vincent Bellunita. You are my dear friend, and I do not want to leave you like this. This cannot be hidden forever; we must prepare for the future. You know that, don’t you? To know it and still act this way is nothing more than childishness.”
“…….”
“I will pull you out of this place by any means necessary. Even if it puts you in danger, I don’t care. Living like this is a poison to you. And I don’t intend to consider your opinion on that process at all.”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
“Whether or not it’s nonsense, we’ll see soon enough.”
Ethan stood up abruptly. Vincent didn’t move at all. He seemed unable to even breathe properly from the shock. His hands, gripping the sheets, were trembling violently. I was worried he might have a seizure.
“Choose. Whether you’re going to persuade me or not.”
“…….”
Silence hung in the air after those firm words. Vincent didn’t answer. He only glared fiercely at Ethan, and Ethan watched him just as steadily. For a moment, it looked as if sparks were flying between them.
* * *
With a guest present, my workload doubled. After attending to Vincent, I headed to the guest room. I changed the pillowcases, bedspreads, and sheets, and cleaned. Generally, all the rooms in this mansion were kept clean on a set schedule, but since this one hadn’t been used in a long time, there was quite a bit of dust in the nooks and crannies.
I started by wiping the windows. Ethan watched me intently.
“How is Vincent Bellunita doing?”
As I rubbed the glass with a dry towel, I glanced at him and replied.
“If you’re curious, why don’t you go see for yourself?”
“I would be grateful if the maid told me.”
His smiling face was infuriating. I sighed.
The day everything went wrong, despite my advice, Ethan had eventually turned everything upside down before leaving the room. Watching him walk away with such a determined attitude, refusing to back down, I was left speechless.
*‘Show me. Show me that you’re trying. Make me feel at ease, so I know things can stay this way.’*
*‘You’re stubborn, but I have no patience. I’ll give you two days.’*
Vincent’s fist trembled. Unable to see, he couldn’t even attempt to get out of bed to stop his friend. Instead, he suffered a seizure. I rushed to him and pressed the inhaler to his mouth. His face, as he breathed in the wheezing air, was washed in misery. Surely, his pride had been deeply wounded.