After that, it was practice and more practice. Vincent, initially timid, eventually began to stride forward with newfound confidence. As he kept walking, his movements grew fluid, as if he were mapping the space around him.
However, walking alone remained a struggle. Despite his intermittent success, he could rarely reach the door without faltering. He kept falling.
The real problem was the loss of confidence that followed every tumble. At times he would recoil in a panic; at others, he would remain frozen for a long while, his hands pressed hard against the floor.
Where was his gaze, stained with terror, fixed? Frightened, he would crawl back to the bed and bury himself beneath the sheets, as if to hide.
“……Someone is here.”
“There is no one here but you and me, Master.”
“Don’t lie. Every time, someone was there. They were trying to kill me.”
The past had left deep, jagged scars. Only then did I understand why he had holed himself up in his room. He wasn’t afraid of walking; he was afraid of leaving the sanctuary of his chamber. The terror that an assassin might be waiting just beyond the threshold consumed him. Perhaps his habit of shrouding himself in sheets was an instinctual act of self-preservation.
“Master, how about you look at it this way? Right now, you are going on an adventure into the deep, pitch-black darkness. You don’t know what lies ahead or what might appear. It is truly terrifying, but if you stay still, you will be trapped in that darkness forever.”
“…….”
“Adventures always require courage, don’t they? Now is the time to find yours. Don’t worry. You have a voice by your side that only you can hear. That voice can be a partner, a friend, family—it can be anything you need. Just because it isn’t visible doesn’t mean you are alone.”
“If they try to kill me….”
“Believe in me. That will never happen. That is what I am here for.”
I took his trembling hand. I pulled his curled-up body into an embrace, desperate to help him find the resolve he needed.
“You aren’t very trustworthy….”
If only he wouldn’t say such hateful things.
Fortunately, Vincent soon regained his composure. He became quite confident in walking alone as well. Now, he reached the door without stumbling. Although he moved awkwardly, waving his hands in the air to balance, I felt a surge of pride that he hadn’t given up.
“Just watch quietly.”
“Just don’t fall.”
I patted his back to soothe him.
“All done.”
I undid the knot of the cloth wrapped around him and gathered the shorn hair. Vincent touched his shortened locks. I had only trimmed them lightly, but the result wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. It looked neat enough. It would have been better to call a professional barber, but given his condition, I had taken the liberty of doing it myself.
“Did you have to go this far?”
“It looks neat and good.”
After cutting his hair, it hit me—his appearance was undeniably striking. He must have been popular with women. It was worth the effort to groom him.
“Bring my clothes.”
“Ah, if you mean your pajamas, they’re here.”
“My outdoor clothes.”
It was a sudden demand, but he didn’t retract it. For the first time since entering this room, I opened a different dresser. Shirts, vests, coats, trousers, ties, shoes… Where were the shoes?
Rummaging through the room, I gathered the attire and handed it to him. Vincent shed his pajamas and put on each garment one by one.
Dressed in his full attire, he was the very picture of Count Vincent Bellunita. He really was an aristocrat. His presence shifted completely with the change in clothing. He was thin, yes, but he looked imposing.
“The cane.”
While I was staring blankly, he held out his hand. A cane? I snapped out of my daze, searched the room, found it, and handed it to him. He stood still, clutching it. He intended to rely on it to walk. Regardless, he was ready.
I went outside and closed the door. A moment later, Ethan approached.
“Where is Vincent?”
“He is waiting inside.”
“Did he practice a lot?”
Ethan’s eyes curled playfully. He seemed to know exactly what kind of practice Vincent and I had endured. He was such a hateful man.
“The weather is nice. It would be perfect for an outing.”
“That’s true.”
“The branches have started to bud.”
“Pardon?”
When I asked back in confusion, he only smiled. That smile, seen so many times, strangely weighed on my mind. It was as if I were remembering something important.
In the meantime, Ethan stood before the door. However, he couldn’t easily pull the handle. I saw the tension on his profile, the weight of his complicated thoughts. I waited until he finally opened the door.
“I’m worried. That nothing has changed.”
“See for yourself.”
“I suppose I must.”
Having steeled himself, he swung the door open. Surprise spread across his face, which had been filled with grim determination. Watching his reaction, I peered into the room.
As planned, Vincent was standing in the middle of the room, supporting himself with his cane.
Ethan blinked.
“Vincent?”
At Ethan’s call, Vincent lifted his head. His expression was set in stone. He appeared fine on the surface, but my eyes caught the tension hidden within.
Vincent began to walk toward us.
We had practiced this many times. I had even turned his body toward the door before leaving. All he had to do was walk. I had worried he might fall under the pressure, but fortunately, Vincent strode forward.
He soon reached the door, and finally, he stepped out of the room. Ethan, who had been watching without even blinking, spread his arms wide with emotion.
“Vincent!”
His voice sounded as if he were about to weep.
I was thinking his reaction was unexpectedly intense when, suddenly, Vincent raised his hand. His cane was in it. Taking one more step forward, Vincent swung the cane at Ethan.
It happened in an instant.
Ethan recoiled in a panic, and I opened my eyes wide in shock. The cane missed its target, swung through the air, and struck the hallway window.
*Crash!* The sound of breaking glass echoed. I checked the window in horror; the glass was shattered to pieces, the fragments falling and sparkling like diamonds. Over that brutal scene, a grim voice rang out.
“If you try that kind of coercion one more time, know that you’ll die.”
Vincent’s gaze was directed straight ahead, though it might as well have been pinned to the cowering Ethan. Ethan slowly lowered the arms he had used to cover his face and looked up.
“……I am your friend.”
“Is that why you threatened me?”
“…….”
Struck by the truth, Ethan shut his mouth. Vincent took his hand off the cane handle and turned his body. Only then did Ethan stand up and look at the broken window. After being dazed for a moment, he regained his senses and chased after Vincent, but Vincent spun around.
“Get out, right now.”
With those final words, the door slammed shut with a *bang!* I was stunned by Vincent’s behavior in personally shutting the door to kick Ethan out.
Ethan stared silently at the closed door.
“He seems very angry.”
“That goes without saying.”
I pulled the cane out of the window frame. Had he asked for it with this in mind? As I wondered what to do with the broken pieces, a sound of laughter reached my ears. I looked toward the source and saw Ethan smiling broadly. He must have finally lost his mind.
“Yes. That’s the Vincent I know.”
He really was crazy.
Seeing him smile with his lips twitching, I shook my head. With a bright, beaming face, Ethan knocked on the door.
“Vincent, I’m coming in, okay?”
There was no answer, but Ethan pushed the door open. Standing not far from the threshold was Vincent, looking at him with an expression that demanded to know why he hadn’t left.
“Don’t look at me like that. I have something to give you.”
Ethan took something out of his inner coat pocket and held it out. It was a letter.
“It’s a letter from Violet.”
Violet! As the familiar name was mentioned, my gaze turned to the paper in Vincent’s hand. He, too… I looked down at my own empty hands.
“You haven’t even replied to her letters. She’s worried sick about you. I barely managed to calm her down by promising that I’d deliver a letter for you instead, even though she insisted on coming here herself.”
“How is she doing?”
“She’s doing well. She’s healthy.”
“That’s a relief.”
Vincent Bellunita didn’t open the envelope. He simply held it before turning away. He had managed to find his way to the bed quite easily, despite having only just practiced moving. Ethan Christopher followed behind him.
“I promised I’d bring back a reply, so please, just write one.”
“No.”
“I can’t give up, either. Ah, maid. Could you please bring me some paper and a pen?”
Ethan turned to look at me. I glanced at Vincent’s frowning face. I was curious who the owner of the name ‘Violet’ was, but seeing his dissatisfaction, I couldn’t bring myself to ask. In the end, I bowed my head and left the room.
That day, Ethan Christopher managed to get a reply to the letter, no matter what.
Late at night, I couldn’t sleep. I left my room wanting to get some fresh air. But at the end of the hallway, a light approached. It was Ethan Christopher, holding a lamp.
“Why aren’t you asleep?”
“And what about you, Christopher? What are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t sleep, so I was walking around a bit.”
“I couldn’t sleep, either.”
I had thought about going outside the annex, but it felt like too much trouble. Instead, I placed my lamp on the windowsill and opened the window. As the cool breeze blew in, the light flickered. I stared blankly at it, and Ethan stepped up beside me, standing shoulder to shoulder.
“You’re angry with me.”
“Am I?”
“I ignored the advice you took the trouble to give me.”
So he knew, yet he still went through with it. Well, even so, it wasn’t something he needed to apologize for. It was only natural for those of higher status not to heed the words of those below them.
“You don’t have to apologize. It’s fine.”
Ethan scratched the back of his neck.
“I’m a bad guy, aren’t I?”
“I can’t say that you aren’t.”
At that, Ethan laughed. I laughed along with him.
The brief laughter cut off quickly. Silence hung in the hallway. I shivered at the gloomy atmosphere.