A man stood before Violet, radiating a look of delight. Who was he? I tilted my head as I approached, and the murmur of their voices reached me.
“Where have you been all this time? I didn’t see you in the room, either.”
“I was just looking around the mansion for the first time in a while.”
“We came together, and you just slipped off on your own.”
“There was a lot to see.”
The conversation was unmistakably affectionate. I scanned the back of the man’s brown-haired head, desperate to place him, but he wouldn’t turn to face me. By the time I reached them, he was heading toward Vincent.
I set the teapot and snacks down, my eyes lingering on the stranger’s back.
“Who is that gentleman?”
“He is Ethan Christopher’s younger brother.”
“Mr. Christopher’s brother? He has a younger brother?”
I asked, puzzled, when an arm suddenly popped out from behind me. I turned to find Ethan there, a snack already in his mouth.
“I have a very kind younger brother. I’ll introduce him to you, too, maid. My brother is handsome, has a good personality, and is very popular. But don’t you go falling for him. He’s a difficult child to handle.”
“I won’t fall for him.”
“Everyone says that, and then they fall for him.”
“You’re quite confident.”
“Because he’s a brother I’m proud of.”
Ethan smiled mischievously. I shrugged, desperate to see the face of this brother he was so proud of. I glanced at the back of the man’s head again, and just then, he turned toward me.
Seeing him up close, he looked familiar.
“Maid, say hello. This is my younger brother. You say hello, too. This is the maid currently attending to Vincent.”
“Nice to meet you.”
His brown hair swayed in the breeze, and his voice was smooth and pleasant—elegant, high-class. As our gazes locked, he crinkled his eyes and politely held out a hand.
“I am Lucas Christopher.”
“Christopher…….”
To think the man I met in the forest was actually Ethan’s brother. I stared at him, stunned by the coincidence. He tilted his head, and I realized my rudeness, quickly bowing. I shook his outstretched hand and offered a shaky greeting.
“Ni-nice to meet you.”
I tried to pull away, but he held my hand tighter, lifting it. His skin was fever-hot against the back of my hand.
“Please, call me Lucas.”
The gesture was impeccably polite, yet it carried a weight that reminded me of someone else. He truly was Ethan’s brother.
“You have a hard time because of my brothers, don’t you? And the lady, too. They’re all so eccentric.”
“Impossible. The maid likes me.”
“Really?”
My mind went blank. I watched him release my hand and begin a playful, easy banter with Ethan. Violet cut between them.
“You’re all mean. Keeping it a secret from only me.”
“I’m sorry. My brother didn’t want it out.”
“I also tend to respect the feelings of the person involved.”
“Hmph—”
Violet grumbled, but dropped the subject. Ethan and Lucas laughed with an air of apology. It was clear that Lucas, too, knew about Vincent’s condition.
Vincent’s words from the past echoed in my mind. I watched him; he sat indifferent, sipping his tea. He didn’t look surprised, nor did he tremble in fear.
The tea time grew boisterous, yet I couldn’t find a way to smile.
The relationship felt clearly affectionate, but there was an alien quality to it. I don’t know if I have the right to judge, but something was… strange.
Using the refill as an excuse, I fled the terrace. I headed to the kitchen, taking the longest route possible. I was trying to scrub my mind of useless thoughts when I saw him standing on the path.
It was Lucas.
“Everyone looks like they’re having fun,” he whispered toward the distant, faint sound of laughter. His eyes, vacant a moment before, snapped toward me. He had known I was coming. The wind ruffled his hair.
I bowed my head.
“Why are you out here?”
“Just to get some fresh air. Come to think of it, I didn’t get your name.”
“Ah, it’s Paula.”
“Paula. Paula. Paula…….”
It was my name, but the way it rolled off his tongue made it sound like something precious. I scratched the back of my neck, feeling a strange, ticklish shiver.
“Paula. I’ve heard a lot about you from my brother. That you’re an interesting person.”
“I’m honored.”
I doubted Ethan had said anything kind. Hadn’t he complained about me to his brother? I frowned slightly, then smoothed my expression.
“We’ve seen each other in the forest, haven’t we?”
“Yes.”
“I wondered who it was back then, but you were the one attending to my brother. Did you deliver the letter safely?”
The memory rushed back. I hurried to answer.
“W-where did you find the letter, by any chance?”
“I was leaving the mansion and found it lying in front of the door. I thought I should deliver it, but there was no one around, so I carried it with me. When I was looking around the mansion, I met you in the forest, and since you seemed to be a servant here, I handed it to you. Was it something important?”
“……I see. Yes. It is important. Thank you for delivering it.”
Relief washed over me; I had almost lost such a precious thing. I bowed again. He laughed shortly.
“How is Vincent? Is he doing well?”
“Yes. He is doing well.”
“That appears to be the case. I’m surprised he’s doing better than I thought. Honestly, I expected him to be holed up in his room.”
“Yes?” I blinked, and he smiled broadly—a smile that looked far too much like Ethan’s.
“Didn’t my brother tell you?”
“What does that mean…….”
“That I was the one who blinded him.”
“……!”
What…… on earth……?
“Looking at your face, it seems Paula knew, too. You kept sending him wary glances the whole time we were together. I didn’t think my brother would go so far as to tell you even that, so he must be relying on you a lot.”
“I, I, I…….”
“Don’t be too surprised.”
He took a step forward. I instinctively stepped back, my heart hammering against my ribs. After that confession, the man in front of me transformed into something terrifying. His smile turned chilling.
‘The family that made me like this.’
Vincent’s calm voice swirled in my head. I stumbled, clutching my chest. Lucas didn’t stop smiling.
“I’m glad it’s just as I imagined.”
I was about to ask what he meant when a rustling sound echoed. We both turned. Vincent was standing there, his expression startled, as if he had sensed a presence.
I looked from Lucas to Vincent. I didn’t know how he had come so far, but he was faster than I imagined. I brushed past Lucas and grabbed Vincent’s arm, pressing down hard as he instinctively tried to shake me off, and pulled him in the opposite direction.
“You…….”
“J-just. Just go. Go. Please, just go.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it at my urgency. I pulled him away, glancing back over my shoulder. Through the wind, I saw Lucas. He was watching us. The man who had confessed to blinding Vincent.
My heart pounded, and sweat slicked my palm. I gripped Vincent’s arm even tighter, terrified I might lose my hold. The gaze following us was predatory.
Vincent must have felt it, too.
“Why are you shaking like that? What is it?”
“I will explain once we are away from here.”
Suddenly, he stopped. I pulled at him, but he stood his ground like a stone wall. In the end, his footsteps—and mine—came to a halt. When I turned back, he spoke first.
“Tell me what this is about.”
“Master. I will tell you once we leave.”
“Tell me now.”
His resolve was absolute. This was no time for this! I glanced behind him. I couldn’t see Lucas anymore, but the fear that he might appear at any moment paralyzed me. I swallowed hard.
“That… that person, is it really him who did that?”
“Did what.”
“Master… your eyes.”
He looked at me with confusion, as if the question were absurd. I replied, my voice strained with frustration.
“They say Ethan Christopher’s younger brother, Lucas Christopher, was the one who made your eyes that way.”
“…Lucas says that?”
“Yes.”
He was silent for a moment—a silence more frightening than any shout. It felt as if he were confirming it. But his answer caught me off guard.
“It wasn’t him.”
“Master. Please, don’t hide it. You have to get away.”
“It truly wasn’t him.”
“Then who on earth did it?”
I asked the forbidden question before I could stop myself, ignoring every instinct that warned me against it. My mind was a tangle of confusion, and I asked as if I were about to break down in tears. Vincent sighed.
“James Christopher.”
“Who is that?”
“Ethan’s half-brother.”
*Whoosh.* A gust of wind roared, tangling my hair. My thoughts were on the verge of exploding, yet he remained so calm that the world felt dreamlike.
“He is the one responsible for making me like this.”
Vincent did not retract his words. The truth. He was telling me the truth. To me, a mere maid, he had spilled the secret he had guarded for so long.
And in that moment, I realized I had crossed a line I could never step back from—just as I finally understood the truth behind the kindness Lucas had shown me.