Today, Eitan also lingered in bed until lunchtime. Because he skipped breakfast, I had to coax and persuade him to eat lunch. After finishing his meal, he went back to bed, but I didnât scold him today. Eitan was the type who would face any situation head-on, but seeing him so dejected, it was clear that this wasnât an easy problem.
The conversation I had with Vincent yesterday ended inconclusively.
Before leaving, he left me with one last word.
"Don't tell Eitan."
I knew what he meant without him having to specify. He didnât want me to tell Eitan that he was worried. Really, such dishonest people. All I wished was for their relationship to mend smoothly.
With Eitan holed up in his room, the day was rather idle. So, I went to see Robert in the middle of the day. However, Robert was also taking a nap, and only the nanny greeted me.
"Welcome, Ann. And Lord Christopher?"
"He's taking a nap."
"Then, since we're both free, shall we have a snack?"
The nanny lifted a plate of cookies. I nodded eagerly.
We sat across from each other at the table, eating cookies and chatting about various things. The content was trivial, but it was quite enjoyable.
In the midst of our conversation, I suddenly thought of yesterdayâs events.
"Nanny, have you ever had a big fight with a close friend?"
The nannyâs eyes widened, and she put down her teacup. Then, she seemed to think deeply, her gaze fixed on the air.
"Well, it was a long time ago, but I did have a big fight with a close friend."
"How did you make up?"
"I don't think we ever really made up."
"You never made up?"
Perhaps they had drifted apart. I asked, puzzled, and the nanny smiled slightly.
"Over time, we just somehow got along again. When you spend a long time together, things tend to resolve themselves without needing to say much."
The nanny took another sip of tea, looking a bit embarrassed. I nodded, reflecting that sometimes things can resolve themselves without much effort. I mulled over this unexpected insight.
After parting ways with the nanny and wandering the hallway, I ran into Johnny for the first time in a while. Johnny was one of the few servants left in the mansion. He seemed to be quite good at his job.
Johnny was holding a silver tray. On it were a plate with layers of cake and cookies, and a teapot. I easily guessed where he was headed.
"Where are you going?"
Johnny asked.
"Just wandering. You're delivering these, right?"
"Yeah."
As he answered, Johnny resumed walking. I watched him for a moment before stealthily following him.
"Hey, have you ever had a big fight with someone and made up?"
"What's that supposed to mean? Who are you talking about?"
"Just, like, a close friend or something."
"I don't have any friends like that."
His straightforward admission that he had no friends was baffling. I was about to retort when I realized I didnât have any close friends either, and fell silent.
"Have you ever had something similar?"
"Hmm. I did have a fight with a coworker once."
"Did you make up?"
"We didn't make up."
I began to understand why he had no friends. I patted his shoulder sympathetically, but he shrugged me off roughly.
"Have you ever had a big fight with a close friend and made up?"
"..."
"Why are you asking me this when you haven't had such an experience yourself?"
Well, it wasnât that serious. I muttered gloomily, then suddenly realized Johnny seemed upset.
"Is something wrong?"
"..."
His voice betrayed that something was indeed wrong.
No, really. I was about to ask what was going on when Johnny changed the subject.
"By the way, you're close with that guy, right?"
"Who?"
"Lord Christopher. They say he's very close with the master of this house. And that he specifically chose you to serve him. Is that true?"
Sure enough, rumors had spread. I had already noticed the other servantsâ gazes as I walked through the hallways recently. Their looks of curiosity were familiar, and I didnât pay much attention because they didnât bother me, but this was definitely a situation that could be misunderstood. Alicia had also been pestering me every night about my relationship with him.
I sighed and shook my head.
"It's true, but don't misunderstand. We just have a connection."
"Wow, really? How did that happen?"
"It's complicated."
"Have you ever worked in a place like this before?"
I stopped in my tracks.
"Why do you ask?"
"Well, how else would someone like us have a connection with a noble?"
It was a fair point.
"And you seem quite familiar with this kind of work."
"You seem familiar too."
"I've done various jobs."
"Have you done this kind of work before?"
"Sort of..."
His casual answer was close to a yes. I was a bit surprised. Well, he could read and write, so it wasnât surprising that he hadnât just done physical labor.
"Unexpected. You must have been quite good at it. But why did you do that kind of work?"
"It didn't end well... Ah, forget it! It just makes me feel bad."
Johnny shook his head vigorously. The conversation ended abruptly, making me even more curious.
As we walked and talked, we soon arrived at Joel's door. Johnny knocked twice and then opened it. I was about to turn to do my own work when Joel's cheerful voice burst through the open door. I glanced in without thinking and froze.
Johnny went inside, and the door slowly closed. Through the narrowing gap, I saw Joel, Alicia, and Vincent. Vincent might have come to see Joel, but my steps halted because of the sight of Alicia and Vincent.
Alicia stood in front of Vincent with a shy expression, and Vincent held the end of her hair, examining it with a detached look. Joel watched them mischievously. I couldnât move, captivated by the tender scene.
The door clicked shut, and I realized I had been standing there, holding my breath. I slowly exhaled, but I still couldnât move from the door. I stood there, dazed, trying to process what I had seen.
How long did I stand there? The door opened again, and Johnny came out. I looked up at him, still dazed. Johnnyâs expression turned from puzzled to concerned.
"What's wrong? Why do you look like that?"
"..."
"Did someone steal something from you?"
The door behind Johnny slammed shut. I glanced at it and snapped back to reality.
"What are you talking about?"
"Well, you look like something was taken from you."
I... I rubbed my cheek, puzzled. Johnny chuckled.
"Did something bad happen?"
"No, not really."
"Sure, your expression says otherwise."
"It's not, really."
I waved my hand and turned to leave, but Johnny blocked my path. I glared at him, and he suddenly fished something out of his pocket. Two cookies wrapped in cloth. They were from the plate earlier. When did he take them?
Johnny handed one to me.
"Here, eat this."
"No thanks."
"Come on, don't refuse. I'm being generous."
"No, really."
"Do you not like sweets?"
"Not really."
"Then eat it. Here."
Johnny put the cookie in my mouth himself. I bit into it reflexively and glared at him. When I tried to spit it out, he said it was very expensive. So, I chewed and swallowed.
"Is it good?"
"Yeah."
"Did someone steal something from you and you had a fight? Trying to make up?"
"It's not like that."
I donât know what strange misunderstanding he had, but I shook my head firmly. Johnny seemed to ponder for a moment before continuing.
"I have nothing to do now, so I'm going to take a walk to clear my head. Want to come?"
It was an unexpected offer.
He said he was going to take a walk to clear his head, but it was just a tour of the mansion. I thought it would be boring to see the same place again, but it was surprisingly interesting.
I realized I had never properly toured the mansion before. It was much larger than I had imagined, and there were many unfamiliar places I hadnât visited.
It was the servants' break time, so the mansion was quiet. It was fortunate that we didnât run into anyone. Still, I kept an eye out for any signs of people, and if a place seemed off-limits, I avoided it. It felt like an adventure.
My mood improved a bit. Johnny walked around confidently, leading me to various places.
"You seem to know this place well."
"It's because of Alicia."
Johnnyâs expression suddenly turned gloomy. He clasped his hands together and slumped his shoulders. He looked very down.
I tilted my head, studying his face. What happened?
"Why? What's wrong?"
"Alicia has become cold towards me."
Aliciaâs cold behavior wasnât new. Since Vincentâs appearance, I hadnât seen her act warmly towards Johnny. With Eitanâs extended probation period, Alicia had become even more distant. Sometimes, when Johnny tried to greet her, she ignored him completely, as if he didnât deserve to be in her company.
"She... she doesnât like me. Sheâs annoyed with me."
"What? Did Alicia say that directly?"
"Yeah. The last time we met, she said she really didnât like me and that I should stop pretending to be friends."
His dejected voice seemed to drag along the floor. I hadnât expected such a thing to happen so quickly. I shook my head, feeling sorry for the heartbroken man. His face looked like it would crumble at the slightest touch, and I didnât know how to comfort him.
"She said we live in different worlds now. What does that mean...?"
"I, I donât know."
I pretended not to know, but I actually knew exactly what she meant. Normally, I would have sighed and shown my sympathy, but I couldnât do that now because of the scene I had just witnessed with Alicia and Vincent.
It was strange. Or maybe it was normal? Could the relationship between an employer and an employee be so intimate? Vincentâs gesture of holding Aliciaâs hair kept replaying in my mind. It was a casual movement, but it seemed very odd to me.
When did they get so close? I had never thought about it before.
"Does the master of this house often visit Joel?"
I blurted out my thoughts. Johnny answered nonchalantly.
"Quite often. Sometimes they chat casually, and other times they have deep conversations. When they do, they send all the servants out, so I donât know exactly what they talk about."
"Alicia seems close to him too."
"Yeah? Iâve seen them together a few times. Even just now..."
Johnnyâs mood darkened again.
"Does he really dislike me that much?"
Johnny must have realized Aliciaâs feelings for Vincent. I sighed.