As Isabella approached the window and drew the curtains, a beam of light that had been blocked illuminated the room. When she opened the window, a refreshing breeze rushed in, and only then did the air feel breathable.
On the opposite side of the window, in a corner where the light barely reached, a bed was placed. On top of it, a sheet was bunched up. I realized it was a person when I saw an arm protruding from under the sheet.
Isabella approached the bed. The sheet twitched and slowly retreated. There was nowhere to run, though.
"Have you woken up, Master?"
"…Get out."
A hoarse voice, tinged with anger, came out. Isabella, with her hands clasped together, said politely,
"I will bring in dinner. I have prepared something that will be easy for you to eat, so please eat it for your health."
"Get out!"
The round body moved quickly and grabbed a vase from the side table, throwing it. As Isabella slightly turned her head, the vase grazed past her and shattered on the floor.
I was stunned, my mouth agape, but Isabella remained unperturbed.
"I will bring a new vase."
"It's not necessary. Don't come."
"Also, I have brought a new servant to attend to you."
Isabella gestured to me. I, who had been standing by the door in shock, composed myself and moved to stand beside her.
The person on the bed was larger than I had expected and was an adult male. Though his face was completely covered, I could guess from the voice I had just heard and the shape I had glimpsed.
"Nice to meet you, Master."
"This child will attend to you from now on. If you need anything, please tell her, and she will prepare it for you."
"Please take care of me."
I clasped my hands together and bowed. But the only response I received was,
"Get lost."
And it came out even more harshly.
I shuddered and glanced up at Isabella. She continued speaking without a care.
"I will bring in dinner."
She turned towards the door, walking with the same steady gait as when she had entered. Despite my heart pounding from the shock, I admired her calmness and quickly turned to follow her.
Suddenly, a hand reached out and felt for a knife on the side table. I was startled and turned back to face him.
"That could kill you if it hits wrong!"
I tried to grab his hand, but in my haste, I hadn't looked down.
My body slipped on the sheet that was spread on the floor. As I stumbled, my field of vision flipped. I seemed to have grabbed something in the air.
Something fell on top of me as I fell backward. Before I could feel the pain from the back of my head hitting the floor, a heavy weight pressed down on my chest. I stuck out my tongue and squeezed my eyes shut.
"Master!"
Hearing Isabella's urgent voice, I realized that the person who had fallen on me was Vincent, the master.
I opened my eyes in surprise. His face was right in front of me. Dark eyebrows, emerald eyes, a straight nose, and rough, full lips—a face that would make people turn their heads on the street. I was so taken aback that I didn't know what to do.
But something was odd. Vincent, seemingly as surprised as I was, suddenly looked around. His emerald eyes were directed at random spots.
Actually, upon closer inspection, his eyes seemed a bit strange. They had a slight grayish tinge.
His hands moved towards my face. When his long fingers touched the hair covering my face, I jumped and pushed him away, backing off. Only then did I realize what I had done.
I quickly checked Vincent, who had fallen backward and was now feeling around on the floor. His movements were quite frantic.
Sensing something was wrong, I narrowed my eyes, and Isabella supported Vincent. His hands frantically felt for her as she helped him up. He stumbled and straightened his body, but his face kept turning in different directions.
It was as if...
"His eyes…"
...he couldn't see.
His face, which had been rapidly moving, suddenly stopped. Isabella glared at me fiercely. Only then did I realize I had made a mistake.
Before I could say anything, Vincent's face turned fierce. He let out a loud yell and started throwing things at me, whatever he could grab.
Bang! Thud! Crash! I was helpless against his indiscriminate attacks. I tried to block them with my arms, but it was useless. Isabella, who had moved closer to me, grabbed my arm and pulled me up. She seemed used to this situation and showed no signs of panic, while I was terrified and followed her quickly.
The commotion stopped only after we left the room and Isabella closed the door. I clutched my pounding heart. My heart, which usually didn't get easily startled, was racing.
"He is very sensitive. Be more careful in the future, especially with your words."
"…Yes."
With my response, Isabella turned and left without a word. I sighed as I watched her go, sensing that my life here would not be smooth.
And that day, the meal I had brought was overturned by Vincent, ending my day. My room was right next to Vincent's. Normally, servants and masters lived on different floors, but I was to stay in the adjacent room to be available whenever called. Damn.
Still, I fell asleep on a soft bed with clean sheets, a satisfying sleep despite being woken up by strange noises a few times.
The next day, I entered with my uniform on and breakfast, only to be hit in the face with a pillow.
* * *
Vincent Bellunetta.
He is the master I will serve from now on.
The only child of the renowned Bellunetta Earl and his wife, Vincent was known for his fine appearance from a young age and was recognized for his exceptional intellect in various fields. Moreover, the Earl and his wife had a happy and harmonious family, envied by all.
However, after a tragic accident, the Earl and his wife passed away, leaving Vincent to inherit the family at a young age. Despite initial concerns about his youth, Vincent led the family admirably, and the family's prestige grew day by day.
...That was the happy past.
One day, tragedy struck.
It was a party hosted by the royal family. The smooth-running party turned chaotic when a man, one of Vincent's servants, rushed at him with a knife. Although Vincent was only slightly injured thanks to his guards, the assassin had sprayed a strange drug into his eyes.
At first, his eyes only stung a little. Gradually, his vision blurred until he could no longer distinguish shapes. Eventually, darkness enveloped him.
He was blind.
Since then, Vincent Bellunetta has been confined to his room, which is the current situation. The public was told that the Earl was recovering from injuries sustained at the party.
Rumors circulated that Vincent was involved in the assassination attempt because the assassin was a servant of the Bellunetta family, but these rumors were quickly dispelled when it was discovered that the assassin was not actually a servant. However, the true identity and motive of the assassin remained unknown.
Ultimately, Vincent was blinded, and this fact was a secret known only to a few key confidants, even the servants in the mansion were unaware. Therefore, I was the only one who would attend to him, and I had to do so secretly.
Confidentiality. This was one of the conditions I had to agree to in order to work as a servant here. I signed the contract, nodding, understanding that it meant I would implicitly agree to the consequences of breaking confidentiality.
Regardless, I was determined to do my best. However, I soon realized that serving Vincent was much, much, much, much harder than I had expected.
"Take everything out!"
Crash! The twelfth plate met its end. I sighed at the shattered pieces. As I bent to pick up the glass shards, more glasses and dishes fell to the floor.
"Get out!"
The way he roared, wrapped in the sheet, was just like a cat. A cat that was on high alert, daring to ask if I could tame it.
There was a stray cat that often came to Mr. Mark's bakery. One of them was getting thinner each time I saw it, and I felt sorry for it, so I secretly gave it some bread. At first, the cat was wary, but it eventually approached and took the bread, and later, it would purr and rub its face against my hand.
But unlike that cat, Vincent was much larger and an adult. I gathered the broken pieces and dishes on a tray and looked at Vincent.
"I will bring it back."
"I don't need it. Get lost."
"If there's anything you want to eat, please let me know. I'll ask the chef."
"I just want you to go away."
"Then I'll leave it in the room."
"I don't need it, I said!"
Vincent roared and huddled his body. I scanned him from head to toe without a word. His hair was a mess, his clothes were stretched and dirty, and the sheet he was sitting on was yellowed, indicating it hadn't been changed in a while.
"I need to change the sheets and your clothes. A quick bath would be good for you. I'll prepare the water."
"Get out! Get out, I said!"
Aaah! A fierce yell echoed in my ears. His voice must be hoarse from yelling every day. Yet, his anger seemed to grow stronger each day.
I suppressed the rising emotions I felt multiple times a day. I had been living so comfortably. To be so exhausted already... I shook my head and took a deep breath.
I was used to the bad tempers of the upper class. No, not just the upper class. Most of the people who had hired me had similar attitudes. I had faced all kinds of insults and humiliations because of my poverty and gender. Even the household of a demon's child was no different.
I had endured and survived all of it. Don't underestimate me just because I'm poor!
"I will bring it back. Please wait."
And I left the room without looking back.
As soon as the door closed, there was a thud. Probably a pillow. I sighed deeply, recalling the object that made the sound, and stomped my foot as I walked away.