"Yes. I'll be staying here for a while, so remember that."
He handed me his clothes and I gave him fresh ones. These days, he wears regular clothes more often than pajamas. After he cleaned up and had a good meal, his complexion looked much better. As I looked at his improved appearance, the first question that came to mind was on my lips.
"May I ask one thing?"
"Go ahead."
"Is Mr. Lucas really okay with staying in this mansion?"
He looked at me after buttoning up his cuffs. I averted my gaze slightly. Though he seemed well-dressed, his shirt buttons were all misaligned. I approached him, undid all the buttons, and refastened them one by one.
"Unfortunately, the buttons are misaligned today."
"..."
Vincent remained silent until all the buttons were done. I glanced up, wondering if he was angry, but he showed no particular expression. Instead, his hand pressed down on my head. The force was so strong it felt like I would sink into the ground, and I yelped and struggled. He then mercilessly rubbed my hair.
Only after my hair was completely tousled did I regain my freedom. This kind of physical contact was new, and it surprised me. I raised my hand to my messy hair and widened my eyes, noticing his mischievous smile.
"Don't worry, I'm fine."
That's a relief, but...
Why did you mess with my hair?
"Pola, we meet again."
"Yes, we do."
With a stiff attitude, I bowed slightly, and laughter echoed from above my head.
"Do you remember me?"
"Yes, you're Mr. Ethan's younger brother."
"My name is Lucas Christopher."
"Yes."
"Say it again."
So what? I tilted my head, and he laughed again. But his laughter seemed off, almost angry. I rolled my eyes. Could he be asking me to call him by his name?
"Mr. Lucas?"
"Yes, Pola."
He then smiled happily. Maybe it's because he's Ethan's brother. Lucas does smile often. Just for calling his name, he's grinning like that. I even called him in the morning, but he doesn't remember that.
"Are you going to clean?"
"Yes."
He gave me a look that suggested he wanted me to leave the room for a moment. But he didn't move. Ah, he can't see my face, so I should say it out loud.
"I'll sit here, so feel free to clean."
With that, Lucas sat down at a table in the corner. He held a book in his hand. From his demeanor, it seemed he had no intention of leaving. Well, if that's the case, I decided to clean comfortably since I had his permission.
First, I changed the bed sheets, pillowcases, and sheets. Then I swept the floor. The sound of the broom was the only noise in the quiet room. As I cleaned various spots in the room, I focused more on the corners.
However... it's strange. My back has been warm since just now.
I turned around to see the back of Lucas's head as he read. No, right? I tilted my head and focused on cleaning again, but my back felt warm again. It felt like someone was watching me.
When the warmth turned to a tingling sensation, I turned around again.
"Do you have something to say?"
"Me? No."
Lucas smiled calmly and denied it. I narrowed my eyes. His answer was too quick, as if he had thought about it beforehand.
"But why do you keep looking at me?"
"I'm not."
"Really?"
"Yes, I haven't been looking."
His firm denial made it awkward to keep asking. Maybe I was mistaken. Though I was suspicious, it would be embarrassing if I was wrong, so I focused on cleaning again. As I was about to wipe the furniture with a cloth, I sensed a presence behind me.
"Here."
I was so startled by the unfamiliar touch on my hair that I froze. The cloth in my hand fell to the floor with a thud. I turned my head with a creak, and Lucas looked surprised.
"Sorry, did I startle you?"
"A little... Why did you do that?"
"Here."
He held a white hair tie in his hand.
"You must have been thinking hard and decided to give this as a gift."
"Me?"
"Violet gave it to you, right?"
I nodded.
"Your sister wanted to give you a gift and thought about it for days. She decided on a hair tie but then struggled to choose one that would suit you. After much deliberation, she finally decided on this one."
He twirled the edge of the hair tie. My gaze followed his.
"By the way, I also suggested that this one would be good."
"Ah, I see. You did that."
Did he scare me just to say that? Was he trying to take credit?
I took the hair tie from his hand and wound it tightly until it was short enough that he couldn't grab it again. Lucas laughed at my action.
"It really suits you."
"Thank you."
"I thought the pure white color would suit you."
I laughed it off as a joke, and Lucas followed suit. He's been grinning since this morning, which is a stark contrast to his earlier demeanor. Speaking of which, why did he come to see Vincent in the middle of the night?
"Pola still seems very cautious. Is it because of what I said last time?"
By "last time," he means the shocking statement he made to me. But this time, I could act calmly. I know he didn't do it.
"You're mistaken."
"I wasn't joking."
He says scary things with a grin. I don't know what he wants to do, even if he gets such a misunderstanding, but I can't say I know he was lying. Vincent telling me that could be a secret. I wonder if a mere maid should know such things.
I kept my mouth shut and pretended not to hear.
But seeing my lack of reaction, Lucas's smile gradually faded. His serious gaze then fixed on me.
"Did you hear from your brother?"
"What are you talking about?"
I tried to act ignorant, but I must have been bad at it. His face became even more serious.
"I didn't think he would tell you that..."
No, I didn't say anything.
Is there something on my face? My thoughts? I touched my face, but only felt my hair. I couldn't see my face, so I didn't know what he was thinking. He seemed to assume that Vincent had told me something.
"I understand. It's good to have someone you can trust by your side."
"What are you talking about?"
"To be honest, I'm surprised."
No, I was sure.
I picked up the fallen cloth. I decided to finish cleaning quickly and escape. As I turned to leave, Lucas suddenly reached out.
"I'll help too."
"Excuse me?"
Before I could respond, he took the cloth and rolled up his sleeves. He meant to help with the cleaning. I panicked and tried to stop him.
"Don't. I'll do it."
"I'll help. I have nothing else to do anyway."
"But I can't make a guest do this. I'll get in trouble."
"I'll say I took it by force."
With that, Lucas started wiping nearby decorations. I quickly checked the door, which was thankfully closed. I scanned the surroundings and tried to stop him, but he smiled and focused on cleaning.
I don't understand why he's doing this.
* * *
In the end, Lucas helped with the cleaning, which only added to my burden. His bothersome behavior continued afterward. Every time I came to clean, he offered to help, and if I refused, he would give me a hard time. When I turned around, he would pretend to be doing something else.
He acted like he was desperate to help me. His kindness was appreciated, but it was burdensome because I didn't understand why.
The same went for when I served Vincent.
He was mostly in Vincent's room, except for early mornings. I don't know if he was visiting or had other business, but he was always there when I came to serve. I wondered what he was doing, but he just watched us.
Sometimes he joined us for meals, but they didn't have much conversation. They just sat together. I had to read the room.
But it was different when they were alone. While Lucas was always smiling when I was around, occasionally peeking through the door, I saw them with serious expressions. Vincent might be different, but Lucas was. He was serious and cautious, unlike when he was with me. Their voices were low and heavy.
When he wasn't in Vincent's room, he wandered around the mansion. He walked the corridors, strolled near the mansion, and I even saw him leave the study with a book. When he ran into me, he always greeted me like we hadn't seen each other in a long time.
One thing I understood: he must be very idle.
As Lucas's presence became more familiar, Vincent suddenly suggested after a meal,
"Shall we go for a walk?"
What's this about? But it was a good suggestion.
"Sure!"
"Then get ready."
We decided to have a tea time during the walk. I packed the teapot, teacups, snacks, and a book.
But someone else joined us.
"Sounds fun."
Lucas stood beside Vincent, grinning. I glanced at Vincent, who didn't object to Lucas's company.
In the end, the three of us walked together. The only places we could go were the garden or the forest behind the annex. I supported Vincent, and Lucas walked beside me.