I returned to the room and laid Robert down on the bed. Despite his earlier fuss about leaving, Robert became quiet. He buried his face in the pillow, fidgeted for a moment, and soon fell asleep. Worried that he might suffocate, I gently turned his head to the side. His face looked puffy, and his eyes were wet, indicating he had been crying.
I wiped away his tear stains and covered him with the sheet up to his chest. After stroking his head for a while, I carefully left the room. Joelle was waiting for me.
"It's been a while."
"Yes. Why are you still here instead of going back?"
"Out of boredom. Let's chat."
She smiled warmly and turned her body. Was she inviting me to follow? After a moment's hesitation, I hurried after her.
"Is it hard dealing with Robert's stubbornness?"
"No, it's not."
"Sure it isn't. You seemed troubled just now, wondering whether to put him on the horse stand or not."
"..."
"I understand. He's lonely."
I had heard this from the nanny as well. I moved closer to Joelle and asked, "Why does the young master want to climb the horse stand?"
"He's waiting."
"Waiting for whom?"
Then something came to mind.
Robert's mother.
"My mother."
Ah, now I understood why Robert had been so fixated on the horse stand. The stand was so high that even adults found it difficult to climb, but Robert, with his short legs, struggled to get up there. The reason was to look out the window. The horse's head faced the entrance of the mansion, allowing him to see anyone coming in at a glance.
Robert had been waiting every day.
For his mother to come and see him.
"Have you heard anything about Robert's mother, Ann?"
"I've heard the general situation from the nanny."
"Robert's mother is a very busy person. She leads her husband's family alone and barely has time to see her children. But she's doing a good job. She's a truly remarkable and strong person. Even as a child, she seemed gentle but was actually very determined and bold."
"..."
"But not as a mother."
Joelle clicked her tongue. It was a harsh but not entirely inaccurate assessment. Robert was so lonely that he was willing to climb a dangerous and high horse stand.
"Robert is hurting inside. His heart is empty, and no one is filling it, so he's sad. He's been good and patient, but the person he's waiting for never comes, and he can't even get angry, so he throws tantrums. When you're in pain, you get irritable, right?"
"Yes, I understand."
Whether it's a physical or emotional pain, it's hard and makes you irritable. You throw tantrums because you want someone to understand your pain.
"I understand very well. He's so lonely and wants someone to be with him."
I knew such people well.
The man who lost his sight and was confined to his room, struggling with his pain.
Suddenly, an old memory tried to dominate my mind. No, I can't. I instinctively pushed the memory away. The sadness was trying to envelop me. I clutched my chest and shook my head. When I looked up, I realized I had stopped walking, and Joelle was looking at me.
The gentleness in her face had disappeared. Her eyes were sharp, and the relaxed atmosphere from a moment ago had turned rigid. Did I say something wrong? I was confused and tried to read the situation, but soon Joelle smiled again.
"Still, he's a good boy."
She patted my shoulder. I forced a smile but couldn't bring myself to agree. To me, he wasn't a good boy. Instead of shaking my head, I remained silent, and Joelle's eyes twinkled mischievously, as if she could see through me.
"Think of it as a cute stubbornness and be patient with him."
"I will keep that in mind."
"Hmm."
It was advice I had heard from the nanny, but this time it resonated more.
"I've heard a lot about you from the nanny."
"What kind of things?"
"Well, that you're diligent."
Nanny...! I was touched, imagining her gentle face. She had been secretly saying such nice things about me. My resentment at her absence at this moment vanished.
"Also, that you handle Robert well. When he throws his spoon, you bring dozens more and hand them to him, right?"
Nanny... Her gentle face was now shattered. My heart, which had been touched, deflated.
"Hmm. She said you're an interesting person."
"Yes..."
"I think so too."
I gave her a questioning look, but Joelle just smiled. Then she waved her hand, signaling me to leave. As she walked away, I tilted my head. Did she come to remind me to take care of Robert?
After that day, Robert no longer threw tantrums about climbing the horse stand. Instead, he moped around the room, barely speaking or doing anything. His once lively and troublesome behavior seemed like a lie as he became unusually well-behaved.
This went on for several days, and I grew anxious. If the nanny were here, she might have done something, but she was out and hadn't returned. So I was left to face this new, perplexing situation. I even thought the stubborn phase was better, as Robert was now so gloomy.
Should I try to cheer him up? I pondered what to do, looking at his unusually small back. But I couldn't think of a proper way. After much deliberation, I decided to use my last resort.
"Shall we go for a walk, young master?"
"A walk?"
Robert asked with a sad face. I nodded. I remembered he had wanted to go outside a few days ago. While we couldn't go far, a short walk around the area might be okay.
Robert's interest seemed piqued, and his sad expression faded as his eyes sparkled.
"Yes! Let's go for a walk!"
Seeing him become cheerful so quickly, I wondered if I had been tricked. But I couldn't take back what I had said.
Instead, I decided to get permission. The nanny wasn't there, but fortunately, there was another guardian of Robert in the mansion.
"Sure. Go ahead."
Joelle waved her hand indifferently. She was almost naked, a sheet barely covering her shoulder, and she collapsed onto the bed before it could fall off. A man with a bronze complexion, who had spent the night with her, lay beside her.
With her permission, I held Robert's hand tightly and led him out of the mansion. He was excited about going out and kept smiling.
"Young master, you must hold my hand. If you let go, we'll go back immediately."
"Okay, I won't let go."
Somehow, even his mouth had become lively. Can't he stop calling me 'ugly'?
Holding Robert's hand, we walked slowly. After circling the mansion once, we walked the same path again and arrived back at the front gate. After three rounds, Robert's smile faded.
"I want to go there!"
Robert suddenly stopped and pointed into the forest. I shook my head firmly.
"No, you can't."
"I want to go! I want to go!"
"Absolutely not."
"I want to go!"
"Then let's go back to the room."
If necessary, I could carry him over my shoulder and take him back. When I spread my arms, Robert, who had experienced this before, clamped his mouth shut. But he pouted and squinted his round eyes, expressing his frustration openly. I pretended not to notice and walked around the mansion again.
But the excitement I had seen on Robert's face earlier didn't return. He finally looked up at me with a frown, his finger pointing into the forest again.
"Can't we go there?"
"No, we can't."
This time, he was silent for a moment. I thought he might cry, but suddenly he hugged me tightly around the waist.
"Ann."
What did you just say? I stared at Robert, wide-eyed. Did I just hear what I thought I heard?
"Ann, Ann."
"..."
Robert called me again.
Oh my. I was stunned, frozen in place. Robert's voice clearly called out my name. He lifted his head slightly and looked up at me. His violet eyes, wet with tears, sparkled with earnestness. The sparkle felt like it was piercing my skin.
"Let's go, okay? Okay?"
Robert rubbed his face against my stomach and shook his body, throwing a cute tantrum. It was truly a 'cute' tantrum. He wasn't throwing things or being angry. It was as if I could see a rabbit's ears drooping from his blond hair. Robert was using his cutest expression to coax me.
"Ann, let's goooโ"
"Ugh."
Moreover, I was weak against such tantrums. It was easier to deal with him when he was angry.
Robert raised his heels. The sparkle seemed to get closer. I covered my eyes with my hand, but it was no use.
"Okay? Okay? Ugh?"
"Ugh, uh."
The cuteness that felt like it was pricking my skin made my resolve crumble.
In the end, I gave in. I couldn't resist the deliberate cuteness. I was weak against cuteness. Maybe this was why the nanny gave in to Robert's tantrums! If so, I understood her.
"Yay! Yay!"
Robert beamed and looked around the forest. I held his small hand tightly and secretly sighed. If we get caught, it'll be