Fortunately, I hadn't seen Vincent since that day. He didn't live here and only visited occasionally. Even when he did visit, unless he went out of his way to meet the servants, there was no chance of us crossing paths. I only saw him from a distance or brushed past him as I walked by. He didn't remember me, and I didn't bother to pretend we knew each other.
The probationary period is three months. Anyway, I have to leave here when it's over. It's probably for the best. Since this isn't the Stella Earl's residence but the Bellunita Earl's, I can't stay here any longer. This isn't the grand mansion or the annex where I used to live, and there's no butler to threaten me. So, I almost adapted to this place without realizing it.
I reminded myself of why I had fled from here. No matter how strange the situation is now, it doesn't matter anymore. I shouldn't get too comfortable here. I'll leave when the time comes. It might be fine now, but I don't know when or where the butler might find me.
There are less than two months left. Alicia will try her best to stay, so I'll have to leave alone then. This isn't a place where I can settle, but it might not be too bad for Alicia to live in the future. I didn't hope for employment, and even if I were hired, I planned to leave by making an excuse that I didn't fit in here.
Whether I hope for it or not, the end will come.
I need to save as much as I can until then.
'After all, he doesn't need me anymore.'
My position in this mansion has truly disappeared. I laughed to shake off the bitterness. What did I expect? It's a good thing.
But life doesn't go as I plan. Our meeting continued in a different way.
"Master Robert?"
As usual, I opened the door to attend to Robert, but the room was empty. The nanny had gone out early this morning, so I had been taking care of him alone, preparing breakfast and lunch. Then, while I was briefly in the kitchen, Robert disappeared.
But I quickly figured out where he was.
I found Robert struggling to climb up the horse-shaped iron stand. I wondered how he could climb up something I found difficult, but he was stepping on the square base that supported the iron stand's legs and jumping up. It seemed he had done this more than once.
"Master Robert!"
Robert turned his head in surprise at my shout. He looked flustered when he saw me. At the same time, his awkwardly perched body slipped and fell, and I rushed to catch him. It could have been a disaster.
"Don't scold me."
"I won't scold you."
"Can I go up with you?"
I also struggled and climbed up behind Robert. His round, purple eyes looked back at me. I held onto the horse's neck with one hand and Robert's small body with the other. From this height, the view outside the window was much wider.
Robert's gaze was fixed on something beyond the window. Watching his face as he searched for something made me feel strange.
"What do you see?"
"There's a tree. There's grass."
"You can see flowers too."
"Yeah. There are flowers."
"What color are they?"
"Yellow."
"Are there red or white ones too?"
"Yeah."
His small head nodded. I asked him about the sky, the state of the soil, and the appearance of the trees—silly questions. Robert answered each one diligently. I hoped he would forget his longing for a while.
"Hey, Robert."
"..."
"Hey, Robert."
"Yes."
"Is your mother coming?"
I frowned for a moment, then quickly relaxed and looked down at Robert. Robert was still looking out the window, his large eyes blinking blankly.
"Yes, she's coming."
"Wow, really?"
"Do you miss her a lot?"
"Yeah. I miss her. This much."
Robert made a big circle with his hands, trying to express his large heart. He said he could wait patiently, and I found his smile pitiful. I hugged his small body and patted him.
"Even if you miss her, you're doing a good job waiting. You're so well-behaved."
"Am I well-behaved?"
"Yes, you are."
"Then can I stay up here?"
Robert didn't share my sentiment. He accurately understood my intention to let him ride for a while and then make him get down. I sighed at his cunning. I tried to smile and answer, but Robert laughed again and looked out the window.
"Robert."
Suddenly, a voice called out, and I looked down in surprise. Vincent was standing there, I don't know when he arrived. I froze at his appearance, while Robert called out "Vincent!" and smiled widely.
Vincent frowned.
"I told you it's dangerous."
Robert's face turned gloomy at the angry tone. He buried his face in my chest, pretending not to hear. Vincent's frown deepened as he watched. His sharp gaze fixed on me, and I quickly turned to look at the horse's head, feeling embarrassed. It was awkward enough that I was riding along with the young Robert.
A sigh sounded in my ear.
"Get down. It's dangerous."
Vincent extended his hand. I tried to lift Robert out of my arms. Robert struggled, refusing to get down. I finally managed to pull him out and carefully lowered him. Vincent caught Robert's small body and held him in his arms, then immediately patted his head.
"Stop climbing up. It's dangerous. If you do it one more time, I'll leave you here."
"That's unfair!"
"It's not unfair, it's fair."
"Is it fair?"
"Yes. It's mine, so I can do what I want with it."
You're really good at talking to kids. I looked down at Vincent, who was threatening Robert, with disdain. He seemed like the most pitiful man in the world, threatening a child not to climb up again because it was his.
I swayed my hips, preparing to get down, when a hand suddenly reached out. Vincent, who had just put Robert down, extended his hand to me.
"Take it."
"Excuse me?"
"It's too high for you to get down alone."
I was flustered and alternated my gaze between his hand and face. He wiggled his fingers, urging me to take it. I steadied my trembling heart and slowly took his hand.
His warmth was comforting. It's nothing. He's just helping because it looks hard for a woman to get down alone. It's a courtesy any gentleman would offer. I reminded myself of this and jumped down to the floor.
It was indeed high. I felt like I was floating. It was like falling into an endless abyss. I squeezed my eyes shut in fear and lost my balance.
But a soft touch enveloped me. Instinctively, I clung to something. When I opened my eyes, I saw golden hair swaying near my chest. My legs dangled in the air.
I ended up hugging his head.
"Ah!"
I gasped and let go, causing my body to stagger backward. He quickly wrapped his arm around my back to catch me. To regain my balance, I had to grab his head again. I almost pulled out his hair when I heard a groan from below. I stepped back in panic.
"I'm sorry."
"Stay still. I understand."
I took a step closer to him, who still hadn't responded. It was ominous. D, did something really bad happen? Did I cut off the lineage of the Bellunita Earl's family? In my despair, I suddenly heard a burst of laughter.
"Ha ha ha!"
Joelle was standing behind us, I don't know when she arrived. Beside her, Alicia had wide eyes, and Johnny looked devastated. Only Joelle was clutching her stomach, sobbing with laughter.
"You."
Vincent slowly lifted his head. His pale face and piercing eyes glared at me fiercely.
"Who are you again?"
I swallowed hard at his clenched-teeth question. I never imagined such a reunion.
Not at all.
The probationary period is less than two months away. Alicia will do her best to stay, so I'll have to leave alone then. This isn't a place where I can settle, but it might not be too bad for Alicia to live in the future. I didn't hope for employment, and even if I were hired, I planned to leave by making an excuse that I didn't fit in here.
Whether I hope for it or not, the end will come.
I need to save as much as I can until then.
'After all, he doesn't need me anymore.'
My position in this mansion has truly disappeared. I laughed to shake off the bitterness. What did I expect? It's a good thing.
But life doesn't go as I plan. Our meeting continued in a different way.
"Master Robert?"
As usual, I opened the door to attend to Robert, but the room was empty. The nanny had gone out early this morning, so I had been taking care of him alone, preparing breakfast and lunch. Then, while I was briefly in the kitchen, Robert disappeared.
But I quickly figured out where he was.
I found Robert struggling to climb up the horse-shaped iron stand. I wondered how he could climb up something I found difficult, but he was stepping on the square base that supported the iron stand's legs and jumping up. It seemed he had done this more than once.
"Master Robert!"
Robert turned his head in surprise at my shout. He looked flustered when he saw me. At the same time, his awkwardly perched body slipped and fell, and I rushed to catch him. It could have been a disaster.
"Don't scold me."
"I won't scold you."
"Can I go up with you?"
I also struggled and climbed up behind Robert. His round, purple eyes looked back at me. I held onto the horse's neck with one hand and Robert's small body with the other. From this height, the view outside the window was much wider.
Robert's gaze was fixed on something beyond the window. Watching his face as he searched for something made me feel strange.
"What do you see?"
"There's a tree. There's grass."
"You can see flowers too."
"Yeah. There are flowers."
"What color are they?"
"Yellow."
"Are there red or white ones too?"
"Yeah."
His small head nodded. I asked him about the sky, the state of the soil, and the appearance of the trees—silly questions. Robert answered each one diligently. I hoped he would forget his longing for a while.
"Hey, Robert."
"..."
"Hey, Robert."
"Yes."
"Is your mother coming?"
I frowned for a moment, then quickly relaxed and looked down at Robert. Robert was still looking out the window, his large eyes blinking blankly.
"Yes, she's coming."
"Wow, really?"
"Do you miss her a lot?"
"Yeah. I miss her. This much."
Robert made a big circle with his hands, trying to express his large heart. He said he could wait patiently, and I found his smile pitiful. I hugged his small body and patted him.
"Even if you miss her, you're doing a good job waiting. You're so well-behaved."
"Am I well-behaved?"
"Yes, you are."
"Then can I stay up here?"
Robert didn't share my sentiment. He accurately understood my intention to let him ride for a while and then make him get down. I sighed at his cunning. I tried to smile and answer, but Robert laughed again and looked out the window.
"Robert."
Suddenly, a voice called out, and I looked down in surprise. Vincent was standing there, I don't know when he arrived. I froze at his appearance, while Robert called out "Vincent!" and smiled widely.
Vincent frowned.
"I told you it's dangerous."
Robert's face turned gloomy at the angry tone. He buried his face in my chest, pretending not to hear. Vincent's frown deepened as he watched. His sharp gaze fixed on me, and I quickly turned to look at the horse's head, feeling embarrassed. It was awkward enough that I was riding along with the young Robert.
A sigh sounded in my ear.
"Get down. It's dangerous."
Vincent extended his hand. I tried to lift Robert out of my arms. Robert struggled, refusing to get down. I finally managed to pull him out and carefully lowered him. Vincent caught Robert's small body and held him in his arms, then immediately patted his head.
"Stop climbing up. It's dangerous. If you do it one more time, I'll leave you here."
"That's unfair!"
"It's not unfair, it's fair."
"Is it fair?"
"Yes. It's mine, so I can do what I want with it."
You're really good at talking to kids. I looked down at Vincent, who was threatening Robert, with disdain. He seemed like the most pitiful man in the world, threatening a child not to climb up again because it was his.
I swayed my hips, preparing to get down, when a hand suddenly reached out. Vincent, who had just put Robert down, extended his hand to me.
"Take it."
"Excuse me?"
"It's too high for you to get down alone."
I was flustered and alternated my gaze between his hand and face. He wiggled his fingers, urging me to take it. I steadied my trembling heart and slowly took his hand.
His warmth was comforting. It's nothing. He's just helping because it looks hard for a woman to get down alone. It's a courtesy any gentleman would offer. I reminded myself of this and jumped down to the floor.
It was indeed high. I felt like I was floating. It was like falling into an endless abyss. I squeezed my eyes shut in fear and lost my balance.
But a soft touch enveloped me. Instinctively, I clung to something. When I opened my eyes, I saw golden hair swaying near my chest. My legs dangled in the air.
I ended up hugging his head.
"Ah!"
I gasped and let go, causing my body to stagger backward. He quickly wrapped his arm around my back to catch me. To regain my balance, I had to grab his head again. I almost pulled out his hair when I heard a groan from below. I stepped back in panic.
"I'm sorry."
"Stay still. I understand."
I took a step closer to him, who still hadn't responded. It was ominous. D, did something really bad happen? Did I cut off the lineage of the Bellunita Earl's family? In my despair, I suddenly heard a burst of laughter.
"Ha ha ha!"
Joelle was standing behind us, I don't know when she arrived. Beside her, Alicia had wide eyes, and Johnny looked devastated. Only Joelle was clutching her stomach, sobbing with laughter.
"Vincent, are you okay?"
"..."
"Are you okay? Yes?"
"..."
I took another step closer to him, who still hadn't responded. It was ominous. D, did something really bad happen? Did I cut off the lineage of the Bellunita Earl's family? In my despair, I suddenly heard a burst of laughter.
"Ha ha ha!"
Joelle was standing behind us, I don't know when she arrived. Beside her, Alicia had wide eyes, and Johnny looked devastated. Only Joelle was clutching her stomach, sobbing with laughter.
"Vincent, are you okay?"
"..."
"Are you okay? Yes?"
"..."
I took a step closer to him, who still hadn't responded. It was ominous. D, did something really bad happen? Did I cut off the lineage of the Bellunita Earl's family? In my despair, I suddenly heard a burst of laughter.
"Ha ha ha!"
Joelle was standing behind us, I don't know when she arrived. Beside her, Alicia had wide eyes, and Johnny looked devastated. Only Joelle was clutching her stomach, sobbing with laughter.
"Vincent, are you okay?"
"..."
"Are you okay? Yes?"
"..."
I took a step closer to him, who still hadn't responded. It was ominous. D, did something really bad happen? Did I cut off the lineage of the Bellunita Earl's family? In my despair, I suddenly heard a burst of laughter.
"Ha ha ha!"
Joelle was standing behind us, I don't know when she arrived. Beside her, Alicia had wide eyes, and Johnny looked devastated. Only Joelle was clutching her stomach, sobbing with laughter.
"Vincent, are you okay?"
"..."
"Are you okay? Yes?"
"..."
I took a step closer to him, who still hadn't responded. It was ominous. D, did something really bad happen? Did I cut off the lineage of the Bellunita Earl's family? In my despair, I suddenly heard a burst of laughter.
"Ha ha ha!"
Joelle was standing behind us, I don't know when she arrived. Beside her, Alicia had wide eyes, and Johnny looked devastated. Only Joelle was clutching her stomach, sobbing with laughter.
"Vincent, are you okay?"
"..."
"Are you okay? Yes?"
"..."
I took a step closer to him, who still hadn't responded. It was ominous. D, did something really bad happen? Did I cut off the lineage of the Bellunita Earl's family? In my despair, I suddenly heard a burst of laughter.
"Ha ha ha!"
Joelle was standing behind us, I don't know when she arrived. Beside her, Alicia had wide eyes, and Johnny looked devastated. Only Joelle was clutching her stomach, sobbing with laughter.
"Vincent, are you okay?"
"..."
"Are you okay? Yes?"
"..."
I took a step closer to him, who still hadn't responded. It was ominous. D, did something really bad happen? Did I cut off the lineage of the Bellunita Earl's family? In my despair, I suddenly heard a burst of laughter.
"Ha ha ha!"
Joelle was standing behind us, I don't know when she arrived. Beside her, Alicia had wide eyes, and Johnny looked devastated. Only Joelle was clutching her stomach, sobbing with laughter.
"Vincent, are you okay?"
"..."
"Are you okay? Yes?"
"..."
I took a step closer to him, who still hadn't responded. It was ominous. D, did something really bad happen? Did I cut off the lineage of the Bellunita Earl's family? In my despair, I suddenly heard a burst of laughter.
"Ha ha ha!"
Joelle was standing behind us, I don't know when she arrived. Beside her, Alicia had wide eyes, and Johnny looked devastated. Only Joelle was clutching her stomach, sobbing with laughter.
"Vincent, are you okay?"
"..."
"Are you okay? Yes?"
"..."
I took a step closer to him, who still hadn't responded. It was ominous. D, did something really bad happen? Did I cut off the lineage of the Bellunita Earl's family? In my despair, I suddenly heard a burst of laughter.
"Ha ha ha!"
Joelle was standing behind us, I don't know when she arrived. Beside her, Alicia had wide eyes, and Johnny looked devastated. Only Joelle was clutching her stomach, sobbing with laughter.
"Vincent, are you okay?"
"..."
"Are you okay? Yes?"
"..."
I took a step closer to him, who still hadn't responded. It was ominous. D, did something really bad happen? Did I cut off the lineage of the Bellunita Earl's family? In my despair, I suddenly heard a burst of laughter.
"Ha ha ha!"
Joelle was standing behind us, I don't know when she arrived. Beside her, Alicia had wide eyes, and Johnny looked devastated. Only Joelle was clutching her stomach, sobbing with laughter.
"Vincent, are you okay?"
"..."
"Are you okay? Yes?"
"..."
I took a step closer to him, who still hadn't responded. It was ominous. D, did something really bad happen?