"Helping you twice, you'll kill someone and say sorry. Or is that how you treat those who help you?"
"......"
That mouth of his is still as sharp. But since it was my fault, even if I had ten mouths, I had nothing to say. I silently accepted his scolding. Vincent seemed to want to say more but couldn't bring himself to speak of the incident, so he seemed to be trying to calm down. Meanwhile, Joel had been laughing mindlessly the whole time.
"It's, it's okay, hahaha, Vincent, hahaha. You should see the doctor's reaction, hahaha."
"Shut your mouth."
"Hahaha!"
But Joel kept laughing, and Vincent's fierce gaze turned back to me. My head dropped. I tried to hide behind Johnny, but he moved aside. I pleaded with my eyes for him not to, but Johnny was firm.
"You have to deal with it."
What a jerk. In the end, I had to face the terrifying moment alone.
That day, I seriously considered running away again.
He came to see Robert every time he visited, so after that, there were several more uncomfortable situations. His displeased gaze soon turned to indifference. Occasionally, Joel would jokingly mention the incident, and I would secretly break out in a cold sweat.
Alicia, another witness to the incident, seemed conflicted about whether she envied the situation or not.
Even now, thinking about that day makes my face flush. I thought I would be punished, but he didn't take any action, perhaps for the sake of his reputation. Fortunately, he kicked me in the thigh instead of a more sensitive area, so I avoided a worse fate. But I was clear about how he now viewed me.
This time, I avoided him for a different reason.
"Ah..."
It happened when I brought Robert's dessert to his room. There was someone inside. An adult man holding a child. Even though I only saw his back, I recognized him immediately.
While I was startled and stopped in my tracks, Vincent also noticed me and turned around. As his gaze fell on me, I instinctively bowed my head. I absentmindedly touched my bangs. Surprised by his unexpected appearance, I glanced up, and he recognized me and frowned. Seeing his displeased face, I felt tense.
He raised his index finger to his lips, signaling me to be quiet.
"Shh."
Shh? Oh, shh. Shh. I followed his lead, placing my finger to my lips and nodding awkwardly. Vincent turned his gaze away and patted Robert's back with his large hand.
"Oh... Ni... Ni..."
A soft, tearful voice came from Robert. Up close, I could see that his face was swollen from crying. He had cried again. Robert's longing for his mother was significant. He often cried and whined in his sleep. I was curious about what kind of person Robert's mother was.
Vincent gently stroked Robert's head. It was a calm, careful, and familiar gesture. After a moment of whining, Robert's breathing became steady again.
Bright light streamed in through the large window. Vincent's short, messy blonde hair shimmered in the sunlight. Robert rubbed his chubby cheeks and grumbled. Vincent adjusted his position familiarly.
The two of them seemed to blend into the light.
Not bad, they suit each other.
"Why are you looking at us like that?"
Vincent, who had turned around, frowned.
"No, no, I'm not."
I immediately lowered my gaze and bowed.
Before long, the only sound in the room was the child's steady breathing. After laying the fully asleep Robert in bed, Vincent left the room.
I, still holding the silver tray with the dessert, glanced at the sleeping Robert and headed out. I walked quietly and closed the door gently.
"You."
The trouble I had forgotten about found me.
Seeing his fierce eyes, I instinctively raised the silver tray to cover my face.
"Do, do you want to eat it?"
Even I thought it was an odd thing to say.
"What?"
He seemed equally bewildered.
"I brought it for young master, but he's sleeping. If you don't eat it, it will melt. Once it melts, it won't taste good, and it would be a waste. If, if you like sweets... No, even if you don't, no, that is, um..."
My words became jumbled as I babbled. What was I trying to say?
My voice gradually faded, but he didn't say anything more. An awkward silence filled the air.
Not knowing how to end the situation, I was at a loss when the silver tray suddenly felt lighter. Looking down, I saw him leaning against the window, holding the dessert I had brought for Robert.
The dessert was a chocolate cake. He broke off a piece of the dark cake with a fork and put it in his mouth. He chewed it slowly. There was no sudden scolding for my odd suggestion. He started eating the cake as if he really enjoyed it.
I couldn't help but smile. Not only his attitude, but his face lit up as he took a bite. Even though he tried to hide it, it seemed to suit his taste. His face was stern, but he looked oddly satisfied. He still likes sweets, it seems.
"Would you like some tea?"
Worried that the cake might be too dry, I poured tea into the cup I had brought. But the drink for the child was not tea but honey-sweetened milk. Seeing the white milk, I was again taken aback. He, looking down at the white milk with me, silently took the cup I offered and drank the milk.
"It's sweet."
"It has honey in it."
"It's perfect for a child's taste."
And the man in front of me was included in that "child's taste." He drank the sweet milk without hesitation.
I held the silver tray and, after a moment, stood beside him. He didn't tell me to leave. He didn't even look at me, as if he didn't care.
Silence filled the corridor, just the two of us. It was quiet, but not uncomfortable. Perhaps because his enjoyment of the sweets reminded me of old memories.
"What's your name again?"
"Excuse me?"
"Your name."
"Oh, I told you before, but you don't remember?"
"Before?"
His voice grew harsh. I quickly shook my head, indicating it wasn't the time he had asked me who I was, when I couldn't answer and just observed him. Joel had allowed me to leave after laughing for a while.
"I, I greeted you before."
"..."
"I've met you and greeted you twice."
"Do I have to remember everyone I meet?"
His tone was clearly mocking, but I was surprised for a different reason. He really seemed to have forgotten meeting me twice.
Usually, people don't forget my face. They say I'm too plain, the opposite of Alicia, which is why they remember me more and frown.
I thought he would be surprised to see my face.
"Do you not remember?"
"You didn't stand out."
"Are you talking about me?"
"Who else is here besides you?"
His voice was cold. Since that incident, he had shown his emotions towards me. Usually, it was annoyance, and now it was even more so.
But I was really puzzled. Was he pretending not to remember?
No, his indifferent emerald eyes told a different story. I finally realized. He really didn't care about me. He had forgotten the face of a servant he had seen twice.
I felt strange. I didn't know whether to be bitter about his rudeness in forgetting someone or grateful for not treating me as special.
Still, considering the previous incident and his willingness to eat the dessert I offered without embarrassment, it was Vincent's way of being considerate. Despite that, he was as prickly as ever.
Time had passed, but he hadn't changed.
"Anne... was it?"
But the name that came out of his mouth wasn't mine. I hesitated to answer. I had told him my name twice, but for some reason, I didn't want to answer now. Even though it wasn't my real name, I couldn't say it wasn't, so I chose silence.
"Remember it."
It didn't seem like he meant it in a good way.
I glanced at him as he enjoyed the remaining cake. His emerald eyes were clear, and his calm face showed no sign of distress. He really could see now. I had confirmed it many times, but it still amazed me every time.
Noticing my repeated glances, he slightly frowned. It seemed he was telling me to look away. I quickly looked at the floor.
"Is the nanny out?"
"Yes. She went to the main house early this morning. She often goes out to the main house when there's something to do."
"Does she go out frequently?"
"Recently, yes."
"How is Robert? Is there anything he finds inconvenient in his daily life?"
"Yes, he's doing well."
"Still often missing his mother?"
I hesitated for a moment. Had he overheard the conversation between Robert and me? I nodded a bit later.
"He doesn't often show it."
"Showing it wouldn't change anything."
It was a familiar statement. I had heard it from the nanny before.
Actually, Robert rarely threw tantrums about missing his mother. Even when he was with the nanny, he chattered a lot but didn't show such feelings. When he was scolded by the