turned his head to check on Eitan. He was facing Vincent with a faint smile, but it seemed bitter.
"Do what you want. I won't force you."
"……."
"If you don't want to believe, you don't have to."
Eitan responded to Vincent's words as if they were light-hearted banter, like in the old days. Vincent closed his mouth, his tightly pressed lips seeming to express dissatisfaction.
A moment of silence passed. It was a very short time, but the atmosphere felt heavy and long.
I looked back and forth between the two. Vincent looked like he had a lot to say but couldn't easily bring himself to speak, while Eitan, though not avoiding Vincent's gaze, seemed somewhat uncomfortable. What was going on? From their seemingly unchanged appearances, I sensed a strange tension.
Soon, a sigh was heard. Vincent furrowed his brows and pressed them with his hand.
"Right, you have no reason to lie. I misunderstood."
A somewhat weary voice reached my ears.
Vincent seemed to have finished his business and was about to turn around. I hurriedly stopped him.
"Ah, over there!"
But in my haste, I grabbed his wrist. Vincent stopped abruptly. I quickly let go and took a step back.
Vincent's gaze fell on me again. My waist involuntarily bowed deeply.
"What is it?"
"I, I, I was just wondering if you were okay from the other day."
Because he had ignored me that day, I hadn't been able to ask properly. I was curious if everything had gone well, and if he was feeling better now, given that he hadn't been in good shape then.
Or if he had any injuries. I had cut my hand, and I was worried if he had been hurt anywhere. He looked fine on the surface, but could he have been cut in a place that wasn't visible?
I mustered the courage to ask, thinking this might be my last chance. But there was no response. Perhaps he was trying to figure out which 'other day' I was referring to. So I was about to clarify.
"I'm fine."
A light answer followed.
The footsteps soon grew distant. I straightened up and looked at Vincent's retreating back. When I turned back to Eitan, his face had lost its smile, as if lost in thought. I kept alternating my gaze between the two.
"Vincent."
Suddenly, Eitan called out to Vincent again. I thought he wouldn't turn around, but Vincent stopped and slightly turned his upper body.
His face, directed toward me, was stern, but I could read the complex emotions behind it.
"It's been a while, and I'm glad to see you, even if it's late."
"……."
A gentle voice lingered in the air. Despite this, Vincent showed no particular reaction. After a moment of indifferent staring, he turned around again. The heavy footsteps as he walked away were no different from before. Eitan, who didn't seem to expect an answer from Vincent, turned to me with a playful smile.
"I owe you again."
"Yes, thank you for your help."
While I politely expressed my gratitude, my mind kept going back to the interaction between Eitan and Vincent just now.
If I wasn't mistaken, something was going on between them. The tension I had felt before was still there, and it seemed even thicker now.
But I didn't press the issue. I wanted to ask, but Eitan's playful attitude seemed to suggest I shouldn't.
"A moment ago, the atmosphere seemed bad, but now it doesn't seem so bad? What happened between the two of you?"
"A few nights ago, I met the master in the hallway, and something happened then."
I gave a vague explanation, thinking a detailed one would be a headache.
"Nighttime... I see."
To my surprise, Eitan nodded without pressing further.
"Was the colored ink Vincent mentioned the one Lucas used to write letters with? I remember seeing it before. He used to add color to that white liquid, right?"
Was that it? The ink I received had color in it.
"Where did you get it?"
"A colleague I know got it for me. He said he borrowed it from an acquaintance."
"Hmm. I see."
Eitan said it casually. I was momentarily puzzled but then thought he might have received the already colored ink. There was another issue, though.
"Why did you say that? About me being a servant of your family?"
"If we're going to lie, it's better to do it perfectly."
"Excuse me?"
"Life needs hardships and trials, after all."
What nonsense was this?
"I've been thinking about what Pola said the other day. She said she hoped Vincent wouldn't find out, right? I'll help make sure that happens. We'll deceive him thoroughly and perfectly, okay?"
"What are you thinking?"
"I want to help make Pola's wish come true."
"…Why?"
"Can't I help?"
"It doesn't seem like a good intention. You also said it shouldn't be done. Your words don't match."
"Well, Pola and I have a mutually beneficial relationship. Remember that offer?"
I chuckled. Of course, I remembered. I had made the offer to make him an ally in the crisis of an unexpected guest. I hadn't expected him to accept it.
And he was still the same. I thought he had changed, but he was still a headache. If he had genuinely helped, I would have been grateful.
A chuckle escaped me. Eitan smiled even more broadly.
"Of course, you're curious, right?"
"About what?"
"Which side is telling the truth."
At that moment, I felt a chill as if cold water had been poured over me. My raised lips dropped. My mind, which had been relaxed, tightened. The moment I understood what his curved eyes held, I realized I had fallen into my own trap.
It had already begun.
The bet between him and me.
Damn!
When I opened the door and entered, Alicia rushed at me. She grabbed my arm and forced me to sit on the bed. A sigh escaped me, as I had expected this reaction.
"Why are you like this?"
"You, how do you know that man?"
"Who?"
"Count Christopher? That man! I heard he's a friend of the master."
She must have heard that much. How should I explain this? Telling the whole story would be troublesome, but not answering would only make her more persistent.
"Just, somehow, I got to know him."
"How? How do you know him? Could it be that the mansion you worked at before was his? Was he the master you served back then? ...No, right? You said you ran away because you were in trouble at your workplace."
"Why bring that up suddenly?"
"Why not! When else would you have the chance to meet a nobleman?"
It was a sharp observation. Indeed, if I were to meet a nobleman, it would have been then. Even Alicia could sense the warmth in Eitan's attitude toward me.
"Tell me! Is it true, or not?!"
Alicia urged me for an answer. After a moment of thought, I opened my mouth.
"No."
"No?"
"Yes. I didn't work there."
I almost lied but decided to be honest to avoid putting Eitan in an awkward position. Given Alicia's threatening demeanor, lying might have caused trouble. Instead, I didn't give a detailed explanation.
But Alicia's expression seemed oddly relieved upon hearing my answer. Why was she reacting this way? I frowned and looked at her. She turned away from me, muttering softly.
"Of course not."
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing. Mind your own business!"
She was irritable after asking the question herself.
"But I thought you wanted to leave here quickly. Seeing how you stayed when the trial period was extended, it seems you didn't."
"That's not it. I have my reasons."
"Hmph! As if. You sly girl."
Why did I have to be called a sly girl?
"Then how do you know that man?"
"I don't know."
"What? Hey!"
I didn't want to talk to Alicia anymore. I flopped onto the bed and pulled the sheet over my head. Despite her wild movements and harsh words, I closed my ears and eyes. Ignoring her was the best approach in such situations.
* * *
In the end, most of the people who came here with me left the mansion when the trial period ended. A few, including myself and Alicia, whose trial periods were extended, stayed.
Just as they had entered in a group, they left in a group. The empty mansion was soon filled with new people. Seeing the striking appearances of some of them, I was reminded of when I first arrived. It didn't feel like it had been that long, yet that time seemed distant. I wondered why they recruited servants this way, but the reason remained a mystery.
Looking at the excited faces of those who were looking forward to new experiences in their new living space, I turned around. The sound of my footsteps grew increasingly heavy with each step.
I stopped in front of the first door I saw at the top of the stairs and sighed.
I prayed that Eitan wouldn't do anything. Since my trial period had been extended against my will, I desperately wanted to stay quiet.
But my hope seemed unlikely to be fulfilled, given the trap Eitan had set. I found myself in the position of serving him diligently.
Standing in front of the heavy door, I sighed deeply. I knocked, but there was no answer. I knocked again, but still no response. So I opened the door and entered. The room was deathly quiet.
I glanced around and placed the meal I had brought on the table. Then I pulled open the curtains that had been tightly shut. When I turned around, a round shape on the bed moved to avoid the sunlight. It had been a while since morning, and Eitan was still sprawled on the bed, having skipped breakfast.
"Get up. It's already lunchtime."
He had said he would stay here for a few days, but he was being incredibly lazy.
Since he decided to stay at this mansion, Eitan had slept all day. For days, he had barely eaten, slept, and continued sleeping. I thought he had come for a vacation, but it seemed he had come to catch up on his winter sleep.
When I pulled the sheet, he held on to it to prevent me from taking it.
"Get up."
"Mmm... just a little more..."
"How much more?"
"Five minutes, or ten?"
"Why don't you use that time to wash up, change clothes, and eat? It would be more useful, don't you think?"
"I'll use that useful time in twenty minutes."
The requested time had increased.
"Just get up now."
"I'm on vacation, so I'll sleep more."
"Go for a walk instead."
"I don't know... "
He was acting unusually childish, turning his body to the other side to resist having the sheet taken away. I chuckled and pulled the sheet with all my strength. The round shape rolled slightly, revealing messy brown hair. His face was still buried in the sheet.