It didn't seem like he would eat it later at all. He looked like he was going to go to bed and sleep until evening.
I tried to pull the sheet off a few more times, but eventually gave up. I didn't want to wake him up by force if he didn't want to. When I let go of the sheet, Ethan quickly moved to the other side of the bed. I shrugged and looked around the room.
The room was cleaner than I expected. Audrey had brought the maids to prepare the room for Ethan's unexpected stay. They removed the cloths covering the furniture to keep the dust off, replaced the curtains and sheets with new ones, and cleaned the room thoroughly to prepare for the guest. Ethan stayed without much complaint, probably because he had his eyes closed all day and didn't have time to complain.
After looking around the room, I looked down at Ethan again. The shape that had fled to the other side of the bed to avoid me was still motionless. It was a strangely familiar scene, and I chuckled at the unexpected memory.
"Mr. Ethan. You could die in your sleep like this."
"…I won't die."
"I know a story about someone who died in their sleep. Would you like to hear it?"
I recounted in detail the story of a young man who hadn't been seen for several days, and when the villagers came to his house, they found him dead in his sleep. Of course, the man had died from overwork, but I didn't mention that part.
I had heard this story from colleagues I used to work with. There were many rumors about the man's death, such as how he was too exhausted to even breathe, how he stumbled when he walked, and how he had a pre-existing condition, but no one was particularly surprised by his death because it was a common occurrence.
As I was about to recount the detailed story of the man's death, the round shape moved again. Ethan soon revealed his face, and he was frowning, which was rare.
"What do you want me to do?"
"I said it would be good to wash up and have lunch."
I pointed to the lunch I had placed on the table. Seeing his condition, I had brought lunch separately, thinking he might skip it again today. Ethan nodded with a reluctant expression.
I smiled and pulled the sheet tightly wrapped around his body. I was afraid he would change his mind and bury himself in the sheet again if I didn't remove it quickly.
But then I realized his body was naked and hesitated.
"I'll take a quick bath, so bring me some water."
"Ah, I understand."
I tried to hide my embarrassment and went to the bathroom to fetch the water. I filled a basin with water and checked the temperature. It was quite cold, but I filled it anyway.
When I returned with the wash water, Ethan was sitting on the bed, blinking. His dazed face suggested he was still shaking off sleep.
I placed the basin on the side table and handed him a towel. Ethan, still half-asleep, splashed water on his face and suddenly opened his eyes wide. Seeing his shoulders shiver, I suppressed a smile. This was payback for making me work hard.
The cold water seemed to wake him up, and he finished his meal without any trouble.
"What should we do now?"
"Do something other than sleep. Like a walk."
"I don't really want to leave the room…"
Ethan, who had crawled back into bed, grumbled softly while rubbing his face against the pillow. I neatly arranged the empty dishes and stretched my back.
"Then read a book."
"I don't really feel like reading."
"Then lie on the bed and look out the window."
I turned around firmly and left the room with the dishes. I went to the kitchen to return the empty dishes and gathered some cleaning tools. I planned to clean the room today. Since Ethan didn't welcome other servants, I was in charge of cleaning his room. I hadn't been able to clean it properly because he had been asleep late into the night. So now, with him awake, it was the perfect opportunity.
When I returned to the room, Ethan was lying on the bed again. His eyes were wide open, but unfocused, suggesting he had just woken up. I looked at him pitifully and rolled up my sleeves.
"I'm going to clean the room. Can you move aside for a moment?"
"I'm fine, just go ahead."
"The dust might be bad for your health."
"I'm fine."
Ethan shook his head while rubbing his face against the pillow. He showed no intention of leaving. So, I started cleaning without further nagging.
I opened all the windows and first shook out the carpet. I folded the shaken-out carpet to one side and climbed a small ladder to replace the curtains with new ones. Then, I moved the bedridden Ethan to the side and changed the bed sheets and pillowcases.
I tried to change the sheet, but Ethan was still wrapped in it. Seeing him tightly wrapped in the sheet, I hesitated. He looked at me blankly.
'Should I ask him to let go?'
As I pondered, a hint of annoyance flashed across his face when he saw the new sheet in my hand. His firm grip on the sheet conveyed his determination not to let go. I shrugged and left the new sheet on the bed. He could do it himself.
I folded the used bed sheets and pillowcases and placed them next to the carpet. Next, I cleaned the fireplace and swept the floor with a broom, carefully sweeping every corner and mopping it.
As I was admiring the shiny floor and wiping it with satisfaction, I felt a gaze from behind.
Ethan, who had been lying on the bed, sat up and watched me. I thought he would go back to sleep, but he lay down, sat up again, and now he was sitting with his chin in his hand, openly watching me. And more than that.
"What are you putting on?"
"I'm applying a polish to make the floor shine."
"Hmm, interesting."
From that moment on, he started asking questions one after another: "What's that?" "What's that?" "How do you do that?" I finished cleaning the windows, laid the carpet back down, and went to the bathroom to clean the bathtub. He even dragged a chair over to watch me.
I pretended not to notice his gaze, rinsed the soap off the bathtub with water, and stood up. I stretched my stiff body and looked around the now clean room. It was quite satisfying.
I dried my wet feet with a towel, put on my shoes, and straightened my wrinkled clothes. I looked around the room again and gathered the cleaning tools and laundry. Ethan, who had been watching me, asked:
"What are you going to do now?"
"I'm done cleaning, so I'm leaving."
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly stood up. The sheet that had been wrapped around his body slowly fell. I turned to the opposite side, thinking I should help him get dressed, but before I could, Ethan grabbed my shoulder and pushed me out of the room.
"Wait a moment."
"Uh, okay?"
I turned around in confusion, only to find the door already closed. I had been chased out. It was absurd to ask for help and then chase me away. I was bewildered but decided to wait patiently.
After a while, Ethan opened the door and came out. He looked much neater than when he was rolling around on the bed, with his hair neatly combed.
Ethan handed me the sheet he had been wrapped in. As I took it, I looked him up and down.
"Are you going out?"
"No."
He was clearly dressed to go out. Or had he changed his mind and decided to take a walk? It didn't matter to me, so I shrugged and turned around.
As I walked down the corridor, I heard footsteps following me. The footsteps continued even as I went down the stairs to the basement.
At first, I thought we were going the same way, but when he followed me to the basement, I realized something was wrong. The servants who were coming up the stairs glanced at Ethan following me. I stopped and turned around urgently. Ethan, who had been looking around, hesitated and slowly looked at me.
"You shouldn't follow me down here."
"I understand."
He gave a compliant answer. I narrowed my eyes and continued down to the basement. He didn't follow me any further.
I organized the cleaning tools and handed the laundry to the laundress.
"I need the new ones in advance."
"Oh, I haven't collected the ones I hung out yet."
The laundress, looking troubled, turned around and stood in front of two baskets of laundry. It seemed too much for her to carry alone. I approached her and offered to help.
"I'll help you."
She hesitated, saying it was fine, but I smiled and lifted the basket. She muttered that one person was missing today and accepted my help.
We walked up the stairs together, with the laundress leading the way. As we headed for the back door, someone suddenly appeared beside us.
"Are you done with your work?"
Both the laundress and I were startled and stepped back. I clutched my chest. Turning my head, I saw Ethan.
Why was he still here... Ethan had appeared from the corner leading to the back door. I thought he had gone for a walk when I didn't see him on the stairs. Could he have been waiting here?
"Uh, uh, uh?"
The laundress, who had made eye contact with Ethan, was flustered.