The Count's Strange Guest (1)
***
– Isabella, you are still beautiful. Haven't changed at all.
“And you have matured, Sir Ethan.”
“Oh, you don’t need to flatter me.” I'm just getting old.
Ethan rubbed his chin and sat down on the couch. Isabella winked at me. I grabbed the tray, walked over and placed the glass in front of the guest.
- Thank you.
He smiled good-naturedly at me. It was so strange that a man of high status would be so kind to me even though I was just a servant.
“Vincent’s condition has deteriorated significantly since I last saw him. It wasn't so bad before. How long has he been in this room already?
- For about six months now.
- Six months... That's how it is.
Ethan smiled bitterly.
There was concern in his smile.
Apparently Ethan knew about Vincent's condition.
About the fact that he is blind.
If he knows where Vincent is hiding, something that even the servants don’t know, then apparently they have a very close relationship.
– I’m Vincent’s friend. A very close friend.
Ethan kindly added an explanation as I continued to stare at him without noticing. I immediately lowered my gaze and bowed my head.
- I'm sorry.
- Haha, you don't have to apologize. I heard you're new here.
- Yes.
“Well, the impression of you is completely different from that of the maid who worked here before.”
He looked at me searchingly.
I was so nervous that my whole body tensed up.
Fortunately, the topic of conversation quickly changed.
– Is Vincent always alone in the room?
- Yes.
“That situation... The situation that happened just now clearly demonstrates his condition.” I heard the news. A few more bad things have happened since I left. I was away for a while due to business... I understand that this is just an excuse, I should have been here.
“Sir Ethan, you did everything in your power.
Ethan smiled bitterly as he touched the cup of tea.
- Isabella. I chose family over my friend. This is true. I wasn't there for him when he needed me. I came to the conclusion that Vincent could handle it just fine on his own and left. But I didn't think Vincent would become like this...
– Ethan.
“I've never seen Vincent like this before.” Even when Count and Countess Bellunita died in an accident, his condition was not as serious as it is now.
Ethan's face darkened. He was very worried about his friend.
I can't understand his concern for another person. He felt other people's grief as if it were his own. Is this what they call friendship?
“So Vincent pretended to be so lonely and unhappy, when in fact he had such a good friend?” I can't understand how someone with such a disgusting character can have a friend.
“Isabella, I have to see him.” If I just come back with nothing, I won’t be able to sleep at night.
- I'll prepare a room for you.
Isabella looked at me. I nodded and left the living room.
***
– Do you like it?
- It'll do.
Vincent sighed and put the spoon in his mouth. The nobleman's unique elegance was felt in the way he chewed slowly, without making a sound.
Vincent recently started eating his own food. It was truly an amazing change. The day after that terrible night, as usual, I gave him a spoon and he slowly began to eat rice porridge. I was shocked that I finally achieved this.
– Your Adam’s apple is moving so intensely that it seems as if it is about to crack. Aren't you tired? If you eat like this, I think you will someday choke and die.
-You really know how to joke.
- I'm not joking.
Well, at least for now. I grumbled to myself, and yet I could not be moved at all by this scene of Vincent feeding himself. It felt like I had tamed the alley cat that lived next door to Uncle Mark's bakery.
- Aren't you feeling sick?
“Shut your mouth before I throw this plate at you.”
Still, it was an exciting change. However, the amount of food I ate disappointed me. Looking at the bowl of rice, which was not even half empty, I carefully suggested:
-Can you eat a little more?
- I'm full.
- Well, at least a little more.
- I'm full.
Vincent frowned. I bit my lip regretfully and took the cup.
“You need to take your medicine, sir.”
He calmly took the cup of medicine when I offered it and placed it on his palm.
I was delighted. When he emptied the bowl, I took the candy out of my pocket, tore off the wrapper and put it in his mouth.
- What is this?
- This is candy. You always say it's bitter, so I brought some sweets for you to eat after taking the medicine.
- Do you think I'm a child?
“You only have the body of an adult, but your behavior is just like that of a child.” I forced myself not to say these words.
-What happened to him?
-Who are you talking about?
- About who came in the morning.
“Oh, Ethan Christopher said he’ll be staying here for a few days.” He said he won't leave until he sees you.
Then Vincent closed his eyes tightly. He was very gloomy. Sighing occasionally, the gentleman rubbed his face with both hands. Seeing him like this reminded me of Ethan. The gentleman also seemed genuinely worried about Ethan. It became even more unclear to me why the gentleman hated him so much.
– Would you like to see him?
- No. Never let him into my room.
Vincent lowered his hands and lay down on the bed. I looked at him and said:
- Master, you need to wash your face.
-...
He turned away without answering. Curled up against the wall, he showed no desire to talk to me any further. I looked at his back and, creeping up to him, snorted loudly. He frowned.
I grabbed his hand and threw it over my shoulder, helping him out of bed. Vincent, who didn't want to go anywhere at all, slumped over my shoulder. Just a few days ago he was screaming and angry, but this time he asked dejectedly:
-What are you doing?
-You stink.
I squeezed his hand. This time I couldn't let him go. This was the smell I smelled the first day I entered the room. At first he was unusual, and I ignored him because I didn’t want to quarrel with the gentleman even more, and then I completely got used to it. At least I brought a wet towel and wiped the exposed areas - my face, neck and hands, but it didn't help much. Even today, the stench emanating from it gave me a headache.
- When was the last time you washed? The stench makes my eyes water. If you can't see anything, why don't you wash yourself with the help of a servant?
“Stop talking nonsense and get your hands off me.”
-Only if you wash yourself.
As soon as I entered the room today, I immediately went to the bathroom and filled the bathtub with water. I'll definitely wash it today. Vincent waved his hand, which lay on my shoulder, but it was not difficult to subdue the weakling. I held his arm tightly on my shoulders, and with my free hand I grabbed his waist and led him to the bathroom. I almost dragged him along with me. Even at the moment when he entered the bathroom and we were almost there, he continued to stubbornly resist.
When we got to the bathtub, I took his hand and made him touch it. He grabbed the edges of the bath tightly, as if with the intention of knocking it over. I grabbed his wrist, preventing him from doing this.
He tried to run back into the room and a power struggle ensued, during which I did not give up my position. It all ended with me losing my balance. Still holding onto his shoulder with one hand, I fell forward, pushing him back.
Vincent fell into the water. I fell loudly on the bathroom floor. When I turned around, I was surprised to find Vincent stuck in the bathroom. He was soaked through and lay there with a surprised expression on his face. And then he began to tremble. From anger.
-...Are you okay?
- Y-you...
Seeing that he couldn't speak, I was also speechless. I extended my hand to him, but he threw it away. Vincent then tried to get up and get out of the bath himself. However, due to the water, he slipped and fell back again. With each new attempt he got more and more wet. I think he's washed enough already.
-...
Suddenly his movements stopped. I watched him with concern. Suddenly there was the sound of a door opening. Soon footsteps were heard and Isabella entered the bathroom. She stopped when she saw me and Vincent in the bath.
It was clear from her face that she was a little surprised, but at the same time not very worried.
“I think next time you’d better take off your clothes first.”
-...
- I have something to tell you, sir. I'll take care of the rest.
The last phrase was meant for me. I straightened up, collected the laundry I had prepared and left the bathroom.
I survived!
***
– I heard that Sir Ethan came? – asked Lenika, who came to pick up the laundry and take it to the laundry. Since we saw each other once a day, we didn’t talk much. I answered, looking at what I had grabbed from the bathroom.
– Вы его знаете?
- He is a friend of the master. And also the second son in the Christopher family.
“He must be a famous person.”
- Yes, that's true. He comes from a high-ranking family, but he behaves so politely with us servants.
Lenika brought her hand to her face and waved it up and down.
Ethan is handsome. And it turns out that he is polite and gentle with all the servants.
- I think he is kind.
- Yes, very kind. Aristocrats often ignore people like us. But Sir Ethan is always attentive and courteous. The servant girls are crazy about him, and the rest of them think he's a good person.
- That's how...
“I only saw him from afar.” Wouldn't it be great to get even a little closer to such a person?
Lenika giggled, cupping her cheeks with both hands. She imagined Ethan talking to her and her face lit up.
– Ethan Christopher is now in this annex, in the guest room. If you want to see it, maybe you can take a walk here later? Maybe you can run into him.
- Oh no. I can't enter the annex.
Lenika waved her hand, urging me not to say such terrible things.
I opened my eyes wide in surprise.