The Count's Strange Guest (7)
After that there was practice and more practice. Vincent, who at first acted scared, from a certain point also began to move confidently. As he continued walking, he seemed to become aware of his surroundings.
It was still not easy for him to walk alone to the door. After that incident, the man never reached it alone, failing to eclipse his initial success. He kept falling in the middle.
The problem was that every time he fell, he lost confidence in himself. There were times when he flinched in fear, and there were times when he could not move for a long time, with his hands on the floor.
Were his eyes drowning in fear? YES.
Frightened, he crawled across the floor onto the bed and pulled the sheet over himself. As if he was trying to hide.
“-...Is there anyone?”
“It’s just me and the master here.”
" - Don't lie. Every time I do this, someone is there. They are trying to kill me."
(r.p.: difficult case, you can handle it!)
The past left deep scars on him. Only then did she understand why he was locked in his room. The man was not afraid to walk. He was afraid to leave the room. He was afraid that someone might come out and try to kill him, and this fear consumed him every moment. Wasn't Vincent trying to hide, pulling the sheet over and over again to protect himself?
" - Master, why don't you think about it from the other side? The master is now on an adventure. In the dark. You don't know what is in front of you or what will appear. It is really scary, but if you remain motionless, you will have to be stuck in this darkness forever."
“-...”
" - It takes courage to go on an adventure. Now is the time to take courage. Don't worry. There is a voice that only you can hear next to you. It could be a fellow adventurer, a friend, a family member, or anyone. You just don't see it, but you are not alone."
“-If they kill me...”
" - Trust me. This will never happen. I exist here for you."
She held his trembling hand. The girl hugged his wrinkled body.
Paula really wanted to help him gain courage.
“You have nothing to worry about...”
[As long as you don't say disgusting things.]
Fortunately, Vincent quickly regained his composure. He was quite confident in himself, even when walking alone. Now the man has reached the threshold without falling. He waved his arms in the air and walked around erratically, but it was amazing that he didn't give up.
“I’m calmly watching you.”
“Don't fall.”
And she patted him on the back.
" - Everything is fine".
The knots of the cloth wrapped around his body were loosened and his hair was gathered in one place. Paula smoothed the man's hair. She changed her hair slightly but it didn't look as bad as she thought. Rather neatly. Of course, it would have been better to have a professional hairdresser cut his hair properly, but in his condition it was difficult, so she took it upon herself to do it herself.
“Do you have to do this?”
“It’s nice to look at because it makes you look neat.”
When she cut his hair, she was even more amazed. The man's appearance certainly stood out. He was probably popular among women. Such a person was worth decorating.
“-Bring my clothes.”
“Oh, if you mean your pajamas, then here they are.”
“My outfit.”
It was a sudden order. But he didn't change his mind. Paula came in and opened the other chest of drawers for the first time. Shirts, vests, coats, trousers, ties, shoes... why were there shoes here?
Walking around the room, she collected his clothes and handed them to the man. Vincent took off his nightgown and put on his clothes one by one.
Fully dressed, he looked like Count Vincent Belluniti. The man was a real nobleman. The atmosphere changed just by changing his clothes. It looked a little dry, but was quite believable.
“- Cane.”
While Paula looked at him blankly, he extended his hand. Cane? She came to her senses, looked around the room again, found his cane and handed it to him. He stood motionless, holding it in his hand. The man appeared to be trying to walk with a cane.
In any case, I'm ready.
Paula went out and closed the door. After a while, Ethan came up.
“What about Vincent?”
“He's waiting inside.”
“Have you trained a lot?”
Ethan narrowed his eyes mischievously. He seemed to know that Vincent and Paula were practicing. The man was a very vile person.
“The weather is good. It would be ideal to go outside.”
" - I understood".
“The branches of the trees have grown.”
" - What?"
Paula thought about it, and when she asked, he just laughed. A bored laugh strangely attracted her attention. It looked like something very important was happening.
Meanwhile, Ethan stood in front of the door. He couldn't pull the doorknob. The girl saw his worried face from the side. The complex state of mind was also revealed. She waited for him to finally open it.
“I'm worried that nothing has changed.”
“Check it yourself.”
“I have to.”
Having made his decision, he opened the door. Surprise slowly spread across his face. Watching his reaction, Paula also looked into the room.
As planned, Vincent stood in the middle of the room. He was standing on the floor with a cane.
Ethan blinked.
“Vincent?”
Vincent raised his head at Ethan's call. It was a hard face. Everything looked fine on the outside, but Paula's eyes could see the tension hidden within him.
Vincent walked towards them, cane in hand.
He practiced several times. The girl even turned his body towards the door before leaving the room. So all he had to do was go. Paula was nervous and thought the man would fall, but fortunately Vincent stepped forward.
Vincent quickly reached the door. And finally he left the room. Ethan, who had been watching without even blinking, spread his hands in awe.
“Vincent!”
A joyful cry was heard.
It was a moment that she found unexpectedly violent. Vincent suddenly raised his hand. There was a cane in his hand. Taking another step, Vincent swung the staff he was holding at Ethan.
It happened in an instant.
Ethan squatted down in fear, and Paula opened her eyes in amazement. The cane, having lost its aim, swung in the air and hit the hallway window.
Clack!
There was the sound of breaking glass. Paula was shocked and checked the window. The window glass into which the cane was stuck shattered. A piece of glass fell. A gloomy voice rang out over the bloody scene.
“If you threaten me like that again, you will die.”
Vincent's gaze was straight ahead, but it was no different from Ethan's, who cowered beneath him. Ethan lowered his hands from covering his face and looked at him.
“...I am your friend.”
“So, did you threaten me?”
“-...”
The man, taken by surprise, closed his mouth. Vincent removed his hand from the handle of the cane and turned his body around. Ethan finally stood up and looked at the broken window. He, who was stunned for a while, soon came to his senses and went after Vincent, and Vincent turned around.
“Get out now.”
Having said this, the door slammed shut. Paula was stunned by how Vincent kicked Ethan out, going even further by closing the door himself.
The man stared at the closed door.
“He seems very angry.”
" - Certainly".
Paula pulled out the cane that was stuck in the window.
[Did you ask for the cane with this in mind?]
Paula was thinking about what to do with the fragments, but from somewhere she heard laughter. Looking at the source of the sound, Ethan laughed. She guessed that he had finally gone crazy.
“-Yes. This is Vincent.”
[Correct.]
Paula shook her head at the sight of his laughter and the twitching of the corners of his mouth. Ethan knocked on the closed door, his face blooming.
“Vincent, can I come in?”
There was no answer this time, but Ethan opened the door. Vincent stood not too far from the door with an expression that asked why he was still there.
“Don't look at me like that. I have something to tell you.”
Ethan took something out of his coat pocket and handed it to Vincent. It was a letter. He placed it in Vincent's hand.
“This is a letter from Violet.”
Violet!
At the mention of the familiar name, Paula's gaze turned to the letter in Vincent's hand. She looked at the letter in his hand.
“I heard that you did not answer Violet’s letters. She has a lot of worries. I decided to give the letter so that you insisted on a meeting, and I managed to calm you down.”
“How is she?”
“She’s doing well. She’s in good health.”
" - I'm glad".
Vincent didn't open the envelope. He simply held it in his hands and then turned his body. After practicing for a while, he returned to bed and sat down. Ethan followed him.
“I promised her that I would definitely get an answer, so please write her an answer.”
" - No".
“I can’t give up either. Oh, lady. A piece of paper and a pen, please.”
Ethan turned to Paula and said.
Paula frowned at Vincent. She wondered who the girl named Violet was, but when she saw Vincent's displeased face, she couldn't bring herself to ask. Finally, she nodded and left the room.
That day, Ethan finally received a response to his letter.
Late at night, Paula could not sleep. She left the room to get some fresh air. But at the end of the corridor a light appeared. It was Ethan with the lamp.
" - Why are you not sleeping?"
“Sir Christopher, what are you doing here?”
“I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to take a little walk.”
“I can’t sleep either.”
She thought about leaving the annex, but it made her angry. The man put the lamp he was holding in his hand on the windowsill and opened the window. The lights flickered as a cool breeze blew. While Paula looked on blankly, Ethan walked over to her and they stood side by side.
“You're mad at me.”
" - I?"
“You gave me advice for a long time, but I ignored it.”
[Did you do this even though you knew?]
Well, that wasn't something he had to apologize for. Naturally, a person in a higher position would not listen to a person in a lower position.
"You don't need to apologize. It's okay."
Ethan scratched his back as he answered.
“I'm a bad guy, right?”
“I can't say no."
Then Ethan laughed. Paula laughed too.
The short laughter soon stopped.
There was silence in the corridor.
Paula was plunged into darkness.