Circumstances of graph (8)
After such an active walk, we returned to the mansion not in the best shape. We were covered from head to toe in mud, leaves and flower petals. I didn't notice it while we were having fun, but then it became so awkward that my cheeks turned red uncontrollably. Two men and a woman laughing loudly and merrily running across the field formed an unusual picture. It's lucky that no one saw it.
As I shook out my wet, post-wash hair, my gaze fell on the thin coat lying on the bed. It belonged to Lucas. When he saw me running around in one dress, he decided to wrap it around my waist.
An image of him came into my head, how he leaned down and showed kindness to me, a simple servant. Shaking my coat and folding it neatly, I headed to Lucas's room. His room was located on the floor below.
I knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Неужели он не в своей комнате? Perhaps he’s at Vincent’s, I thought, and was about to turn around when the door immediately opened.
The first thing I heard was a strange sound. Then I opened my eyes wide at the sight of a figure leaning out from behind the door.
Half-naked Lucas, wearing only his pants, looked at me.
His brown hair was dripping with water, as if he had just stepped out of the shower. A stream of water flowed from his hair, slid along the back of his head and down to his chest. My gaze followed the movement of these drops.
This is not the first time I have seen the naked torso of an adult man. Working in the heat, male workers often undressed, and while doing laundry, nudity was part of the natural order of things. The sight of naked women and men was nothing new to me.
Even after moving here, I could often see Vincent undressing. All I felt at such moments was pity caused by his thinness and fragility. He had recently gained weight, but it was impossible to accurately estimate, since now he changed his clothes on his own.
However, the naked body that appeared before me was so strong and muscular...
– Paula.
- Yes?
– I’m a little embarrassed by your staring...
Only after these words did I realize that I had been staring at his torso all this time.
- Oh.
I covered my eyes with both hands, but the gaps between my fingers provided me with a faint view. He smiled shyly and covered his chest with one hand.
- What's happened?
“I came to return this to you.”
I handed him the coat that I had been holding in my hands all this time. Lucas accepted it and invited me inside. I couldn't refuse and entered the room first. For some time my gaze was glued to the puddles of water on the floor. Lucas put on his robe. Я почувствовала себя виноватой, когда взглянула на его затылок.
Having tied his robe, Lucas looked at the table next to him.
– Take a seat.
“I only came to return my coat.”
- Maybe we can have a cup of tea?
- It’s not worth it.
I've already drunk enough tea during the day, besides, if someone sees that a young girl came into a man's room in the middle of the night, there might be a misunderstanding. Of course, my status was not suitable for strange rumors to arise, but this did not change the fact that I was a girl. Moreover, I found myself in strange situations surprisingly often, so I had to behave carefully.
Lucas laughed when he heard my firm refusal. He then moved closer to me and my gaze quickly glanced past the slightly exposed area of his chest.
– Today was fun, I liked it.
- All thanks to you.
- And you too.
We exchanged warm compliments and he smiled again. The corners of my lips lifted in response. It's true that we had fun thanks to Lucas, so my gratitude was sincere.
– It must be inconvenient that there are very few places you can go.
- A little.
– How do you like life here? It must be hard to serve Vincent?
- Well, how can I say...
I rolled my eyes as I said this. Then she added in a quiet voice: “Probably.” Lucas, who was pouring water into a cup, chuckled.
“I understand why his condition has improved. With such a cheerful person next to him, he can't help but feel better.
“This is all the result of the master’s hard work.”
– No need to be modest. I can say that this could not have happened without your efforts.
He didn't even doubt it. Lucas always said such nice things. If that's what he says, then I don't want to argue.
- Your head.
I pointed to his wet hair, which he was tirelessly fiddling with. His expression became puzzled, so I waved my hand for him to lean over. Lucas hesitated, but did as I instructed. I started drying my hair with the towel lying on his neck.
- You can catch a cold.
-...
– It is best to dry your hair immediately after washing.
The water dripping from his hair made me uneasy. Well, I did a pretty good job drying it. The water left stains on the floor that were difficult to clean, so I dried his hair. He leaned a little lower to make it easier for me to reach his head. Well, I just wanted to get rid of the excess water.
Thinking about it, I dried my hair enough to keep it dry, and then stepped back. Lucas straightened up.
- Now you can finish drying them yourself. I'll go.
Having finished this matter, I bowed, demonstrating my intention to leave. I turned around and felt a strange tingling on my back.
I was just about to grab the doorknob when I heard Lucas' voice.
– Paula, do you know that there is a forest inside the castle?
Lock? Forest? When I turned around in response to these strange words, Lucas was standing at the window. His face was turned in my direction and he continued after taking a sip from his cup.
– The previous king loved nature, so he created an artificial forest. Rumor has it that if you are there in person, you will not notice the difference between it and the real forest. It is dense, majestic and beautiful. You can only enter there through one single door.
– I have never heard of this before. I didn't even know there was a forest in the castle. Moreover, I’ve never been there,” I answered blithely, but it was an interesting topic.
“They say only members of the royal family can enter there.” Sometimes nobles also receive such permission, but this happens extremely rarely. Once inside, you must close the door behind you and not open it while someone else is inside. That's the rule. Do you know what people are doing inside?
I shook my head. He put the cup on the windowsill.
– They tell secrets.
- Secrets?
- Yes. I'm talking about secrets that should never be revealed.
– But why go there then if you want to keep something secret? – I tilted my head in confusion, and he answered my question.
– They say that walls have eyes and ears. That's why you need to watch your mouth. Especially if you are in a castle. But how can you keep your mouth shut all the time? If you constantly keep everything to yourself, you may not be able to stand it. Therefore, the king created the only place where the secret could be shared - and this is the forest. Even if you shout out a secret, it will not be heard, because the walls and the door around the forest are so thick that there is not even a crack through which words could get out. The door is constantly guarded so that no one can get inside. People call this place the secret forest.
-...
– Well, these are just rumors.
He shrugged because he hadn't seen it in person. After these words, interest in the conversation waned. I really thought this place was real. He laughed when he saw my disappointed expression.
– For Vincent, the secret forest is you, Paula.
He twirled the cup standing on the windowsill. I turned my gaze to her. The cup rotated for some time and suddenly stopped. Lucas then repeated this action. It was a pointless exercise, but for some reason he seemed very focused.
– People like us have many secrets. But there is a secret that I cannot reveal to anyone, and therefore I have to keep it deep in my heart. It hurts me. Sometimes I want to confide in someone and be comforted, but I can't afford that, can I? I need to secretly get rid of this burden. For example, go to a secret forest and shout it. Paula must have been something similar for my brother.
-...
“And for me, Vincent was such a person.”
He spun the cup again, but this time he did not take his eyes off me and did not notice how the cup began to stop. For a moment he looked straight into my eyes, stood up and walked towards me.
“Do you still think what I said last time was a lie?”
-...
- In vain. Because it's true. It's my fault for what happened.
Lucas stopped in front of me and continued his speech. Even knowing that I was confused, he did not stop talking.
“I was so weak that I couldn’t do anything.” I didn't have the courage to use my family's power and I wasn't strong enough to defend myself. So I got Vincent involved, counting on his protection. Here is the result. My brother suffered, but I was saved. So... it's my turn.
– I don’t understand what you mean by this.
“I plan to give my eyes to Vincent.”
Misunderstanding mixed with surprise. I couldn’t believe my ears, I couldn’t believe the words that were spoken so calmly. Lucas was so calm that you might have thought I heard it.
I took a deep breath and hurriedly spoke.
“The gentleman has finally lost his sight.
– It’s not that the eyes themselves have lost their function. Only the outer shell is damaged. This can be verified through surgery. However, this is a very difficult and complex task, and there has never been a doctor who has been able to successfully pull this off. My brother must have known about this because he gave in so quickly. But recently I learned that in a distant country there is a doctor who managed to successfully perform a similar operation. I intend to bring him. Of course, even if he ends up here, I can't use any eyes, but since I'm a noble, I think my eyes will do... Everything will be fine.
“You can’t just tear out the eyes of a living person!”
- I'll die soon.
I couldn’t understand how his face could remain calm and smiling. He seemed happy to talk about his own death. Even though it all sounded like a fantasy, he really craved it.
- Don't say that.
I shook my head hysterically.
- This is the only thing I can do.
- Lucas!
- I'll give it to my brother. My world.
-...
I realized how frightening was the face that never stopped smiling in such a situation. He was unshakable. His decision remained unchanged. It was so scary to see the sincerity that he expressed with his whole body.
I pursed my lips several times. I didn't know what to say. My head was a mess and my heart was pounding relentlessly.
He must have seen my confused eyes peeking out from behind my bangs. Lucas leaned towards me. His face was so close that it almost touched mine. He looked into my eyes for a moment, and then looked back and smiled.
- Kidding.
- … What?
– I was just joking.
His smile turned mischievous. What? I looked at Lucas, puzzled. He pulled the doorknob, keeping the same smile. The door opened with a creak.
I quickly looked back at the open door, and then looked at Lucas. He covered his mouth with one hand. His eyes were closed tightly, as if he was trying to hold back his laughter.
“You’re cute, even with your surprised face.”
- What?
- Good night.
The door behind me opened wider. Lucas shoved me on the shoulder and escorted me out of the room. He then continued to laugh as if he couldn't help himself, looking at my devastated face. The laughing sound reached me, even through the doorway, and stopped only after the door was completely closed.
For some time I continued to stand silently in place. “I was just joking,” I heard in my head.
Suddenly the tension reached its peak. My face became hot and I, puffing, reached for the doorknob. But the door was locked. I tried the handle a few more times, but the door still didn’t open. A crash echoed down the corridor.
It didn't take long for my screams to come out.