Taming the Young Lady (3)
Andy lay sprawled on the floor.
Judging by his ragged breathing, he wasn't dead.
Thanks to his hard work, the room that was once an art studio had finally begun to look like a place where a human could live.
The sofa and easel had been pushed into a corner to make room for a bed. In another corner stood a wardrobe, and next to it, a child-sized desk.
As Andy sat there blankly, brushing back his sweat-soaked hair and admiring his handiwork, the butler approached and handed him a glass of juice he had prepared at some point.
"You have worked hard, Teacher."
"...Thank you."
"Ah, youth is indeed a fine thing. To think you did all this by yourself... Oh, please drink slowly. You will upset your stomach if you gulp it down."
"..."
What a stubborn old man.
Seeing how he practically bounded up and down the stairs, he was clearly still in good health, yet he had only helped move a single chair. And since he spoke so kindly with a gentle smile, it was hard to voice any complaints.
One couldn't spit on a smiling face. I should learn that trick, Andy thought.
"Come to think of it, we have never properly introduced ourselves. I am Albet."
"I am Andy."
It was only right to express his gratitude. After all, it was thanks to Albet's authority that Cream had been given such a nice room.
Andy stood up, shook Albet's hand, and leaned against the wall.
"Thank you. I know it must not have been an easy decision."
"Pardon?"
"Thank you for providing this room."
"Ah... No, it is nothing. At best, it is just a secluded room on the top floor... Sigh, I can only imagine how the Head Maid will try to wriggle out of her duties because of this..."
This old man really doesn't get along with the Head Maid, Andy noted, recalling their interaction in the foyer.
When Andy simply offered a smile, Albet chuckled softly before continuing.
"It is not something worthy of such gratitude. It is just... with my retirement approaching, I have found myself lost in thought lately. Teacher, you had a conflict with the maid who recently left, did you not?"
"...Yes, that is correct."
"I only recently learned the full story. I heard that the conflict arose because you stood up for the young lady."
"It wasn't entirely like that. I simply couldn't control my temper."
"You are humble. Temper, you say..."
Albet trailed off for a moment, his eyes locking with Andy's.
"...To be completely honest, I used to keep my distance from the young lady. Looking at her, it was... well..."
"..."
"It was difficult to feel any affection for her. That is the feeling she gave off."
Andy was slightly taken aback.
He wondered what the butler was getting at, but he had never expected to hear such a confession from someone living in this mansion.
An illegitimate child born because the late Count had laid hands on a commoner maid. A walking disgrace.
Cream lived in this mansion.
A mansion shared with a stepmother who hated her, and a half-brother who turned a blind eye to her abuse, intending to exploit her as a tool.
She certainly lived within its walls, but the mansion had never truly accepted her.
"Even so... a young child is innocent, after all."
As a butler who had served the estate for a long time, how could he show affection to a child detested by the lady of the house?
Yet, the elderly butler spoke with careful sincerity.
"You care for the young lady deeply, don't you, Teacher? Even though you must be well aware of the atmosphere in this house."
"It is not to that extent. I am merely a hired tutor, doing what is expected of me."
He did care for her, but having it pointed out made him want to deny it.
He made her home-cooked meals every day, ran around the fields with her, hoped to listen to her worries once they grew closer, and prayed to whatever god or author existed that she would grow up to be a fine young lady—but that was all.
Andy had no intention of raising Cream to be spoiled. He would show her just enough affection while fostering her independence.
Whether he understood Andy's thoughts or not, Albet let out a warm, good-natured chuckle.
"It is good to see such upright character. If anything happens, please come find me. I am close to retirement, so I cannot offer grand assistance, but I will support you as much as I can."
"Will you be alright doing that?"
"Surely they won't withhold my severance pay just because I showed a bit of rebellion at the very end?"
Though Andy thanked him, a slight doubt lingered in his mind.
Taking the butler's side during the disappearance incident, and rebelling against the mansion's oppressive atmosphere.
Were those actions really enough to earn this much goodwill from the old man?
"—I'm back!"
Just then, the sound of rapid, pattering footsteps echoed from the hallway, and Cream burst into the room. Clutching a bizarre-looking dog plushie and some sewing tools, she plopped onto the sofa, panting heavily. Did she take a detour to play somewhere?
"Are you alright? You could have taken your time playing."
"Hehe..."
"Well then, Teacher. Since the young lady has returned, I shall take my leave. I enjoyed our conversation. Please rest well."
Albet placed a hand over his stomach and bowed politely. In the process, the necklace tucked inside his shirt briefly came into view.
A necklace engraved with an upside-down water droplet symbol.
Both the tutor and the young girl saw it at the same time.
The tutor paid it no mind, but the girl's eyes narrowed slightly.
"...Seonsaennim. What did you talk about with the butler grandfather?"
"Pardon? We just introduced ourselves and exchanged greetings."
"Is that so?"
After Albet left, Andy gave a casual reply to Cream's query.
"We really didn't talk about much. He seemed like a genuinely nice person."
"I get it, so you don't have to repeat yourself."
She stared intently at the door for a moment, then, as if dismissing her thoughts, looked back at Andy with a bright smile.
"Come to think of it! Did you and the butler grandfather move all the furniture in this room, Seonsaennim?"
"The head butler only moved a single chair. I did all the rest. Every single bit. And, of! Course! It wasn't tiring at all."
"Amazing! Thank you, Seonsaennim...!"
Cream, who had been lounging on the sofa, sprang to her feet. She began hopping up and down to express her gratitude, her cloud-like white hair bouncing along with her movements.
"They look super big and super heavy! You really worked so hard...!"
"Thank you. But as I just said, it wasn't hard at all."
"How could that not be hard?!"
"Of course it wasn't. It was for you, young lady."
"..."
Suddenly, she fell dead silent.
Closing her mouth just like yesterday, she stared blankly at Andy.
It was impossible to tell what she was thinking. Her childish gaze gradually shifted, leaving only a cold, dry curiosity in her eyes.
A curiosity born of a desire to size up the person before her.
"...You know, Seonsaennim."
"Yes, go ahead."
"Now that I think about it, I left one of my belongings behind."
"Is that so? Shall we go get it together?"
"No. You're tired, Seonsaennim, so please rest here."
"No, I'm fine. Now that I've rested a bit, I feel—I mean, it wasn't tiring to begin with."
"Is that so?"
Only then did Cream laugh. Hehe. It was her usual smile.
The two of them stepped out into the hallway together. Since it was the top floor, there was no one around, making it quiet to begin with. But because the usually talkative girl remained silent, the silence felt absolute.
Tap, tap. Only the sound of their footsteps echoed. Even as they descended the stairs, not a word was spoken.
Then, abruptly, she stopped in her tracks.
"Seonsaennim."
"Yes, young lady."
"Do you think you are someone who belongs in this mansion, Seonsaennim, or not?"
"...Pardon?"
"Ah, I left my plushie behind. I'll go get it, so please go back to the room first, Seonsaennim."
Without giving him a chance to ask further, she spun around and hurried away. Since they were almost there anyway and it felt awkward to follow her, Andy decided to head back to the room first.
Upon arriving at the room and opening the door, he was greeted by a messy interior. Traces of Cream's attempt to drag the mattress out still remained.
It feels so refreshing to say goodbye to this musty room. Thanks to the butler, they had secured a wonderful place.
A meaningful conversation with an unexpected person. He realized that this desolate mansion was still a place where humans lived.
Albet would never openly stand up to the Count or the Countess, but even this small amount of help was a huge source of support for Andy.
A place where Cream Hollybell wouldn't have to think about massacring everyone one day. A world where she could feel a shred of comfort.
Please, I hope she can feel that way, even if only a little.
...But did that old man ever appear in the original novel?
Hmm.
Standing alone in the room, Andy searched his memories and casually glanced to the side. Something caught his eye, drawing his gaze in the dim room.
Next to the wardrobe, a box sat all by itself out of nowhere.
What is this...?
It was a cubic wooden box he had never seen before. He certainly hadn't noticed it when cleaning yesterday.
Why was such a thing suddenly sitting here? Was this the item the young lady said she had left behind?
Andy cautiously approached and bent down.
For some reason, his heart began to race. A tight sensation gripped his chest.
Even though he knew he shouldn't pry into the young lady's belongings.
Through the slightly ajar lid, he could see a pile of numerous things crammed together. And a faint, inexplicable stench wafted out.
Reaching out with a trembling hand, he grabbed the box and lifted the lid.
Click—
"..."
Inside, the corpses of small animals were piled high.
"Seonsaennim. You saw it, didn't you?"
The moment he confirmed the contents, a voice spoke from behind him.
"Ah, young lady..."
"Yes. Seonsaennim."
Andy, having stared at the desiccated, unrotted corpses, turned around.
The owner of the voice, speaking not with her usual clumsy lisp and colorful tones, but in a cold, low pitch, slowly approached.
"You ended up looking inside the box. What do you think?"
"Uh..."
"Don't you feel like you should run away?"
The deliberate placement of the box, and her attitude of not caring if she was caught.
Cream stepped lightly and stood before Andy. Since he was crouching, their eyes met at roughly the same level, locking onto each other.
The contrast between the dazed Andy and the smirking girl was stark.
"Say something. Like you did yesterday, okay?"
She smiled, extending the question of whether he could still wish for the happiness of a bad child like her. It was a hollow, almost self-destructive smile.
The emotion bled clearly through her voice.
"Now you know, right? You were wrong, Seonsaennim."
"..."
"You want to run away. Right? A child like this is horrible. How could you ever wish for my happiness?"
"..."
"You can't even speak."
A ticklish giggle brushed against his ears. Was she satisfied seeing Andy remain frozen in a daze?
Then, in an instant, her smile vanished.
"So leave quickly. I'll let you go since it was fun while it lasted. Forget everything that happened here, and go."
Her eyes held neither expectation nor warmth.
She drew a firm line, offering this mercy as a parting gift for the care he had shown her.
However, Andy had absolutely no intention of acting according to her expectations.
Grab—
"...Huh?"
"Got you..."
"Seonsaennim? What is the meaning of..."
"Young lady. Now that I think about it, it seems I failed to teach you something very important."
"Wait, what are you doing... Ah!"
Andy grabbed Cream by both shoulders to hold her in place, muttered a quick "Excuse me," and reached for her chin with one hand.
Squeeze—
As he squeezed her cheeks with his thumb and index finger, her lips popped open.
"Ah...?"
"Hmm... The condition isn't too bad. You must take decent care of them. Still, this is important, so I will take this opportunity to address it today."
Cream blinked. She seemed utterly unable to process what was happening to her.
After all, she had been thoroughly enjoying her dramatic moment. Who could have predicted that her opponent would suddenly grab her chin and inspect the inside of her mouth?
"Ah-ah...?"
"Stay still. You might get hurt if you move."
Andy spoke firmly, worried she might scrape the inside of her cheeks on her sharp fangs. Caught off guard, Cream simply blinked and stayed still. She looked exactly like a wild beast with its muzzle firmly clamped shut.
"Yes, good."
After having her mouth inspected for a good while, she was finally released.
"Just now... Seonsaennim, what did you just do to me?"
"Have you had any stomachaches or fevers lately? Any fatigue or loss of appetite?"
"I'm asking what you just did."
"I was checking to see if you had any cavities."
"Excuse me...?"
Speaking calmly, Andy slid the box of dead animals under the bed to hide it, then stood up and approached Cream.
Sensing an ominous feeling of déjà vu, Cream slowly backed away.
"W-wait... Seonsaennim. Those are dead bodies, you know? A pile of animal corpses. A child has gathered things like that in her room, so you should be scared... You're supposed to be terrified, disgusted, and creeped out..."
"What strange things you say. The meat we eat every day comes from killed animals anyway, so why should I be disgusted? If anything, I am proud of you for being such an excellent hunter."
"W-what?"
"More importantly, that is not what matters right now."
To Andy, that really wasn't the issue. The moment he saw those dried-up corpses, a realization had struck him.
So the young lady was satisfying her Vampiric Impulse by hunting wild animals—
The moment he deduced this, he was plunged into sheer horror.
A breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria and parasites!
She needs purification immediately!
With this realization, Andy immediately reached out and scooped Cream up. Seizing her by the armpits while she was still dazed, he lifted her high, leaving her legs dangling in the air.
"Put! Put me down!"
Andy felt a burning sense of duty.
Of course, he didn't mean he was going to use his actual Purification trait on her.
Rather, it was a sense of duty—that perhaps there was a reason or meaning behind why he had acquired this ability, and that meaning was to cleanse all the filth surrounding the young lady.
In the real world, stories of people getting acute hepatitis or parasite infections from eating bear gallbladders or drinking snake wine were common.
Would this world be any different? No matter how much witch's blood ran through Cream's veins, she couldn't possibly be immune to all poisons and diseases yet.
He was also deeply concerned about her oral hygiene.
Once her curse manifested, Cream would be able to absorb blood just by touching living things, but that was impossible for her now. This meant she had been putting those filthy things in her mouth every single time, and her hygiene had been utterly neglected.
A child without an adult to look after them was bound to end up with ruined teeth.
It was a relief that this world at least had hygiene products like detergents and soaps.
"W-where are we going?!"
