Chapter 78
The Count's Secret Maid - Chapter 78
Translation: godsn
"A letter?"
"Yes. I was thinking we could write one to send to Madam."
As soon as Nanny returned, I voiced the idea that had occurred to me during the day. Once spoken aloud, it didn't seem like a bad plan. Nanny pondered deeply before nodding.
"Now that you mention it, it has been quite some time since we last sent a letter."
"Then wouldn't this be a good opportunity? She might even send a reply."
"That sounds nice. Since Madam is currently staying at the mansion, I can deliver it to her personally."
Permission was granted.
"But I'm not sure if she'll send a reply."
When I gave her a questioning look, Nanny smiled bitterly.
"We used to send letters frequently before, but at some point Madam's replies started coming later and later, until eventually we stopped sending them altogether."
The atmosphere grew heavy at her words. Still, wouldn't she be pleased if she received a reply? It was certainly safer than climbing that impossibly tall iron statue to peer out the window.
I immediately prepared and approached Robert. I casually slid a crisp, clean sheet of paper toward him.
"To Mother?"
"Yes. We're going to write a letter to send."
Contrary to expectations, Robert didn't look happy. He fiddled with the pen holder with a sullen expression. I'd thought he'd be pleased. Instead, he seemed completely disinterested.
"If we write a letter, Madam might send a reply," I added.
"Liar."
But Robert didn't believe me. I realized that in his heart, faded expectations had already settled into disappointment.
This wouldn't be easy. A letter reply alone wouldn't be enough. I worried this might lead to another incident of him climbing the iron horse statue. It was such a dangerous act that it was a wonder no accident had happened yet. Though this time had been minor, next time could be disastrous.
First, I needed something to capture Robert's interest.
As I pondered deeply, something suddenly came to mind.
"Hey, could you get me some colored ink?"
"Colored ink?"
Johnny blinked in surprise. I nodded and continued resolutely.
"Any color is fine. It would be even better if you could get several different colors."
"You mean ink that's not the black kind I know about?"
"Yes. Is it possible?"
"Hmm. I'll look into it when I go out next."
The servants here weren't easily permitted to go out without proper justification. Some had even left because they disliked that restriction.
"I go out occasionally for errands."
"What kind of errands?"
"That's a secret."
Johnny placed his index finger against his lips. Oh, really? I wasn't particularly interested, so I nodded vaguely.
"But what do you need it for?"
"I want to try catching a child's interest."
"A child? You mean the little Young Master?"
"Yes."
"How are you going to use it?"
"That's my secret."
You think you're the only one with secrets? I have them too.
"How mean."
Though he grumbled, a few days later Johnny presented me with bottles of multicolored ink. Looking down at the assortment of ink bottles cradled in his hands, I gasped in admiration.
"Wow, that was fast."
"They're borrowed. Use them carefully and return them."
"Understood."
I picked up one bottle to see red liquid sloshing inside. Carefully receiving them, I brought the inks to Robert.
Robert, who had been playing on the floor, showed no interest even when he saw the ink bottles. So I took out a sheet of paper I'd prepared, placed it on the floor, and opened one of the ink bottles. Dipping the pen nib in ink, I drew a long line across the paper, and red ink spread across the surface. Robert, who had shown no interest before, widened his eyes in amazement.
"Wow!"
"How is it? Pretty, isn't it?"
"Yeah! Pretty!"
His small hands flapped excitedly. When I handed him the pen holder, he immediately drew a line across the paper. Robert's eyes sparkled as he watched the red ink flow from the pen nib.
"If we write a letter with these beautiful colors, Madam would surely like it too."
"Yes, yes! I love it!"
At last, Robert seemed genuinely interested. I smiled brightly, pondering which color to use for the letter.
"What color do you like best?"
"I like them all! That one, and that one, and that one—I wanna use them all!"
"Then, shall we write letters to other people you care about too?"
"Yeah! I'll write to everyone!"
It was working. I immediately handed him fresh paper. Robert dipped the pen nib into the inkwell and began scribbling eagerly across the page. The vibrant colors must have fascinated him because he seemed more interested in drawing lines than actually writing.
"Who should we write to first?"
"Mother, Vincent, Nanny, Carrot, and, um, more!"
The names spilled effortlessly from Robert's lips—his greed for affection was evident. I couldn't help but laugh. Fortunately, I had prepared plenty of paper, so it wasn't a problem.
"Then let's start with Madam."
"Yeah!"
"What color should we use? Would you like to pick?"
I slid the array of inkwells across the floor toward Robert. He pondered for a moment before picking one up—purple.
After dipping the pen, I placed it in Robert's hand. He moved the nib swiftly across the paper.
[I miss you.]
The expected words appeared. The misspelled characters were both endearing and bittersweet. Watching Robert hum cheerfully as he pressed his head close to the paper, fully absorbed in his task, filled me with warmth.
I gathered the scattered, ink-smeared sheets and set them aside. To prevent the ink from drying, I tightly sealed the unused bottles. While Robert continued writing, I decided to tidy up a bit.
Then, an inkwell rolling in the corner caught my eye. Curious about its color, I picked it up and held it to the sunlight. The liquid inside shimmered—gold. A color so dazzling it stung my eyes. A color that was unbearably sad to me.
Lucas.
The image of a man who had once smiled at me without prejudice surfaced in my mind. I squeezed my eyes shut. Clutching the inkwell tightly, I pressed it against my forehead, the cold glass biting into my skin. The emotions I had stubbornly suppressed occasionally surged up, suffocating me—just like when I looked at Vincent, who could still see the world before him.
Perhaps I was overthinking. Just as Vincent was living well, maybe Lucas was thriving somewhere too.
The last news I'd heard of him was that his life was in critical danger. The sorrow etched on Ethan's face when he told me had been unmistakably genuine.
But five years had already passed since then. It might not have ended in tragedy. Maybe he had buried the memory of the maid who once comforted him and found happiness in a new fate. I hope that's true. Please, let him be happy.
Just as he had once made me happy, I wished the same for Lucas.
Vincent, Lucas, Ethan, Violet—the chain of memories tugged at my heart, summoning an ache of longing. Could I really forget just because I resolved to? If it were that easy, I wouldn't be missing them in the first place.
An invisible yearning twisted inside me.
"I'm done!"
"Ah, yes. You did well."
Robert's sudden voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I set the inkwell down and glanced at it once more before approaching him.
Robert beamed as he held out the paper he had written on. Though the letters were crooked, the force behind each stroke revealed the sincerity in his heart.
"Shall we write Nanny's next?"
"Yeah!"
I handed him another sheet, and he immediately grabbed the pen. This time, he even chose the ink himself with surprising deftness. Watching him swing his legs as he wrote stirred a strange emotion in me.
One by one, we finished letters for Nanny, Vincent, and the others. By the end, Robert's hands were stained with ink. Frowning, I wiped them with the hem of my apron, but Robert only giggled, seemingly delighted by his multicolored fingers.
The finished letters were neatly folded, placed into envelopes, and sealed. The recipients' names were scrawled crookedly across the envelopes too. Lined up, they formed a colorful, motley assortment. In every way, they stood out vividly.
Yet letters alone felt somewhat lacking.
After a moment's hesitation, I scooped Robert into my arms and stepped out of the room.
Though I'd told him not to go outside, the doorway should be fine. I descended the stairs and stopped precisely one step short of the threshold. Setting Robert down there, I admonished him:
"You must stay right here quietly, understood?"
"Mm!"
Robert nodded obediently. Only then did I step outside to examine the flower buds blooming near the forest entrance. Being so close to the entryway, there weren't many suitable blossoms available. But even with limited quantity, making something presentable wasn't difficult. I plucked them all, tidied their stems, then gathered some nearby baby's breath to complement them. The resulting bouquet looked passably lush.
Returning with the flower bundle, I found Robert's eyes growing round.
"Let's send some flowers along too."
From the freshly made yellow bouquet, I plucked one stem and handed it to Robert. His small hands clutched it tightly, waving it about excitedly until he started eyeing the full bouquet in my grasp—so I handed that over too. Delighted, Robert shook it vigorously from side to side, sending petals scattering in all directions.
When Robert saw the ruined bouquet and demanded another, I made two replacements and gave him one. Immediately he wanted the one in my other hand instead—as if he'd sensed the one I'd given him was hastily made. In the end, I surrendered the properly arranged bouquet to him. Moments later, it disintegrated midair in Robert's hands.
"Pffhaha! Snow! It's snow!"
Quite the unique interpretation. Still, seeing him so happy made me reluctant to stop him.
"Young Master, look at this."
While watching the drifting petals, I spotted a white flower with clustered round seeds peeking through the doorframe. Plucking it, I blew gently, sending the white seeds scattering in a perfect circle on the breeze.
"Wow!"
Robert beamed, waving both hands wildly to catch the floating seeds.
Second Sister had loved flowers too... Ah, why today of all days? This melancholy mood kept surfacing. I tilted my head back, where the clear sky alone brought a refreshing sensation.
The weather was truly splendid today. Warm sunlight, cool breezes. In a few more days, true summer heat would arrive. Then the flowers would all fade, eventually replaced by white snow blanketing the world. By then, I'd no longer be here. Like these wind-scattered seeds, I'd never take root anywhere to bloom. 'If I leave, I can never return.' Nor would I ever come back voluntarily. This... was my farewell to this place.
"Me too! Me too!"
"Yes, just a moment."
Scanning the area, I plucked another white seed-clustered flower and handed it over. Robert blew, sending seeds dancing on the wind, his eyes sparkling as he chased them. In moments like these, he seemed every bit the adorable child.
Resting my chin on a propped hand, I gazed blankly at Robert. His wind-tousled golden hair turned translucent in the sunlight, his disheveled violet eyes brimming with unrestrained joy. His entire body radiated excitement as he played with the seeds, overflowing with more delight than his frantic movements could contain. He's truly enjoying this. I should have brought him out to enjoy the breeze more often.
But watching Robert's radiant smile, I felt... something oddly familiar...
"Ah, you mustn't come out!"
I swiftly intercepted Robert as he tried following the seeds beyond the threshold. Even one step would mean technically leaving the mansion grounds.