Chapter 571: The Butler's True Feelings
Chapter 571: The Butler's True Feelings
But even if their relationship was still solid, it didn't change the fact that Vanessa had cried.
And since I was the sole cause of it, I knew I had to apologize.
“Well, that’s a relief. Anyway, Vanessa, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“…Hic.”
“Hm? Vanessa?”
“…Hic. …W-what is… hic… it? If you have something to say… hic.”
Now Vanessa had even started hiccuping.
Seriously? Just how hard had she been crying to start hiccuping like this?
“Hey, calm down a second. Here, do as I do. Take a deep breath…”
“Hic! J-Just say what you… hic! have to say! …Hic.”
As I spread my arms wide to demonstrate taking a deep breath, Vanessa flinched and glared at me warily.
Don't be so guarded. I told you I was sorry… Ah, right. I haven’t actually said it out loud yet.
Fine. I get it. In that case.
“Alright. I’ll tell you.”
“Ngh! …Hic.”
As I spoke, looking Vanessa straight in the eye, her body stiffened and her expression grew tense.
Facing her, I bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle and shouted.
“I’m sorry!”
“……Huh?”
She must not have expected such a formal apology, because Vanessa let out a slightly dumbfounded sound.
It was enough to stop the hiccups she’d had since earlier, so she was clearly more surprised than I’d anticipated.
But was it really that shocking for me to apologize? What kind of image does she have of me, anyway?
I’m capable of apologizing, you know.
Especially in a situation like this. I know how much you respect Diana.
“I truly never imagined things would turn out this way. I’m sorry. I’ll talk to Diana and…”
Plip. Plop.
As I continued speaking, still bent over in my ninety-degree bow, I suddenly saw droplets hit the floor in front of me.
I was in the middle of a sincere apology, but when droplets suddenly started falling right in front of me, my gaze naturally drifted upward.
It didn’t take long to realize those droplets were tears.
“Hey. Are you crying?”
“…Is there a problem?”
In response to my question, Vanessa muttered in a voice that was trying its best to suppress her feelings, but couldn’t stop the sadness from seeping through.
“No. Of course there is… But why?”
“Ngh… Why? Did you just ask me why?”
Vanessa, who had been wiping her tears away, seemed to give up as they continued to flow. She lowered her hand and took a step toward me, her eyes flashing with a sharp glare.
A crying woman’s glare is surprisingly intense. Especially coming from Vanessa, who usually never shows any expression at all.
“I should be the one asking you! Are you that displeased with it?!”
Vanessa shouted, her voice powerful despite her tears.
She was so forceful I almost apologized on instinct, but I couldn’t just say sorry without knowing why.
“Displeased with what?”
“…What?”
“……”
“……”
My question was followed by a long, awkward silence that hung between us.
“Hey, just a thought, but… are we talking about two different things right now? For the record, I was apologizing because I figured you got an earful from Diana because of me. That’s what I was sorry for.”
“…Ugh. Khk…”
Her characteristically deep voice made the sounds seem almost tragic, but Vanessa was clearly embarrassed.
The proof was that the iron-masked butler’s face was now bright red.
Well, after seeing her cry, a beet-red face wasn’t exactly shocking anymore.
Besides, her face had been slightly flushed from the moment I found her.
In any case, Vanessa began to tremble as if she would die of embarrassment. She took a few steps back, then spun around and tried to make a quick escape.
Of course, I grabbed her arm to stop her before she could.
“Hah…! W-what is it? Let go of me. This is sexual harassment.”
Seriously? Trying to glare intensely and deepen your voice now isn’t scary at all, you know?
And just grabbing your forearm to stop you counts as sexual harassment? Isn’t the world a little too unforgiving?
“Hey, you can go after we’re done talking. Why are you trying to run away?”
“Run away? I don’t know what you mean. I am merely busy and have no time for idle chatter.”
“So, what exactly did you think I was talking about?”
“Ngh…! D-do I… have to tell you?”
She must have made a pretty embarrassing assumption. In response to my question, Vanessa tried her best to feign composure, but she couldn’t quite stop her body and voice from trembling.
“No, not really.”
“Kgh…!”
Hey, why are you glaring at me? If you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to.
Or what? Do you want me to force it out of you? That can’t be it, right?
I really have no idea what goes on in her head.
Whether her expressions were visible or not, that fact remained the same.
“Haaah… Anyway, I’m sorry for getting you in trouble with Diana. I shouldn’t have asked you to keep it a secret. I won’t be so unreasonable from now on.”
“…First, please let go of my arm.”
Despite my apology, Vanessa continued to glare at me for some reason. When I let go of her arm, she took a deep breath, barely managed to regain her usual poker face, and then spoke.
“This matter would have been resolved if I had simply not agreed to keep it a secret in the first place. There is nothing for you to apologize for, Guwon-nim. And Lady Diana made no mention of the incident.”
I see. So Diana didn’t just go easy on her, she didn’t scold her at all.
But that raised a new question.
Then why in the world was she crying?
And not just a moment ago—her face looked like she’d been crying from the very beginning.
Well, I figured I should apologize first before trying to solve that mystery.
“No, it’s still true that I was being unreasonable. I want to apologize.”
“Ngh… Very well. I accept your apology. Is that all you wished to say?”
“No, actually, there’s something I’m curious about. If Diana didn’t scold you, what did you two talk about? What could have made you cry…?”
“Ugh…! W-well then, I’m busy, so if you’ll excuse me!”
Vanessa gave me a deep bow, then, without meeting my eyes, turned and vanished at a brisk pace.
It was as if she was desperate to escape, practically fleeing the scene.
Seriously, what was that all about?
I’d managed to apologize properly, and Vanessa had accepted it.
But something still felt off.
Vanessa’s behavior was completely out of character, and I still had no idea why she’d burst into tears a moment ago.
I was left with a nagging, unresolved feeling, but it wasn’t like I could chase after Vanessa and force her to talk about something she clearly didn’t want to.
Putting the countless questions aside, I decided to head back to my room.
“Diaaana?!”
The moment I put my hand on the doorknob and cracked it open, Sara’s boisterous voice spilled out from the gap.
It seemed she had woken up.
“I-I told you I was sorry!”
That was followed by Diana’s shout, which sounded a little deflated.
What was all this commotion about?
I didn’t know what was happening, but I had a feeling Sara was about to unleash another indiscriminate barrage of verbal abuse on Diana.
Alright. I should probably help her.
Diana had already done so many wonderful things for me today.
Even if it meant becoming the target of that verbal abuse myself, I had to defend Diana here.
“Sara, why are you picking on our Diana again…?”
“Guwon, get out!”
Of course, that didn’t work in the slightest.
Why is she so worked up again?
“Uh, okay. No, wait. You’re not telling me to be quiet, you’re telling me to get out? Isn’t that a bit harsh?”
“Guwon-ssi.”
“Yes, my angel.”
“We have something to discuss amongst ourselves. Could you please give us some space for a little while?”
And it wasn’t just Sara who was upset.
Leia was looking at me with her usual warm smile, but I could tell.
Even my angel seemed a little displeased.
I made my decision instantly.
“Yes, my angel.”
The decision to abandon Diana and leave the room.
“M-My love? My looove?!”
Sorry, Diana. I’m powerless. Right now… there’s nothing I can do.
Leaving Diana to call my name desperately, I immediately left the room.
Come to think of it, this is supposed to be my room.
Oh well, whatever.
Anyway, having been kicked out of my own room, I decided to take this opportunity to quietly sort through my thoughts.
After all, despite spending most of the day lying in bed, far too much had happened.
It seemed like a good time to get everything straight.
And by ‘everything,’ I meant everything concerning Diana and Vanessa.
Vanessa’s strange behavior and Diana apologizing to the girls. Both of these things happened after Diana and Vanessa had their conversation. There had to be a connection.
But what was it, and how?
To find the answer, I needed to know what the two of them had discussed.
Vanessa had clearly stated that Diana didn’t scold her.
But considering the timing—when Diana had asked Vanessa to speak with her in her room—their conversation must have had something to do with me.
Something involving me and Vanessa… As I thought that, an idea I’d tried to dismiss before crept back into my mind.
And in my confusion, my mind accidentally latched onto the one possibility I had been desperately trying to ignore.
Could it be that Vanessa… actually has feelings for me?
If that’s not it, then… Huh? Wait a second.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Could it be? The conversation Diana and Vanessa had… was it about…?!
Yes! That would perfectly explain why Vanessa’s face was tear-streaked!
That has to be it! Diana realized how Vanessa felt and gave her a warning… No, wait. That creates a contradiction.
Diana was apologizing to Sara and Leia, wasn’t she?
Sara and Leia looked upset. Silvia and Matilda were standing a little ways off, not participating in the conversation as if it wasn’t their place to get involved.
And yet, Sara didn’t order them to leave the room, only me.
And that wasn’t all. There were countless other hints scattered everywhere.
Something they didn’t want me to hear.
Something Diana would need to apologize for.
The fact that Diana, right after her talk with Vanessa, had specifically told me to go find her.
Vanessa’s face, which anyone could see had just been crying.
Vanessa’s flinching and trembling whenever I touched her or even tried to speak.
The way Vanessa burst into tears again the moment I apologized.
All the different facts surfaced in my mind one by one, clicking into place like pieces of a puzzle.
And the completed puzzle pointed to a single answer.
No. But surely Diana wouldn’t have… she wouldn’t have really done that, would she?
Honestly, it was hard to believe.
But if I assumed it was true, every single thing that had seemed strange until now suddenly made perfect sense.
If that was the case, then what I had to do now was…
I took off running down the hall.
My destination was the direction Vanessa had fled in earlier.
Vanessa had left, claiming she had work to do, but if my theory was correct, she definitely wasn’t working right now.
She wouldn’t be in any state for that.
And when I considered where this hallway led, my suspicion hardened into certainty.
As if guided by fate, I strode forward, each step filled with conviction.
The place I arrived at was… that room.