Chapter 7
Aria received the bundle of money and paused briefly at the end of the hallway.
I became dazed. A bitter smile formed at the feeling of being caught between people I didn’t want to be with. Red sunlight filtered through the shaded eyes. Looking outside, the fog had cleared, and the sun was faintly rising in the east.
It’s almost time for the young master to wake up. I should at least bring him a glass of warm milk…
The familiar habits ingrained over a long time were directed towards Edward. Aria shook her head to herself. Now it’s not something she has to do.
Aria picked up the light suitcase she had left on the floor and headed towards the annex, which was quite far from the main building.
Annex. A place that is not used for anything other than the official duty of welcoming guests. Even someone who had worked at Bailey’s for ten years had only been there a handful of times.
The annex, which consists of two floors, is not as large as the main building, which consists of three floors, but it was decorated lavishly and grandly since it is a place where guests occasionally stay.
However, since the Bailey family did not receive any guests until Edward, who had fallen ill, fully recovered, the place was particularly filled with a cold atmosphere.
Perhaps that’s why, aside from Aria, only a couple of maids were bustling about cleaning in the annex, and there was no warmth of human presence to be found.
No matter how much of a bastard child he is, that’s just too much. Treating someone who has suffered for four years in a harsh and difficult war like an outsider and even watching them for any signs of discontent.
A short sigh escaped from Aria’s lips.
Except for Eric’s bedroom where he slept, even the basic living spaces like the bathroom, living room, and dining room were covered in thick dust. A thick layer of dust had settled.
It was too vast for a couple of maids to handle, and there was an overwhelming lack of time.
Aria diligently worked with a couple of maids until Eric woke up. Not knowing how much time has passed, I wonder how much I’ve cleaned. The maids who cleaned the parlor and dining room returned with dust-covered dusters.
“Miss, I’ve roughly finished cleaning.
“Now I just need to do the stairs and the fireplace.
“Maybe because I haven’t maintained it at all, the cleaning never seems to end.
Aria, who had been scrubbing the bathtub with a dry rag in a hunched position, straightened up and stood at the sound of their voices.
Aria smiled as she looked at the dust cloth that had turned pitch black. It meant “you’ve worked hard.”
One of the maids asked in a very low voice.
“Is it true that the person here is Master Eric?
“The young master who left home a while ago. I thought he was just a guest and was so surprised.
To be precise, I didn’t leave the house on my own accord. Most of the users who didn’t know the full story believed it to be that way. Aria also didn’t know the reason why Eric suddenly left home for a while. Until Eric was mentioned at the superiors’ dinner.
Aria, unsure of what to say, hesitated for a moment before quietly nodding her head.
The maids, with their eyes wide open, were busy chattering among themselves.
“Why did you come back?
“Well, they probably came back because they had nowhere else to go.
“No wonder. Earlier, the head maid’s mood was quite ominous.
“Anyway, I wonder if we have to keep doing this busy work. The main building and the annex aren’t even close to each other. I’m so busy moving things around here and there that I’m losing my mind.
“Food is also a problem. If only there were a private chef for the annex. How will the food turn out?
Soon, only the sound of a long sigh could be heard at the end of their conversation.
Aria quietly listened to the conversation and then took out a notebook from her pocket to write. For the time being, I’ll help with the cleaning and odd jobs here, so let’s divide the work. The maids who read the note hurriedly waved their hands in refusal.
“Even so, she’s a close attendant. We’ll manage somehow, just the two of us.
“Yes. I’m afraid I’ll get scolded by the head maid for no reason. But, maid, why hasn’t the young master gotten up even though the sun is already high in the sky…?At this rate, not only will he miss breakfast, but will he even have lunch properly?
Lunch? It seemed like I lost track of time while cleaning the bathroom.
Only then did Aria look up at the clock on the wall. The clock hands had already passed 12 o’clock.
Aria’s eyes widened in amazement.
Time has already passed like this. What should I do? In the main building, they must have already had two meals…
Aria hurriedly had the maids prepare the meal and headed to the guest bedroom on the second floor of the annex.
At the end of the long, continuous second-floor hallway, there was a bedroom.
Aria, holding a glass of water on a silver tray, hesitated for a long time at the door before gently knocking.
One of the common tasks of a maid, yet the mute maid often found even her minor actions scrutinized.
Usually, one had to state who they were and what their business was at the door before entering, but Aria had to simply wait for her master’s command.
Edward also suffered a lot because of this aria for a while.
“Maybe I’ll get kicked out before I even start the surveillance. It would be better that way. I can return that suspicious bundle of money to the lady.
A bitter smile spread across Aria’s face.
At that moment, a deep, low voice broke the brief silence in the room.
To come in without even knowing who I am. Did he say that thinking it was me ? I was puzzled.
Aria lowered her gaze to the floor and cautiously entered the room.
The bedroom was dim even though it was midday, as if the curtains hadn’t been drawn.
Feeling a draft coming from somewhere, I tilted my head, and the silhouette of Eric leaning on the terrace faintly came into view.
She politely greeted and then hurriedly placed the silver tray on the visible table.
It’s a familiar situation, but the hesitant hand, feeling the pressure of the intimidating gaze, wandered aimlessly, unsure of where to go.
“If I hadn’t heard the sound of the birds chirping, I wouldn’t have even known that lunch had passed.”
A sweet voice spread through the still air. Aria suddenly lifted her head, wondering if it was the voice she knew.
At that moment, Eric and I locked eyes.
The fierce gaze was still there, contrasting with the softly spreading voice by the ear.
‘You intend to reproach me, don’t you?’
Aria, pretending not to notice, hurriedly opened the curtain after apologizing.
The bright sunlight squeezed through the gaps in the window.
Because of that light, Eric’s silhouette, which had been faintly visible, began to gradually come into view.
Even though he was only wearing a thin robe, his toned body was fully exposed.
Between the black hair that gently flowed over his eyes, the blue pupils sparkled. He sat on the sofa and downed the glass of water in one go.
As Eric’s firm thighs became visible through the open gown, Aria hurriedly turned her head.
Soon, she heard a loud gulping sound as the thick Adam’s apple moved freely in her throat.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t mentioned my schedule. I usually skip breakfast, so just prepare lunch and dinner. I don’t want to go all the way to the main building for a meal, so set it up in the annex.
Lunch is one thing, but to eat dinner alone too.
Count Denis tended to value dinner with his family.
Eric couldn’t possibly be unaware of the old tradition. He too had dinner with the family here every day after coming.
Of course, it wouldn’t have been pleasant under the countess’s fierce glare.
Aria looked up with wide eyes. She turned her gaze to the strange lower body once again.
“I don’t know where to put my eyes…”
A faint smile slowly spread across the indifferent face that was looking at Aria, whose face had turned bright red.
“I don’t have any special plans for the time being. If something comes up, let me know in advance. By the way, I’m hungry. Lunch must be ready.
As Aria nodded, Eric stood up and headed towards the changing room.
While changing clothes in the changing room, a deep voice was heard.
None of these clothes are to my liking.
“Could you bring me the clothes hanging on the sofa over there?
Some of the clothes prepared for guests would be covered in thick black dust after all this time. I could tell without even looking.
Aria tilted her head this way and that as she searched for her clothes. It was the moment she picked up the light top and pants that had been hanging at the end of the sofa and headed to the changing room.
She couldn’t help but be shocked by the sight of her back after she took off her gown. The sturdy waist, which felt robust enough to match the shoulders twice the size of an average man’s, stretched out sleekly.
However, what shocked Aria the most was the large scar clearly etched on the well-defined V-shaped muscles of his back.
“Could it be a scar from the war…?”
But it wasn’t an ordinary knife wound. It felt as if the pain of being painfully torn by something could be felt even without experiencing it.
It was a scar as vivid and ugly as that.
For the first time in her life, Aria stared at the unfamiliar scar for a long time. Unaware that Eric’s gaze was fixed on her, staring blankly.
A small sound of wind slipped through Eric’s teeth.
“Do you watch like that, completely entranced? The master’s body. Well, if this is part of a maid’s duties, there’s nothing I can do about it.
At the sound that broke her reverie, Aria’s face turned as red as a beet. As soon as Eric accepted the clothes, Aria hurriedly came out of the fitting room. As if she were running away.
Aria hurriedly wrote a brief note in her notebook saying she was going downstairs to prepare lunch, placed it on the table, and left the room.
Only then did I feel all the strength leave my body, and I let out a long sigh.
‘If it were such a big wound, anyone wouldn’t have been able to endure it….’
There were several marks on Eric’s back. The knife wounds from the enemy’s attack were also scattered messily all over. But that mark was different It was not ordinary.
Am I indifferent, or have I just become numb?
The difficult times he knows may have made him even stronger.
Aria imagined Eric enduring the excruciating pain and clicked her tongue as she headed to the first floor.
