Chapter 03

…Even he must’ve thought that not washing for nearly a week felt pretty unpleasant.

Things seemed to be going smoothly for once. I held out my arm so he could grab it and stand.

But at that moment—

Smack!

…Of course.

Kallios crushed my expectations in an instant by harshly slapping my arm away.

‘Jeez, his hands are seriously brutal.’

I grumbled inwardly, then spoke to him.

“…Young master, to get to the bath, we’ll have to go through a pitch-dark hallway. I’ll guide you.”

“I don’t need it.”

His reply was colder than a winter wind.

Seriously… had winter returned already?

Soon after, I sensed Kallios moving forward.

Feeling uneasy, I pricked up my ears and focused on the rustling of his sleepwear.

At first, it sounded like he was walking fine on his own, but then—

Bang!

A noise echoed through the darkness.

The young duke let out a short groan after colliding with something.

Then his footsteps changed direction, heading the opposite way.

‘Uh… that’s not the door.’

Before I could stop him—

Bang!

Another collision.

Kallios bumped into various pieces of furniture—the display cabinet, the table—until eventually his clothes snagged on the edge of a chair, and with a loud crash he tumbled to the floor.

“Ugh…”

He let out a faint groan.

I walked toward the sound.

“Please hold onto my arm, young master.”

“I said I don’t need it.”

“Then how are you planning to get there?”

“I said I don’t need it! Don’t touch me!”

What incredible stubbornness.

I lightly touched the tip of my cane against the young duke’s body.

“What the—?!”

Startled, Kallios roughly knocked the cane away.

“It’s my cane.”

“A cane?”

Kallios let out a disbelieving laugh.

“…Did you just stab me with that?”

Stab?

I tilted my head.

“You seem uncomfortable touching me, young master. Would holding my cane instead of my arm be okay?”

I tapped the floor with the cane so he could locate it by sound.

But instead of grabbing it, he asked coldly,

“…Who said you were allowed to bring something like that in here?”

“Huh?”

“Servants aren’t permitted to carry any weapons into the ducal family’s bedrooms… Were you not taught even such basic rules?”

A weapon?

Caught off guard, I blinked blankly.

It was the first time anyone had mistaken the cane I used to detect changes in terrain and obstacles for a weapon.

Though… I suppose in an emergency, it could be useful for poking out an enemy’s eyeballs.

“Young master, this isn’t a weapon. It’s my eyes.”

I explained, sounding a little wronged.

“I’m blind, so I have to carry this around.”

“You… can’t see?”

In the darkness, Kallios repeated my words under his breath.

Confusion and bewilderment had crept into his voice.

Huh?

Had no one told him?

He seemed to have had absolutely no idea that I was blind.

Well…

Even if someone had told him beforehand, this young master—who spent all day lying around like a corpse—probably wouldn’t have listened.

I spoke again to Kallios, who was still sitting there speechless.

“The head maid didn’t say anything about my cane… Don’t worry. It’s not like I’d beat you up with this thing.”

My job was precious to me, after all.

Swallowing the rest of my words, I touched the cane to him again.

“Here. You said you didn’t want to hold my arm. At this rate, the bathwater’s going to go cold.”

And all the other servants ran away, so there’s nobody to heat more water, young master.

At my urging, Kallios gave an incredulous laugh.

“You really… have nothing in your sight, do you?”

“Huh? Like I said earlier, I can’t see in front of me—”

“That’s not what I meant!”

Kallios cut me off and shouted in frustration.

Then he sighed deeply and suddenly grabbed the end of the cane roughly.

What now? Was he going to throw it away again?

I flinched and stepped back, but what I feared didn’t happen.

Instead, I sensed Kallios struggling to rise while holding onto the cane.

“…There. Happy?”

His voice sounded half-defeated.

After sighing repeatedly, he muttered in complete exasperation,

“A maid who talks back…”

“Huh? Me?”

“Who else? Is there another maid here besides you?”

“I was only answering the things you asked—”

“Enough. Just get moving.”

Kallios pressed the cane he was holding against me, urging me forward.

Tch.

It felt unfair.

I’d only answered because he asked.

But somehow, if I argued further, it felt like he’d really get angry.

So I quietly turned toward the door instead.

* * *

The mansion of the House of Levanyon, famous for its enormous scale and beautiful exterior.

Tilda once told me that among all its areas, the west wing of the second floor of the main building had always been lively and full of warmth.

It was where Kallios—the duke’s legitimate heir—lived, so naturally it was one of the most beautiful sections, and with so many servants around, it had always overflowed with energy.

But now…

That warmth and vitality had vanished completely.

Windows boarded up so tightly that not even a sliver of light could enter.

All entrances sealed shut except for the doors constantly guarded by sentries.

As a result, the young duke’s living quarters had lost all traces of their former splendor and instead carried only the cold, silent atmosphere of an ice castle.

Since nothing could be seen, naturally no one came through anymore.

They even said that the Duke of Levanyon himself—unable to do anything about his son’s illness—had long stopped visiting this place.

Maybe because he understood his own situation so well—

The Kallios who had stubbornly insisted he didn’t need my help ended up following my guidance without much resistance.

Perhaps while walking through these cold hallways, he had suddenly realized something.

That now, beside him…

No one remained except this blind maid.

“We’re here.”

After a while, we arrived at the bath.

Leading Kallios inside, the first thing I did was check the temperature of the bathwater.

Thankfully, it was still warm.

“Young master, the bathtub is here. You can get in right away.”

“I got it, so leave.”

“Huh? I’ll wait beside the tub, so if you need anything—”

“I don’t need anything. Leave.”

“But just in case…”

“I said leave.”

“Yes, sir.”

Of course.

That stubbornness wasn’t going anywhere.

I gave up easily and turned to grab the doorknob.

Then—

“Wait.”

Suddenly, Kallios stopped me.

“What is it?”

“Soap.”

“…Pardon?”

“The soap. Where is it?”

…Seriously?

When did he go from insisting I leave to shamelessly asking me to find things for him?

The attitude was absurd.

I secretly sighed and walked toward the bath.

Then I found the soap case whose position I’d memorized earlier and tapped it with my hand.

“It’s here. Can you hear the sound?”

“I can. Now leave.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ugh, he’s seriously annoying.

I pouted and turned away.

Just as I was trying to hurry out before the moody young master called me again—

“Wait.”

I hadn’t even made it halfway before Kallios’s voice stopped me once more.

“Brush.”

“Huh?”

“I said, where’s the brush?”

“…Ha.”

“…Did you just sigh?”

“No?”

Pretending innocence, I secretly flipped him off with my middle finger and headed back toward the tub.

Then I tapped the spot beside the soap.

Feeling like this sort of troublesome thing would keep happening, I said:

“Young master, would it be okay if I just waited here? Neither you nor I can see anything anyway. Why are you getting embarrassed?”