🔊 TTS Settings
chapter 39
“Hello!”
In the meantime, Grace had been diligently trying to get close to Reto.
Now, Reto didn’t even ask when he saw Grace if she had come again. He would just glance at her and think, Oh, she came again, and that was it.
“Master, this is today’s meal.”
Instead of giving Reto the kind of food even beggars wouldn’t eat, Sophien had him receive treatment he had never experienced in his life.
“How is it? Looks tasty, doesn’t it?”
When he first received the meal, Reto had been bewildered. It wasn’t the kind of garbage food he was used to eating.
But when he tasted it, his expression brightened, perhaps because it was delicious.
Since then, he had eaten quietly without complaint—but today, his expression wasn’t that bright.
“What’s wrong?”
“…When will Sophien come back?”
“Why do you ask that all of a sudden?”
“…When will she return?”
“That, I don’t know either.”
“Did you really do something to Sophien? Is it because she’s bad?”
“Hm, I said I showed Sophien what was wrong, but I never said she was bad.”
“What did you do? How long am I supposed to stay like this?”
“Are you… anxious?”
“No, not at all.”
“When Sophien returns, you won’t be able to eat this food again, you won’t be able to talk to me like this, and the maids will go back to watching you like before. Are you okay with that?”
Only then did Reto’s lips press tightly together. Even if he had lived like that his whole life, he knew very well that it wasn’t truly good. He was just used to it.
“You don’t like it, do you?”
“What answer are you expecting from me?”
Though he spoke of Sophien, he couldn’t relax for fear that she might return. He had grown accustomed to this life, and if Sophien came back, he’d have to go back to the way things were before.
“Of course, I don’t like it.”
“Why? What trick are you trying to play on me?”
“I’m not trying any tricks, Master. I just want to help you with a pure heart. Don’t you understand yet?”
“…Don’t help me.”
“Huh?”
“Just ignore me. Live as if I weren’t here.”
“Why?”
“Right now, Sophien has been away for a long time, but if she returns, she might bring great trouble. I don’t want that.”
Reto looked genuinely frightened as he spoke. His voice trembled, and he kept his head down, unable to meet her eyes.
“Was there anyone else besides me who tried to help you?”
Grace asked, sensing something was off, but Reto didn’t answer.
“All of them got on Sophien’s bad side and failed, right?”
“…Stop it.”
Reto’s voice darkened, as if she had struck a nerve.
“You’ve been afraid that the same thing would happen again, so you didn’t leave this room for weeks.”
“Stop…”
No matter how brainwashed someone was, it seemed unlikely for a person to not step out of their room for over two weeks—voluntarily, with no maids watching. Reto was simply a coward.
“It’s okay.”
“You don’t know anything…”
As Reto, flustered, began to raise his voice, Grace stepped forward and enveloped him in her arms.
“What…?”
Reto stiffened in surprise but tried to push Grace away.
“It’s okay, Master.”
But he couldn’t bring himself to push her away.
“Really… what do you know…?”
His voice had grown watery as he spoke. Grace held him close and patted him gently.
“Master.”
“…I might regret it. If Sophien returns and, indiscriminately, hurts or ruins you… you’ll blame me.”
Even though Reto couldn’t push Grace away, he seemed to warn her in a prophecy-like manner not to provoke him.
Grace chuckled. Even if Sophien hit her, she was resilient and wouldn’t break from minor pain. And she wasn’t the type to passively take a beating.
“Master, you don’t really know me yet. I’m not someone who’ll just take a hit.”
“…But if she comes with a group, you can’t win, right?”
“Master, even if she comes in a group, I think I could win.”
Grace replied confidently, and Reto looked at her with an incredulous expression.
“What?”
“I’m serious, not joking.”
“…That’s impossible.”
“Ask Esi. I really am strong and tough.”
“Alright, fine…”
“I’m serious.”
She insisted, but Reto seemed to think she was just saying anything to comfort him.
“How unfair.”
“Fine, then what would you do if it happened?”
“What do you mean, what would I do?”
“…Blame me…”
“Why would I blame you, Master? You’re a victim too. Even if that happens, I’d blame Sophien, not you. She’s the one who would hit and trample me. Of course, it won’t happen. I’ll win.”
“…Ha.”
Reto let out a hollow laugh—an incredulous laugh, yet the first smile he had shown.
“Oh, you smiled.”
“How is this a smile? I’m just exhaling in disbelief.”
“Well…”
Grace smiled brightly at him, and Reto cleared his throat before finally speaking:
“…Thank you. For saying that.”
“You’re welcome.”
Grace casually pulled back and offered him the utensils as if to tell him to eat.
Reto, reluctant to let the warmth go, reached out, then hesitated and drew back his hand. Grace spoke again:
“Oh, by the way. Nothing you’re worried about will actually happen. Sophien is currently confined in the villa.”
Clang.
Reto dropped his utensil, eyes wide.
“W-What… did you say?”
“Oh, did I not mention that?”
Seeing Reto’s shocked expression, Grace pretended to be equally surprised and asked back.
“…Hoo…”
Reto was too stunned to speak.
Grace said, “Just kidding.”
“Ha… right?”
“I wasn’t planning to tell you, but you seemed stressed wondering when Sophien would return, so I mentioned it.”
“…You said it was a joke?”
“Ah, the joke was that I asked if I hadn’t mentioned it. I knew you didn’t know.”
“…Wait, wait a minute.”
Reto seemed overwhelmed by the sudden situation.
“So Sophien is confined?”
“Yes.”
“Since when?”
“Since the first time she disappeared.”
“What? Why?”
“Because Sophien did something wrong.”
“What wrong?”
“She raised you like this.”
“…What does that mean?”
There were too many things to point out; Reto didn’t know where to begin.
“You’re wrong too, Master, for not even knowing what’s wrong.”
“Then, what happens to Sophien?”
“Are you worried?”
“Worried? Me, about Sophien?”
Grace, thinking that surely he wasn’t, narrowed her eyes slightly. But Reto shook his head quickly.
“No, not worried. I’d be worried if Sophien worried about me.”
“What could Sophien worry about when she sees you?”
“…Every day she said she worries seeing me just sit around reading books and wasting food. She worries I’ll die uselessly like this.”
Crazy.
Grace’s anger flared, but she barely held back.
“That’s not worry, Master. That’s verbal abuse.”
“Verbal abuse?”
“Yes. You’ve been mentally and physically abused all this time.”
“So that’s why she’s confined?”
“Yes. So she experiences what she did to you and regrets it.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to help you.”
“So why?”
“Because you seem similar to me.”
Reto’s eyes widened.
“You too…?”
Though Grace had endured abuse in the past, that was already behind her. There was nothing left to empathize with Reto’s feelings, so she didn’t continue. Reto seemed to understand this and didn’t press further. Grace just smiled once and changed the topic.
“So, now that you know Sophien is confined, how do you feel?”
“How… feel?”
“Do you want her to be released?”
“….”
She asked out of courtesy, but Grace anxiously waited for an answer.
Reto was silent for a moment, then shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? About what?”
“…I just don’t know anything.”
“That’s okay, take your time. Besides, the food has gone cold. I’ll warm it up again.”
“I’ll just eat it.”
“No. Wait a bit. Cold food might upset your stomach.”
“…Alright…”
“I’ll be right back.”
Grace stood with a bright smile, thinking it was a relief that Reto seemed to accept the news of the confinement more easily than expected. But she resolved never to tell him how things were actually being handled.
