IBMDF 09

Chapter 09

“I heard the sound of your cane.”

“You heard that sound? You used to not hear me coming in at all.”

“Was that so? Lately, I can hear things well.”

Of course he could.

When someone lives only in darkness, unable to see, the other senses naturally become sharper over time.

Not only hearing—his sense of smell would improve too, and even touch would become more sensitive.

“Hm, they say the sounds you desperately wait for are the ones you hear best, right? Young master… were you perhaps waiting for me to come?”

I teased him like I always did.

Normally he would snap back and ask what nonsense I was talking about.

But no matter how long I waited, Kalios didn’t answer.

“Um… young master?”

Why aren’t you saying anything? If you ignore my joke, things get awkward.

Just as I scratched the back of my head in embarrassment during the long silence—

“Yeah. I was waiting.”

“…Huh? What?”

At Kalios’s unexpected reply, I blinked blankly, doubting my own ears.

The next moment, he continued in an irritated voice.

“…I’ve been unbearably thirsty for a while, but I couldn’t find the water bottle. In the end, I spilled it everywhere and didn’t even get a sip. Where have you been all this time?”

Ah.

Only then did I understand his mood.

I hurriedly explained why I was late.

“It was lunchtime, so I was eating. I’m sorry.”

“What? I was dying of thirst, and you were leisurely eating?”

“Ah, well… I need to eat to survive too!”

Seriously, that’s unfair.

At least let me eat in peace.

I walked over to the bedside table and picked up the water bottle Kalios had nearly emptied by spilling.

Then I poured the little bit left into a cup.

“Here’s some water.”

“Forget it.”

“Why? You said you were thirsty.”

“I said forget it. …More importantly, you.”

His voice turned noticeably firmer.

“From now on, eat your meals in here too. It’s inconvenient when you’re not around when I need you.”

“You want me to eat… in here too?”

“Yeah. Without anyone beside me, just anyone keeps barging into my room.”

Kalios paused before speaking again.

“No matter how ridiculous I’ve become, coming in without permission, without even being invited…”

“……”

Was he still deeply upset over what happened earlier?

Well… I hadn’t expected Mary and Dorothy to burst in like that either.

In any case, the two of them should’ve been strictly banned from entering because of the previous incident.

And besides…

As Kalios said, maybe they had acted so disrespectfully because they secretly looked down on the sickly young master.

This wouldn’t do.

At the very least, I should cheer him up.

I quickly changed the subject.

“Alright, young master. I’ll make sure to tell the head maid about this. Other than that, is there anything else you need?”

“What I said earlier is enough.”

“Still, you said it was inconvenient without me here.”

“Hah.”

He scoffed immediately.

“You seem to be getting pretty full of yourself. Worry about your own behavior instead.”

“…What?”

“How carelessly do you usually act for even girls like them to look down on—”

He abruptly stopped mid-sentence.

“…Never mind. Anyway, just do your job properly from now on. Don’t slack off like today.”

After speaking gruffly, the sound of him turning over on the bed reached my ears.

“……”

Slacking off? That’s unfair.

I only went to eat.

I was trying to care for him for once—so why am I the one getting scolded?

* * *

Several days passed after I reported what Mary and Dorothy had done to the head maid.

From what I heard, the two had been reassigned to laundry duty—washing clothes all day long.

Their hands were probably swollen and raw by now.

Even though it’s spring, well water is still freezing… I should stay alert and work carefully.

I clenched my fist in determination.

At that moment, I heard a small yawn beside me.

It came from Kalios, who had been lying in bed all day.

“……”

I stared at him for a moment before speaking, thinking it was the perfect opportunity.

“Young master, if you’re bored… would you like to go for a walk together?”

Even healthy people get sick if they stay trapped in a small room without moving.

He collapsed before, but his condition should be much better by now.

I thought this might be a good chance for him to learn how to live daily life in darkness where he couldn’t see even a step ahead.

But Kalios only laughed in disbelief.

“How am I supposed to take a walk? I can’t even go outside.”

“Does a walk have to be outside? This room is huge. You can walk here.”

Kalios’s room was large enough to combine four ordinary bedrooms.

When I first arrived at the mansion, memorizing the layout of this giant room had been exhausting.

This was basically a training field!

“I can’t see anything. How would I walk?”

There was faint fear hidden in his voice.

Understandably so.

Whenever he tried moving alone, he probably stumbled over furniture or crashed into walls.

His experiences in darkness had only brought pain and injury.

Those repeated bad memories must’ve made him timid—constantly shrinking back.

But if he never tried…

Then he’d remain trapped in darkness forever.

“This is the room you’ve lived in for fifteen years, isn’t it? Even if you can’t see anything now, the image of it must still remain in your mind.”

First, I had to break his fear.

I decided to start from the bed where he spent most of his day.

“Young master, what’s beside this bed?”

“I don’t know.”

“Come on, think carefully! I’ll keep asking until you answer properly!”

“Haa… honestly…”

“Hurry. What’s next to the bed?”

“…A bedside table.”

“And on the opposite side?”

“…There’s a portrait hanging on the wall, and beneath it, a chair.”

“See? You remember everything! Since you already know where things are, there’s nothing in this room for you to be afraid of!”

I couldn’t see his expression, but I could tell he was listening.

“You can walk slowly. Just follow the wall and go around once. Think about where each piece of furniture is.”

I continued persuading him, fully intending not to leave until he got out of bed.

Unable to withstand my persistence, Kalios reluctantly rose to his feet.

I led him to the wall and gently placed his hand against it.

“Stretch your hand forward a little and relax. If you tense up, you could hurt yourself if you hit furniture.”

“……”

Now that it was time to walk, Kalios stayed silent.

Maybe he was nervous.

I understood his fear well.

I used to be like that too.

And just as I gradually adapted to daily life with others’ help…

I was sure he would improve little by little through effort.

So if possible, I wanted to help him with all my strength.

“Here, hold on.”

Standing to his left, I naturally placed his hand on my arm.

I thought he’d dislike it.

Instead, he gripped my arm tightly—as though relying on me.

…He used to shake me off coldly even when my fingertips brushed him.

My nose stung slightly.

Enough that this difficult, prickly young master suddenly seemed a little cute.

Still, hiding my feelings, I gently pulled his arm forward.

Slide.

At the same time, I heard the soft sound of Kalios’s hand brushing along the wall.

Leaning some of his weight onto my arm, he began tracing back his memories of moving around this room.

Eventually—

After safely making a full lap—

I cried out excitedly.

“Young master, look! It’s your first try and you haven’t even tripped once—”

Tap.

Suddenly, I felt weight on top of my head.

Before I knew it, Kalios’s free hand was planted firmly there.

“…Young master? I’m not a cane, you know?”

What are you doing leaning on me?