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Chapter 5
It was impossible to tell whether the person was spying on Isabella or on Claire herself.
‘Maybe both.’
Claire recalled the proper servant rules Angela had taught her.
The duty she had agreed to upon signing her contract with the Voltier family was simple:
“Serve Theodore Voltier without causing him discomfort.”
‘If they become a threat to Young Master, I’ll deal with it then.’
Ignoring the hidden presence, Claire quietly pushed the trolley onward.
It had now been two months since Claire began working for the Voltier Count family.
And during that time, a small change appeared in Theodore’s shut-in lifestyle.
Claire had started taking him out into the garden.
‘What a reckless idea.’
‘What? Taking Young Master Theodore into the garden? That’s idiotic. He’s easiest to handle when he stays inside his room.’
When Claire first requested a wheelchair in order to take Theodore outside, every servant—including the head butler—had opposed the idea.
But Claire found their reaction difficult to understand.
‘If someone stays locked all day in a dark room with blackout curtains, even a normal person would probably develop madness.’
Watching Theodore live like a trapped beast inside his room, Claire felt the environment itself needed improvement.
‘Young Master’s condition has been fairly stable lately. I don’t think there will be major issues in the garden.’
‘Hmm.’
The head butler had reluctantly approved her request.
As Claire bowed politely and returned to Theodore’s room, her expression stiffened.
‘He acts as though he’s the master of the house.’
The Count Voltier—the siblings’ grandfather and the family head—had been away at the border for a very long time.
Among those remaining in the mansion, the highest-ranking people were Theodore and Isabella.
Not the head butler.
‘It’s like a fox pretending to rule while the weakened beast lies down.’
The way servants acted as though the mansion’s true master needed permission just to move around felt ridiculous.
Arriving at Theodore’s door, Claire knocked lightly.
“Young Master, it’s Claire. I’m coming in.”
This was the signal the two of them unknowingly shared before battle began.
The moment Claire entered after speaking, Theodore—consumed by madness—would charge straight at her.
‘There really is a pattern to it.’
Whenever Claire restrained him and waited a while, light would gradually return to Theodore’s clouded blue eyes, and he would become obedient once more.
‘Is this really ordinary madness?’
Continuous and repetitive mental derangement.
Claire didn’t truly understand mental illness, but she wondered if improving Theodore’s surroundings might ease his condition somewhat.
“Young Master, how about going out to the garden today? I’ve prepared a wheelchair outside, so moving around shouldn’t be difficult.”
Theodore’s eyes widened as he lay wrapped tightly in blankets atop the bed.
For the briefest moment, Claire saw a flicker of anticipation appear in his eyes.
But soon, the dull hopelessness returned, and his eyes slowly closed.
“What nonsense. You expect me to go outside looking like this?”
Now that his madness had calmed, his voice sounded terribly dry, like someone who had gone days without water.
“You do not look unsightly.”
Claire answered firmly.
“And besides, do you really need formal appearances just to go into your own garden? It’s only a small change of pace.”
After a brief pause, she continued.
“And I’ll somehow stop the madness if it appears, so how about trusting me this once?”
Theodore opened his eyes again.
Without turning his face, he shifted only his gaze toward Claire. Her light brown eyes looked down at him calmly.
She appeared the same as always, yet somehow strangely confident.
Seeing that expression, Theodore slowly relaxed.
“Fine then.”
The quiet answer slipped out almost unconsciously. Theodore himself seemed slightly surprised by what he had said and quickly shut his eyes again.
“Yes.”
Looking satisfied, Claire immediately began preparing for their outing.
The spring sunlight was warm.
Flowers that had survived the winter swayed gently in the spring breeze, spreading their fragrance through the air.
“It’s beautiful.”
While pushing Theodore’s wheelchair, Claire slowly looked around the garden.
Flower-viewing in the mountains had merely meant sitting among wildflowers, so a proper noble garden like this felt entirely new to her.
Whether Claire admired the scenery or not, Theodore said nothing.
Still, Claire continued speaking without hesitation.
“That yellow flower smells nice.”
Tiny yellow blossoms bloomed atop long green stems.
Claire especially liked the field of yellow flowers that looked like little stars gathered together.
That was when Theodore finally spoke.
“They’re freesias.”
“Hm?”
“The flower’s name. They’re called freesias.”
“Ah, I see. That’s a pretty name.”
It was only a short conversation.
Yet Claire was secretly amazed that they had exchanged such an ordinary dialogue at all.
‘So he can say normal things besides “Die,” “Get out,” “You’re stupid,” and “You’re annoying.”’
For a brief moment, Claire imagined the constantly hostile raccoon finally accepting food from her hand for the first time.
Feeling oddly proud, she slowly pushed the wheelchair along the path lined with freesias.
The flowers were fragrant, and the air was warm.
Naturally, Theodore eventually began nodding off in the wheelchair.
‘Oh. He’s sleeping.’
Claire quietly looked down at Theodore’s sleeping face.
Inside the room, he usually lunged at her the moment their eyes met, so she had rarely examined his face this closely before.
Looking at him now, he truly was strikingly handsome.
‘Maybe he’s gotten even better-looking lately because he’s slowly gaining weight.’
Without the usual tension twisting his brows, his defenseless sleeping face looked surprisingly innocent.
‘Still, I’m glad he’s resting comfortably.’
Claire had often seen Theodore asleep in his dark bedroom, but this was the first time she had ever seen him sleep so peacefully and without tension.
‘I should bring him out to the garden more often.’
As expected, sunlight really was the best medicine.
Claire wandered the garden for quite some time, pushing Theodore’s wheelchair until he woke up.
The moment Theodore stepped outside, the servants vanished as though he carried some kind of plague, which ironically allowed the two of them to enjoy the peaceful garden undisturbed.
‘Even the pond is extravagant.’
Claire’s gaze drifted toward the pond located in one corner of the garden.
It was shallow enough to reach only the calves, decorated with charming little statues around its edge.
As she leisurely admired the statues, Claire suddenly realized someone was hiding in the garden.
Slowly turning her head from the statues toward the decorative trees, she spoke softly.
“Did you come to see Young Master? Lady Isabella.”
“Hik!”
A startled hiccup came from behind a neatly trimmed square-shaped tree.
Soon, Isabella peeked her head out from behind it while hurriedly covering her mouth with both hands.
“…How did you know?”
‘I just did.’
Claire scratched her cheek awkwardly.
Children breathed louder than they realized. No matter how hard Isabella tried to hide, she could never escape Claire’s sharp senses.
‘And the red hair is incredibly noticeable too.’
In the end, Claire simply chose to change the subject.
“Would you like me to wake Young Master up?”
At those words, Isabella panicked and waved both hands frantically.
“N-No!”
Her voice dropped instinctively, apparently worried about waking Theodore.
Her large round blue eyes trembled slightly.
Seeing Isabella behave meekly like a lamb instead of her usual prickly self felt strangely fascinating to Claire.
“I think it would be fine. He’ll have to go back inside soon anyway.”
“Ugh, I said no!”
Face bright red and looking on the verge of tears, Isabella glanced back and forth between Theodore and Claire before suddenly turning away.
It seemed she intended to leave just like that.
‘She’s just leaving?’
Claire stared at the child’s retreating back in confusion.
‘It was the same in the hallway before. And now again here. She keeps circling around him, but never actually talks to him directly.’
Was she afraid of his madness?
The question arose in Claire’s mind, but she didn’t stop Isabella from leaving.
‘Well, I’m sure she has her reasons.’
As Claire absentmindedly watched the child growing more distant, Isabella suddenly stopped and half-turned back toward her.
‘Shh!’
Isabella raised a finger to her nose and lips in a secretive gesture.
‘A secret?’
After making a proud little expression, Isabella quickly dashed out of the garden. Watching the child’s clumsy running, Claire let out a quiet laugh.
“Mmm.”
Right after Isabella disappeared, Theodore slowly opened his eyes.
“Did you sleep well?”
His hazy eyes gradually regained focus as he looked up at Claire.
To be honest, Theodore had entered the garden only half-convinced, but during the six months he had suffered from madness, this was the first truly restful sleep he had experienced.
Theodore quietly nodded.
Seeing that, the corners of Claire’s lips lifted slightly.
‘Raccoons after waking up always looked sleepy and strangely warm.’
If Theodore had heard that thought, he would have exploded in outrage at the disrespect.
But knowing nothing, Theodore simply stared silently at Claire’s smile.
“…Let’s head back.”
The two left the garden before the sun fully set.
Perhaps because of the sunset, Theodore’s ears were completely red.
