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Chapter 4 ….
I clasped my hands together like a sinner and lowered my head deeply. The boss clamped his ears shut and spat out his complaint in a terrifyingly sharp voice.
“I hate her. The snoring is too loud…”
If someone only heard that trembling voice, they would think I had tortured him all night instead of just snoring.
Mr. Vailt fixed his eyes on me and asked,
“Did you sleep?”
“Let me tell you one thing. Do you think it’s even possible to get from that far-off mountain village to the duke’s estate in just four days?”
“And?”
“It was too much forced marching! I was sleepy. I dozed off. I’m sorry. Next time I won’t snore.”
I hadn’t even had a chance to rest before meeting the boss. Just let me off once.
“She says she’ll just fall asleep again…”
The shut-in must have really hated my snoring, because he kept yanking at his hair and nitpicking every word.
I protested quietly.
“People are supposed to sleep…”
Grrrrooowl.
…Really? Now my stomach too?
“For the love of—! Get out! Leave me alone!”
In the end, unable to endure it, he hurled something like Haena did—and it struck my forehead dead-on.
Thud!
Thunk.
“…”
“…”
“…”
The three of us stood in silence. Strictly speaking, the shut-in didn’t even spare me a glance, while Mr. Vailt kindly reported the state of my injury.
“It pierced the skin. Blood is beading up.”
Of course, it had to be the corner of a tissue box.
“It’s fine. When Haena threw one, my forehead actually split open. This is nothing—just a baby scratch.”
That scar was still faintly visible even now. Haena had felt terribly sorry, but it never bothered me. Unless you looked very closely, you could hardly notice it.
“…What?”
Ignoring the sharp tone of the shut-in, I gestured to Mr. Vailt. He leaned closer so I could whisper in his ear.
Glancing nervously at the boss, I lowered my voice.
“Where am I supposed to eat?”
“With the boss. You must watch him eat.”
“Has it always been that way?”
“Yes. And he never ate.”
“Why do you think that is?”
“Because he’s a shut-in.”
…And you think that counts as an explanation?
Excuse me, Mr. Sub-Male-Lead! You’re fine with your closest aide blatantly badmouthing you?
The boss didn’t bother responding. Either he was used to it, or he’d long since realized it was useless to argue with hardheaded Vailt.
“Does the boss hurt himself with the silverware?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Then even if he doesn’t eat, it would be better to leave him alone at meal times.”
Vailt pounced like lightning.
“If he skips meals, that body will fall apart!”
“Mr. Vailt, isn’t the goal to get the boss to leave his room? Why are you hung up on weird details?”
It’s not even your body—why are you so sensitive about it?
“Later, I’ll bulk him up into a muscle man, so leave him be.”
Boom! Boom!
The shut-in slammed his fists against the floor like a sulky child. A silent command to stop talking and get out.
At least his fists seemed fine.
“You said you’d entrust him to me. Then let me handle it. From now on, the boss eats alone. Comfortably.”
Reluctantly, Vailt’s eyes roamed irreverently over the boss’s physique, as if mourning.
“…Fine. I said I’d entrust him fully, so I’ll abide.”
He stepped back, still looking regretful.
I set the food on the table so the boss could eat in peace, then left the room. Removing his glasses, Vailt said,
“You can keep wearing them, you know. They’re no different from normal glasses in well-lit places. They protect your eyesight and even let you see farther than usual. A very expensive item, item, item.”
Yes, yes, I understood the first time. No need to hammer it in.
I thought everyone here welcomed me warmly—no hostility at all.
What a relief, I’d thought.
Ha. Some relief.
Here’s my warning: don’t get careless again.
On my way to the garden to fetch flowers for the boss’s stuffy room, I was doused with a bucket of water.
“Did they somehow know wet-me looks cute too?”
I snapped my head up to find the culprit—but only a swinging empty bucket remained. Whoever it was had already bolted.
Fast. Very fast.
Like they’d trained for this moment.
I wrung out my soaked black hair and took off my glasses. I was about to head to the linen room for a maid’s uniform when I stopped.
Actually… maybe this was a good opportunity.
I spun lightly on my heel and headed for the boss’s room. I wasn’t an expert, but thanks to Haena, I knew one thing: to win someone’s heart, you had to chatter endlessly about every little thing.
It had worked with Haena.
I’d visit her over the smallest matters, talk to myself, laugh by myself. Eventually, Haena laughed with me.
I made sure to give her alone time too, but soon she was the one clinging to me. Even followed me to the bathroom.
The boss wouldn’t go that far, but if I approached step by step, eventually he’d open up too.
Knock knock.
“Boss, I’m coming in.”
I put on my glasses and struck a pose. His hollow, world-weary face didn’t flicker in the slightest.
“How do I look?”
The boss silently covered his nose and turned away.
Do I smell?
Sniff sniff.
Nope.
“Lying is bad, you know.”
His body shuddered. He bit his lip as if I’d pressed a hidden button, as if he were terrified.
“I know. That’s why I…”
Uh-oh. Wrong move.
I quickly closed the distance.
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
When I carefully took his hand, he flinched, shoved mine away, and retreated into the corner.
It felt like I’d done something unforgivable.
“…Damp.”
Even cowering and gloomy, the shut-in never missed a chance to criticize.
“Listen, boss. Someone dumped water on me.”
When I stepped closer, he shoved me with his big hand, practically snarling.
“Just get out. Don’t come near me!”
The boss was prickly to the extreme.
I picked myself up and stood before him again. He didn’t even look at me. Instead, his large hand suddenly clamped hard around my ankle.
What the—?
“Let go.”
He pressed his lips tight, then muttered a low warning.
“I told you nicely to get lost.”
That was nicely?
“You’ll have to let go before I can leave.”
His glare was sharp with disgust. Slowly, he released my ankle—only to shove me hard with both hands.
I stumbled backward, and with water dripping off me making the floor slick, I lost balance and fell.
“Ahh!”
“…”
Wasn’t it proper etiquette for me to collapse backward on my own after a shove?
As I struggled to my feet, he muttered,
“Your little act isn’t funny.”
It wasn’t an act…
The next afternoon.
I never did find who splashed me. But when I returned with an armful of flowers the gardener had allowed me to cut, I ran into a man.
Dark brown skin, black hair, golden eyes, and a broad-shouldered frame—an impressive, handsome man. His brow furrowed when he saw me.
“Your face looks weird.”
“A bee stung me.”
It hurt, too.
Still throbs, actually.
“Why’d you get stung?”
“Maybe because I’m a fl—”
Whoosh.
He didn’t wait for my answer and walked right past.
It was my first time seeing him, but his appearance told me enough. The boss’s other close aide: Danny Durfield.
Taciturn, blunt, and unable to let a question go unanswered. That’s why he’d asked why my eye was swollen, even though he’d never seen me before.
‘Everyone around the boss seems to have a screw loose.’
Maybe that’s why he attracts them.
Cradling my throbbing eye, I went to fetch a vase and ran into Jessica and Lynette.
Twin sisters, towering over 180 cm, broad-built with faces like marble statues. Though clumsy and awkward in speech, they’d been very kind to me when we first met in the dining hall.
The moment they saw me, their eyes widened and they rushed over.
“Y-your eye!”
“Your pretty eyelid!”
“A bee stung me.”
“How could that happen!”
They wailed together, and I gave the answer I hadn’t managed to tell Danny earlier.
“I guess it mistook me for a flower.”
“That makes sense. It couldn’t be helped.”
“Even if you’d been stung a dozen times, no one could blame the bee.”
Now this was the normal reaction.
That’s romance for you—the male lead, sub male lead, and everyone around them only ever care about the heroine.
“But why were there bees?”
“The gardeners always take care of them, even if they’re harmless.”
Their Imperial tongue was broken, but easy enough to understand.
“There were a lot of bees.”
“…?”
They tilted their heads in confusion, certain that couldn’t be.
So someone had deliberately released them?
“Do you think anyone here dislikes me being around?”
The twins exchanged glances, then shook their heads firmly.
“We like you.”
“Of course we do.”
“Thank you.”
From the way they dodged the question, I could tell they knew the culprit.
But since they were covering for them, I didn’t pry. It wasn’t serious bullying—at least not yet. Compared to what William had done, this was child’s play. I could let it slide.
“Did you remove the stinger?”
“Yes. It wasn’t a hornet, thankfully.”
It was a kind of bee I’d never seen before in my hometown—looked like a bumblebee, but the sting was mild.
Though my face swelled, once the stinger was out, the swelling faded by the next day.
“By the way, do either of you know what the boss likes?”
They didn’t even have to think.
“Swearing.”
“Stabbing things.”
“As expected of the Eclipse Guildmaster—his tastes are unique.”
I thanked them with a glance and carried the vase into the boss’s room. He no longer cared whether I came or went.
I arranged the flowers in the vase and set it neatly on the nightstand. Then, in the quiet room, I slipped a hand into my pocket and pulled out an apple.
“This is for you…”
He swatted at it, so I hastily raised it overhead.
“It’s an apple!”
“…”
“A very tasty apple—but I’m not eating it today. Because we’re going to do something you like.”
I handed him a fork I’d smuggled in and set the apple before him.
“You like stabbing things, right? Try stabbing the apple to relieve some stress.”
Since I knew he never self-harmed, I figured it was safe.
“…”
He glanced between me and the apple, still wary, then picked it up. Raising the fork, he drove it into the apple.
The apple split in half, and he dropped it to the floor without hesitation. Unsatisfied, he kept jabbing the shredded fruit, eyes still fixed on me.
“Why are you doing this…”
“What’s with your eye…”
“A bee stung me.”
“…Not attractive.”
I was almost grateful it wasn’t harsher.
Crunch!
Even as he wrenched the fork free from where it had pierced the marble floor beneath the apple, his eyes stayed locked on me.
“F***ing ugly.”
