IBDF 09

Chapter 9

“I heard the sound of your cane.”

“You heard that sound? You couldn’t even hear me coming before.”

“Did I? Lately, I can hear quite well.”

Of course. Being confined to spaces he couldn’t see would naturally make his other senses sharper. Not only would his hearing improve, but his sense of smell would get keener, and his touch more sensitive.

“Hm, they say the more desperately you wait for something, the better you can hear it. Young master… were you perhaps waiting for me?”

I made a joke, as usual. He would probably snap back angrily, saying I was talking nonsense.

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

“Um… young master?”

Why isn’t he replying? Not acknowledging my joke makes the atmosphere awkward.

As I scratched the back of my head, embarrassed by the long silence, he finally spoke.

“Yes, I was waiting.”

“Huh? What?”

I blinked in disbelief at Callios’s answer, which made my ears doubt themselves.

Then he continued in an annoyed voice.

“…My throat’s been so dry since earlier, but I couldn’t find my water bottle. In the end, I didn’t get a single sip and spilled it somewhere useless. Where on earth have you been until now?”

Ah.

Now I understood Callios’s mood. I hurriedly explained why I was late.

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

“What? I was about to die of thirst, and you were leisurely having your meal?”

“Well, I have to eat to stay alive too!”

How unreasonable. Eat comfortably, huh?

I went to the nightstand and picked up the water bottle Callios had almost emptied. Pouring the last drops into a glass, I said,

“Here’s some water.”

“I don’t need it.”

“Why? You said you were thirsty.”

“I said I don’t need it. …By the way, you.”

His voice grew firmer.

“From now on, eat here. It’s inconvenient if you don’t have what you need.”

“Are you saying I should eat here too…?”

“Yes. Since no one is around, anyone can barge into my room.”

Callios hesitated before continuing.

“No matter how ridiculous I am, you barged in without permission….”

“……”

He must have been upset about what just happened.

I suppose I didn’t expect Mary and Dorothy to suddenly barge in like that either.

Anyway, the two of them should have been strictly prohibited from entering after the last incident.

Moreover…

As Callios said, perhaps they were being disrespectful because they looked down on the young master who was secretly in pain.

I had to ease his mood.

I spoke quickly to change the atmosphere.

“Understood, young master. I’ll report this to the head maid. Is there anything else you need?”

“What you just said is enough.”

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

“Hah.”

He scoffed at my words.

“You seem to be getting a bit arrogant. Mind your own conduct.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re so careless that even those girls look down on you….”

He stopped abruptly mid-sentence.

“No, anyway, just focus on what you need to do. Don’t be slacking off like today.”

He grumbled as he rustled and turned on the bed.

“…Slacking off? I only came back after eating.”

Why am I the one getting scolded when I tried to be considerate?

A few days passed after I reported Mary and Dorothy’s behavior to the head maid.

I heard they were moved to the laundry room, tasked with washing clothes all day.

By now, their hands were probably swollen from the work.

“Even in spring, the well water must be quite cold… I need to focus and work carefully.”

As I clenched my fist and resolved myself, I heard a soft yawn from the side.

It was Callios, who had spent the whole day lying in bed.

“….”

Watching him quietly, I saw an opportunity and spoke.

“Young master, if you’re bored, shall we take a walk?”

Even healthy people get sick if confined to a small room all day without moving.

“He collapsed last time, but his condition should be much better now.”

I thought it would be good if he learned to spend his days in a dark place where he couldn’t see, bit by bit.

But Callios laughed softly, as if my suggestion was ridiculous.

“How can I take a walk? I can’t even take a single step outside.”

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

Callios’s room was as big as four regular bedrooms combined.

On the first day I came to the mansion, it took me ages just to memorize the layout of this huge room.

This is practically a playground, a playground!

“How can I walk when I can’t see anything?”

There was a faint trace of fear in his voice.

It was understandable. He must have tripped over furniture or bumped into walls trying to move alone.

For him, the dark held only painful, injurious experiences.

Repeated bad memories would make anyone cautious and withdrawn.

But if he didn’t try at all, he would be trapped in darkness forever.

“This is the room you’ve lived in for fifteen years. Even if you can’t see, your memory will have it all.”

First, I needed to break down his fear.

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

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

“I don’t know.”

“Think carefully! I’ll ask until you answer properly.”

“Sigh… really…”

“Quick! What’s beside the bed?”

“……A nightstand.”

“And on the other side?”

“……A portrait on the wall, and a chair below it.”

“See? You remember everything! You know where everything is, so there’s nothing here to worry about.”

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

“You can walk slowly. Just feel along the wall and make a round. Recall where the furniture is one by one.”

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

Unable to resist my insistence, Callios reluctantly slid out of bed.

I guided him to the wall and had him gently touch it.

“Reach your hand slightly forward and relax. If your hand is tense, you could hurt yourself on furniture.”

“….”

Callios said nothing. He might have been too tense to respond.

I understood his fear completely. I had been there before.

Just as I adapted gradually with others’ help, I was sure he could improve with effort.

So I wanted to help him as much as possible.

“Here, hold my arm.”

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

I expected him to resist, but he gripped my arm firmly, leaning on it.

“…He used to push my hand away even if I just touched him.”

My nose tingled slightly.

This grumpy young master was somewhat… cute.

I hid my feelings and gently guided his arm forward.

Swoosh.

At the same time, his hand brushed softly along the wall.

He began tracing the memory of walking around the room.

When he completed a full circle safely,

I couldn’t contain my joy.

“Young master, look! First try, and you didn’t fall even once….”

Thud.

Suddenly, I felt weight on my head.

Before I knew it, his other hand was resting firmly atop my head.

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

How am I supposed to support myself on you?