Chapter 7
I blinked as I watched what was in Raynan’s trembling hand.
I thought I heard him grit his teeth at the end of his brief question, Is it an illusion?
More than that, I couldn’t figure out why he’d bring it all the way here and ask us again when we had already told him what it was.
My mind raced, but I forced the corners of my mouth upward. I replied in the most polite tone I could, with the utmost respect for him.
“This card was written by young master Edwin.”
“Why is there no writing on it?”
“That can’t be right. He wrote the name himself.”
No writing, no way. I was a little peeved, but Edwin had written the name by himself, and I was proud of him.
I wondered if the card had been switched, I was worried.
At that moment, his face contorted slightly.
It looks like the card has changed. Just as I was picking up the card to check, Raynan asked.
“Then why is the name only written on the card?”
“Because… Young master Edwin doesn’t know how to write yet?”
It looks like the right card was delivered to him. But I couldn’t understand why Raynan was asking her the obvious, as if it was absurd.
“… So what is this?”
Raynan asked, pointing to the picture Edwin had drawn on the card.
“It’s a pretty good drawing, isn’t it?”
I looked at the bright colors.
When it comes to children of this age, they don’t draw people, they draw sticks.
Our Edwin drew people in a pretty plausible shape. He even had the delicacy of drawing all ten fingers.
As I admired Edwin’s painting again, Raynan’s facial muscles twitched strangely.
“So what does this mean?”
“It means that the weather is beautiful today, and the Duke is in a very good mood, and how was your day?”
Why the hell do you have to ask something so obvious? Maybe it’s because I said something too obvious? Without realizing it, I was able to raise the end of my speech.
Oh, maybe it’s a trap? I was with Edwin, and my heart, which had barely calmed down, started to beat fast again.
Raynan’s face wrinkled slightly.
What’s wrong? I looked into Raynan’s face for a while, but couldn’t figure out what was wrong.
He looked at the card for a long time as if he did not feel my gaze, and then said in frustration.
“This?”
“Yes.”
He can’t really be asking because he doesn’t know, right?
There is a sun, there is a child with a smiling face, and there is a dark man?
It seemed that Raynan had the same feeling of frustration. He roughly unbuttoned the shirt that had been neatly stuffed up to his neck.
“You mean that? Do you see it that way in your eyes?”
“Yes. He drew it very well, didn’t he?”
At my words, I stared at Edwin’s painting again.
Also. No matter how indifferent you are, when you discover such a talent, you are bound to be amazed.
“It’s a picture Edwin drew while thinking of the Duke… Ah! Would you like to see another draw?”
What came to mind as I continued talking proudly was a box containing Edwin’s paintings.
Although I think the one Raynan is looking at is his best… Still, he was good at drawing other things.
Excited that his interest in Edwin had grown even a little, I fearlessly grabbed him by the arm.
Raynan followed me in that position and sat quietly on the sofa. He was about to say something, but was soon silenced when I placed a box of Edwin’s drawings in front of him.
“This is Edwin’s favorite cake.”
With each page turned, Raynan’s face hardened a little.
I was excited to see him looking at Edwin’s painting seriously again, and as I was explaining the painting diligently, I felt a stinging gaze on my face.
Are you tired of painting? If so, you can check out…
“This is a box of origami.”
The moment I opened the lid of the box I brought with me, his eyes became sharper than ever.
“Stop.”
“Yes.”
Apparently, origami was not in his interest.
When Raynan spoke clearly, I responded quickly and smiled hard. He didn’t say anything, just stood there for a while, looking at the cards.
Only when the corners of his mouth twitched did he look away and stand up. I was barely able to breathe, but I quickly got up and followed him.
It was because Raynan was once again giving me a cool gaze. I straightened my body and raised the corner of my mouth again, and he opened his mouth.
“You don’t know how to write? Why hasn’t he learned to write yet?”
This time he asked about it. Why do you ask me? No one cared about him.
“I don’t know. It looks like no one has ever taught him. However, he started learning with me a while ago. He learns very quickly. Because he’s so special.”
I knew I couldn’t say what I really meant, so I replied in a polite, businesslike manner. Of course, there was nothing exaggerated or false about it.
I thought it was a pretty natural smile and soft voice. Raynun sighed, wondering what was so unpleasant about it, and took a step forward.
The sudden intensity of his scent caught her breath. Suddenly, his face was right in front of her.
“He should have a tutor….”
“… Yes.”
I finally let out the breath I’d been holding as he seemed to be waiting for me to answer, even though I’d been so good at talking without answering.
He nodded as if satisfied with the answer that flowed out with his breath.
“Don’t make cookies like that again.”
Raynan left the place immediately, leaving a warning in a rather stern voice.
“Renee?”
Edwin, who had been standing quietly behind me the whole time, sprinted over to me as soon as Raynan left.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“No. Why didn’t he recognize you? I recognized you right away?”
At Edwin, who was mixed with crying, I was surprised and denied it.
“Cookies are…”
“Aren’t those the same paper flowers I told him about?”
“Paper flowers?”
“Yes. He must be embarrassed, because I clearly saw him eat half of the cookie in his other hand.”
I realized it late because I only picked up the card, but anyway, there was a cookie in his other hand.
To be precise, it looked like he ate just one bite rather than half.
“See, I told you the cookie was the wrong color.”
“No, it’s just a little burnt. You can eat it.”
“You can’t even recognize the shape.”
“That’s not important. He ate it anyway, and he even brought it back with him, didn’t he?”
The cards and cookies were delivered safely, and he even ate the cookies, so it was definitely not a bad situation for Edwin to worry about.
Even with my proud consolation, the clever Edwin did not easily turn away his suspicions.
“Really,” I said, “It’s just the first time. Next time, I’m sure the Duke will recognize your drawing right away. Next time, let’s make something other than… cookies together.”
“Is that so…?”
Perhaps I should teach Raynan how to speak to a child’s delicate heart.
That is, of course, when she could stop shivering at the sight of him. If she practiced beforehand, as she had today, it might work surprisingly well.
The father-son relationship wasn’t as bad as I thought, but I thought it would take a lot of work to make it a little better.
I didn’t know which came first, their relationship or my future whereabouts.
A chilling feeling spread through my skin, but I shook my head urgently. First of all, today was overloaded.
*****
First of all, I wanted to go to Erin and check it out. Contrary to her urgent heart, I hardly had time to go find her.
The more I did it, the more anxious I became, and after a few days, I was finally able to find time to go to where she was.
I just wanted to meet her in person and confirm the basis of the rumor. In fact, I couldn’t meet Erin and only got out after being asked questions from other maids.
Everyone assumed that since Raynan rarely interacted with Edwin, I wouldn’t have seen him either.
But I couldn’t figure out why everyone kept asking me questions about Raynan, even though it was obvious.
It was all of them who decided that I would never have met, and they were the ones who shared the rumor that I was strange when I approached Raynan.
The maids, who poured out questions without any expression, showed their will to know more about Raynan, even the smallest details.
When I realized I wasn’t going to see Erin, I quickly left the room, but my ears were still ringing.
I leaned against Edwin’s bedroom door and put my head down. It felt like I had to calm down a little and go inside.
“Why do you ask if you don’t believe me?”
“Asked what?”
The question came from behind me, the words slipping out of my mouth in a moment of exhaustion. I was taken aback by the unexpectedness of the question.
“Young master Edwin?”
“Ah?”
When I turned around, I saw Edwin, his big eyes twitching with a more startled expression than I was.
“I’m sorry, did I startle you?”
“It’s okay.”
“You’re done early today, aren’t you?”
“Yes. I wanted to meet Renee quickly, so I worked really hard.”
I guessed that meant he finished his study early and ended up leaving class early as Well, how about we have a… meeting today?”
“Okay.”
“Is there anything else you’d like to give the Duke or show him?”
“Well….”
Edwin covered his cheeks with his hands and fell into trouble.
He grunted and thought for a long time, but nothing came to mind, so he asked for help.
“I don’t know what to do. What would he like?”
“Then, on the other hand, what is young master Edwin good at or what do you like?”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
Edwin stared at me without saying a word. His eyes seemed to ask, “Is that okay?”
I nodded to Edwin like that. With the meaning of “It’s okay.”
Edwin, who glanced at me a few times, soon fell into thought again.
“Ah, I’m good at that.”
“What is it?”
“I can climb to the top of the tree.”
Ah. I remembered the day I saw Edwin climb a tree with my own eyes.
I could hear Edwin’s voice calling me, but I couldn’t see him even after I turned my head for a while.
When I saw Edwin calling me from the tree with a bright smile, I sat down on the spot.
Edwin didn’t seem to have a phobia of heights.
“But how can I show it?”
“Ah! Can you pick up an apple? Especially pretty and ripe apples?”
Edwin rolled his eyes at my words. After thinking for a moment, he nodded his head vigorously as if satisfied.
The apple tree isn’t that tall, so it’ll be fine. Even if Edwin fell, it was a height I could take.
No, more than that, I wondered if Raynan would like the apples. I’d have to ask Catherine. If he doesn’t like apples, there are other fruits.
I thought of some fruit trees scattered around the Duke mansion. There were plenty of alternatives to apples.
And they weren’t very tall, so they wouldn’t be dangerous to Edwin.
Giving him fruit he’d picked himself would be just as thoughtful as giving him something he’d made himself.
“Then, shall we go pick apples after you finish studying tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
The more I thought about it, the more it seemed to be a pretty good meeting result.
