#Episode 70
Vasha cautiously broached the subject while keeping an eye on Todd.
“Um, I was thinking… maybe we could have regular holidays from now on. Like once a week or something…”
Todd, who had just started to put on his jacket, paused and stared intently at Vasha. The golden eyes gazing at Vasha revealed nothing about what was going on in his mind.
‘As expected…’
From Todd’s reaction, Vasha sensed a rejection and let out a sigh. It was half-expected.
‘Well, you can’t fill your stomach with just one spoonful of food.’
She knew deep down that a stubborn personality like Todd’s wouldn’t change just from catching a cold once.
Half giving up, Vasha mumbled aimlessly like someone throwing a random stone.
“If that’s too much, then maybe once every two weeks…”
“Alright.”
“Or maybe once every three weeks… No, maybe once a month… Wait, did you just say ‘alright’?”
Vasha’s eyes widened in surprise, realizing that Todd had actually agreed. She hadn’t expected the random ‘stone’ she threw to hit the mark so perfectly.
She could hardly believe it. To be sure, Vasha asked again.
“Seriously? You’re really going to take a break? You’re not joking, right?”
Seeing Vasha’s reaction, Todd’s face twisted in annoyance.
‘What’s with all the fuss? Did I say something wrong?’
Todd gave Vasha a sharp look with cold eyes and retorted bluntly.
“What’s with you? Why are you reacting like that? Should I just not take a break then?”
“No, no! A break is great! I’m just so happy, that’s all!”
“Hmph.”
As Vasha frantically waved her hands in denial, Todd snorted.
Despite his calm exterior, Todd’s mind was in turmoil. Of all things, he hadn’t expected Vasha to be this happy over a single day off.
Vasha was so overjoyed that she suddenly shot up from her seat, her eyes gleaming like a ruby as she approached Todd with excitement.
“Then you’re really going to take a break? Every two weeks?”
“…I’ll think about it.”
The whole situation felt awkward for Todd, and he fled the room as if running away, only leaving behind those parting words.
Vasha didn’t even have a chance to stop him. Todd left in such a rush that the collar of his jacket got folded inwards, and he didn’t even bother to fix it.
After the storm had passed, Vasha finally regained her composure. By that time, only Vasha was left in Todd’s room.
“‘I’ll think about it’… Hmm… I guess that means he might not do it…”
Vasha let out a sigh as if to say, ‘Of course.’
“Did I push him too hard…? Would it have been better if I had just let it slide…?”
Vasha repeatedly reflected on her actions. But since Todd was already gone, there was no point in dwelling on it alone.
“Well, what can I do! It’s already over, so there’s no use fretting about it now… I should just go and get some sleep.”
She hadn’t felt tired when she wasn’t sleeping, but once she had tried to sleep and failed, drowsiness hit her hard. Vasha yawned repeatedly as she left Todd’s room.
While Vasha was heading to her own room, she ran into Melina in the hallway. Melina was holding a large bouquet of purple irises in her arms.
With a bright smile, Melina greeted Vasha.
“Oh my, young lady! Are you only now returning to your room?”
“Yeah. You all did a great job.”
“What do you mean? We didn’t do anything. It’s you, young lady, who worked hard.”
News of Todd catching a cold spread quickly among the staff of the mansion. Everyone whispered to each other, warning that since the already irritable young master was now sick, it would be best to avoid him as much as possible.
If not for Vasha staying by his side to care for him, the staff might have faced a rough night.
The servants, knowing that Vasha was often too frail to even leave her room, gossiped about how ridiculous it was that someone as sickly as Vasha had to nurse someone else. They clucked their tongues at the idea of the young lady enduring Todd’s antics.
“I saw Young Master Todd leave just a moment ago. I’m so glad he’s already feeling better.”
If not, the frail and beautiful lady of the house might have had to suffer beside him for several days and nights.
‘Of course, the young lady would still be beautiful even when tired…! But still…!’
Of course, since Vasha was a vampire, she didn’t actually feel fatigue to that extent. But Melina, who didn’t know this, was genuinely worried for Vasha, hoping she wouldn’t have to endure too much.
In any case, with Todd already up and about after just one day, it was no longer an issue. Melina filled the air with all sorts of sweet words that Vasha would like to hear.
“As expected, it’s all thanks to you, young lady, that he recovered so quickly.”
“It’s just because he’s naturally strong. The only thing I did was change the washcloth every now and then…”
Unaccustomed to receiving compliments, Vasha cleared her throat awkwardly. But Melina shook her head with a serious expression.
“If it weren’t for you, the servants would have suffered terribly. The young master only behaves well around you.”
Vasha let out a wry smile. She didn’t quite agree with the idea that Todd ‘behaved well’ around her, but compared to how he acted toward others, it wasn’t entirely wrong.
The two of them continued their conversation as they walked down the hallway.
“By the way, where are you headed?”
“Of course, I was on my way to your room. I was planning to change the flowers before you returned.”
“Then… that bouquet of flowers was meant to decorate my room?”
“Yes, they’re purple irises. I thought of your beautiful hair when I picked them out… Do you not like them?”
Melina asked with concern. The bouquet in her arms was filled with blossoms of the same color as Vasha’s hair, all in full bloom.
Swallowing her surprise, Vasha shook her head.
“No, it’s not that. I was just a little surprised because it wasn’t roses this time. It’s always been roses before. Why did you suddenly switch to irises?”
“Ah, well… it seemed like Young Master Todd kept… uh…”
“…Todd?”
“Ah! Oops!”
Melina quickly covered her mouth, realizing she had said too much. But it was already too late.
“Why is Todd involved in this?”
“Well… it’s just…”
Melina rolled her eyes, desperately trying to come up with an excuse.
But before Melina could come up with anything, Vasha realized the truth. Her eyes widened in shock as she exclaimed.
“Was it Todd who’s been bringing in the roses this whole time?!”
“Secret! It’s a secret!”
Melina cried out, on the verge of tears.
Vasha was dumbfounded.
“Wait, why is that even a secret…?”
Of course, it was surprising to learn that the person who had been replacing the roses in her room was Todd. She had naturally assumed it was Melina.
But what truly baffled Vasha was the fact that Melina had tried to keep it hidden from her.
‘It doesn’t seem like she’s doing it of her own free will… Did Todd tell her to stay quiet about it? Now that I think about it…’
Vasha suddenly recalled the day she was introduced to Oliver. That day, Todd had gone out of his way to stop Oliver and Laurus from talking.
‘So, was this what Todd was desperately trying to hide back then?’
Oliver had mentioned something about the garden, so it wasn’t impossible.
But still…
‘He made such a huge fuss, acting so sensitive, all just to hide the fact that he was the one decorating my room with roses?’
Although she was starting to understand the truth, it didn’t make any more sense than before. While Vasha tilted her head in confusion, Melina nervously stomped her feet in place.
‘Ugh… I just wanted to try decorating the young lady’s room with flowers for once!’
Melina had always felt a bit resentful that Todd took it upon himself to decorate Vasha’s room with flowers.
Every night, Vasha would wake up, see the roses blooming in the vases, and smile brightly.
That sight only made Melina feel even more bitter.
But she didn’t have the courage to express her dissatisfaction to Todd.
Even though Todd was technically just a ‘young master,’ he was still a child who hadn’t even gone through his coming-of-age ceremony.
Melina knew he was much younger than her, but for some reason, standing in front of Todd made her feel like a mouse in front of a cat. Her shoulders would stiffen with unease.
‘Even if he were born a royal, he wouldn’t be more overbearing than this.’
And Todd hadn’t even been raised outside. It had nothing to do with status—he simply had an innate presence that felt like facing an entirely different breed of being.
So naturally, in front of Todd, Melina couldn’t even bring herself to raise a single complaint. Not a peep.
That’s why she missed her only chance to decorate Vasha’s room with flowers when Todd fell ill.
With that chance gone, she had tried to seize the moment. She picked out flowers that she thought would suit Vasha and brought them to her.
But now, it all made sense. No wonder Todd had been bringing only roses. It wasn’t Todd’s preference—it was Vasha’s.
That realization added to Melina’s feeling of defeat.
She felt like she had lost in more ways than one, and it left a bitter taste.
But there was no time to wallow in regret.
If Todd realized that Vasha had learned the truth…
Melina shivered at the thought, filled with dread.
