Chapter 77
Chapter 77
Chapter 77
“I didn’t mean to do this.”
Embarrassed by the scenery unfolding in front of me, I rolled my eyes from side to side.
“You don’t see it there, too?”
At first, I was walking around the garden by myself. So, I scoured the bushes, behind pruned trees, and even to the rose bushes. While I was wandering around like that, the gardeners and servants started looking at me with curious eyes one by one.
Then, one of them came and asked.
〈 How can I help you? 〉
He called people to say that I was looking for a black cat, and it soon became a large-scale search operation.
After I took the authority from Greta, who was managing the housekeeping, the servants became more kind to me.
It didn’t seem like I was simply taking over Greta’s job.
First of all, they were friendly to me. It may have been that they had a sense of self-consciousness, although unlike the past, they smiled at me, were kind, and spoke kindly. Even if this was a temporary phenomenon, it was meaningful enough to me.
Good, very good
It was very important to be liked by the people I met all the time. Thanks to them, I received all this help in finding Noir.
As I was in the midst of excitement, I heard a familiar voice behind me.
“What’s going on?”
Seeing Amoide’s sudden appearance, the employees all bowed their heads in greeting.
“A, Amoide. How did you get here?”
“I was taking a walk, and it’s noisy.”
He answered in a blunt voice.
“A walk? Why…”
Before I even asked if he did it himself, the answer came back.
“Are you afraid that I won’t be able to walk without you?”
That was it.
Of course, though, that’s right.
‘There is nothing to say in such a hateful way.’
“Why?”
He seemed to sense some impurity in the way I gazed at him. Amoide stared back at me with sharp eyes.
“No, I thought it would be nice to have long legs. I think it will be very comfortable even for a walk.”
So, I quickly came up with an excuse.
“Yes, it’s different from someone with short legs.”
…Oh, really.
I was about to say something again, but suddenly I felt many pairs of eyes on me.
“….”
When I turned around, the gardener, servant, and even Rona quickly turned their heads in turn. They looked like they had turned their gaze away while trying to watch as much as they could.
“Hmm, hmm.”
I straightened my posture again in embarrassment.
As a signal, the employees began to rummage through the bushes more diligently. They continued what they were doing as if they hadn’t heard our conversation.
‘There’s nothing secret about a couple’s fights and to show them fighting.’
It was good to do it.
“Come this way.”
I grabbed his arm. Contrary to what I thought he would do, he meekly was dragged along by me.
“Where are you going?”
When I reached the shaded area of the building, I spat out.
“Ah.”
I let go of the hem of the clothes that I had pulled.
“Me and you, have a face, but we can’t fight over there.”
“We’re not going here to fight.”
At that, I glance up at him. Now that I heard it again, it was true. I didn’t bring him all the way here just to fight.
“You have a lot in your mind.”
The sound of him speaking slowly made me feel a little bubbly.
“Aren’t you curious about what I’m thinking?”
“I’m not curious, but tell me.”
“If I’m tall enough, I think I’d like to grab you by the neck.”
“….”
He was silent for a moment.
“You want to know what I’m thinking, don’t you?”
“None of my business.”
I clicked my tongue and lowered my shoulders. In order to recall the most disgusting expression, I have ever made in my life.
“But, I asked what you were looking for.”
“If you know, will you find it for me?”
Unexpectedly, I snapped at him. Realizing that, I shut my mouth and shut my eyes tightly.
‘…I didn’t mean to do this.’
Watching Amoide stare at me without saying a word gave me a strange sense of guilt. Even though we were sticking thorns against each other, it felt like there was no winner. It was good to put aside unnecessary consumption of emotions.
Thinking that, I cleared my throat to speak in a tone that was as soft as possible.
“Well, I’m looking for Noir.”
“That black cat?”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t it always running around?”
“That…”
I bit my lip for a moment, then said, “I wondered if it would be bad for your health, so I moved and raised it in the Moonlight Pavilion.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s gone. I went to give some food…”
My voice got smaller and smaller, and I continued my words.
“…I’m sorry I couldn’t watch it properly. I won’t let it wander around.”
“I never told you to kick it out.”
“That’s true… but just in case, if it causes any problems to your health.”
“Are you so worried about that? Then, you should have kicked it out.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because I said I would take responsibility. I am responsible for Noir, and—”
I glanced up at him and finished my remarks.
“I will take responsibility for your health.”
At the curiously thrown words, Amoide narrowed his eyes and looked at me. You must be thinking, obviously.
“Don’t be sick.”
This was sincere.
Please. Please don’t get sick. No matter how hateful a person was, if you had strength, it was most welcome.
“It used to go around the duke’s mansion in the first place. It must be somewhere.”
He gazed down at me with deep eyes and continued. The eyes emitting light as refreshing as a lake were directed at me.
“If it runs away, it won’t be in the duke’s mansion. Snakes were all slaughtered last time, so there are no other natural enemies.”
“But then, if it gets chased by a mouse…!”
“What?”
He wrinkled his eyebrows as if suspicious of his ears.
“What is the cat chased by…?”
“Mouse.”
I uttered with a lot of worries.
“Noir is afraid of mice. When I first discovered it, it was because it was avoiding a mouse when it entered the chimney…”
“I hear all sorts of strange things. Well, why are you raising a cat? A cat that can’t even catch a mouse.”
Hearing that, I quickly turned my head to look at him.
“What’s the matter?”
He looked at me with slightly perplexed eyes.
“Cats may be afraid of mice. And, it might not be able to catch some mouse.”
The voice came out trembling. I felt like I was about to cry. Noir wasn’t born to catch mice, so why does it have to?
“What…?”
Amoide seemed somewhat perplexed by my reaction.
“Why are you killing a cat to kill?”
Without realizing it, I stared at him and started screaming.
“The cat! There’s no law that says you have to catch a mouse! You’re the kind of person that only uses that to judge whether a cat is useful or not.”
“…What?”
He seemed a bit shocked. No, very much.
“Cats are happy just by themselves. What if they can’t catch any mouse?” I continued to speak, and Amoide’s expression grew more and more serious.
Amoide looked stunned as if he had been slapped in the back of the head with a weighty ball of iron.
“It’s the same with people. Having a wife, and you have to pass it on to the next generation a child, it’s not like that.”
“….”
“It sounds like there is no blood or tears.”
After quaking for a while, I started to regain consciousness.
…Did I talk harshly?
Instinctively, a danger signal sounded in my head. This is dangerous… It’s dangerous, so let’s run away first.
With that thought, I slowly pulled my butt back and backed away. Looking at me moving away from him in an instant, Amoide spoke in a low voice.
“Come here.”
“….”
I pretended not to hear and turned my head.
“Come, now.”
I should not go. The way he spoke up was bloody in itself.
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