Time of the Blind Beast - Chapter 3

Madam Serva seemed lost in that day’s memory. As a woman who had devoted her entire life to the Valdemaira family, the sight of her young master, having secretly fled to the countryside on a stormy night to escape prying eyes, must have left a shock she didn’t want to acknowledge—especially considering that this young master had once proudly returned from the battlefield waving the black flag of victory

“When you’re in a remote place like Derosa, rumors spread slowly. It wasn’t until I welcomed Lord Ezekiel that I found out what had happened in Claris. He had been away at war for so long that there was no one left at the main house he could trust. It was so bad that he had to seek out an old woman, spending her twilight years at this tiny estate.”

In her youth, Madam Serva had served at the main house in Claris before being tasked with managing the estate in Derosa as she grew older. Even as the housekeeper, the estate was small compared to the main house, with few staff, making it the perfect place for a peaceful retirement.

But with the sudden arrival of the man, she had to hastily recruit more workers and take on the role of chamberlain as well. Although it was an unusual position, in this secluded mansion, far from the main house, no one seemed to mind.

“I heard you raised him, Madam.”

Rose brought up the story that circulated within the house. It was so well-known that it hardly counted as a rumor.

In noble families like Valdemaira, it was common for loyal attendants to raise the children of the family’s wives. It was no wonder that the man, who was so distrustful and suspicious of other servants, placed his complete trust in Madam Serva.

“That’s right. I fed, clothed, and rocked Lord Ezekiel to sleep with my own hands.” Madam Serva nodded.

She continued, “If only I were twenty years younger—no, even just ten years younger—I would still be able to care for him the way I did back then. But I’ve grown too old. My eyes have grown dim, and I can’t stand on my feet for hours like I used to. There was a time when I could cradle Lord Ezekiel all day without feeling tired…”

Regret darkened the old woman’s eyes. “He needs more help now than he did as a child. What happened to him is truly a crime against humanity. I’m already inconvenienced by the dimming of my own vision as I age, but imagine the shock of losing your sight while sleeping after your victory ceremony.”

What must it feel like to be blind?

Rose thought back to the previous night when she had been dragged to his bed. For a brief moment, she had shared his sight—or rather, his lack of it. Whether her eyes were open or closed, there was no difference; all she saw was darkness, a damp and suffocating fear.

“…Of course. The agony must be unimaginable. It’s no wonder he finds it hard to trust people.”

Blindness felt like being lost in the middle of a deep, dark sea. No matter where you looked, there was nothing but pitch-black water, and no matter how much you flailed, it felt like sinking endlessly into the abyss.

A chill ran down her spine, and she wrapped her arms around herself.

Madam Serva’s old eyes wrinkled as she frowned. “Who could that woman have been?” she muttered to herself, her gaze lost in the distance.

“Have you heard about the culprit, Rose? That woman whose identity remains a mystery—whether she was a maid of the Valdemaira house or merely pretended to be one.”

Rose silently looked at Madam Serva, who continued in a resolute tone, “But we all know who’s behind it.”

The man, Ezekiel, had pointed to the mastermind as well. Akenaus, the eldest son of the Valdemaira family, just two years older than Ezekiel.

“Sibling rivalry isn’t unheard of in noble families, but no one could have predicted that Lord Ezekiel would be chased away like that. To be honest, the only reason Lord Akenaus remained safe in Claris was because of Lord Ezekiel.”

When war breaks out, men are typically conscripted, but there are very few ways to avoid enlistment—one of which is when there’s a risk of the family line being extinguished without an heir, or when an elder or younger sibling is already enlisted.

In the Valdemaira family, both brothers were young and unmarried, but because Ezekiel had taken the lead and earned an officer’s rank, Akenaus remained in Claris, claiming to be protecting the family.

“Lord Ezekiel even saw the woman’s face, but there’s no way for him to describe her now. How tormenting it must be, knowing the culprit might be right under his nose.”

“…Has there been any progress in identifying the culprit?”

“They’ve sent people to investigate, but honestly, it’s going to be difficult. I’ve been away from Claris for too long, and even after hearing Lord Ezekiel’s account, I couldn’t begin to guess who it might be. There’s also a chance Lord Akenaus hid her away long ago.”

Madam Serva, who was deeply loyal to the Valdemaira family, looked uneasy, but she still couldn’t bring herself to speak ill of Akenaus.

“I see.”

“Even if we could create a composite sketch of the culprit, Lord Ezekiel can’t confirm any identifying features. All we know is that she had brown hair. But how can we pinpoint someone based on that? Brown hair is the most common color. More than half of the maids in this estate probably have some shade of brown hair.”

Rose nodded. “It’s difficult.”

“But I’m sure that woman must be quite beautiful,” Madam Serva spoke quietly. “If she had any striking features, Lord Ezekiel would have noticed. But since he didn’t mention any, it means she must have a harmonious beauty. What do you think, Rose? Don’t you agree?”

“Well… I’m not sure.” It was a difficult topic to respond to. Rose carefully chose her words. “Perhaps she was so ordinary that she had no distinct features at all?”

“Ah, but you don’t know the Valdemaira family well, do you? I suspect that the woman was someone who had a personal relationship with Lord Akenaus. If that’s the case, she would certainly be beautiful.”

Madam Serva was almost certain of it.

“I regret leaving Claris more than you can imagine. I should have stayed at the main house and kept an eye on all the women coming and going around Lord Akenaus.”

Waving her cane with sudden agitation, Madam Serva nearly lost her balance, and Rose hurriedly steadied her.

“Does Lord Ezekiel think the same?”

“Most likely. Even though I’ve been away from the main house for a long time, I still know the atmosphere of the Valdemaira family. I don’t believe the main house servants would have betrayed Lord Ezekiel. The servants depend on the success of the family for their livelihood, so how could they dare betray the hero of the War of the Roses?”

For a time, the fame of Lord Ezekiel’s military accomplishments overshadowed even that of Akenaus. Naturally, the servants would have wanted Ezekiel to take over the family.

Madam Serva glanced at Rose’s head. Rose had tied up her hair in a headscarf to prevent it from falling into the laundry.

“I saw you on your first day, Rose. Honestly, if your hair weren’t red, I might have suspected you as the culprit. You’re such a pretty young lady, after all.”

Rose was momentarily startled and asked back, “Red… hair?”

Just a few words, yet her voice was so hoarse it broke terribly. It seemed it would take quite some time for her vocal cords to fully recover.

“What did you say, Rose? I didn’t hear you.”

“Nothing. It was just a mutter to myself.”

Madam Serva patted her shoulder sympathetically. “Your voice has been terrible since earlier. It sounds painful to talk. I can barely hear you. You’re not well, so you should rest early today, Rose.”

The servants’ quarters were on the third floor, as designated by Madam Serva. The first floor was primarily for the use of Lord Ezekiel, who had difficulty moving, and Madam Serva, who cared for him. The second floor was used as storage for the decorations and furniture from the first floor.

Though no lamps were allowed on the first floor, the ban didn’t extend to the servants’ rooms. After all, it was impossible to avoid using fire entirely for cooking, cleaning, boiling water for baths, or laundry. With Madam Serva’s permission, fires and lamps were used where necessary. Still, the servants made an effort to use as little light as possible, to get used to the mansion’s darkness. Being in the dark and suddenly facing bright light could strain even healthy eyes, leading them to avoid light more and more.

Rose slightly lifted the corner of her bedroom curtain. The light outside filtered in at just the right level. Sitting with her back to the light, she pulled a small glass bottle from her bag. Half-filled with a transparent liquid, it swayed gently as she held it up.

“Who could that woman have been?”

Madam Serva’s words echoed in her ears.

A woman with brown hair, who was connected to Akenaus Valdemaira, and who, according to Madam Serva’s suspicions, had a personal relationship with the eldest son of the family.

Some of that was right, but some of it was wrong.