Time of the Blind Beast - Chapter 42

Ezekiel had few memories like this—quaint and sweet.

He had private tutors brought to the mansion for each subject and had been distant with Akenaus. In a household with much to inherit, siblings close in age inevitably grew up as rivals. Then, once he was old enough, he had gone off to the military. Naturally, he hadn’t seen Akenaus for years and hadn’t felt the need to.

Perhaps it was that very lack of time to build fraternal bonds during their upbringing that made it easy for Akenaus to try and harm him without a shred of guilt.

“Rose, you must’ve spent all your school days looking after friends and younger students. You seem like the type who was always mature and detached.”

Ezekiel continued the conversation on purpose.

His own past was so dry and tasteless that, looking back, he found Rose’s school life—likely spent in cheerful companionship—much more interesting.

“Not entirely. There was a time I nearly set the kitchen on fire boiling molasses to make candy, and once, worried that Santa Claus couldn’t get in through the chimney because it was too narrow, my roommates and I left the window open all night. We all caught a terrible cold the next day.”

In her signature quiet, low voice, Rose recounted her mischief in detail. Her tone remained refined and composed as always, but the stories themselves were full of chaotic, childish antics. The dissonance between her manner and her words made Ezekiel chuckle.

“That’s quite the surprise. I always imagined you sitting picture-perfect with a book in your lap.”

“I was generally well-behaved, but if I let my guard down, I could be quite the troublemaker.”

“A cheeky and adorable rascal, then.”

Rose paused.

He was a man raised under strict discipline, unlikely to have been allowed a single foolish mistake in his life. Surely every day had been a proving ground, every moment a test upon which his future rested. It was hard to imagine him ever being careless. So to hear the words “cheeky and adorable rascal” come so gently from Ezekiel’s lips felt oddly mismatched.

And yet, that mismatch made her heart flutter. Even though the words had already passed, they lingered.

“You’re the first person to say that to me. When a pot catches fire and the dining hall reeks of smoke for days, or everyone ends up bedridden with a cold, most people don’t call that lovable.”

“Don’t I know you? You’d never cause trouble with bad intentions. I bet you were trying to make candy for the younger girls and just slipped up. You’re the type whose results don’t quite match your intentions. That’s not your fault.”

Strange.

Rose stared quietly at Ezekiel’s profile.

When had this man become so gentle?

She could hardly recall his once-harsh expression, his cold voice. The gradual change moved her deeply.

But stories she could listen to with a peaceful heart ended here.

“I’ll bet you were an easy student to teach and a pleasant daughter to raise. Sometimes I wonder what kind of parents raise a girl as kind and pure as you. Judging by how different we are, I’m guessing your parents must be incredibly warmhearted.”

Ezekiel spoke casually about her parents.

Even though he said it without knowing anything, Rose felt as if her insides had been jolted. A chill surged down her spine as all the color drained from her body. At the same time, a dull ache rose in her chest.

No moment was safe.

Even when her heart was melting, it could instantly turn bitter.

She had to pull herself together. Rose bit her lip hard. Using the sharp sting of pain, she barely managed to steady her wavering emotions.

“You really don’t talk about yourself. Just hearing a little, I can tell the young you was incredibly charming. I’ll have to start asking more often.”

That wasn’t it. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk. She couldn’t. If the topic ever veered toward her family or her past, she might inadvertently reveal a clue about her true identity. Around Ezekiel, she had developed a habit of constantly censoring herself.

“Ah…”

Rose quickly shifted to a new topic.

“I think it would be good to tie off the rope around here.”

She had to divert his curiosity lingering on her family. She quickly waved her hand once to signal.

As Rose intended, Ezekiel let go of her hand for a moment and felt along the tree trunk.

“What kind of tree is this?”

“Hm… it’s a big, handsome spruce tree. There was a spruce grove right by Milena Girls’ School too. I remember decorating a little spruce tree with the children and baking bread together whenever Christmas came around. But this one’s too big to use for decorations.”

Rose intentionally brought up memories of school. Talking about her school was far safer than discussing her parents, whom he was having his subordinates track down.

“The bigger it is, the more decorations you can hang.”

“Buying that many ornaments would be costly… ah, but I guess that doesn’t matter here.”

“You can’t compare Valdemaira to a financially struggling school. This winter, by then I’ll have regained my sight, so let’s decorate one together. Make it very big and grand.”

Winter.

The first winter had passed, and the next was far away.

Imagining a future that still felt like a distant dream, Rose smiled bitterly.

“That would be nice… I think that would be really lovely.”

“If it’s nice, let’s do it. We can.”

Unaware of her feelings, the man spoke simply as he tied a knot around the thick trunk. While he secured the rope tightly to prevent it from slipping, Rose wandered nearby.

Then it happened. Just as she turned her head carelessly, she saw a statue in the distance.

“The statues here must be works by a famous sculptor too. There are a lot of them in the garden.”

She had come to the garden once before, but back then, her head had been full with plans for a secret meeting. She hadn’t had the mental space to take in her surroundings. Today was her first real time observing the garden.

Merlot’s explanation had been accurate. Once her eyes opened to it, she could make out the layout of the garden, with sculptures placed here and there beyond the shadows of trees with cascading long branches.

Rose let out a soft gasp. “Ah, there it is.”

“What is?”

“I can see a large statue nearby.”

“You didn’t know? There are quite a few. Then again, you probably didn’t have time to look around with all the work.”

Ezekiel clicked his tongue.

He himself had been the same, but it hit him anew how bleak Rose’s time must have been in this secluded mansion. And she wasn’t even blind.

“It’s a pair of statues, a man and a woman facing each other. The man’s head is tilted upward, like this.”

Rose adjusted his posture to mimic the statue. Explaining with words would’ve been complicated—this way was more intuitive.

Ezekiel’s tone immediately changed.

“Ah-ha.”

“Do you remember it now?”

“I do. I can even guess roughly where we are now.”

There was a hint of certainty in the way Ezekiel gauged their surroundings with his sightless eyes. His memories were gradually returning. Rose nodded. The statues he had once seen long ago while crossing the garden would now serve as landmarks.

“There’s another statue over there.”

Rose took his hand and led him. Ezekiel matched her pace with renewed ease.

“We can tie the rope to this apricot tree. Its branches are strong and wide. I remember this tree. If you draw the curtains in my room, it’s visible from there. In the summer, I thought it would be perfect to make apricot compote or hang a swing.”

“Summer will come soon. You can make compote as much as you want, and I’ll have someone hang the swing for you.”

He regretted not coming out sooner. Ezekiel felt a twinge of remorse.

Rose was always so composed, and it was unexpected to realize she had these quaint little thoughts in her head. It was also quite endearing. Despite often acting mature, she was, after all, still a nineteen-year-old girl. Sometimes she wanted to swing, decorate a Christmas tree with friends, and enjoy sweet treats. She was lovable that way.

Perhaps the dark, solemn air of the mansion had stripped Rose of her brighter, more innocent sides. But in time, he would be able to discover more and more of these hidden facets.

“Summer…”

Rose gazed quietly up at the apricot tree.

Summer. Would everything still be alright by then?