Chapter 5
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Under a dazzling chandelier, there was one person who immediately caught her eye.
Why?
Was it because he was the only one wearing a cream-colored jacket instead of black?
Or was it the chilling coldness of his eyes?
The shadow from her nightmare was still staring at her intently, sending a chill down her spine. At the same time, a very strange realization struck her.
‘He...hates...me.’
Her heart clenched tightly in her chest.
"Come in."
Edwin's voice was soft as spring. Dana felt like she could breathe again, like in a dream.
"Are you feeling better?"
"Yes."
"That day...."
Edwin leaned closer to Dana as if to say something more. But then, "Huh? Who's this?"
There was someone standing between them. It was the black-haired man who had been the most obnoxious person at the falls, and he jerked his gaunt face toward Dana, a look of surprise on his face.
"It's .........Marcus's guardian angel!"
There was another round of wah-hahs and laughter.
"Where's Marcus, huh?"
The way he was scrambling around made even Edwin chuckle.
"Hey, Marcus, come on out, your guardian angel has appeared!"
It was a good thing Marcus Drayton wasn't there. If he really had appeared, Dana's heart would have shriveled up and turned to dust.
As the men's laughter echoed loudly, Edwin realized that the maid in front of him was about to slip into the ground, just as she had the day before.
"Come on, that's enough."
Edwin grabbed his friend by the scruff of the neck and set him down on the couch, then turned to Dana.
"Let's get out of here. I just wanted to check on you, but I didn't think long enough."
Edwin smirked and opened the door. Dana, stiff as a board, followed him hesitantly.
Their feet pounded the carpet along the hallway, down the stairs, and paused in the first-floor hall.
"How are you feeling, did it hurt?"
"......Yes, I'm fine."
"I was worried."
She tugged at the hem of her skirt, trying to hold it together, but it was a futile effort. Dana's face turned a shade of red beyond recognition.
Suddenly, she realized she hadn't even thanked her master.
How many masters would jump into the water to save their maid?
"I...."
"Huh?"
Edwin leaned forward, her voice too small. Her heart raced again.
"There...."
A head of golden, glistening hair loomed in front of her. Dana swallowed dryly and opened her mouth again.
"......Thank you... for that day... for me........."
"...."
"Master... for me...."
Edwin's eyebrows drew together, then he smiled.
"Okay. Okay, okay, you don't have to say it."
If only she had thanked him properly...
Dana felt so stupid without a number.
"Never mind. It's my responsibility, too. I should have known how they'd act in front of you."
How could anyone be so kind?
A hot wave rose from the depths of her chest. It made the tip of her nose sting, and it gradually brought heat to her eyes.
Dana had always been a good crier.
A mother bird swooping down on her prey, a dog soaking wet from the rain, a tiny caterpillar just emerging from its egg.........-all of these things made her tear up unnecessarily.
But now was not the time to show tears.
Never!
Dana looked up at her Master cautiously, her eyes still strong. Edwin, too, stared down into his maid's hazel eyes.
There was a strange silence.
Long enough for the air currents between them to feel tense.
Edwin was the first to break the silence.
"Uh... I guess we can... go now."
Dana snapped out of it.
"...Yeah... that... then......"
She turned on her heel, as if it was her fault for taking up his precious time.
"Goodbye."
She blushed again at his sweet greeting and quickly bowed her head.
Whether he realized it or not, Edwin turned around without a word of hesitation. The neatly coiffed blond turned in a half circle, moving quickly away from Dana.
How much time had passed?
A footman carrying a tray up from the opposite direction jolted her out of her dazed state.
"What are you doing here?"
Dana quickly removed her hand from the railing and bowed slightly.
Dana quickly slipped out of the main building.
As she walked along the long stretch of landscaping, she realized she was on the wrong side of the property. She looked around in disbelief and realized she'd ended up at the garden pond.
Idiot...
Dana chuckled and stopped walking. The frogs were croaking in chorus.
"Haah...."
An odd sigh escaped her. Dana squatted down on a large stone and stared out into the pond.
The water lilies poking their heads above the surface glowed white in the moonlight. A breeze from the water's edge stirred the water plants, ruffling her hair and gently cooling the sweaty nape of her neck.
Suddenly, she remembered what happened at the waterfall.
She had been sick all day and had nightmares, but in the end, it had been a good experience. To be a head maid, one must be able to serve not only female masters, but male masters as well.
Thanks to her work that day, Dana learned what the noble masters talked about and how they played.
Was that all?
She even had a private conversation with Master Edwin.
Dana was almost grateful for the grumpy Marcus.
Another gust of wind blew in, stirring the pool. Dana ran her hand over the brown cattails that swayed to and fro.
Through the swaying stems, she could see the shape of a man.
Dana smiled.
...I thought it was you.
The moment she thought that, she froze completely.
"...!"
She wasn't seeing things.
There was indeed someone there.
A long figure walked briskly across the pond and stood on the bridge. A man's face was fully visible in the pale moonlight.
Dana's heart began to beat frighteningly.
The other man turned his head. In the dusky light, their eyes locked in an authentic gaze. Unlike Dana, who was stunned, he looked as nonchalant as a passing dog.
"Oh, it's me...... I'm......"
Dana scrambled to her feet. Then she stammered out an excuse.
"I... I just... .........."
He didn't say anything. He just leaned leisurely against the railing with a "So what?" look on his face.
She heard the click of a lighter. The light flashed, illuminating his face.
Dark hair, porcelain-smooth skin, slightly downcast eyes...
In a split second, all of it was etched into Dana's eyes.
A wisp of smoke drifted up from the lamp.
Taking a drag from his cigarette, he glanced down at her.
Why are you still there?
He didn't say a word, but it sounded as if he did.
"Oh, I guess I'll......... bye......."
Dana scrambled out of the water and just as she was about to turn around, she saw him reach for something.
Poof, something hit the water's edge with a loud crash. Naturally, her body turned toward the sound.
There, on the calm surface of the water, was a pure white bowtie. It was the same one that had been tied perfectly to his shirt in the smokehouse earlier.
"Oh, no."
He sighed. It sounded forced, not the least bit sincere.
Dana stared at the dropped tie, which he must have dropped on purpose.
"Get it out."
Dana's mouth dropped open at the rude command.
Her head snapped back to the pond. The tie bobbed in circles on the surface, soaking wet and ready to sink.
"Are you deaf?"
"What? Uh...no...but......."
"You know how to swim."
It was such a strange thing to say.
But it was hardly audible to Dana's nearly dazed ears.
He was the one giving orders, she was the one receiving.
The gap between them made her willing to hike up her skirt and step down the pond's steps.
Splash.
Aquatic vegetation, dirt, and sand stuck unpleasantly to her legs. She gripped the willow branch tightly with one hand, then stretched her other arm out to the other side. The tie was thankfully not too far away. Dana barely made it out with only her thighs in the water.
Climbing back up the stone steps, she waded over to him, dripping wet.
"Here...."
The man didn't even glance at his bow tie. His cold eyes were fixed on Dana, and he gestured with his head to somewhere on the railing. With trembling hands, she laid the wet tie down on the flat ledge.
".........Then...... I'm off......."
Thankfully, he didn't keep her any longer. Dana slowly turned around. A cold breeze blew in and curled around her body. She shifted her stiff legs like logs and thought to herself.
'That man really hates me...it's true....'
It wasn't an illusion. The nightmare had happened for a reason.
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