Chapter 19
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Four, five, six...
The alcohol slid down Nicola’s throat without pause. Theodore tilted the bottle as soon as he put down his glass. Then he made him down it all at once, with all sorts of nonsensical excuses: the weather was nice, the liquor was good...
Nicola’s long, lean body leaned further and further forward as he picked up the bottle, as if to say, "Now, enough is enough.”
"Now, please, do it in moderation. How sad the Peron's youngsters would be if they knew." Celeste joked, trying to stop him, but it was no use.
Theodore ruled like a king, reveling in the sight of the dark-haired, handsome boy his own age withering away. After a few more attempts to save Nicola, Celeste had no choice but to give up.
"I think we're going to have to leave, gentlemen, as this is going to be a long night."
Dana wished she could do the same; if she couldn't stop it, the only way to ease the pain in her heart was to close her eyes. But he wouldn't let her do that.
"You should stay for the encore, right?" the man smirked, and he looked like the devil to Dana. By the ninth or tenth empty glass, Nicola had surrendered. Propping himself up with his elbows on his thighs, he struggled to accept the glass Theodore thrust in front of him. With a sigh, his head dropped lower and lower, until, with a thud, it hit the table.
"Oh, my God!" Celeste exclaimed, running over to the pianist, who grunted and groaned as she pulled his torso upright, his jet-black hair falling in random strands. He's not dead... Dana patted her chest. Celeste seemed to feel the same way, and she placed a hand on his chest, relieved to hear his ragged breathing.
Theodore looked down at them coldly. His face, as lean and handsome as Nicola’s, showed no remorse, no guilt, no compassion... nothing.
"Celeste, see Mr. Richter off." Theodore spoke, suddenly using the honorific. "He is the pianist who will be sponsored by the family, so you will be in charge of him."
Celeste let out a breath she'd been holding. Inwardly, she wondered what if he didn't want to sponsor him after making such a mess. She slipped her arms under Nicola’s armpits and pulled his sagging body to its full height.
"...I'm...sorry...I'm sorry. I'm so...."
"Don't say that, I'm sorry."
"Thank you...Master...for...thanks...Miss...Bodan...goodbye..."
Nicola apologized and said goodbye at the same time in a slurred voice.
"I don't know if he can get a carriage, should I call for Tilly, ah, where's his coat?" Celeste, for someone who had been an adoring fan, scrambled to gather him up.
Nicola leaned over her shoulder and staggered out of the music room. The door slammed shut behind him.
"...See?"
Dana turned to face him, horrified. The man's green eyes, once as dark and clear as a dense forest, were somehow blurred.
"A few drinks and he’s being dragged around like a dog."
Despite the words, Theodore seemed deeply satisfied.
"You get what you get," he muttered, pulling his tie loose. Dana looked down at him, a little surprised. His rigid upper body had tilted slightly, and his hands were strangely loose on the armrests. He's drunk too, Dana realized. Pretty...
"Want to know a fun fact?" he asked, pulling out another cigarette. "Nicola Richter is homosexual," he said, and then glanced up at Dana. It was obvious he was waiting for a reaction, but Dana didn't notice. Her mind was consumed by the fear that was slowly creeping in.
Theodore narrowed his eyes. "Fags. Promiscuous, filthy bastards who stick their dicks in anything."
Dana felt her eyes roll back in her head at the offensive words spoken so casually. It wasn't her first time hearing the vulgar words. Dana's grandfather had occasionally uttered harsh words, and men like Noah Miller often did, as did the servants. They would blink like innocent children before maid Rosi, and then turn around and say things they wouldn't dare say in front of her. But she had never seen a nobleman do that before.
"Why don't you say anything, don't you understand me?" he asks, glaring at Dana. The satisfied smile was long gone, and he bit the end of his cigarette in disgust. That cigarette was also bad. Normally, aristocratic men liked to puff away with a thick cigar between their fingers. But Theodore always had a cheap cigarette dangling from his mouth.
Dana shuddered with fear. Maybe it was her turn. She had been through it enough times now that she could recognize it at a glance. The new toy he'd been chewing on was broken, and the bored cat was reminded of the old one. How can I play with this maid I've forgotten for a while, perhaps he thought that.
Dana was breathing heavily when she heard a knock at the door. Celeste had returned. Dana barely resisted the urge to run to her and hide behind her back.
"I was glad to see him off in the carriage, you were going to sponsor him anyway... why were you so mean to...."
Celeste stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face Dana in surprise. "Why are you still here? Do you know what time it is?"
Dana's eyes went to the clock. The hour hand was nearing midnight.
"Come on, go get some rest, we need to be awake as soon as possible to get to Belvida at dawn tomorrow...."
"...Belvida?" The man’s hard voice interrupted. Celeste and Dana both turned to Theodore, each for different reasons. He was staring at Dana, his eyes frighteningly calm.
"If she does well today... I promised her I'd let her go to Belvida."
Celeste replied and started to lead Dana outside, but she didn't get more than a few steps before she had to stop dead in her tracks.
"Who told you to do that?"
"...What?" Celeste repeated, surprised. "I've decided to train her faithfully, to the point where I'm not ashamed to show her off to others."
"Yes...right...."
Celeste nodded with a puzzled expression.
"But how many days have passed?"
She couldn't help but panic, as she hadn't expected him to ask. Celeste managed to keep her expression from growing blank and spoke quickly.
"I... it's just... it's kind of a reward. Dana's been amazingly diligent to her training, and it's not like she even goes there to play. She kindly offered to follow the pastry chef and help out."
Celeste explained eagerly. She wondered why the Master, who had shown no interest in the training of the maids, was suddenly doing this.
"She won't be gone long, a day or two?"
Theodore was not listening at all. His fingertips tapping on the armrest, he was clearly distracted.
"It won't interfere with her training at all. If today's behavior is any indication, she’s behaving like a proper maid, worthy of being put in front of people."
"Really?"
Theodore’s cold pupils bored into her eyes.
"You really think so?"
"Uh... sure... yeah, she's not perfect yet, but...." Celeste mumbled incoherently, and Dana narrowed her eyes.
"...Master?"
Celeste called after him when he became too quiet. Theodore stared off into space without answering. He must not want her to go to Belvida, Dana thought despairingly. ...But why? Was he afraid she would tell Master Edwin of his atrocities, and that's why he wouldn’t let her go?
Theodore's cold eyes turned back to Dana, and after meeting her unreadable expression, he said something very strange.
"Go and get the letter to Grand Duke Romberto. It's on the desk."
The order was so out of the blue. Celeste's ears perked up suspiciously and her eyes narrowed as she headed for the desk.
"No, not you."
Celeste stopped in her tracks. Theodore's eyes were fixed on Dana.
"You do it."
Her body reacted before her head. Without hesitation, Dana moved like a machine and headed for the desk. All she could think about was how she didn't want to offend him. When she finally stood in front of the desk, she thought she could just pick it up and give it to him. But as she bent down to find the letter, Dana was overcome with dizzying confusion. It wasn't just a piece of paper. She had to find the letter with the words "Grand Duke Romberto" on it among dozens of stacks of paper. For some, this would be a piece of cake. For others...
"What are you doing? Why don't you bring it ....?"
Celeste asked in frustration, and then realized why. There was only one reason for the maid to blush bright red in front of the stack of papers.
"Oh, I'll get it."
Celeste found the letter and quickly handed it to Theodore.
"Here you go."
Theodore tossed it on the table without looking at it.
"Is this bad enough, you can't even read?"
Dana's face felt like it was on fire, burning with the emotionless tone of his voice, which had no highs or lows.
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