Chapter 7
“There’s no one in this mansion but you and me. Even if the ceiling becomes the floor, the people outside wouldn’t know.”
“I see. As I thought, I asked an unnecessary question. I’m sorry.”
Aniella noticed there was no anger in his voice and felt slightly relieved. However, she couldn’t completely relax and was nodding when a thought suddenly struck her as strange.
Typically, noble estates had many servants because the homeowner didn’t clean and maintain the house themselves. The Mulliers couldn’t afford to hire people, so they swept and cleaned everything themselves, but he was a wealthy noble who would be second to none in the empire.
“Did you choose not to hire servants on purpose?”
When she asked, puzzled, Paiki smiled with his eyes curved nicely.
“This is a place I created to collect things that must remain secret, things no one should see. A place that exists, yet doesn’t exist.”
“Ah, I see.”
She conceded that having servants in a place full of secrets would be burdensome. There was always a risk of secrets leaking through them.
But what did he mean by ‘exists, yet doesn’t exist’? Magic was indeed a realm she, as a non-magician, couldn’t comprehend. Aniella didn’t understand at all, but just as she did with Marius, she nodded mechanically.
It was only then she belatedly realized this wasn’t something that could be resolved with just a nod.
“Um, how did I end up in such a place?”
She asked with wide, surprised eyes. Paiki shrugged his shoulders and answered nonchalantly.
“Our coachman didn’t know where your house was. He didn’t even know who you are, let alone your address.”
Only then did Aniella remember she hadn’t introduced herself the previous night, and her mind went blank.
“I tried to wake you to ask, but you were completely dead to the world and wouldn’t wake up no matter what. You must have been tired.”
That was the reason her wariness had dissipated to an almost embarrassing degree. Reflecting on her behavior the previous night, she realized she had shown not a shred of courtesy. Embarrassment and guilt made Aniella’s face burn.
“I’m sorry for causing you trouble…!”
“I’d prefer if you didn’t get angry at me for bringing you here without permission. I couldn’t just leave you sleeping in the carriage.”
“Angry? It was my fault.”
Aniella waved her hands and shook her head simultaneously. Paiki stared intently at her flustered face, then lowered his gaze.
“Oh, right. Since I brought you here, I also treated your sprained ankle. But don’t walk around too much. You should rest.”
Finally, Aniella noticed the splint and bandages wrapped around her leg. Moreover, her clothes weren’t the tattered dress but a luxurious silk nightgown.
It seemed she had incurred quite a debt of gratitude while asleep. With an expression on the verge of tears, she bowed her head again.
“You didn’t have to go this far, I’m truly sorry. I’ll leave right away.”
As she apologized repeatedly, Paiki smiled and said it was okay. But the corners of his mouth seemed unnatural. It was clearly the expression of a man mustering his last reserves of patience to smile at a bothersome woman.
Aniella hobbled and stood before the doors that had sprouted up like mushrooms after rain.
“Excuse me, which door should I use to leave?”
The only thing she could do for him, who was clearly angry, was to apologize and leave immediately.
“Any door leads outside.”
As expected, perhaps he also wanted Aniella to go home quickly, he answered right away. Aniella bowed her head and reached for the nearest door. Before turning the handle, she turned back to him.
“I will strive to somehow repay the kindness you have shown me. There probably isn’t much I can do, but still. I’m truly sorry.”
Her mind, a jumbled mess of shame and guilt, felt like it couldn’t form proper sentences, leading to rambling. With a complicated heart, Aniella bowed her head once more.
“Take care on your way home.”
Paiki gave a light wave of his hand towards her.
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