Nighttime Encounters - Chapter 33
On the 5th floor of Roselia, in its most luxurious suite, resided the nobleman, the young master Calskronin.
Spotless white sheets and a thick goose-down comforter adorned the bed. As befitting the finest of accommodations, the bedding was meticulously kept clean at all times. However, they didn’t quite embrace him in the way he longed for. Young master Calskronin was only staying there because he was uncomfortable. Besides, he would have eventually have to leave, so there was no point in getting attached.
But strangely enough, the quilt that enveloped him felt exceptionally cozy and warm that night. Even the smell of the breeze as it fluttered around his body was sweet.
It had been a long time since he had such a deep sleep. Kaiden slowly opened his eyes, feeling a profound sense of contentment. He recognized the familiar canopy roof.
“What time is it already?” Kaiden murmured to himself as he looked around.
The light streaming in through the window was brilliant enough to melt away the winter chill. Enthralled by its radiance, Kaiden slowly rose to his feet.
The comforter, draped down to his chest, cascaded along his chest muscles as he moved. The warmth that had been confined within the quilt dissipated into the air, leaving behind a faint but poignant sense of loss.
“This isn’t like me,” he muttered, struck by the unusually deep slumber he had experienced. No matter how much he drank, he rarely slept in this late.
Kaiden ran a hand through his hair, almost as if searching for the lost moments that had slipped away. How did this happen?
Last night, he’d met the butler his father had sent and eaten a chicken soup that reminded him of home.
Driven by triggered memories of the past, he hastily downed the entire bottle of wine. He’d been pouring his energy and mind into Trinity for days, and his fatigue was building up. Perhaps that’s why he got drunk so quickly. Just as the maid had said.
“It’s time to get up.”
Kaiden pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, trying to dispel any remaining drowsiness. Slowly, like someone leaving behind a lingering regret, he stepped out of bed.
Standing firmly on the solid floor, he reached for the glass placed on the bedside table. He poured water from the kettle, and a glistening stream of light filled the glass.
As Kaiden quenched his burning thirst with the cool water, a crisp knock sounded as if he’d been waiting for it.
Knock, knock.
A thin voice came from the other side of the door. “Young master Calskronin, your requested breakfast service.”
Kaiden never skipped his morning routine. During his stay, he had arranged for breakfast to be served every morning. Despite having overslept, the maidservant had called for breakfast at the usual time.
“Come in.”
Normally, he wouldn’t even spare a glance. His routine consisted of immediately diving into books or perusing periodicals concerning international affairs upon waking up. He didn’t even pay attention to whether it was a maid or a manservant preparing his morning meal.
However, today, for some reason, the sight of the maid in a particularly striking black uniform with a white apron caught his attention. Though it was the same maid’s uniform, it felt different from the one worn by the maid who visited last night. That particular maid’s attire seemed to flutter as if it might take flight into the sky and vanish into thin air.
While Kaiden was subconsciously comparing last night’s maid to the one preparing breakfast, the maid pushed the trolley into the room.
“Did you have a comfortable night’s rest?”
After greeting Kaiden politely, the maid proceeded to prepare breakfast. “For this morning’s meal, we have omelets, bacon, and roasted potatoes.”
The toast was toasted to perfection, with jam and butter to go with it. Additionally, a selection of seasonal fruits, splendidly arranged, was placed on the table.
The maids’ hands were skillful as they scooped food onto silverware and prepared cutlery. Why was that? Strangely, memories from yesterday surfaced, of the woman clumsily arranging food in a hurried manner at the security headquarters. Even the faint red mark left on her hand lingered in his mind.
In an attempt to shake off the unsettling feeling, Kaiden asked the maid, “When might I expect the clothes from laundry service?”
The maid, moving to prepare breakfast, tilted her head with a puzzled expression. “Pardon?”
It was a question, not an answer. Not obtaining a clear answer, Kaiden furrowed his brow and asked again. “I asked when I could retrieve the clothes I left yesterday.”
Only then did the maid pause in her breakfast preparations, hastily shuffling through the documents inscribed with room numbers.
“I don’t believe there were any clothes left separately,” she responded,
Kaiden’s eyebrows rose at the maid’s answer. No clothes? But the maid had come last night.
Kaiden’s eyes snapped open at the spine-tingling sensation brushing against his spine. As his gaze turned stern and severe, the maid seemed flustered as she responded, visibly ill at ease.
“If you have any clothes you’d like to drop off for laundry, give them to me now. I’ll pick them up right away and take care of them quickly.”
Upon hearing the maid’s words, Kaiden let out an audible groan. A laundry service he had never requested. A maid who had entered his locked room without permission and loitered silently in front of the wardrobe. The hands that had picked him up and carried him, squirming, to his bed. And even her gentle touch as she whispered for him to rest comfortably, tucking him in under the covers.
It all felt like a dream-like reality. Or perhaps a reality-like dream. Everything was tangled in a dizzying confusion.
