The Beast of the Albard Mansion - Chapter 29
Meanwhile, Desi became even more free once the hunter left. He could go out at night. I always left the window open for Desi.
“Take care and come back soon.”
At midnight, I saw Desi off as I was in my nightgown again. The cold night breeze blew in through the window. Desi hung on the window frame, looking at me with a sullen face.
I felt a bit down every time Desi went out at night. I disliked the thought of him going on dangerous hunts and worried that something might happen. Moreover, the nights felt lonely without Desi.
The difference between having Desi in my room and not was significant. When Desi was there, I felt at ease. It was fun too. Desi was not very talkative, but I enjoyed being around him even if he said nothing.
I would chat away by myself while Desi stayed silent. Playing with dolls or Desi’s hair and ears was enjoyable too, even though Desi didn’t like it much. Teasing him when he disliked something became a small pleasure.
But when Desi left, the large room felt empty. I would soon feel lonely and curl up in a ball. I felt like a child who suddenly became needy despite having been able to sleep alone.
“I’ll be back soon.”
Desi tilted his head as he spoke. I pouted and nodded.
“Come back quickly. I don’t like being alone.”
“Okay.”
Desi leapt out the window, skillfully scaling the wall to the garden. It took him just seconds to reach the garden wall.
I watched out the window until Desi was out of sight. Even after he disappeared, I stood there for a while.
***
Late at night, it started to rain. The clouds rolled in, and the drizzle turned into a downpour. Thunder rumbled. The sound of rain hitting the window kept me from sleeping, so I paced the room.
Opening the window, the humid smell of rain wafted in. Desi, who had gone out at midnight, had not returned. And now, it was raining.
I reached out the window, feeling the cold raindrops on my hand.
I looked up at the heavy clouds making the night sky darker than usual and sighed deeply. Suddenly, I remembered something Ellie had said. She often complained about her young son, who loved to run around the hills and fields and frequently came back injured.
At the time, I didn’t understand why Ellie was so upset. I thought it was good that her son enjoyed playing alone.
But now, I understood Ellie’s feelings completely. I was so worried about Desi running around outside that I couldn’t sleep. Even though Desi was much stronger than I was, I couldn’t help but worry. I wished he would stay safe and quiet.
As I continued looking out the window, Desi suddenly appeared below.
“Desi!”
All my anxiety vanished, replaced by a smile. I handed Desi a towel as he stood there dripping wet.
“Why did you come back so late? You’re soaked!”
Standing next to Desi as he dried himself with the towel, I crossed my arms and scolded him. Desi shrugged, shaking his wet hair, with a nonchalant attitude that made me stomp my foot. I couldn’t believe how worried I had been, losing sleep over him!
“You should come home quickly when it rains, you troublemaker.”
“I tried to. There were a lot of guards around the mansion, so it took time.”
Desi explained, glancing at me. I sighed. His excuse about the guards made my annoyance disappear. Instead, I started worrying about Desi being soaked to the bone.
“What should we do? You’re all wet.”
“The problem is my clothes.”
Desi muttered as he looked down at his damp clothes.
Desi always returned with different clothes he found while out and about. If I asked why he had different clothes, he would say his old ones got dirty. He never answered when I asked if he stole them.
But tonight, because of the rain, his stolen clothes were useless.
“What should we do? Do you want to wear my clothes?”
“They won’t fit.”
Desi quickly shook his head, looking exasperated.
“But you can’t sleep in wet clothes.”
“I don’t have much choice.”
Desi plopped down on the floor, still wet. I couldn’t just stand by and watch.
“You’ll catch a cold if you sleep in wet clothes. Just take them off. We’ll dry them, and you can wear them tomorrow.”
I tugged at Desi’s wet clothes. He resisted, blushing, insisting on sleeping in them.
I knew how awful catching a cold was, so I couldn’t leave him like this. You shiver, get a fever, and have a runny nose. Desi had experienced fever before, so why was he being so stubborn?
“Aren’t you going to take them off? I’m getting angry.”
I stood with my hands on my hips, looking stern. Desi’s ears drooped back.
“I don’t want to sleep without clothes.”
Desi clung to his collar, looking up at me with a pitiful face. Despite his flushed cheeks making me want to relent, I steeled myself. I felt determined not to let Desi suffer in the cold.
“…It’s too cold.”
“It’s not that cold.”
“It will get colder.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“I won’t be fine.”
Finally, Desi reluctantly took off his wet clothes, glancing at me as he moved slowly.
