I Belong to House Castielo

Chapter 3

I heard him sigh in the darkness. Then there was a clacking noise and a candle lit up. His eyes widened as he took me in under the light. When his hand brushed the area near my eyes, I flinched and trembled.

“You―” he began, but then he abruptly stopped speaking and blew out the candle.

The darkness returned and I blinked several times. After that brief moment of light, the room felt even darker now.

In the darkness, he said, “Don’t do anything needless again.”

“All right.” I bowed my head and wriggled my toes. After a moment, I peeked at him and asked, “By the way...”

“What?”

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good.”

The corners of my lips relaxed as I found myself relieved. Out of nowhere, he reached out and pinched my cheeks. When I looked at him with wide eyes, he seemed just as surprised and pulled his hand back.

“Ugly pumpkin.”

I didn’t have a rebuttal, so I just rubbed my cheek and stood still, and he took the opportunity to slip in a question.

“Did that hurt?”

“What? No, it wasn’t that painful.”

My mom used to slap me so hard, I’d tumble to the ground. So this was nothing. When I said that, he fell silent for a moment before grabbing my wrist again.

“How old are you?” he asked.

“Eleven.”

He said something that sounded suspiciously like what the hell, then asked, “Are you eating properly?”

I nodded. I’d never eaten this well in my life.

Finally releasing my wrist, he said, “Come back tomorrow.”

“What?”

“I said, come back tomorrow.”

“Oh... Okay.”

I nodded and left his room.

The next day, when I snuck into his room again in the evening, I found him waiting for me with a candle already lit. As I approached him blankly, he studied my face intently before extending a pouch toward me.

What’s this?

I opened the pouch to find a cookie.

“Eat it.”

What’s going on?

I was taken aback, but I started munching on the chocolate cookie that was filled with hazelnuts. He also handed me a glass of milk from the table.

“Drink it.”

“Okay,” I replied politely, taking the milk and drinking it.

It must have been mixed with honey or something because a sweet, creamy taste filled my mouth. I didn’t understand what was going on.

Once I’d emptied the pouch, he asked, “You said my father bought you?”

“That’s right.”

“How much did he pay?”

“Twenty thousand gold.”

“Hmm.”

I couldn’t even begin to guess how much that was. My mother’s clients had paid half a silver coin for a night with her. Just how much money was twenty thousand gold? But he didn’t seem surprised by the amount.

“Why did he buy you?”

I looked at him, flustered by the question. I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to tell him. If the servants refused to answer him, maybe I had to keep quiet about it too.

“Are you not going to answer?”

“Um, uh...” I hesitated.

He stared at me for a moment and said, “Karl.”

“Pardon?”

“My name is Karl.”

“Oh, I’m Estelle.”

“I know. You already told me.”

“Oh, so I did...”

When I looked at him cautiously, he was still studying me. Then he reached out a hand and stroked my hair.

“Honey blonde.”

I flinched, afraid he might yank me by my hair, but he didn’t.

Instead, he raised my chin and said, “Pink eyes.”

His ruby-red eyes gleamed in the candlelight as he scrutinized my face, and I worried that he’d find some resemblance between me and the duke. But it was also a problem if he didn’t find any.

“Do you know what traits define House Castielo?”

I tried to shake my head only to realize I couldn’t because his hand was still gripping my chin.

“I don’t,” I replied.

“Black hair and red eyes.”

My eyes widened at his answer. Didn’t that mean I wasn’t the duke’s daughter? My hair was honey blonde and my eyes were pink.

“It’s because our ancestors had demon blood.”

I stared at him, stunned.

Demon blood?

Karl’s neat, composed face broke into a slight smile.

Wow.

It was the first time I’d seen him smile, but how should I put it? It wasn’t the kind of smile that warmed your heart.

“That’s why, when someone’s blood is mixed with ours, it affects their eye color. They’re born with red eyes, which are the core of what makes a demon.”

I listened intently to what he was saying. I always welcomed new knowledge, and more than that, it felt like listening to an old tale.

“So a normal human can’t be born with red eyes.”

Interesting, I thought, staring at him in a daze.

He scrunched up his eyes. “Are you stupid?” he asked.

“What?”

“You’re stupid.”

“I’m not.”

“You seem stupid.”

“But I’m not...” I muttered.

Then he dropped the hand holding my chin and asked, “What did your mother do? Was she a prostitute?”

“Yes.”

When I nodded truthfully, his expression became peculiar, one I couldn’t put into words.

“Tell me about those times.”

“Pardon?”

“Tell me about your life with your mother.”

“I don’t really have much to say...” I muttered.

He rested his head in his hand. Maybe this rich noble heir just wanted to know how the peasants lived. The uncharitable thought made me pout, but I quickly smoothed my expression. Even if that was the case, I couldn’t risk upsetting him.

“I lived in a small room, and I rarely left it.”

“How small was the room?”

I glanced around before pointing to his bed.

“About the size of two of your beds.”

“What?” he exclaimed, looking down at his bed with a frown before turning his gaze back to me. “Can you even sleep in such a small room?”

“I just had to sleep on the floor. There was a small bed and a red sofa next to it. On one side, there was a screen and a vanity... And also a tiny balcony.”

At my description, he became lost in thought for a moment.

Then he asked, “What did you do when she was working?”

“My mother would open a small box and say, ‘Go in there and be quiet.’ Then I’d have to get inside and wait until she let me out again because she would lock the box.”

“There wasn’t anyone else around?”

“There was. Mr. Matt and Ms. Ellen...”

I realized just how few people I’d met in my life. No wonder I’d spent my time playing in my imagination. Maybe being Seoyoung was just a dream, a figment of my imagination. With that thought, I stole a peek at Karl.

He watched me before saying, “Come back tomorrow.”

“Pardon?”

“I said, come back tomorrow. Is there anything you like in particular?” When I stared at him blankly, he added, “Any favorite foods?”

“I like fruit...”

“Fruit? What kind of fruit?”

“All of them.”

I hadn’t eaten enough fruit in my life to know which one I’d pick as my favorite. I just thought juicy and sweet fruits were wonderfully delicious.

Karl nodded and said, “Got it. You can go now.”

I said goodbye in the courteous way Annie had taught me and left his room. After walking back quietly through the dark corridors and slipping into bed, I hugged my rabbit doll tightly and thought, I have a secret now. It was one that I couldn’t tell anyone, not even Annie. The thought of having one was delightful.

A secret friend.

I’d never had a friend before. Sure, there was Seoyoung, but she was a friend from my imagination...

Is he real?

I suddenly felt afraid. What if Karl was just another figment of my imagination? He had told me new things, but Seoyoung had also shown me things I’d never imagined before. Of course, she was more of a memory of a past life than a friend, but still.

I’ll ask Annie tomorrow.

After deciding to ask her the young master’s name, I picked up the rabbit doll again and hugged it.

The next morning, I woke at dawn, either from anticipation or nerves. Annie came to wake me only to find me already up.

“Oh my,” she said with a smile.

As I washed my face, I asked, “Annie?”

“Yes, miss?”

“You said the duke’s son lives here.”

“Yes, your older brother.”

At her words, I hunched my shoulders. Karl had mentioned that all members of House Castielo had red eyes, but I didn’t have the courage to bring that up.

“What’s his name?”

“Karl Castielo. Young Master Karl.”

“Oh.”

The corners of my lips tugged upward. So he was real. The chances of my imaginary friend having the exact same name as the real young master were very, very slim. That meant the person I’d met had to be the real Young Master Karl.

“Why do you ask?” Annie asked with a cheerful smile.

I shook my head.

“It’s nothing.”

“Oh?”

Annie looked at me like she suspected I was hiding something, but I kept silent. Being nice as usual, she simply smiled and gave me my breakfast.

The thick potato soup was just as delicious as ever, and the fish—something I’d never eaten before coming here—wasn’t bad either.

Annie told me to have fun like she always did and helped me change. But I wanted something else.

“Annie.”

“Yes, miss?”

“I want to learn how to read.”

“Oh my.”

“I-is it not possible?”

I knew education cost money.

Annie regarded me calmly before saying, “I will speak with Mr. Kelson about it.”

“Okay, thank you.”

Annie smiled and kissed me on the cheek. I found myself giggling at the soft warmth of it. It was the first time anyone had kissed me, and I really liked it.

“Now, go out and play.”

“All right.”

When I said goodbye politely, holding the edges of my dress, she exclaimed, “That’s very good!”

I smiled again and quickly left the room.

I’ll go to the garden today.

The gardens here were enormous. Past the winding, maze-like one, there was another garden that was a huge, wide-open space, but I played in the garden directly in front of the house. It was designed in geometric shapes that were symmetrical, like a French garden, and it was nice to walk through.

Because I was so short, it felt like a maze to me. There was also a garden that was an actual maze, and today I planned to challenge myself by finding my way through it. As I scurried toward the garden, I spotted the gardener walking leisurely with a ladder balanced on his shoulder.

Feeling guilty about picking so many flowers the other day, I waited for him to pass by before continuing on my way. Before, even a short walk would leave me exhausted. But I’d grown quite sturdy, so walking all the way to the garden wasn’t a problem.

“Where yer off to?”

The voice, which came from behind, startled me. It was the gardener. He had a lot of facial hair and his hat was pulled low, making it hard to see his face. I stood frozen in place, staring at him.

He cleared his throat and asked again, “Where yer off to?”

His accent made it hard to understand him. I had to replay the words in my mind several times before they clicked.

“Th-the maze garden...” I replied quietly.

Straightening his slightly bent back, he said, “Ye shouldn’t go far.” As I stared at him with my mouth slightly open, he tilted his head and asked slowly, “Are ye just playin’ close by?”

I thought about it for a moment before replying, “I’ll only play close by.”

“Good. Ye gotta mess about wi’ the dirt a bit more. Ye look pale an’ thin as a skewer, ye are.”

I couldn’t understand most of what he said, but I still replied, “Thank you,” before continuing on my way.

When I reached the front of the maze I had set out for, a fresh scent filled the air. I put my nose close to the hedges and sniffed, realizing the cool, bitter smell came from the trees. The walls of the maze were at least twice my height. Clutching my doll tightly, I walked inside. I slowly placed my hand on the wall to my right and took my time walking.

At first, I tackled the maze energetically, but after walking for a while, my doll seemed to grow heavier in my arms. I wanted to sit and rest, but I was afraid of getting dirt on my nice clothes. I stood for a while at a fork in the path before continuing on. I wasn’t sure if my judgment had gotten worse or if this maze was more complicated than I’d expected.

I’m so tired.

When I’d stepped outside earlier, I’d been proud of my shiny black leather shoes. But now, they felt like the reason my feet were hurting. As I struggled and hobbled along, a shadow suddenly appeared from the other side of the path.