Red Tape

Liam’s day begins with the sound of the first rooster crowing.

As soon as Liam wakes up, he makes his bed. Then he goes to the bathroom, shaves, washes himself, changes into a uniform of shirt, pants, and a buttoned-up vest, and walks around the forest. He carefully checks for any traps or snares secretly set by poachers, and heads to the mansion.

Every morning at 7 o’clock, a meeting is held in the servants’ hall, led by Jeffrey, the mansion’s general manager.

This is where Jeffrey delivers notices from his employer, distributes the work to be done, and receives reports from the servants.

Today, there is an important announcement.

“As some of you may have heard, Master Erwin is returning today.”

The servants who had not heard the news were surprised and murmured at Jeffrey’s words.

“It’s been years since he left, but we must make sure that master feels comfortable and at ease. Mrs. Wellesley”

“Yes.”

“Prepare dinner with the menu that the young master usually likes.”

Jeffrey gave various instructions to Mrs. Wellesley, the head chef, the coachman, and the gardener.

Mary tilted her head slightly toward Liam and whispered.

“Why is he coming so early? He still has a year left until graduation.”

“Well…”

Liam had no idea why.

As soon as he had studied a little, he sent letters on the same day every year, the young master’s nineteenth birthday. But he never received a single reply.

That doesn’t mean he is disappointed. He didn’t dare expect anything like that. Even receiving a letter from a lowly servant is something for which he should be grateful.

Liam wrote letters like someone praying without expecting an answer, and his letters were all congratulations, encouragement, and wishes for good health.

Mary made a few guesses.

“Did the Duke call you? Or maybe he was homesick?”

“Well.”

Liam thought it would be nice if he did not come back being sick.

In the meantime, the assembly is over, and the servants disperse to find their work.

The furniture in Erwin’s room was covered with a rag to keep the dust from settling.

As soon as he enters the room, Liam begins to make space for a suitcase while the maids open the windows, remove the rags, and polish the furniture.

When you are waiting for something good, time moves more slowly. Every time he finished his work and checked the time on the grandfather clock in the hallway, only five or ten minutes had passed.

His heart was beating like crazy as he helped people and did various things.

“The carriage is coming!”

When someone shouted that, he almost passed out.

The servants gather in front of the mansion’s entrance to welcome the young master who has returned after about five years.

Liam and Mary are among the servants who are lined up on both sides of the carriage stop, past the stairs, and toward the entrance.

“How much more handsome he must have become.”

Mary couldn’t hide her excitement and spoke in a dreamy voice.

Liam, who always responded to her words with ‘Well.’ or ‘Yeah.’, didn’t respond today.

Liam’s face flushed red as he looked ahead.

“Are you okay? You look like you ate horse poop.”

Liam doesn’t even hear what she is saying. He gulped and looked at the carriage, which was slowly getting closer.

Soon, the carriage stopped and Jeffrey, who quickly approached, opened the door.

Black leather boots with a smooth sheen appeared outside the open door. A slender, long legs stretched out, and a white hand lightly grabbed Jeffrey’s arm.

Erwin, with brilliant blond hair, stepped out of the carriage.

Erwin is still the same.

The hardships of studying abroad have made his body thinner and his face sharper, but they could not conceal his beauty.

Liam watched with fascination as Erwin greeted Jeffrey with a light hug.

Erwin glances around the magnificent mansion with slightly overwhelmed eyes, perhaps because he is feeling a little emotional after coming home after such a long time. Then he gave a brief greeting to the servants and maids before climbing the stairs.

He stops at the end of the stairs after glancing at Mary and Liam.

And asked Jeffrey, who is following him,

“I think there’s a face I can’t see.”

“If it’s a face you can’t see… .”

“There is the skinny little boy.”

“A skinny little boy?”

Jeffrey, who cannot think of Liam from those words, tilted his head in confusion. Erwin’s beautiful eyebrows furrow slightly as if he is frustrated.

“Liam Jenners. Where is he? Did he quit?”

“He’s right here.”

Jeffrey pointed to the landing of the stairs that Erwin had just passed.

Erwin’s gaze followed Jeffrey’s finger. Then, when he saw the man standing where the finger pointed, his eyebrows furrowed even more.

Erwin comes down the stairs he has climbed and stands in front of Liam, who is looking bewildered.

Erwin’s eyes, looking straight ahead, fell on the edge of Liam’s collarbone.

Erwin slowly raised his gaze.

The thick, triangular bulge in the middle of his neck, the shaved lower jaw, and the sharp yet strong jawline.

With the rare combination of silver-gray eyes and black hair, it seems like that kid, but what is in front of me is definitely a man. A man with a rather handsome appearance.

“You… You’re that kid? Liam Jenners?”

The small kid, who was at least half a span shorter than him, disappeared, leaving behind a strong-boned man who had to be looked up to meet his eye. It almost feels like a sense of betrayal.

Liam nodded instead of answering but then remembered the etiquette he had learned.

“Yes, Master.”

He answered with a deep and low voice, but the end trembled slightly.

“Ha…Have I been out for so long?”

Saying as if talking to himself, Erwin climbed the stairs again and entered the mansion.

Jeffrey, who is following Erwin, looks at Liam and gestures toward the carriage. Liam quickly went to the carriage and held luggage in both hands.

Liam followed and narrowed the distance with long strides. He could hear Erwin and Jeffrey talking.

“Where is Father?”

“He said he had business at the palace. He went to the townhouse a week ago.”

“Is Viscountess with him?”

“Yes.”

Erwin walked without hesitation down the hallway, which had not changed much since he left.

“Would you like to eat?”

“No. I’m tired. First, I want to soak my body for a while, so can you prepare some bath water for me?”

“Yes.”

Jeffrey turned around and gave Liam a nod. Liam, who understood what he meant just by looking at his eyes, nodded.

“Then, I’ll sleep for about three days, so don’t wake me up.”

“Haha. Okay.”

Liam puts the luggage in Erwin’s room and goes straight down to the basement to prepare the bath water.

He has to fill a large copper kettle used for carrying bath water with hot water and go up and down the stairs several times with two maids.

In the bathroom next to Erwin’s room, there is a bathtub made of glazed iron facing the window.

Liam filled the bathtub with water and adjusted the temperature by putting his hands in it.

Erwin spoke, seeing his busy back.

“Drop a little of this into the bath water.”

Liam, who wiped his wet hands on his trouser leg and turned around, suddenly stiffened.

Erwin has taken off his coat and vest and is wearing only a thin tunic shirt and pants. The silhouette of his upper body is reflected in the afternoon sunlight that is slanting and deeply penetrating the room.

Liam lowered his gaze and reached out to accept what Erwin offered. It is a perfume used in Grantaire, where bathing culture is developed.

Liam dropped a few drops of the perfume onto the water in the bathtub. A soft scent of lily of the valley and herbs rose gently.

What stimulates Liam’s nerves more than the scent is the sound from behind him. The sound of fabric rustling.

Erwin seemed to be taking off his clothes. Even though it wasn’t a hot day, sweat began to form on Liam’s forehead and the bridge of his nose.

Liam, who has finished preparing, takes a step back and stands against the wall.

“All done.”

“Great job.”

Liam looked down at his own feet and tried not to look at the master.

Erwin, wearing only a fluttering tunic, passes Liam. Erwin doesn’t seem to care even though he is standing here like this.

Well, there is no reason to feel embarrassed. The nobles treated their servants like objects, like walls or furniture. There was no need to feel embarrassed in front of objects.

“Ah.”

Erwin, who is walking toward the bathtub, suddenly stops as if something has occurred to him. Liam waited for him to speak with his head down.

“Thank you for the letter.”

Liam’s face, which is deeply hunched over, grew hot. The more he studied, the more he realized how messy the letter he had sent at first was. He would take it back if he could.

“Oh, no.”

“Did you blame me?”

“……Yes?”

“Did you blame me?”

“……Yes?”

“Because you didn’t reply. Did you blame me?”

“No, how dare I…”

A small laugh broke out as he finished speaking. The soft, nasal laugh sounded like a song.

As if possessed by something, Li

am’s gaze crossed the floor like a snake and landed on Erwin’s heels. Coincidentally, at that moment, the tunic that was the only thing covering his body fell to his feet.

Liam’s body fluttered as if it had been burned.