Chapter 99

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 99

Chapter Title: That Still Strange Guest (13)

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Ethan slumped back onto the bed. His face looked like he was on the verge of tears any second, but in the end, he didn't shed a single one or let his sorrow spill out. He was still terribly inept at expressing himself honestly.

I left the room once I saw him close his eyes. I carefully shut the door behind me and turned around, only to freeze. Vincent was leaning against the wall.

He stood there rigid, blinking slowly, then turned his head toward me. He wasn't wearing any particular expression, but his face said he had a lot of questions. I bowed my head right away.

I thought he'd speak to me immediately, but when I glanced up again, Vincent was staring straight ahead, not at me.

Here was another person who was just as bad at expressing himself honestly.

I hesitated, then quietly sidled up beside Vincent. I couldn't just walk past him standing there like that.

A moment of silence passed. Vincent didn't look at me, and I kept my eyes fixed on the floor. Just as the quiet started to feel tedious, a single sentence popped out of his mouth, as if he'd been waiting for the right moment.

"How is he?"

He made even asking that sound difficult. Still, he was concerned enough to inquire about Ethan's condition. I had no idea what the two of them had talked about in the room, but it clearly hadn't been a warm and friendly chat.

I started to say he was fine, then stopped. Ethan's twisted expression flashed in my mind, and a sudden surge of resentment welled up.

"He cried buckets."

"......"

I immediately regretted the unnecessary remark.

"I'm joking."

Vincent stared at me, looking utterly baffled.

"What are you doing?"

"......I thought you should know."

"Know what?"

"He didn't shed any tears. But from what I saw, it felt like he was crying inside. Like he was bawling his eyes out."

"......"

What exactly was the relationship between Ethan and Vincent right now? Ethan had held back on the details, but I knew their awkwardness wasn't born from some simple emotion. It wasn't hatred, resentment, regret, or anything so neatly defined. Deeper, more complex feelings were tangled between them.

To Ethan, Vincent was probably a precious friend and someone he felt sorry toward. Especially because of what happened with Lucas. And Vincent?

"He's gathered himself and gone to sleep now."

I calmly answered what he was clearly wondering about. His gaze lingered on me for a long time, seeming somehow displeased. Pretending not to notice, I bowed my head even lower and glared at the floor.

"Nothing else he said?"

"He said you're an incredibly precious friend, one he has all to himself."

"It wasn't that dramatic."

The denial came right away. Honestly, I had exaggerated a bit.

"I heard you two had a big falling out."

"Did Ethan say that?"

"Yes. He said that's why you've grown distant."

"......Anything else?"

"No."

I held back, worried that saying more might make him suspect a mere servant like me knew too much. Vincent didn't press further.

Another stretch of uncomfortable silence followed.

What kind of mindset had Vincent been in while waiting for me to come out? I knew well that when someone was precious, it made you all the more cautious. That was probably why he never fully poured out his emotions. He was afraid his own feelings might hurt the other person, so he hid even his true heart.

To Vincent, Ethan was probably a precious friend, someone he resented, and also someone he felt sorry for. I could vaguely sense his feelings.

Even now, he hadn't left, still leaning against the wall. He was silent, but it felt like he had more to say.

I groaned inwardly for a moment, then parted my lips.

"It might be rude to say this, but if I may offer one piece of advice—don't suppress your emotions too much. I'm worried they'll dull all your other feelings too."

His gaze settled on me again.

"And if you hold back too long, you'll get sick. Sometimes, even if it hurts the other person, you should let it out honestly if that's what you want."

There must have been so much between them, and just as much emotion piled up. They should have cleared it out bit by bit back then, but from what Ethan had said, they hadn't even had a proper conversation.

I'd just seen it myself a little while ago. That must have been how it had gone on for the past five years.

It was so heartbreaking that I spoke out of turn. To mend a relationship, one of them had to open their heart first.

"Sounds like I'm telling you to fight."

"That could be good too."

Of course, laying it all bare didn't guarantee a happy ending. It could reopen wounds or spark a huge argument.

But if they were precious to each other, they'd understand that the hurt came from honest feelings—and that it had to be said.

"What's wrong with yelling at each other? You're friends."

I believed they would understand each other's true hearts.

Then a sudden thought popped out of my mouth.

"If worse comes to worst, just throw some punches."

"Throw punches?"

He echoed the unfamiliar words as if they were something alien.

"Yes. Violence is bad, of course, but I've heard it can sometimes clear the air completely."

I didn't quite get it myself, but I'd seen men who beat each other black and blue like they'd never speak again, only to act like nothing happened the next day and get along fine. Even with bloody noses and ugly bruises, they'd say it had vented all their pent-up grudges. Since Ethan and Vincent were men too, maybe it'd work for them—that's why I suggested it.

"Throw punches......"

Vincent murmured my words softly, mulling them over.

Maybe I shouldn't have said that. He wouldn't actually plan to fight, would he? A foreboding feeling crept over me, so I added that as long as there was no blood—just some bruises—it'd be fine. Then I quickly said talking it out was still the best way, but Vincent seemed to half-listen to my addendum.

As Vincent fell quiet, lost in thought, silence returned to the corridor. I blinked down at the floor, occasionally sneaking glances up to gauge his mood.

Did I upset him? He might think I'm being presumptuous. After all, I'd stepped over the thick line between us.

His expression soured bit by bit, making my heart race anxiously.

But contrary to my fears, a burst of laughter suddenly rang out.

"Unexpected."

"Pardon?"

"I figured you'd say something like 'make up quickly' or 'talk it out calmly.' That's what people usually say in situations like this."

I blinked in confusion at his words.

"What would make you think I'd say that?"

I'd never say something like that. I hadn't in Ethan's room just now either. No words of comfort.

I wasn't there in that moment. I was an outsider. I could understand the hurt, but I couldn't share the pain. True advice and comfort come only from those who've felt the same wound. Words from someone clueless about the agony are arrogant and just inflict more harm.

"I don't know the details of what happened between you two. I don't know what you've been through or what scars it left. I can't even presume to imagine. For someone like me to lecture you on what to do—I'm not the one involved, so that's all I can say. How could I spout nothing but nice words when it's so hard? Whether you endure the pain silently or let it out is up to you. No matter what you choose, I have no right to judge it as right or wrong."

"......"

"You can keep going like this. I'm not saying it's ideal, but you don't have to force yourselves to try."

A broken relationship wouldn't mend easily. If being honest could instantly make them understand each other and heal the wounds, how wonderful that would be.

But it wasn't that simple. The one who wants to be open and the one who wants to run can't truly face each other. That's why their bond was creaking now.

Still, without trying, there'd be no chance of recovery.

"But if you want things to change, take it slow. It takes time. Slowly, even if you have to fight, face each other properly. Raise your voices if you need to, hurt each other if it happens. If you want it, don't be afraid to reach out. Little by little, pile it up, and someday, change will come."

"......"

Just like you once did.

I bowed my head deeper after saying that. His gaze on my cheek stung. It felt laden with emotion. I rolled my eyes sideways, and Vincent was watching me with a strange look.

"Wh-what is it?"

"It's just... intriguing."

"Pardon?"

"Someone else... said something similar once before."

I didn't know who that was, but what a commendable person.

Vincent tore his gaze from me and stared ahead again. His slightly lowered eyelids trembled faintly.

"If we want it, could we go back to how things were?"

I could sense his turmoil in that heavy voice. I smiled faintly. It reminded me of what Ethan had said before I left his room.

'After Vincent found out everything, we should have talked properly then, but we missed that chance. We've been muddling through ever since, and now even normal conversations feel hard.'

Ethan had said that with a wry smile. Was there a right time even for being honest? He regretted not facing Vincent properly. And now Vincent was agonizing over their changed relationship too. That felt fortunate. They shared the same feelings, after all.

"You can't go back exactly."

"......"

"But if you want, you can build something stronger in a new form."

A fractured, crumbled bond couldn't revert to its old shape. Patching it up wouldn't erase the scars.

But if they built it up again, filling the gaps layer by layer, it would end up tougher than before. Not easy, but not impossible either.

"If that's what you want."

Yes, if that's what the two of them wanted. The departed couldn't do anything anymore. But the living? What couldn't they achieve? In time, even broken bonds could solidify again.

I thought that and smiled bitterly. I'd never had such a relationship myself. But what I'd just told him was sincere.

"You're strange."

The abrupt insult came flying. What? Why? I shot him a bewildered glance. Vincent, who had been staring piercingly at me, turned his head and furrowed his brow slightly.

"Strange......"