Heavy Rain Chapter 49

What… was this feeling again?

Since he had just finished his meal, Haejin looked for the bell without thinking further. There was always a bell near where his hand could reach. Even when he went to other rooms, he didn’t need to specifically bring one along; such a bell was always placed in an easy-to-find spot.

Once again, his mood was a bit subtle.

“Yes. Mr. Bright.”

“…Butler Mark.”

“Just Mark is fine.”

Every time he used the title “Butler,” the man would chuckle and ask to be called by his name. Furthermore, Mark no longer wore the black formal suit of a butler. He even said he had been dying from the discomfort and would now wear the clothes he liked. It was easy to notice that this was all consideration for him.

Today, he wore a warm brown vest layered over a shirt. It was an appearance that suited his benevolent, smiling eyes quite well.

“I was told the Young Master is leaving work a bit late today. I told him not to wait and to go to sleep first.”

“…”

Hearing those words made it sound as if Haejin and Lyle had some sort of appointment. Mark frequently chose friendly vocabulary, to the point where one might wonder if he misunderstood the relationship between him and Lyle. Lyle likely had only relayed the message that he was leaving work late.

He hadn’t originally gone that far, but after Haejin had a seizure in the bathroom once, Lyle visited his room every day after work. If Haejin happened to feel bloated and left a little food behind, Lyle would immediately send a message through Mark.

Whether they had heard the circumstances, a much kinder energy dwelled in the eyes of Mark and the other servants. In particular, the servant who must have been misunderstood because he had a seizure took even better care of Haejin without a hint of resentment.

Just because Lyle cared a little more, such a thing was possible.

Starting with the thought that suddenly came to mind, Haejin realized one thing. That this strange feeling he had been trying to forget could no longer be shaken off.

“It seems he is having a hard time appointing a lawyer.”

“Since he isn’t someone without any sense, he’ll soon go to use the public defender system. Plant someone over there.”

“Yes.”

The fired former butler seemed to be frantic about finding a lawyer. Tilting his head at an angle, Lyle glared at the photo of the man with cold eyes. It was noticeable that his plump body had become a bit thin in the meantime.

Lyle, who didn’t want to see it anymore, threw the photo into the trash can next to him. Then, he asked what had been on his mind since the morning.

“And Jin?”

“I have conveyed that your departure from work would be late today. Also the message to sleep without waiting.”

“Did he have anything specific to say?”

“I was told he didn’t.”

“…”

In truth, he knew Haejin wouldn’t wait for him. However, Lyle couldn’t help but impulsively add those words.

It wasn’t that he was having the shameless thought of asking him to wait. It was just that he was concerned it would be noticeable if he, who visited every day, didn’t show up without a word. It was nothing short of bizarre. He had never cared about the feelings of others like this before.

Recently, Lyle had been going to see Haejin consistently after work. Of course, he hadn’t intended to go this far at first. But whenever he arrived at the mansion, his steps naturally headed toward Haejin’s room.

It might be because he was curious about news of Haejin all day even at the office. Even when he heard reports, strangely, he didn’t feel at ease. What on earth was this responsibility that made him care about the boy this much?

“All right. You may leave.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“…If you hear any news, report it immediately.”

“Yes.”

When he actually arrived at that room, he didn’t even go inside the bedroom. He would usually just stand awkwardly in the boy’s sitting room, check his face, and return.

He felt a strange sensation that the doubts he had held all day were resolved just by facing him. He was at the point of becoming accustomed to the expression of the boy looking at him in embarrassment for visiting. In the first place, they weren’t even in a position to sit side-by-side and talk.

As reported, Haejin’s face was improving day by day, as if he were eating well. It seemed a very small amount of flesh had risen on his gaunt cheeks. However, that excessively pale complexion remained the same.

If he, who had been visiting every day without being asked, suddenly failed to appear, wouldn’t it be noticeable even to Haejin, who held no expectations? He didn’t know what the boy would think upon noticing that, though.

It was simply for that reason that he added words he didn’t need to add out of useless worry. At any rate, thinking about it now, it does seem to be a bit of an excessive concern.

Lyle, who tried his best to push away the thought of Haejin’s black hair occupying one side of his mind, began his review of the documents he was holding.

However, it was a meaningless resistance. This time, the black letters on the white background looked exactly like the boy’s eyelashes having fallen off.

A night close to dawn. Lyle finally arrived at the mansion.

Originally, when work ended at such a late hour, he would not return to the mansion but head to his penthouse in the city. However, today of all days, he felt like resting at the mansion. Even though he knew it was a useless impulse, Lyle willingly accepted that tomorrow morning would be a bit busier.

When he arrived at the mansion, Mark was out to meet him.

“You’ve arrived, Young Master.”

“Was there anything unusual?”

There were no new reports coming in until the evening. So he asked lightly, but Mark led him to one side as if he had something to say and brought out an answer.

Lyle, who had been very tense at the unexpected reaction, ended up with a blank face at the news that followed.

“Nothing unusual happened, but Mr. Bright is waiting for you.”

“…For me?”

“Yes.”

The words he heard didn’t settle well into his mind. Because the only time Haejin had sought Lyle out first was that night when he couldn’t go see his parents.

At the memory that resurfaced, Lyle moved his steps, his mouth twisting bitterly. His heart, which had leapt up for a moment, soon sank heavily.

Without even thinking of stopping by his own room, Lyle walked busily. He worried for a moment if the boy might be sleeping since it was already late, but when he rang the bell, the door to the sitting room opened quickly.

“…I heard you were looking for me.”

Those black eyes looking up at him blankly strangely fettered his body. It was almost funny how his body was tense to an incomprehensible degree. It was only that Haejin had called for him first.

“Yes. Please come in.”

At those words, it felt as if his body barely moved with a creak. His legs walked toward the chair Haejin pointed to as if possessed. He felt exactly as if he were being manipulated.

He snapped out of it when he suddenly recalled the purpose of visiting this room. Could it be that something had happened again? Perhaps it was an order to leave, telling him to stop visiting from now on.

However, the words Haejin brought out were a nightmare beyond imagination.

“I think my body has recovered now, so I plan to leave the mansion tomorrow.”

A nightmare; there was no other way to explain it. Although he hadn’t even fallen asleep yet, Lyle felt the black dream he had been seeing all along was constricting his windpipe.

His gaze reflexively scanned Haejin’s body. The still-frail body was just as thin as when he had held him in his arms a while ago. The complexion, contrasted with his black hair, was the same. Certainly, it might have improved a bit compared to when his condition was at its worst, but in Lyle’s eyes, it was nonsense.

“It’s far from over. What are you talking about?”

Lyle thought his own voice sounded almost like a growl. He calmed his chest, which was vibrating with anger at the sudden declaration. As always, Haejin just wanted to leave this mansion. This wasn’t something that should have come as such a sudden shock.

Nevertheless, why was his heart vibrating so much?

At his words, Haejin’s face hardened quite stiffly. His heart sank once again. There was something in this mansion tormenting the boy. What on earth could it be?

“Mr. Vermouth. I do not exchange anything with you other than the contract.”

The answer came faster than expected.

At the fresh realization, Lyle covered his mouth in trouble. Was it really uncomfortable that he visited every time? He thought he wasn’t demanding anything, but it seemed Haejin’s thoughts were different.