MERRY 48

When he had finished going back to his room to change clothes for the second time after reaching the front door, Henry, who had been watching this from the living room, asked, “Is something the matter?”

Ethan felt he was acting strange himself, so to someone with Henry’s keen eyes, he must have looked even more suspicious. Moreover, having just returned after being away for a few days, Henry’s senses were heightened. There was a scar Ethan hadn’t seen before on Henry’s hand as he pushed up his glasses. Ethan shrugging his shoulders, pretending not to notice.

“No. Nothing’s going on. Just like with you, Dad.”

Suddenly turning calm, he left the house without looking in the mirror again. The stiff muscles in his face relaxed almost instantly. It was because he spotted Somerset, who had come out early and was loitering about.

“Hello!”

The moment he received a greeting that felt even brighter than usual, his mood improved. Ethan approached him with a faint smile.

“How long have you been waiting?”

“About three minutes.”

“There’s sweat on your forehead, though.”

“Actually, ten minutes? Not longer than that. I was under the shade over there, so it wasn’t that hot.”

Somerset swept his hand from his forehead, pushing his bangs back. With his whole face revealed, his characteristic ruggedness stood out. The sultry atmosphere that usually caused a dizzying effect in others was quickly diluted by a simple, innocent laugh. He smiled brightly, taking note of Ethan’s expression.

“You look like you’re in a good mood. Are you finally excited about visiting the Castle of Quinn?”

“Hardly.”

“It’s no use playing coy. The corners of your lips are up to here.”

The spot Somerset pointed to on his own face was close to the cheekbones. No matter how big a smile was, it would be hard to raise the corners of the mouth that high. While Ethan was appalled by the wild exaggeration, he only then realized the fact that he was, indeed, smiling. Belatedly fixing his expression, he followed Somerset.

The place introduced as the Castle of Quinn was a five-story building that looked as clean as if it had been built yesterday, yet carried a sense of long history. The parking lot and garden were in the back. Suggesting the typical sleek exterior of New York’s wealthy neighborhoods, the heavy front door gave a hint that the interior would be just as well-decorated.

As they stepped inside, two employees in uniform offered their greetings. Somerset introduced Ethan as a friend before crossing the foyer.

Except for the office with the crystal doorknob and certain rooms, Somerset gave him permission to look around wherever he liked, but Ethan wasn’t the type of person to go wandering through someone else’s house. Noticing Ethan’s passive attitude—not even glancing at the lavish interior—Somerset spoke up.

“Are you the type who doesn’t attend parties at a friend’s house? You usually do them until you’re sick of them during junior or senior year. Don’t college students do them?”

“I don’t.”

This was one of the reasons Ethan was treated like an oddball by those around him. He didn’t socialize with people more than necessary. In fact, his standards for what was “necessary” were quite stingy.

“How about a party just for you? Is that okay?”

“No.”

“I figured you’d say that.”

Somerset chuckled as he climbed the stairs. It felt like there was already a truckload of people who had fallen for that charming smile.

Ethan himself had ended up visiting the house, unable to shake off the man’s proposal, but he drew a clear line between himself and “other people.” Since he had agreed only after four rejections, there was a distinction in the fact that he had made Somerset work for it. A person who falls at once and a person who finally consents on the fifth try cannot be lumped into the same category.

A person who doesn’t salivate in the Castle of Quinn, a place full of luxury, must also be extraordinary. Voting for himself internally as that person, Ethan spoke in a flat tone.

“How far are we going? The drawing room is enough.”

“It’s not enough for me.”

Somerset turned around from two steps up the stairs and looked down at Ethan. Winking and gesturing for him to come along, he was reminiscent of a large puppy.

Just as puppies usually open their hearts easily to people, Somerset lacked wariness and was remarkably poor at regulating distance. This was evident in the fact that he brought Ethan to his own bedroom, despite the five-story building being full of empty rooms and having more than one drawing room.

Entering someone’s most private space was a high hurdle for Ethan to clear. Not only had he never invited a friend to his house since he was a child, but his family members also perfectly respected each other’s territory, never intruding without the owner’s permission. The rules of his secret-laden parents had been applied to him in their entirety.

Ethan asked, standing with only the tips of his toes inside the spacious room.

“How many people have been in this room? What number am I?”

If he had to defend himself for asking such a childish question, he could only say that his brain had opened his skull and escaped. He was prepared to accept being teased, but unexpectedly, Somerset gave a serious answer.

“Well. It’s hard to count them all. Employees like Emma or Camilla have all been in here. Not that it’s something to brag about, but I don’t know how to clean up after myself.”

He stood with his arms crossed against the backdrop of the visibly luxurious room. His tapping finger started counting and then stopped. He said he really didn’t know the exact number. Ethan tried to help him with the calculation. For the record, the escaped brain had not yet returned. It was a situation where he might need to post a reward to find it.

“Excluding the staff. People who entered at your invitation, risking the danger of being murdered.”

“The first.”

Ethan smirked at the unhesitating answer. He naturally assumed it was a lie. This was because, given the room owner’s usual behavior, a dissipated lifestyle of throwing parties every day seemed more fitting. Only moments ago, the man had even brought up parties from junior and senior years.

“You can tell me the truth. I won’t be hurt by something like that.”

“It’s the truth. It really is just you.”

“Did you move rooms recently?”

“No. This room has been mine all along. The history of Somerset Quinn is right here.”

And so, Somerset tempted him to stop stalling and come in.

“Count everyone, including those who weren’t formally invited.”

“Yes. I told you, I haven’t let anyone in except you. Why would I lie? I have no reason to.”

It was the moment his runaway brain returned. Locking his loosened skull, Ethan thought rationally. Hadn’t he already experienced Somerset’s clumsy lying? Doubting a man who was transparently honest was a waste of effort.

The problem arose after grasping the facts. It became difficult to look Somerset straight in the eye. It was obvious that pride and confusion were coexisting on his own face.

The first. The only human. Just one person.

Thinking that he was the only one who had come here at Somerset’s invitation made him happy, but it was awkward because he couldn’t explain why he felt that way.

When he turned his head, Somerset grew anxious.

“Don’t avoid me. Don’t look away. We’re in the middle of a conversation.”

Reluctantly following his request, Ethan covered his face with his hands. He peeked through his spread fingers to meet his gaze, but it wasn’t enough to appease Somerset.

“Don’t hide your face.”

“Wait, just a second.”

“No. I want to see your face.”

The amber eyes aimed at him flickered like a predator’s. Ethan hesitated, feeling the unfamiliar sensation of being the prey. As he crept backward, Somerset followed.

“Ethan. Don’t go. Actually, I waited outside for more than fifteen minutes. I’ve been thinking of nothing but you since last night. Take responsibility.”

How many people could turn away a man pleading like that? At least, Ethan wasn’t one of them. He surrendered to the sight of the man shaking his large frame with a dejected face, acting cute. He even added a gesture of raising both hands. If his skin turned pink, he could blame it on being pressed by his palms—but what was he to do about the corners of his mouth that kept twitching?

“Don’t say a word. I know what I look like.”

Somerset rolled his lips inward and gulped. While Ethan was glad the command worked, he felt uneasy, as if he had caged a puppy that wanted to run and play. Experiencing a hallucination where a puppy’s perky ears on top of Somerset’s head drooped, Ethan showed some mercy.

“I’ll allow just one word.”

The ears perked up, and behind his back, a large tail swung like a propeller. Because of Somerset, who revealed all his emotions, Ethan was experiencing all sorts of bizarre symptoms. Ethan rubbed his eyes to wash away the hallucination and waited. In the meantime, after much deliberation, Somerset chose his words and opened his mouth.

“Beautiful.”