ORCA 55

He felt bitter about Luan and the rest of the servants who had completely moved over to Niah’s side. On the surface, Harriet was the only one who seemed close to him, but the atmosphere was distinctly different from before. Ever since Bailey, who had been to the greenhouse a few days ago, had made a fuss about it, it was a sight to see what kind of resolve everyone had made. As if a transparent line had been drawn, they backed away from Niah and didn’t touch him. Among them, several caught his eye who were secretly trying to show kindness. They were scared because of the rumors that the young master enjoyed cannibalism.

Adrian gnashed her teeth, thinking the way the mansion was turning out was ridiculous. There was no way a stupid goldfish could sway the young master as he pleased. But it was annoying to see everyone trying so hard to get on Niah’s good side as if he were something special. If they had harbored suspicious minds and walked on eggshells before, now they had all changed their attitudes as if they had received a definitive answer from someone. This change was not to her liking.

The young master wasn’t someone who was going to stay in Rosselia for long anyway. Even though he had said he would be here for the time being, that meant exactly that—just for the time being. The young master would leave soon, and Niah would be left here alone. Unless the servants’ heads had suddenly turned into goldfish brains, they should have realized this. But they were all goldfish-brained. Even worse than Niah—no, worse than the goldfish in the pond.

Of course, there remained the worry of whether the young master might harm them before he left. Conversely, that meant everything else was fine as long as this was resolved. So, it seemed Pepe was the only one she could rely on right now. As Roanna had said last time, she and Pepe were the ones who were most out of favor.

Adrian would sometimes gaze at Pepe, lost in deep thought. From the way Pepe looked haggard day by day, she knew he had the same worries as she did. She suddenly felt like coaxing him to find a breakthrough together. If she could somehow spirit Niah away and find out about that “young master’s weakness” they kept mentioning, something might work out. It was obvious that two were better than one.

It didn’t take long for her to decide to try and broach the subject with Pepe when the opportunity arose. If they could safely find out his weakness, the chances of preserving their lives would increase significantly. If that happened, they only had to hold out while the young master was in the mansion. Staying hidden in the kitchen and the basement was making her incredibly anxious.

She had a good feeling that the day they returned to their peaceful lives as they were before was not far off. When that time came, the goldfish-brained ones would have to admit that they were the stupid ones.

☀️🌊

Orca insisted on checking Niah’s bruises at all hours. Niah would gulp and hold his breath every time his clothes were lifted without any warning. If he asked him to show them, he would show him directly, even if he were embarrassed, but it was always like this.

Today, he was surprised when his clothes were lifted while he was in the middle of replacing the curtains at the top of the bedpost. Niah was startled for a moment and turned around. What he encountered immediately was an indifferent face standing right up against him. Because he was on a ladder to reach a high position his own height could never reach, he made eye contact with him right in front of his nose as soon as he turned his head.

“They’ve faded.”

Niah, who was about to cry after hearing Orca’s nonchalant assessment, whined quietly. The feeling of fingers brushing against his bare skin was ticklish. Intense tension washed down his spine. The ladder he was standing on felt precarious. It was even more so because he was on tiptoes. He felt that if he fell from that height—around his knees—it would hurt quite a bit, though he didn’t know for sure. Furthermore, it was difficult to maintain his balance because he had been stretching both arms out to hang the curtain hooks. He couldn’t let go because he hadn’t finished it properly yet.

“Does it hurt?”

“No. A little.”

Niah whispered the strange answer urgently. It was an ambiguous reply that left one wondering if it hurt or didn’t. All his nerves were concentrated on the ladder under his feet. He felt unnecessarily anxious, wondering what he would do if he fell. Although that probably wouldn’t happen since his waist was being held by the young master, being scared was the same thing.

Even the curtain was heavy, so his arms hurt. Perhaps because he had been on his tiptoes the whole time, his legs were also trembling. He kept losing strength and had to grunt while trying to hold them up. Then, it felt as if the ladder were shaking along with him. Restless, Niah hesitated and asked for help.

“Um, young master. I… I, this… Uh.”

Before he could even begin his request, his gaze was drawn upward toward the ceiling. It was because the weight of the curtain had lightened at the same time as his top was being lowered. The large hands that appeared beside his own moved quickly, effortlessly hooking the rings. He ended up leaning against the solid chest behind him. His tiptoes also slowly slid back down. A hand resting on his stomach was supporting him. The curtain he had been gripping slipped completely out of his hands. His outstretched arms hovered in the empty air.

Niah watched Orca doing his work for him, then slowly lowered his arms. The place where his lost fingers came to rest was on the back of the hand wrapped around his stomach. He tapped the protruding veins and rubbed the knuckles lightly. It was just because he felt like he had to do something. He was surely the only servant who had his work taken away by his master.

The young master had easily finished the job he had been hanging on to for a long while. He felt somewhat disheartened. He was already suspected of being a slacker, and now he was worried that the young master would hate him for being a servant who couldn’t work. He didn’t want the young master to think he was useless.

All the other servants used to point out that he was a useless idiot. No matter how hard he tried, it was useless. He had never hurt a plant, could make flowers bloom beautifully, and cleaned thoroughly, but he was hated every day. It was certain there was something wrong with him.

Orca, having fastened the last hook, supported Niah’s chin and gripped both his cheeks at once. He kneaded his cheeks, which were slightly plump, and buried his nose in the nape of his neck. His breath, which had climbed lazily along the shoulder line, stopped near his earlobe. With every inhale, the fragrant scent of his skin became entangled.

Because it was a mild day and the flowers were in full bloom, the goldfish’s scent had deepened as well. It was to be expected, as he had been rolling in the flower field all day. Orca tormented the soft skin to his heart’s content. It was the price he paid for holding back the urge to bite down and taste him.

“Ugh, Young masteeer…”

Niah’s lips, sticking out like a duck’s beak, moved to and fro. His pronunciation was as slurred as it could be. His crushed cheeks were beginning to ache little by little. Thinking that perhaps he was being punished, he tried to endure it, but eventually confessed his pain. If he were touched for just a moment longer, he felt his cheeks might be torn off.

“Yo- Young master. It, it hurts… I’m sorry…”

Orca, who had managed to understand the confusing pronunciation, withdrew his touch. Even though he had controlled the strength to ensure it wouldn’t hurt, it seemed it was too much for the goldfish. He grabbed Niah’s pelvis with the arm that had been around his stomach and helped him down from the ladder. Niah, who had floated up and was set lightly on the carpet, turned his body immediately. The gaze he cast up at Orca was unstable.

“Niah.”

Orange hair flowed through his thick fingers. The hand that brushed through his hair caressed the back of his head and nape in turn, rolled along the outer ear, and came to rest on his cheek. Orca, who had no intention of hurting him, gently soothed his reddened cheeks. Then, he opened his mouth and chided him idly, as if teasing him.

“You can’t even do your work properly, you deserve to be scolded.”

It was purely because it was fun to watch his flustered reaction. It was because he liked the sight of the flustered goldfish rambling on incoherently or trying his best to hang on and pout. Therefore, the reaction he had expected was something that sounded similar to this but was entirely different.

“Am I… not needed?”

Niah mumbled, overcome by the sudden rush of sorrow. He was really trying his best. He listened well as he was told, didn’t slack off, and took care of the garden and greenhouse with all his heart. It was fine even if he didn’t tell him he was pretty. He had been happy just because he was allowed to keep a small sansevieria in the young master’s room. But when he was told he was useless like this every day, everything changed for the worse. He became incredibly sad.

“What?”

Orca narrowed his eyes, his eyebrows twisting. He couldn’t fathom what kind of process could have led to such a conclusion. The goldfish was looking up at him from within the labyrinth again.