Subliminal Wayfarer

No matter how much he thought about it, the only thing that could make her fall for him so quickly was this face.

Whenever she looked at his face, her face would turn various shades of red and pink.

Her gaze was often off, and her small fingers trembled delicately.

So, there was no doubt about it.

She had fallen for his face.

To the point that she’d feel breathless, too.

‘Ha, I need to find a way to turn back into a human. Quickly.’

Actually, he had a plan in mind.

But that plan wasn’t exactly foolproof.

And to execute that plan, he first needed to reveal to Grace that he could transform into a horse.

‘…I’ll have to reveal it someday.’

Nevertheless, for a few more days, he wanted to spend time with her without any complications.

That’s why he had been using his mother as an excuse to hide away for a few more days.

However, he hadn’t expected Grace to hide from him like this.

Hiing, hiiiing!

Snorting, he stomped his hooves as if he were about to dash down the stairs.

Obviously, the one who started having feelings was Grace O’Ellin, but now, it seemed like Lucas Blacke was falling harder.

But what could he do? His eyes kept gravitating towards her. He kept thinking about her as well.

He wanted to be by her side.

Especially, he wanted to see Grace’s smile.

Though his own pitiful efforts seemed silly, he liked it when Grace treated him a little more casually.

It was the first time he had told someone so much about himself.

‘What on earth is this?’

Lucas gazed out the window with a distant look in his eyes.

As he thought of Grace, his tail, as if representing his heart, shook back and forth.

He didn’t know it well, but he liked it when Grace smiled.

Even if he didn’t eat, he felt full.

He didn’t know why, but getting to know her was a joy he hadn’t experienced before.

‘But what’s most fun is teasing her.’

…Hmm, this was a feeling that shouldn’t be revealed.

At first, it was just enjoyable to see her various expressions.

But as he noticed that she had more diverse expressions than he had initially thought, it became even more intriguing.

All of them were like dazzling jewels, expressions that he could watch all day without getting tired.

Pff— hiing.

Lucas’s forehead gently bumped against the windowpane.

Outwardly, it looked as though he was having a temper tantrum, but inwardly, he was bursting out in laughter as he buried his face against the soft curtains of the window.

Some distance away, one would see the sight of a giant black horse burying his head in the curtains.

“……”

“……”

Three maids who had come out to clean the lobby from a distance glanced at each other while polishing the staircase handrails.

They didn’t exchange words, but as if they were of one mind, they remembered the employment contract they had signed when they entered this mansion.

 

[ House Blacke’s Rules

Rule 1:

Do not show any reaction, no matter what you see.

Even if you have eyes, act as if you don’t; even if you have ears, pretend you can’t hear.

Do not be afraid. And, when faced with something utterly unbelievable, just don’t believe it.

Especially, do not laugh out loud even when you find something amusing. ]

 

“We hope you’ll understand and follow these rules diligently. Rule 1, Clause 1, is particularly important. If you adhere to it, you’ll be rewarded handsomely throughout your life. However, if you break it…”

 

Jaime Demigras, who had explained the contract to them, smiled kindly but with a strange coldness that seemed to suggest they should know what he meant even without hearing the rest.

The yellow-haired Rasha, with four years of experience in the mansion, just tapped Lyna’s shoulders. The open-mouthed Lyna, on the other hand, had been here for only six months. Her pupils were quivering.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and clean.”

“No, um, just now…”

“Shh, Lyna. Shh.”

Ash, who had been working here for six years, raised her head while bringing her finger to her lips.

Then, as if demonstrating, she bent down under the stairs, applying wax with a neutral expression on her face as if she didn’t notice anything.

Rasha also followed suit, diligently moving her hands that had been frozen. She added,

“Let’s have a drink together later. It’s time for Lyna’s initiation ceremony. We’ll have a lot to talk about, right, Ash?”

“That’s a good idea. It would be even better if we couldn’t remember a thing the next day after having some strong liquor.”

“As it happens, I got some excellent liquor from Cote. He said he made it himself, and it’s incredibly sweet and delicious. And it’s made from rice, so it should be very clear and sweet.”

“That’s perfect. But for now, let’s clean.”

“Right, let’s clean. Like we hadn’t seen anything.”

Even Lyna, who had been standing there absentmindedly, seemed to come to her senses belatedly and started moving her hands.

The three of them cleaned the staircase handrails quietly, calmly, as if they really had not seen anything.

The Blacke residence’s handrails became even cleaner today.

 

* * *

 

“Huu… Should I go in now?”

Grace had been gazing at the blue sky absentmindedly until now, but she snapped back to reality. By now, there shouldn’t be anyone around.

As she was about to tidy up and stand up with that thought in mind, something cold and smooth wrapped around her ankle.

“Huh? What’s this?”

Feeling an incredibly unfamiliar sensation, Grace looked down at her ankle.

Then, something white and sparkling wrapped around her ankle and slid up her skirt.

“…What, what is this?”

The long, smooth creature raised its head and met Grace’s gaze.

“Uh…?”

Hiss!

Its forked red tongue briefly flickered in and out of its mouth as it stared at Grace with eyes even redder.

“A snake?”

No way, was it really a snake?

Surprised, with wide-open eyes, she barely held back from screaming her head off.

She had read about snakes a few times in books, but this was the first time she had seen one in person.

Some snakes were as big as tree trunks and could swallow a person whole. There were also snakes with colorful patterns that were said to carry deadly venom.

But there were no stories about small, white snakes like this one.

Of course, even among birds, there were thousands of species, so how many different types of snakes could there be?

‘…It’s not venomous, is it?’

She stared at the snake warily.

The snake, as if finding her fascinating, continued to stare at her intently as well.

Those red, ruby eyes never fell off of Grace.

Hiss.

The snake cautiously moved upwards, wrapping itself around her shoulder.

Startled, Grace felt the sensation of the snake on her neck and earlobe, which was surprisingly much softer than she had expected. It felt somewhat cold and strange.

Despite that, the snake’s movements were so gentle that she didn’t feel the need to shake it off.

“You won’t bite me, will you?”

Was it because she asked the snake that looked so clever?

She looked into the snake’s eyes, which were filled with intensity, and asked.

The snake had been silently observing her, then it gently nodded its head.

‘No way. Did you really answer me?’

Curious, Grace asked one more time.

“May I touch you?”

The snake, which had been staring at Grace in silence, moved its body and buried its head in her open palm.

The small head of the snake entered her defenseless palm.

Grace was surprised and her eyes widened.

‘Does it really understand what I’m saying?’

Whether it was a coincidence or if the snake genuinely understood her, Grace couldn’t be sure.

But in any case, the snake didn’t seem like it was going to attack her.

“This feels, very… strange.”

She chuckled as she gently stroked the snake’s long body with the palm of her hand.

Hiss, hiiiiiss.

The snake slowly wrapped around Grace’s arm.

Its tail swayed gently, almost as if it was seducing her.

The white snake, with its subtle and delicate pressure, made Grace’s body involuntarily shiver.

“This is a bit ticklish…”

She raised her other hand and offered it to the snake to distribute its weight better. Her short-sleeved attire left her hand and wrist fully exposed.

The snake’s eyes narrowed as if in agreement, and it swiftly moved to Grace’s other hand.

It was now resting on her wrist, on which the archaic words from the riding crop were transferred.

“…Milady!”

At that moment, a voice calling Grace came from a distance.

Grace turned her head quickly, and in that split second, something sharp pierced her fingertip.

“Ouch.”

Startled, she turned back to the snake, which had raised its head and looked at her intently.

Its red eyes, as if mesmerizing a person, gazed at her before it swiftly turned its head.

In the blink of an eye, the snake rotated its body and disappeared.

“What was that?”

Grace felt like she had actually been enchanted.

She stared blankly at the tiny red drop of blood that had formed on her pale fingertip.

 

* * *

 

“A s-snake?!”

Julie had waited for Grace for a long time without her showing up, so she decided to go down and find her herself.

When Grace emerged from the thickets, she extended her hand with a bewildered expression.

“Yes, I got bitten by a snake.”

“WHAT?!”

Julie was taken aback and immediately dragged Grace into a room.

“Stay here. I’ll call a doctor! No, no, let’s start with first aid for now.”

“Oh, no. It’s okay. Look, the bleeding has stopped, and the wound is hardly anything.”

It stung a bit, but it wasn’t a creature with large fangs. Based on the bite mark and the absence of any unusual symptoms, it didn’t seem like there was any venom.

“Just wrap it with a bandage for now. I’ll get Nottia to treat me later.”

“But…”

“Come on, see? It’s no big deal.”

Despite Grace’s reassurances, Julie proceeded to wrap the bitten finger with a bandage. There wasn’t a significant injury, and the swelling was minimal, just a little bigger than an insect bite.

‘Although, if His Excellency finds out, he might insist on finding and killing that snake.’

Grace remembered Lucas’s aversion to snakes.

The white, slender snake was undoubtedly beautiful, but she couldn’t just let it roam freely in Lucas’s territory.

She considered quietly mentioning it to the butler instead so that that snake could be relocated from the mansion.

‘Even though it’s an animal, just letting it die seems a bit…’

It did bite her, but it didn’t seem to be trying to harm her.

Its distinctive crimson eyes suggested it was different from just a typical snake.

And now that she thought about it, it bore a striking resemblance to the snake she had seen in her dream the other day.

That’s why she felt compelled not to just let it face any harm.

“Alright, Milady. I understand. But if there’s anything wrong with the wound later, please let me know.”

Julie did not hesitate to follow Grace’s opinion.

With a first aid kit in hand, Julie skillfully disinfected the wound, applied ointment, and bandaged it.

“But, by the way, Milady… Something seems a bit suspicious about this mansion.”