The treatment ended quickly. Nox neatly arranged the medical supplies.
Ethan didn’t tell Harrison or Nox that I got infected because of him. Why not?
"Do you understand? Are you going to tell everyone now to kill me because I’m infected?"
Was it because I told him not to say anything? Is that why he’s staying silent?
“No way. Since when has Ethan ever listened to me...?”
But as I looked at Ethan, gazing up at me like a lost puppy, those thoughts vanished.
“...Why is he looking at me like that?”
For a moment, I almost got lost in his striking features, but I quickly snapped out of it. There was no telling how long Ethan would keep this secret.
If I wanted to keep him quiet until we got back to Happy House, I needed to give him something to focus on so he couldn’t think about anything else.
“Harrison. You’ll isolate Sir Ethan once we return to Happy House, right?”
“Well...”
“Wouldn’t it be better to clean this place up as quickly as possible and head back? Let’s not waste time. Assign Sir Ethan to help with cleaning the hotel.”
I cut Harrison off before he could say anything else. He paused, his face contemplative, and didn’t immediately respond.
At that moment, Nox unexpectedly came to my defense.
“Miss Cherry has a point. If it’s a slow progression, he won’t suddenly transform without warning in the meantime.”
Harrison didn’t deliberate for long.
“...All right. It’s better to finish up here quickly and get moving than to waste more time.”
He quickly accepted the suggestion and left the laundry room, saying he’d fetch Jose.
“Wait here for a moment.”
Nox sighed, glanced at Ethan, and followed Harrison out. I immediately untied Ethan.
But Ethan just stared at his freed hands without moving. He didn’t even seem to consider standing up.
“What’s wrong?”
“If, as you say, I’m different from others and can’t be infected...”
Ethan trailed off, his earlobes flushing red. He covered his face with one of his large hands and exhaled a deep sigh.
‘What’s with him all of a sudden? What’s going through his head?’
He lowered his hand slightly, his blue eyes piercing into mine.
“Even then, would you still call me your partner?”
“Of course.”
At my firm response, a strange satisfaction flickered across Ethan’s face. He lowered his hand completely and spoke with calm resolve.
“One day. Let’s stay and observe for just one day, as Ludfersher suggested. Just the two of us.”
“If nothing happens after a day, wouldn’t there be no need to leave?”
“Miss Cherry, you seem to have regrets.”
Ethan’s voice carried a faint bitterness.
He seemed to think I regretted letting him bite my hand. He probably believed I was insisting he wasn’t infected to convince myself. That I was clinging to this belief to erase my regret over what I had done.
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For now, it was better to let him think that. This was a problem that only time could resolve.
“I don’t regret it. Really.”
Despite my resolute tone, Ethan didn’t seem convinced.
“I mean it. I don’t regret it, and I believe Sir Ethan won’t change.”
I didn’t say anything more. The fierce intensity in Ethan’s gaze swallowed up all my lingering questions without leaving a trace.
“All right. If Miss Cherry says so, then it must be true.”
Ethan’s voice was resigned as he slowly stood up. His shadow loomed over me, and I tilted my head back to follow his movements.
Ethan reached out toward me, his large palm gently cupping my cheek.
His hand trembled faintly, as if the mere act of touching my face sent a shiver through him.
“I’ll do whatever Miss Cherry wants.”
He didn’t smile. He didn’t cry or get angry. He was simply composed, which made his words feel even more sincere.
For some reason, my chest felt heavy. I couldn’t figure out why.