Chapter 2. Blake
The new house we moved into was truly satisfying.
There was no need to burn firewood, and since the garden was enclosed with a wall, we didn’t even need curtains to cover the windows.
The view of the garden was beautiful, though I could no longer gaze out at the endlessly stretching landscape. But I didn’t feel the slightest desire to return to that place again.
It had been a long time since I said goodbye to the rattling windows that creaked in the wind.
Since we moved, Mother had gone out several times. Mr. Schubalt also began visiting this place more frequently. Naturally, they went out together.
Each time they were away, I spent the entire day figuring out ways to hide the signs of my abilities manifesting—or how to prevent them from appearing at all.
However, now that there were more eyes watching, pretending to do nothing had become noticeably harder.
Fortunately, the servants working here had all been brought in personally by Mr. Schubalt, so none of them were rude, which made things more comfortable. I would’ve been exhausted if I had to deal with each of them individually.
There was one servant, the youngest-looking of them all, whom I didn’t particularly like. If they slipped up twice more, I was prepared to have them dismissed.
Everyone else seemed busy and in the midst of change—everyone except me. I wasn’t interested in changing either, which only made the contrast starker. The flowers I had received before the move withered in less than two days.
I wasn’t sure if it was because of the winter, or if they were just naturally quick to wilt. I had thought they were sent by Mr. Schubalt, but he said they weren’t. He merely smiled kindly, but I caught a strange chill in his eyes, so I decided not to press further.
I guessed they might have been sent by someone who once admired my mother.
Still, the flowers were beautiful.
Ah, of course—I left them behind when we moved.
