Chapter 19

The sofa in her husband’s office was plush. The air in the room where he worked was pleasant and quiet—an environment that seemed perfectly suited for focus. Not even birdsong could be heard. That was about all Rabiana could gather.

Though she sat with a straight posture, it felt as though she were seated on pins and needles. Unconsciously, she shifted her body.

“Is it uncomfortable?”

“…I’m fine.”

“Make yourself at home.”

Rabiana thought, How could I possibly feel at ease in someone else’s personal workspace?

Especially a place of business. But she didn’t have the courage to say it aloud.

She’d have preferred staying in the bedroom, but she doubted Alberto would let her if she asked.

‘What kind of trouble does he think I’ll cause in a room, anyway…?’

she grumbled to herself, frustrated by his coldness.

Seeing her press against her chest as if uncomfortable, Alberto narrowed his eyes.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“Ah, no. I think I just overate a little…”

“Overate?”

Worried he might scold her again, Rabiana rushed to explain.

“I just ate too much, that’s all.”

“If that’s enough to make you sick, how small is your stomach?”

Though he bore most of the responsibility, Rabiana decided to just blame her timid digestion.

Rustle, rustle.

She heard the sound of a pen and then the scraping of a chair.

She sensed him sitting beside her. Unconsciously, she scooted away.

“Why are you moving away?”

“I… I’m not.”

“No?”

It was, in fact, true—she had moved. She bit her lip in silence.

Seeing that, Alberto shifted even closer.

It was deeply flustering. But he didn’t stop there—he lightly tapped her shoulder.

“Turn this way.”

“Yes? Ah. Yes.”

When Rabiana turned her back to him, Alberto began tapping her spine with his fist.

As he tapped her vertebrae with just the right pressure, she felt noticeably better.

When he pressed each spinal joint firmly as if memorizing it, tension surged and a strange sensation spread throughout her body. It tickled slightly, and Rabiana tried not to squirm her waist.

The lower his hand went, the more curious the sensation became, and Rabiana bit her lip. The moment he pressed a certain spot—

“Hnngh….”

A sound escaped her lips before she could hold it back.

Alberto’s hand paused. The silence stretched long enough to be noticeable, and Rabiana grew restless.

What should she say? She scrambled for excuses in her head, but before she could speak, Alberto’s voice came from right beside her ear. Rabiana instinctively flinched and drew her neck in.

Too close…

“Feeling any better now?”

Unlike Rabiana, who was too tense to even swallow, Alberto calmly withdrew his hand. Unable to look back at him, she simply nodded.

Alberto returned to his desk without hesitation. Only the sound of his chair signaled that he was back in place, and Rabiana finally exhaled.

Scratch, scratch.

The sound of pen on paper filled the room. As she leaned back against the sofa, drowsiness crept over her.

***

A cool breeze blew.

The wind brushing lightly over her hair didn’t feel like winter’s chill but like a spring breeze.

It couldn’t be spring.

Rabiana slowly opened her heavy eyelids. In her blurred vision, she saw what looked like a hand.

A hand pulling away as if it had just brushed her hair aside.

As she followed the hand with her eyes and lifted her head slightly, she saw a man in a suit.

“Your Grace..?”

Her voice, heavy with sleep, weakly called out to him. Perhaps he didn’t expect her to call, as Alberto’s hand twitched slightly. After a moment, he asked:

“Can you see me, by any chance?”

“Pardon?”

“You knew it was me even though I didn’t say a word.”

“Ah…”

Alberto knew only that Rabiana was blind; he didn’t know the details. Rabiana gave a small nod.

“It’s hard to say I can really see, but… it’s not total darkness. I can make out hazy shapes or shadows—though only when they’re very close.”

“I see.”

Alberto, having asked, seemed to lose interest almost immediately.

Silence fell. Dusk was settling, the light fading bit by bit.

Rabiana recalled the careful, gentle touch that had brushed her hair moments ago. Had that truly been his?

***

The next day Alberto brought Rabiana to his study again.

Though she felt a touch of annoyance, she hid it and sat on the sofa. As she wondered whether she would end up dozing off again, Alberto stood before her.

What could he want now?

“Let me give you something.”

He placed an object into her hand; the tips of her fingers felt raised dots along its surface.

What is this? She couldn’t tell.

“It’s a book for people with impaired vision. I heard they usually read with these.”

“…Really? You obtained this for me?” It was a shocking notion—something she had never even imagined.

“Not exactly for you—more because I’m keeping you here.”

“……”

“I figured you’d get bored. Do you dislike it?”

Mouth slightly open, Rabiana froze in blank surprise, then hastily shook her head. Dislike it? Not at all.

She was more dazed than anything. It was the first time anyone had ever given her a gift—let alone one this meaningful.

Lawrence read the book to Rabiana. It was only now that she learned books existed for people who were blind.

“Thank you… so much.”

Rabiana caressed the book like it was something precious. Am I really allowed to have this? It felt less like receiving a book and more like receiving Alberto’s kindness.

She’d thought she was on the losing end of a one-sided, unfair contract, but—if something like this was possible—maybe it wasn’t so bad.

Life here was better than it had been in Lawrence’s estate. Far better. Incomparable, even. No one insulted her within earshot, and even Julia and the maids were kind.

And now, she could read.

But Rabiana’s joy didn’t last long. A realization made her brows droop.

She had forgotten the most important thing.

“Um… but… I don’t know how to read this.”

***

Alberto hired a tutor to teach her Braille.

He found himself wondering how Rabiana had lived until now. Had she really just sat quietly all day, like she did in his study?

Her wandering around the Robinson estate now made a strange kind of sense—it seemed she had lived an unbearably dull life.

She studied like a model student, and her dedication softened his heart a little.

Eventually, when she finally began to read on her own, Alberto had a study built for her inside his office.

The excuse was that the mansion lacked space. But the real reason was simple: he wanted her within view.

Rabiana read quietly. Her hunger for books made Alberto wonder how she had survived this long without them. She devoured pages at a remarkable pace.

Whenever he heard the soft thud of a book closing, he’d glance up to see Rabiana quietly standing to pick a new one from the shelf.

Alberto watched her intently as she tiptoed and strained.

The maids had shelved the books—but there were now so many Braille volumes that even the top shelves had been filled. Having finished all the lower ones, Rabiana had no choice but to try reaching the upper ones… and her arms didn’t reach.

“Chair.”

Alberto offered the simplest solution.

Rabiana’s face tensed. Telling someone who couldn’t see to climb onto a chair felt cruel.

But Alberto was, in his own way, maintaining a boundary.

He was only her husband in name. Their marriage was a means to an heir.

Overstepping with too much kindness might only confuse her.

Creak.

The chair shifted under her weight. Its legs lifted and then resettled as she steadied herself.

The book she wanted must have been far back—Rabiana clung to the shelf, straining with a soft grunt.

And then—the chair tipped.

Her foot lost its hold in the air, and her body began to fall backward.

She braced for impact, eyes squeezing shut—

But before the crash came, arms wrapped firmly around her waist.

A strong, solid hold. A cool, grounded scent. She was caught.

“I can’t concentrate on work like this.”

“…I’m sorry. Am I distracting you?”

“You think?” His voice was dry. “You keep fluttering around in front of me.”

He set her on her feet and reached up himself.

As she stood quietly beside him, facing the bookshelf, Rabiana bit her lip—just slightly.