Maki's POV
On the day after I had learned that something had gone wrong with the door, and that I could no longer return home.. "To think we even threw Hondje a goodbye party after she was barking so much about leaving.." Theodorus grumbled, "But she's still here!" "..Erm.. W..Well.. I'm sincerely sorry about that!" I muttered, bowing my head apologetically after Theo had flashed me his usual sadistic grin. Meanwhile, Vincent chided his younger brother in a softer tone, "Schei uit, Theo. Don't tease Maki like that. There's nothing for her to apologize about, anyway. It's not like it was her fault that the door broke."
Vincent was such an angel.. I felt a little better hearing him say that. But it was just as Theo had said. They did throw a going away party for me and everything.. Vincent and Theo were the first ones to walk into the dining room early this morning. And I easily recalled how big their eyes had gotten. Not like I could blame them- everyone had expected me to be gone by now, but there I was, serving breakfast. "I certainly didn't expect any of this to happen.." I mumbled, but then quickly smiled, "But.. I'm looking forward to staying with you all for a bit longer."
Vincent smiled his usual angelic smile, "So are we. I'm so happy we get to keep living with you, Maki." But suddenly, his smile fell, "Ah, I'm sorry- that was insensitive of me. I'm sure not being able to go home is really hard on you." "No, no, it's okay! I really am pleased to be with everyone." I attempted to reassure him. "Yeah? Well, I guess that just gives me more time to train you up, Hondje." Theo smirked. "P..Please don't, Theo.." I winced as Theo gave a shrug.
Just then, I felt someone slip their arm around my shoulders and pull me closer to them. Then, I heard a familiar British accent, "Oooh, I see. So in other words, I have more time to make Maki fall for me." I glared at the colorful flirt, "Arthur!" The British writer smirked at me, "I won't hold back anymore, so you'd better prepare yourself for the seduction of your lifetime, Maki." "Ahaha. I'll have to try my hand at it, too. Looks like you'll have to fight me for Toshiko-san!" Dazai laughed, a cheerful grin on his lips. "Dazai, did you just climb in through the window again?!"
Slowly, one by one, the residents came into the room. And soon, the space was filled by their conversation and laughter. I know this won't solve any of my problems, but it's a nice distraction. I was glad to have everyone here for me. "Yes, yes. That's enough chatter for now. Go on and get back to work, Maki. Now that you're staying on at the mansion, I'll be expecting you to work just as hard as you did before!" Sebastian demanded with a smile. "Of course." I smiled back at Sebastian, accepting his challenge. And so, my life at the mansion continued on.
Later that afternoon, I brought some coffee up to le Comte's room. "Here's some coffee for you, Comte." "Thank you, Maki. Could you just set it down over there?" I nodded, clearing a spot on the table and carefully setting the coffee down. le Comte was in the middle of opening a pile of letters. I always found myself impressed by just how many letters he would receive. And I had no doubt that they were most likely invitations to parties. Since le Comte was so active in high society, the number of invitations he'd received was definitely not the norm.
"I could help you if you'd like, Comte." I offered. "Would you? This is surprisingly harder than it looks." We sat there together for a while. The only noises in the room being papers rustling and the letter opener slicing through seals. "Forgive me for saying this right now, Maki, but.." Comte began, interrupting the silence. I looked up from what I was doing to give him my attention. "All the residents are so happy that you're staying here." Comte commented. "I know.. I'm happy about staying with you all, too." I muttered.
"I feel the same way. It feels natural to have you here with us. I feel guilty for saying this, but I'm very happy you're still here." Comte smiled, "You're one of us now. Part of my family." I felt multiple emotions begin to fill my heart at his words. I could only imagine how important le Comte regarded the word 'family'. The residents had all come from different countries, different time periods.. All here, together, under a single roof. But I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with joy at the prospect of being apart of someone's family. And now, I could continue my connection with them.. I felt lucky to finally have something I always wanted.
I truly felt glad I was able to stay here. From the bottom of my heart. "..Thank you so much.. I can't even begin to explain how happy that makes me.. But I'm not sure what I could even give in return." I mumbled, staring down to try and hide my emotional expression. "You've already given us more than enough in return. You've brightened the mansion with your very presence." Comte reassured me. "But.. I'm not even sure how long my stay may be, Comte.. So please, don't be afraid to let me know if there's anything at all I can provide assistance with. I want to do all I can."
My words seemed to have caught Comte's attention as he looked at me with intrigue in those dark golden eyes, "Oh? I might have to take you up on that. But for now, let's get through this mountain of letters." le Comte lowered his gaze to the letters, a sheepish grin forming on his lips as he gave a shrug. One by one, we sliced open the family crests and initials to open up the fancy envelopes. I had a feeling every one of these were from various aristocrats.
"You must be very popular if you receive this many invites, Comte." I commented. "It's the same for all nobles, chérie. It's part of our job to make connections and keep up our relationships." le Comte explained. "Oh, is it?" "Yes, they use social gatherings to further their connections and to search for partners to improve their family's standing. It may look like everyone's just relaxing and having a good time, but there's a lot of scheming going on behind the scenes."
Hearing him say that reminded me of the time I'd heard people offering to invest in le Comte's business at a banquet he'd brought me to. He had invited me to accompany him to the party, which was attended by the Paris' high society who's who. There had definitely been a lot of lighthearted conversation as they enjoyed their food and drinks, alongside the business talk, too. I remembered how easily le Comte stood out even amongst all the fancy dresses and impeccable suits.
"Do you have a specific goal in mind for attending these parties, Comte?" I asked. "I mainly use it as a means to acquire information." he answered honestly, "I like keeping current on the state of affairs so I know the best people to put my support behind." I looked at him, slightly confused, "Your support.. In high society life, you mean?" le Comte nodded, "It may sound dramatic, but I get a lot of satisfaction from supporting someone and making myself useful."
le Comte's magnanimous nature never ceased to amaze and impress me. I had no idea he supported other people's endeavors, too. He truly seemed like a giving and generous man. I smiled, "I suppose you're right, then. Going to these parties seems like it's part of a noble's job." "Yes. Since very long ago, the attitude in this country has been that nobles have their own very specific duties to uphold. They call it 'Noblesse oblige' - perhaps you've heard of it. But I am of the school of thought that one does not have to be a noble or an 'important' member of society to help others."
A slightly crooked smile broke through the serious look on his handsome face. "So while that's part of my reason for attending parties and being active in high society.. To tell you the truth, I just purely enjoy it. I love forming emotional connections with people." I blinked. Emotional connections? He held up a stack of his letters and continued on, "Think about all the letters like this being exchanged all over the world. It's filled with all kinds of people. All with their own personalities and talents and hopes and dreams. Not one person is the exact same as another. Don't you think meeting someone for the first time and learning all about what makes them tick is thrilling?"
It truly sounded like le Comte genuinely enjoyed forming new friendships. Seeing him so excited about something like this, it was quite the charming sight. I couldn't help but giggle to myself. I could tell he really felt a closeness to people and it warmed my heart. It did seem a bit strange to me that a vampire would want to immerse himself into human society so much. But really, after all my interactions so far with him and the residents, I could barely tell a difference between them and humans.
Leonardo was also a pure-blooded vampire. Yet he was known throughout town as a man who could repair just about anything. In fiction, vampires were always depicted as dangerous creatures. But I haven't had that impression of them at all. I pondered on what that could mean as I continued opening up letters. But just then, le Comte's expression seemed to brighten up. "You said that you wished there was something else you could do to help out around here. Do you think you could do me a favor in addition to doing your usual work around the mansion?" le Comte asked.
"Yes, of course. But like what? I'd love to help with whatever I can, so just let me know!" I answered. "Well.. This particular favor is something only you can help me with." I gave him a puzzled look, but he only folded his hands together and smiled. "I want you to be my partner."