C36
Looking at the candle in Bianca's hand, Vincent quickly understood how things were going.
She has been with Zachary ever since he left the Huegh territory, and was with Zachary when he entered Arno's castle. Since then, she has taken care of Arno Castle for more than 13 years.
Vincent asked, looking alternately at Nicholas and the clerk with a puzzled look.
"Does this happen often?"
"Well… I warned you, but…"
The clerk nodded his head continuously and blurted out the end of his words. It was obvious that he did not want to take responsibility. Vincent groaned.
"You guys are making candles, but these aren't yours!" Doesn't the use time of the candle decrease when it is carved like this? Why didn't you inform me immediately?
“I-I thought he would listen to me if I scolded him in moderation…. He's stubborn, so it was hard for us too. We can't put damaged candles in the castle as props then...
When Vincent yelled, the head manager quickly offered more excuses. He seemed afraid of taking responsibility for answering wrongly. But that answer turned Vincent's stomach.
Vincent pressed the clerk.
"How do you deal with these damaged sails?" I have never observed one among the entire supply.
“In the stable or…. also used in our factory…
Incredible. In short, wasn't he quietly discussing this matter with the other subordinates without informing her? He was glad that he wasn't stealing candles… However, this was a problem that needed to be addressed.
No matter how young Nicholas was, she couldn't let this go as long as she was a servant working on the estate. Vincent looked at Nicholas, who was hanging from the clerk, with fearful eyes.
"Why the hell-?"
"Did you really do this?"
But Vincent couldn't finish his speech. It was because Bianca intervened before she could speak. As a butler, it is impossible for him to interrupt the words of his mistress. Vincent's mouth closed naturally, but his eyes were filled with anxiety, disbelief, and dissatisfaction at what Bianca would say.
Nicholas squeezed his eyes shut and trembled in fear as they all surrounded him and questioned him. In particular, Bianca's green eyes that were staring at him were creepy, like a poisonous snake sticking its tongue out of her as if to devour him.
The candle factory Nicholas worked for was also just outside Arno Castle. He never met Bianca, who lived in the center of the castle. Of course, the rumors about her were all Nicholas knew.
Bianca, whom Nicholas knew, was a rude and eccentric woman, and she was too cold for the Count, who was always going to war over Arno. Recently, the servant girl who disobeyed her was stripped naked, beaten and thrown out, and the servants talked about how terrible she was.
Since she was such a ruthless lady, she could break Nicholas's finger, saying that he had touched the things of the Lord unwisely. Nicholas clenched his fists and shivered involuntarily.
Bianca, unaware of Nicholas's fear, once more urged Nicholas to respond. His green eyes were fixed on the candle in his hand.
"Did you really do this?"
Nicholas, unable to ignore the lady's words twice, nodded carefully. His small shoulders were hunched and his neck stiff with tension. His mouth was dry, he burned and itched. Nicholas wet his dry mouth with saliva, anxious to know when his scolding would fall. His downcast eyes darted from place to place on the ground to see who was approaching him.
He used to always buy the pity of the people around him. He was thin as a branch, so he had no strength, and was often engrossed in his own world, so he was neither quick nor slow to understand what he was saying. And then he touched the supplies, so the manager angrily put his hands on him.
The manager was a thin man, but to young Nicholas he was a formidable opponent. He kicked her in the calf and hit Nicholas in the head.
Of course, the manager had his own thoughts. If you don't break this bad habit early on, it can become a big problem later on. That would be really dangerous.
As servants, their lives depended on little things, and this candle in his hand could compromise his life. Either Nicholas's life or hers.
I was very worried, but in the end, what I feared happened. The manager squeezed his eyes shut in embarrassment. The manager beat up Nicholas, convinced him to make bread, and did his best, but Nicholas was stubborn. Nicholas did not give up playing.
Nicholas says it's a 'sculpture', of course, even the manager acknowledged that Nicholas had some skills, and maybe there was something called talent. But to carve, he had to be the son of a sculptor, and get support from aristocrats to pay for expensive materials. His father, who died when Nicholas was three, was another farmer. Nicholas was the son of a farmer, and he had to become a farmer too, not a sculptor.
Nicholas knew it too. Still, Nicholas couldn't stop carving candles. The foreman stepped back at his unwavering insistence and said that if he wanted to carve, he should do it in wood and pushed a log towards him. But Nicholas shook his head. It was because Nicholas had a reason to.
One night long ago, Nicholas had a dream in which the goddess* was imprisoned in a candle. It was a dream in which wax dripped from the goddess's head, while the goddess mercifully clasped her hands together and prayed.
(T/N: the word used is 여신, which means goddess or female deity)
Nicholas woke from the dream, breathing heavily drenched in sweat. Even though it was only a dream, Nicholas was overcome with a strong urge to pull the goddess out of the candle.
It was a revelation.
Nicholas saw it as his mission to rescue the goddess trapped in the candle, and he was devoted and stubbornly clung to the candle, never giving up despite the keeper's harsh advice.
And in the distant future, Nicholas would put the candle that has perfectly carved the goddess in the monastery. The priest of the monastery who would receive the candle would be so moved by the merciful and majestic appearance of the goddess that he would deliver the candle to the Vatican. And the Pope who will receive the candle would also be fascinated by the sculpture of Nicholas and appoint him official sculptor of the church.
And Nicholas would be given the glorious task of not only carving candles for the altar, but also carving the statue of the goddess to be placed in the chapel.
He would carve numerous statues of the goddess, each one becoming a splendid display of the goddess's mercy, generosity, sacrifice, and pious dignity.
As such, Nicholas would leave his name for posterity as an outstanding sculptor, but now no one knows. Including himself. He was just a servant now, trembling in fear of the punishment he would receive from Bianca.
He could bear the wrath of the manager. At least it was just a kick to the calf or a pat on the back. But if he cuts off his fingers…. Nicholas feared that more than anything.
But despite Nicholas's response, Bianca fell silent. Since the lady was quiet, the people around her were also quiet. Nicholas, eyes trembling, seemed to catch his breath at the silence surrounding him.
What kind of expression is the lady making? She Is she thinking how to scold him? Not knowing Bianca's reaction doubled the fear. Nicholas couldn't take it anymore and carefully lifted his eyelids and looked at Bianca.
But when he saw Bianca, Nicholas was surprised. Isn't Bianca looking at Nicholas's candles? Even with a satisfied smile!
Nicholas's eyes narrowed as if he couldn't believe the curve that gleamed over Bianca's delicate lips.
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