TTRIA 2

Collie, a small town located in the south, was a place that took about three hours to reach by train.

The place was just as Hugo had described. When Jeff, having disembarked from the train, stepped outside the station, he was met with truly gentle sunlight. Having been caught in the rain just three hours prior, the weather here felt like a blessing from God.

Beneath the sunlight, all the sounds that lingered on the ground flowed on the warm breeze. The air that touched his shoulders was soft, and the sound of rustling leaves melted into the quiet scenery as if it were a part of it. Tap, tap, Jeff, tidying his umbrella which was still damp, took a step forward. He walked the streets of Collie, checking the map he had prepared in advance.

The streets were entirely filled with a faded red color. Alleyways like ant tunnels stretched long between the dense brick buildings. It was a shabby landscape, but it had a tranquil charm, as if one could feel the long history of Collie.

Unknown flowers and herbs decorated the terraces. Above them, laundry fluttered precariously. The years engraved on shop signs and the grain of corroded wood hinted at how long they had been watching over this place.

Suddenly, Jeff checked his wristwatch.

The current time was 11:10 AM. The prearranged meeting time was noon. Since they were scheduled to meet at the square, he had plenty of time. It would be fine to go up one of the alleys and come back. Hoisting his duffel bag, Jeff immediately ascended a steep alley. The long umbrella, which had been nothing but a nuisance, now served as an excellent cane.

By the time he was out of breath, he had reached the top of the stairs. Thud, Jeff set his bag down from his shoulder and looked back. The first thing that caught his eye was the frame created by the buildings. The lavender field situated within that frame was the finest masterpiece that could be expressed with purple paint.

All at once, the scent of lavender washed over him. If this gentle breeze that cooled his sweat had a color, it would probably be purple.

While he was lost in thought, captivated by the scenery, a good deal of time had passed. When he hurriedly arrived at the square, the minute hand pointed to 50. Fortunately, he had avoided ruining his first impression. Relieved, Jeff sat on the edge of a fountain and waited for the driver. The boredom was easily soothed just by looking at the shops surrounding the square.

However, if there was one thing he had overlooked, it was that he had not eaten a single meal today. The smell of bread wafting from a café was terribly tempting. His throat, which hadn’t had a sip of water, screamed at him to put something in it right away.

‘…I’d better buy some milk to drink.’

It was at that moment, as he was checking the time, thinking the driver might arrive while he was away for a moment, that a loud noise came from across the way. Turning his head, Jeff instinctively observed the situation. A man who appeared to be a shop owner was speaking in a sharp voice to a frail-looking old man.

“How many times do I have to tell you not to post things on the wall? I told you to look for that group of vagrants instead of wasting time putting this up!”

“That child is not a vagrant. I am his guardian, so why would he be a vagrant…!”

“Kids who run away and wander around are all vagrants, what else would they be!”

It seemed that the way people looked at vagrants was not much different whether in the city or the countryside. Jeff, who had no particular feelings for them, was suddenly reminded of a memory that left a bitter taste in his mouth. The young man who had exuded a sweet scent. And, the existence of the vagrant who had killed him.

Jeff swallowed a sigh and watched the situation unfold. Eventually, the old man, overcome by the intimidating shop owner’s demeanor, turned to leave. Just as he thought the small figure was faintly trembling, their eyes suddenly met.

“Ah, of all the….”

Was it because he had stared for too long? The old man approached without hesitation and held out a worn and faded piece of paper. As he had guessed from overhearing the conversation, it was a missing child flyer. A drawing was in place of a photo, but it was a sketch so precise that it was recognizable at a glance. The reason the old man’s fingertips were dark must have been because he was an artist.

“If by any chance you see the child, please be sure to come to this place. I beg of you.”

The old man, having pleaded earnestly, soon walked away. Gazing at the retreating back, Jeff lowered his eyes to the flyer. Just then, a shadow that was not his own was cast over the dry paper.

“Mr. Jeff Lowell?”

At the low voice, Jeff raised his head. A young man dressed in a neat suit stood politely.

“I apologize for making you wait.”

He was a driver for the Gray family.

“I will carry your bags for you.”

“No. It’s alright.”

It wasn’t heavy enough to need help from a driver a head shorter than him. The driver, showing no sign of awkwardness, smiled softly and led him to the car. The inside of the car was filled with a subtle fragrance. It was similar to the scent he smelled on Hugo. It was the scent of <Vebreuk>.

Leaving Collie’s central downtown area, the car gradually delved deep into the forest. The afterimages of sunlight slicing through the dense trees flashed by quickly. The scenery outside the car window maintained a similar flow throughout the journey. Everywhere he looked, there was only greenery. Just as the feast of green filling his vision in the silent space was becoming tedious, the car slowly began to reduce its speed.

“Mr. Lowell, we have arrived at the main gate. We will now enter the estate.”

With the driver’s calm voice, a towering iron gate came into view. Climbing vines were draped quietly over the long bars. As the main gate opened with a soft mechanical sound, the scenery changed. It was a more artificial sight, where smoothly trimmed evergreens formed a clear balance and symmetry.

The car drove for a long time down a straight driveway. The fact that all the scenery they had passed was a part of the estate’s grounds made the commoner’s heart shrink. Just then, he heard the driver’s laughter. He must have been caught with a nonchalant expression on his face.

“The tedious journey is now at its end. Please look ahead, Mr. Lowell. We’ve arrived at the mansion.”

The driver was right. A wide-open space suddenly unfolded, and an ivory-colored mansion, protected by the forest, revealed itself. On both sides of the road leading to the entrance, well-defined lawns were laid out in uniform widths. The symmetrically placed streetlights and conical trees felt somewhat obsessive, but the naturalness of the forest stretching beyond the mansion offset it.

Besides that, various other things made up the vast space. There was a glass greenhouse covered in green leaves, a geometric topiary flowerbed, and between them, stone sculptures and a fountain made their appearance. And even a maze garden of enormous scale. In Jeff’s life, this was the first time he had ever seen such a beautiful mansion.

“Mr. Lowell, we have arrived at the mansion.”

“Thank you.”

As he opened the car door, a fresh breeze carried the scent of plants and tickled the tip of his nose. Jeff closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. The unfamiliar air, imbued with fragrance, filled his lungs. Slowly opening his eyes, Jeff straightened his disheveled clothes. His worn-out shoes stepped onto the ground, which was free of even a speck of dirt.

His smooth amber eyes stared at the mansion where he would be living from now on. As he tilted his head all the way back, his gaze lowering from the third floor, to the second, to the first,

“……”

he felt a presence from one of the countless windows.

Jeff instinctively fixed his gaze on it. He saw a small figure quickly closing the curtains. He guessed it was one of the gifted children he would be in charge of. Jeff smiled lightly and went up the steps to the entrance.

“Welcome.”

A servant who was waiting in advance greeted him with a kind smile. Following his guidance inside, an old butler who was standing guard in one part of the huge hall slowly approached.

“You must be tired from your long journey.”

The butler offered a welcome in a low, gentle voice. The driver, the servant, and even the butler. They all showed a friendly and polite attitude. Such a courteous welcome for a poor university student from an orphanage. Jeff suddenly felt that he was receiving excessively lavish treatment. Being welcomed wasn’t entirely bad, but it was accompanied by a discomfort, like a fishbone stuck in his throat. However, he couldn’t show it on the outside, so Jeff put on a refined smile.

“Thank you. My name is Jeff Lowell.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lowell. First, before your meal, I will guide you to the room where you will be staying.”

“Before that, shouldn’t I greet the head of the family first.”

The butler replied.

“Mr. Wayne is currently away on an external schedule. He is scheduled to return to the mansion in five days. An agent will inform you about your future duties and precautions after your meal.”

“I see. I understand.”

Nodding, Jeff followed behind the butler, taking in the various parts of the mansion with his eyes.

The carvings on the wall panels that gave off a smooth sheen. The elaborate patterns carved into the treads of the central staircase and the thin, elegant, cylindrical balusters. The tall window on the landing and the tapestry that filled one entire wall. The masterpieces in ornate frames and the plaster ceiling with three-dimensional patterns. The chandelier hanging in its center. Even the pattern on the carpet that muffled the sound of their two sets of footsteps. This was not just a residence, but a space steeped in authority and tradition.

“I heard that you are close with young master Hugo.”

The butler spoke to Jeff, who was admiring all the elements that made up the space.

“Is the young master in good health?”

“It seems he hasn’t been calling often.”

A soft laugh followed those words.

“Unfortunately, not often enough to soothe an old man’s excessive worry.”

“There’s a saying that no news is good news. Hugo is doing well. Everyone likes him.”

“Is that so. That’s a relief.”

The elderly butler’s face broke into a benevolent smile. He led Jeff to a room in the center of the second-floor hallway.

“This is the space you will be using from now on, Mr. Lowell.”

“I’m to use a room this large?”

Jeff asked, puzzled. The butler answered with a look that seemed to ask what the problem was.

“That is correct. It is the room traditionally used by the resident tutors of the mansion. Beyond the door connected to the study is the gifted children’s classroom. Is it perhaps not to your liking?”

“No, not at all. I was simply marveling at the generosity of Gray in treating its employees.”

“Gray’s benefits are a source of pride for its employees. However, Mr. Lowell, you are not just an employee but also our valued guest. As you are a friend of young master Hugo.”

Jeff, with a bitter smile, added in a cautious tone.

“I would prefer to be treated primarily as an employee, though.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

The butler gave a slight bow and left the room. Jeff sat on the velvet mahogany sofa and looked around the room. The first thing that caught his eye was a panel with an marquetry inlay depicting the landscape of Collie. Made of various woods, lustrous brass, and iridescent mother-of-pearl, it was a work imbued with a craftsman’s essence. Besides that, the space, filled with gray-green silk wallpaper and luxurious mahogany furniture, was incredibly harmonious.

As he had felt from the elements that made up the mansion, it was a classic room rather than a modern one. Moreover, fitting for the mansion of a perfumer family, a subtle fragrance lingered in the air. It was a completely different scent from the one he had smelled on Hugo, a relatively lighter fragrance, but it was charming enough.

“To be captivated by a scent, huh….”

He recalled Hugo, who had said that anyone who went to Collie would fall in love, and had guaranteed that even he, who didn’t favor perfumes, would be captivated by its scents. Jeff remembered the lavender scent he had smelled at the top of the steep alley. He couldn’t deny it was a wonderful scent, but he hadn’t felt the sensation of being captivated.

If anything, the scent of <Vebreuk> he had smelled in the car was closer to the sensation of being captivated. The unique scent of <Vebreuk> that he had encountered through Hugo had instantly seized his nerves. It was a captivating scent that could not be described in words. At the same time, it was a scent so offensive it could make one retch.

It was because it was the scent that had emanated from ‘him’ in the past.

But as far as Jeff remembered, ‘he’ had never used things like perfume. Especially a high-end perfume like <Vebreuk>. If so, could it be that he had really sensed the essence of the raw material used in the perfume? If one of the raw ingredients of the scent he had smelled on Hugo and the young man was cultivated in Collie, and ‘he’ was also connected to Collie….

If ‘he’ had returned from Collie….

“It’s not lavender, for starters.”

If so, the lavender scent of Collie was not the scent Jeff was looking for. Then jasmine? Would the jasmine in Collie be any different from the jasmine he had smelled so far? Roses and mimosas, oranges too?

But in the first place, even if he found out the raw material, the question wouldn’t be solved. Even if the identity of the scent from ‘him’ did originate from Collie, it’s impossible to maintain a scent for that long without spraying perfume.

However, if ‘he’ had been using <Vebreuk> perfume without his knowledge….

How could ‘he’ have obtained <Vebreuk> perfume?

“…Did he steal it.”

Yes, he could have stolen it. The fact that the assumption of theft was the most plausible was damn funny. No, perhaps he was mistaken. The very fact that he had smelled the scent of <Vebreuk> in the smell emanating from ‘him’.

“…Damn it, my head hurts.”

Jeff muttered self-deprecatingly and pressed his throbbing forehead. The aftermath of a thought that started lightly is bitter. Suddenly, the scent lingering in the room felt nauseating.

Jeff immediately got up and opened the balcony door. Strands of sunlight, tangled like thread, rushed in with the wind. The warm air brushed against his skin. The air in the room, which had been holding its breath for so long, changed in an instant. Jeff rested his elbows on the railing and closed his eyes. Only then could he finally breathe.

He let time pass like that for a while, thinking of nothing. The presence appeared unexpectedly. It wouldn’t be a servant. A servant of such a well-managed mansion would have announced their presence smoothly. A being who would cast such an overt gaze at a new tutor was likely one of the children he was to teach.

“Hello.”

Jeff, opening his closed eyes, said without turning around.

“……”

There was no answer from behind. As he straightened his body, which had been leaning on the railing, he felt a startled presence. Jeff deliberately turned his body slowly. There was no one beyond the wide-open door. Only small fingers gripping the doorframe.

“……”

Could it be the child he saw from the first-floor window?

Jeff, staring blankly at the well-manicured nails, turned his back again. He made footsteps as he walked on the tiles of the balcony. The cowering gaze once again fell on the back of his head. He silently looked at the scenery outside. The beautiful maze garden came into view.

And then, suddenly.

“…Hello.”

A small, sweet voice was heard. It was a voice whose gender was impossible to tell.

When Jeff checked the door, the child was already gone. Instead, a small note was left on the red-carpeted floor.

「Welcome, teacher.

I was very curious about you.

Very, very curious.」

The head of the family’s agent, whom he met in the third-floor reception room after the meal, was an intellectual-looking man wearing black acetate glasses.

“There are a total of three gifted children sponsored by the mansion this year.”

The agent, who was reviewing various documents including Hugo’s letter of recommendation, said abruptly.

“Please check the documents I distributed in advance. Information about the children is organized there. They are the children Mr. Lowell will be in charge of from now on.”

Jeff checked the three documents.

Mila Hughes, 8 years old (female)
Daniel Ward, 12 years old (male)
Benjamin Torres, 15 years old (male)

Jeff, who was examining the information of the children of different ages and genders, opened his mouth.

“I heard that all the children sponsored by Gray are talented but poor. However, the documents lack any explanation of their academic level or skills. I think it would be helpful to know what kind of talents they possess in order to decide the future direction of their learning.”

“Ah, you don’t need to consider the children’s talents separately. What the children need right now is a basic education. Nurturing their talents is done after they have acquired the basic skills. We attach a dedicated teacher or help them enter a specialized private school.”

Shrugging his thin eyebrows, the agent continued.

“As you can see, the children’s age range is diverse. Originally, they should have received compulsory education long ago, but… reality has still not escaped from old-fashioned perceptions, and parents are even refusing the benefits of public education their children should receive. It is Gray’s role to bring the children, who are hidden in the blind spot of foolish parents, to the surface, and to help them not to give up on their schooling. Among them, selected children are directly managed and sponsored at the mansion. As a result, the selected children have different ages and levels of basic knowledge. Mr. Lowell, you can adjust the learning for each child according to their level.”

“I see. I understand.”

He was rambling on, but the gist was clear. Figure out their levels on your own and make progress. Jeff was displeased with the attitude of dressing up a simple sentence so grandly, but he didn’t show it on the outside and smiled smoothly.

“Then, can I meet the other teachers? I think it would be helpful to meet my predecessor.”

“I’m sorry, but that will be difficult.”

The agent, with a troubled look, drooped his eyebrows and added.

“The previous gifted children and the former teacher left the mansion a long time ago. However, the educational materials remain, so I will have a servant deliver them to your room.”

“Then am I the only teacher in the mansion at present?”

“Yes. That is correct.”

The two eyes, narrowed behind the glasses frames, stared at Jeff. It was a sharp gaze, like a snake’s.

“The head of the family has high expectations for Mr. Lowell. It seems young master Hugo’s recommendation played a large part.”

“I will do my best to meet those expectations.”

Soon after, the agent added a few more explanations. An introduction to the Gray family, and things to keep in mind while living in the mansion. The information Jeff learned from this was as follows.

The current head of the family’s name is Wayne Gray. With his genius sense of smell, he inherited <Vebreuk> early on and is gaining fame. The perfumes created by Wayne Gray boast a level that surpasses those of his ancestors, and their value was considered so precious as to be priceless.

Thinking of Hugo, who had readily offered to gift him such a perfume, made him let out a hollow laugh. On the other hand, it was also a part where he could indirectly experience the specialness of Hugo, who had been adopted without precedent.

Also, just as Jeff had come here, Gray was a highly respected family that sponsored the vagrants and talented individuals of Collie. The Gray family’s sponsorship program has been passed down for three generations, and the number of talented individuals who gained fame through their support amounted to over 50.

They regularly provide meals and daily necessities to the vagrants, and further provide shelters and jobs. Gray and <Vebreuk> were Collie’s salvation and pride.

Just as they spared no support for their sponsorship programs, their treatment of teachers was also exceptional. They provided not only a high level of salary but also a generous allowance for maintaining dignity.

A comfortable bed, nutritious meals provided for every meal, and even the smallest items needed for daily life. They would provide everything if he just asked, making it a truly ideal work environment. There were restrictions on going out, but compared to what was given, it was a minor part.

“Now, shall we talk about the most important part.”

It was finally the main point.

The children’s classes are from 9 AM to 4 PM, with each subject lasting 40 minutes. On Saturdays, only a simple morning session. In the afternoon, a servant from the mansion is separately assigned to teach etiquette. There are no classes on Sundays and on the day of the full moon ¹⁾, but the only day the children can return home is on the day of the full moon.

“Is there a reason they are only allowed to go home on the day of the full moon?”

To Jeff’s question, the agent answered.

“It’s because if they go home every week, the children’s minds become distracted. After much trial and error, we came to the conclusion that once a month is appropriate. The reason it’s on the day of the full moon is because an event is traditionally held at the Gray mansion on the day of the full moon. A charity event for the vagrants of Collie or a scent-testing event for <Vebreuk> is held. Of course, the frequency of the former is overwhelmingly higher.”

Finishing his words, the agent crossed one leg and adjusted his glasses. Jeff, who found it hard to be easily convinced despite the long explanation, asked again.

“Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to keep the children at the mansion on the day of the event? Especially if it’s a charity event, it would be more effective to present the gifted children as role models.”

“It would, wouldn’t it?”

The agent narrowed his eyes as if he found it amusing.

“I had the same question. So I asked the head of the family the reason directly. And an unexpected answer came back. That is, it all started because of a child sponsored by the previous head of the family, he said.”

The agent slowly unfolded the story.

“On the day of the mansion’s full moon event, the most promising gifted child disappeared. The previous head of the family deployed a search party throughout Collie. And not long after, they were able to find the child. At the child’s family home.”

The agent, pushing up his slipped glasses, continued.

“It turned out that the child had snuck out of the mansion because he wanted to feed the event’s food to his family. The gifted children’s families were not invited to the full moon event. Because they were already enjoying sufficient benefits from their child being sponsored, they were excluded from the full moon event. But from the child’s perspective, the desire to be with his family must have been strong.”

Jeff, nodding, listened for the words to follow.

“The previous head of the family felt sorry for the child’s heart. And from then on, he decided to send all the gifted children home every full moon. Along with prepared food. What started like that has taken root and has continued to this day.”

“I see. I had heard about the Gray family’s virtue from Hugo, but hearing it directly, he truly was a respectable person.”

At Jeff’s admiration, the agent nodded with a pleased face.