The Count's Secret Maid - Chapter 2

Translation: godsn

Fortunately, it seemed my choice had been correct, as she addressed me first.

"My apologies for the late introduction. I am Isabella, in charge of managing all female servants in this mansion. During your employment here, you'll be seeing me the second most frequently."

"Um, who would be the first?"

"Why, the master you'll be serving, of course."

It was the same thing the elderly gentleman had mentioned earlier. I'd arrived here without knowing what kind of work I'd been hired for. My money-blinded father hadn't even considered asking, and since I had no choice but to follow anyway, I hadn't bothered being curious. Whatever the job was, even if it turned out to be something horrific, I would have had to go along with it.

"What should I call you, ma'am?"

"Just call me Isabella."

"Yes, Miss Isabella."

I engraved her name in my mind. Then, realizing my oversight, I quickly added:

"My apologies for the late introduction. I'm Paula."

"Very well, Paula. What skills do you possess?"

"I can handle simple household chores like cleaning and laundry. I can also do basic accounting and write a little—you need to know how for basic calculations."

"I see."

Isabella remained impassive as she responded. Her lack of reaction only made me more anxious. What if she thinks I'm useless? What if she sends me back home? The thought of being dismissed frightened me.

Isabella walked at a brisk pace ahead of me. Afraid of losing sight of her, I quickened my steps to keep up.

Following Isabella around several corners, we eventually arrived at a door. Just then, the door opened and a young woman hurried out, stopping abruptly upon seeing Isabella and bowing deeply. Another brown-haired woman following behind also halted in surprise, bobbing her head nervously.

"M-Miss Isabella."

"I believe I told you not to run in the halls."

"My apologies. I'm truly sorry."

"Be more careful next time."

Their cautious gazes shifted from Isabella to me standing behind her. Just as I tried to make eye contact in return, Isabella stepped sideways, blocking their view of me, and briskly ordered them to return to their posts.

I watched with my eyes as the women scurried away with quick steps. Meanwhile, Isabella opened the door and called out to someone.

"Lenika."

"Yes, Miss Isabella."

A tall woman with a mature demeanor approached. Isabella pushed me forward by the back.

"Do we have clothes that would fit this girl?"

Lenika's eyes swept over me. After a moment of apparent consideration, she nodded.

"She's quite petite. Nothing will fit perfectly, but we should have something close enough."

"That's fortunate. It doesn't need to be perfectly formal."

"Understood. Which department will she be in?"

"She'll be attending to the master personally."

This unexpected answer made Lenika's eyes widen. Her startled gaze swept over me again, scrutinizing every detail. Her reaction made me even more nervous, and I swallowed several times with a dry throat.

After a moment, Lenika composed herself, said she understood, and went back inside.

Not long after, Lenika returned with a black dress and held it against my body. After checking the fit, she brought several more identical black dresses in different sizes before handing me one that worked. A snow-white apron and undergarments came with it.

"Your hair......"

Lenika frowned at my long bangs covering my face. My lips—the only visible feature—twitched nervously. Isabella studied me briefly before declaring it acceptable and setting off again. I wobbled after her as I followed.

Isabella led us down another corridor. I kept glancing around continuously. As we walked, I caught glimpses of people working in open rooms, around corners, and in various nooks. Those approaching from the opposite direction would bow deeply upon spotting Isabella.

A somewhat noisy clamor echoed around us, then gradually subsided until silence flowed once more. Tap, tap, tap. The rhythmic, steady sound of footsteps was the only thing breaking the quiet. I clutched the bag's handle tightly to keep from dropping it and stole a glance at Isabella.

"Paula, how much of the explanation did you hear before coming here?"

"Only that you wished to hire me."

"Then you haven't heard the details."

"No."

I nodded as I answered. Isabella's pace remained brisk, faster than what might be considered comfortable.

"This is the esteemed Bellunita family's mansion. And you, Paula, will be solely responsible for attending to the master of this household—Lord Vincent Bellunita."

"E-excuse me, when you say solely... does that mean I'll be doing it alone?"

"That's correct."

For a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠moment, I was at a loss for words. As I followed her down the hallway, I had seen a considerable number of servants—the coachman who had brought me here, the well-tended gardens' gardeners, the stable's groomsmen, men and women in identical uniforms. Even without seeing more, it was clear there were many others.

But I was to serve the master alone? The master—wouldn't he be someone of great importance?

I hesitated, unsure whether to voice my concern, then finally parted my lips.

"Um... are you certain there's no one else assisting?"

"There isn't. If you need anything, you may report directly to me."

"Can I really handle this alone? For the master, no less?"

In the end, I blurted out what I shouldn't have. At that, Isabella's footsteps halted abruptly. My face bumped into her back, and I, too, came to a stop.

When she turned to look at me, her expression remained as impassive as ever.

"Paula. Listen carefully. From now on, you alone will attend to the master. There will be no additional staff. If that displeases you, I advise you to leave the mansion now. The same applies if you doubt your ability. Should you complain later, you will not escape punishment."

Isabella delivered her warning calmly. If you can't do it, leave now. The weight of her words made me press my trembling lips together.

And ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I realized—I must never, ever voice complaints again.

I bowed deeply at the waist.

"My apologies. I'll be more careful from now on."

Fortunately, Isabella said nothing more and simply turned away. Straightening, I trailed after her like a lost puppy.

"If you mind your manners in all things, you'll find the work manageable."

"Yes."

With my reply, the conversation ended.

Before long, a door came into view—smaller than the one we'd entered through earlier. Was there another entrance at the back? Following Isabella, I stepped through it and found myself outside the mansion. There, stretching endlessly, lay a vast garden brimming with lush greenery.

Wow—an awed breath escaped me before I could stop it. I'd glimpsed it fleetingly from the carriage, but seeing it properly now, the meticulously tended garden was breathtaking.

Dazed, I let my gaze wander until I noticed Isabella walking ahead alone. Belatedly snapping out of it, I hurried after her.

I wondered where we were going, but since she said nothing, I had no choice but to follow in silence. Asking now would only earn me another reprimand.

Isabella led us to the rear of the mansion. In the distance, a smaller estate came into view. That must be our destination.

The path there seemed dauntingly long—enough to make me weary just looking at it. But before my dismay could settle, she guided me not along the road, but in another direction—toward the woods beside the mansion.

Following Isabella, I pushed through the undergrowth until my legs grew numb, finally emerging from the forest to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠find myself before the mansion again.

Wait, how? Startled, I glanced back at the thicket we'd just exited. Was it some kind of shortcut? Then I took in the building before me—an annex, perhaps, smaller than the main mansion. Yet to my eyes, both seemed equally grand and opulent.

As we stepped inside, the atmosphere felt even more silent than before. While the main mansion had relatively few signs of life compared to its size, this place was so eerily quiet it was hard to tell if anyone lived here at all.

"Only the bare minimum of servants reside here."

Ah, so it wasn't just my imagination. I nodded in response.

Isabella walked to the end of the hallway and ascended the stairs.

"Breakfast is served at 6 AM sharp, lunch at exactly noon, and dinner at 6 PM. You must retrieve the meals from the kitchen at the appointed times and bring them to the master. Dessert is served at lunch, so you'll need to take care of that as well. And you must pay special attention to cleanliness. The bedsheets must be changed every morning without fail, and the same goes for the clothes. Collect the previous day's laundry and bring it to the annex's back door every morning."

"Yes."

"Basic necessities are provided here, but if you require anything else, inform me. I'll do my best to accommodate you. The same goes for any difficulties you encounter."

"Yes."

"One more thing—all tasks must be completed in one go. If you fail to finish something, do not attempt to return later to complete it. The master is particularly sensitive to such matters, so you must be extremely careful. You must act as if you are not even there."

"Understood."

I committed her words to memory, nodding repeatedly. Act as if I'm not there—that was the easiest thing in the world for me.

After climbing another set of stairs and passing through the hallway, we stopped in front of the very last room.

"One final warning."

Before opening the door, Isabella turned to look at me again. I stole a glance at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the door behind her shoulder and took a step back.

"From now on, everything you see and hear must remain strictly confidential. Be cautious even with the slightest word you utter. No matter what you witness, do not react. Do not even listen too closely. If you dare speak out of turn, punishment will be the least of your concerns. Do you understand?"

Her words were unexpected. But for me, it was as easy as breathing.

"Yes, I'll keep that in mind."

When I answered firmly, Isabella turned and slowly knocked on the door. Knock, knock, knock. Then she waited for the master's summons, but no sound came from within. As if accustomed to this response, she knocked again.

Knock, knock, knock.

"I'll be entering, Master."

Still, no permission was granted, but Isabella deftly turned the doorknob. Creeeak— Darkness seeped through the gap of the opening door.

The room was utterly drenched in darkness, so pitch-black that not an inch ahead was visible. The air was cold, too, and there was a strange smell.

I pinched my nose and grimaced—then quickly smoothed my expression. No reactions allowed. I glanced at Isabella, relieved to see she wasn't looking my way. I lowered my hand and held my breath as much as possible.

But the moment Isabella took a step inside—

CRASH!

"Ghk!"

Something came flying through the air and shattered against the wall.

Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around my head and crouched down. When no more objects came flying, the surroundings fell silent again. Only then did I cautiously open my tightly shut eyes. Unlike me, Isabella hadn't moved an inch, standing exactly as she had been before. At her feet lay shattered fragments of glass—a broken drinking glass.

I stared wide-eyed at the shards before looking back up at Isabella. As she took another step, something else shot out from the darkness and slammed into the wall. Thud! A pillow fell to the ground with a dull sound.

What the—? I straightened from my crouch and scanned the room. It was still pitch-black, but my eyes, now somewhat adjusted to the dark, faintly made out a blurred figure.