Chapter 47
The Count's Secret Maid - Chapter 47
Translation: godsn
"Let's go, Young Lady."
"Why all of a sudden?"
Violet looked back and forth between the nanny who had grabbed her and the elderly gentleman, clearly bewildered by this sudden turn of events. The old gentleman who had been watching Violet suddenly raised his voice angrily.
"Once we return to the mansion, you're forbidden from going out for the foreseeable future!"
"F-Father."
Abruptly, the elderly gentleman's gaze turned sharp. A blue flame of anger flickered in his eyes. He strode down the stairs with heavy steps. By the time he reached the bottom, Vincent was standing before him. Ethan supported Vincent with an anxious expression.
After glaring at Vincent for a moment, the elderly gentleman suddenly raised his hand. In the blink of an eye, his palm struck Vincent's face with a resounding smack! Vincent staggered and collapsed as Ethan hurriedly caught him. Watching this unfold, we all gasped in shock, holding our breaths.
Violet screamed and rushed down the stairs. The nanny belatedly scrambled after her. As I tried to follow, Lucas grabbed me, preventing me from going down. I turned to him with a confused look, but he shook his head.
In the end, I could only watch the situation unfold with mounting frustration.
Violet ran to Vincent, checking his condition while asking if he was alright. Then she turned to face the elderly gentleman.
"Father, why are you doing this?!"
"How dare you deceive me and meet my daughter!"
"What do you mean by'deceive'? I never deceived anyone!"
"How dare you mock our family by hiding the fact that you're blind! How dare someone like you even think of coveting my daughter!"
A thunderous roar erupted. Violet inhaled sharply, unable to hide her shock. I felt the same. So this was why he had been seething with anger ever since arriving here. Even Ethan wore a grim expression, as if he had known this moment would come.
Meanwhile, Vincent pushed himself up from his slumped position. The spot where the elderly gentleman had struck him was flushed red. Yet his face remained calmer than anyone else present.
"F-Father, please don't do this."
Violet grabbed the elderly gentleman's arm with trembling hands. Even her voice shook as she called him "Father." But he shook her off violently. Violet lost her balance and nearly fell before the nanny rushed to steady her.
"Take her away immediately! And know this—once we return, the engagement is annulled!"
"Father!"
As Violet cried out, the elderly gentleman shot her a piercing glare. She flinched and lowered her gaze, her delicate body trembling in fear, shrinking into itself. Yet she mustered her courage and stammered out her words.
"I... I don't want the engagement annulled."
"What could you possibly lack that you'd stoop to being that bastard's caretaker?! What kind of disgrace would you face, keeping a blind husband by your side?! Or are you so lovesick that you'd humiliate our family?!"
"No! No, Father! I would never dream of humiliating our family! I just... I just love Vincent."
"Pathetic."
"......"
The elderly gentleman clicked his tongue. Violet flinched again.
"No wonder that bastard grew so arrogant—he knew you'd cling to him without annulling the engagement."
"But—"
"I don't want to hear it! Shut your mouth!"
A deafening shout swallowed her words.
"......"
Violet pressed her lips tightly together. Her contorted face looked ready to burst into tears at any moment. The nanny pulled her into an embrace, soothing her.
That's when it happened.
"I will annul the engagement."
The sudden outburst shattered the tension. Every gaze in the room, including mine, turned toward Vincent, who had straightened his posture and risen to his feet. Ethan, standing beside him, covered his face with one hand and squeezed his eyes shut—an expression that said he could no longer bear to witness this scene.
Vincent's face remained composed as he parted his lips.
"I will do as you say."
"Vincent!"
Even as Violet desperately called his name, he did not retract his words. Bewildered, she rushed to his side. She shook him, pleading for him to stop, demanding to know why he was doing this—but when no answer came, she buried her face in his chest and burst into tears.
"That's enough. Go back now."
"Don't do this. You said you wouldn't annul the engagement."
"Then you'd have to abandon your family. Could you do that?"
"I could."
"Violet."
Vincent raised both hands to trace the contours of her face. His gaze lowered to her tear-streaked cheeks.
"You'd have to stay by the side of a blind husband—without your family's support, without the nanny you love so much. You'd spend your whole life tending to me, with no chance to interact with others. You'd have to give up everything you love for my sake. Wherever you go, people's stares would follow you. And even if their words wound you, I wouldn't notice. I couldn't protect you. I'd just be a fool fumbling around with my hands."
"......"
"That's what life with me would be like. Could you really live like that?"
Violet's lips parted, but this time, no answer came easily. Her violet eyes wavered, the hesitation within them stealing her voice. Tears streamed down her delicate cheeks.
Vincent smiled as if he understood, gently stroking her hair.
"I don't want that for you. So go back."
Violet shook her head, tears falling in heavy drops. The elderly gentleman watching them flicked his gaze toward the door. Immediately, a burly man entered, seizing Violet's arm and dragging her away. She struggled desperately, refusing to let go of Vincent, but her frail body was powerless against the force pulling her.
Her fingers slipped from Vincent's grasp.
"Vincent!"
"......"
In the end, she was hauled out of the mansion by the servants, the nanny following close behind. Her tearful cries grew fainter until they abruptly cut off.
The elderly gentleman turned his gaze to Vincent. His sharp eyes still burned with fury, and his tightly pressed lips betrayed no attempt to hide his displeasure.
"I hope you keep your word."
"......"
"Deceiving me is unforgivable, but for the sake of my ties with your parents, I'll let it pass this time. Never lay eyes on my daughter again."
With that, the old man turned on his heel and strode briskly away.
As silence settled over the hall in his wake, the sound of steady footsteps echoed through the room. Whether he had slipped out during the commotion or not, James now descended the staircase. His gaze swept over the lingering tension in the air. Every eye in the room—except Vincent's—turned toward him.
Vincent's condition had been a closely guarded secret. Not that such things could remain hidden forever, but we had taken every precaution to keep it concealed for as long as possible. And the only ones who knew the truth were those of us present—and that man over there, James Christopher. Instinctively, we all knew who had stirred up this chaos.
James calmly adjusted his attire and took a step forward. As he passed by Lucas and me, his sharp gaze lingered on Lucas. Lucas flinched, tightening his grip on my arm. Fortunately, James said nothing as he continued downstairs.
As he descended alone, he immediately headed toward Vincent. Just as I was taken aback by this, Ethan approached and blocked James' s path.
As if trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere, Ethan forced a smile and spoke.
"Leaving already?"
"Yes. There's no need to stay any longer."
Though answering Ethan, James' s gaze remained fixed on Vincent. Ethan subtly shifted his body to obstruct James' s line of sight.
After glancing at them briefly, I took Lucas by the hand and hurried over to Vincent. He had been standing motionless, staring blankly at the door since earlier. As I drew closer, his face was eerily still, as if he had stopped breathing.
Hesitating for a moment, I gently grasped Vincent's arm. Yet he remained unmoving. Even when Lucas called out to him, there was no response.
"Master. Let's go to your room."
"...... Alright."
As soon as he answered, I supported Vincent. He leaned against me without resistance.
Just as we turned to leave, James—having finished his conversation with Ethan—approached and stopped right in front of Vincent. Then he openly scrutinized us. His eyes were filled with mockery.
"Quite the spectacle you've given us."
"......"
My eyes widened, and I glared unflinchingly at the bastard before me. His attitude from his previous visit, coupled with the obvious intent behind this incident, made my blood boil.
Of course, I was afraid of James too. A sharp sense of caution—that dangerous people must be handled carefully—struck my mind. But at this moment, my fury was so overwhelming that it overrode even that wariness.
When I defiantly met his gaze, James narrowed his brows. It seemed his pride was wounded that a mere maid dared to look him straight in the eye. Just as his expression grew increasingly hostile and he was about to speak, Ethan stepped in.
"James."
His displeased gaze shifted away from me.
"Where did you leave the carriage?"
"Outside."
"I'll see you off. Let's go."
"Fine."
James glanced back at us once more. Only then did I lower my head. My scalp prickled, but soon, the sound of his footsteps faded beyond the door. When I looked up, I saw Ethan exhaling in relief.
"I might not live long thanks to you, miss."
"My apologies."
"I understand. But don't do it again."
Though he smiled lightly, his voice was grave. He studied Vincent for a moment, then turned his gaze to Lucas standing behind me. Finally, he looked back at me and pursed his lips as if to say, Take care of them both. Soon after, Ethan too stepped outside.
A considerable amount of time had passed since the day of the commotion. As if the clamor had been nothing but a dream, the mansion was now devoid of any human presence or voices. It was eerily silent, as though time itself had frozen—just like when I first arrived here.
I walked down the quiet corridor. In the long hallway, only the sound of my footsteps echoed.
Since that day, Vincent had secluded himself in his room again. And every night, he suffered from nightmares. Though the intervals between them had grown longer recently, these days, his pained moans reached me every night. I listened to those sounds, ready to rush to him the moment he called. But he never did, enduring it alone.
On the day James left, I worried Vincent might spiral into dark thoughts. Yet the next day, and the day after that, he carried on as usual. He ate well, bathed, and listened quietly when I read to him. The only difference was that he never left his room.
While I was relieved he was coping better than expected, part of me found it all the more terrifying. The fact that he wore such an unaffected expression made it worse.