Chapter 53
The Count's Secret Maid - Chapter 53
Translation: godsn
"You, I heard you'll be leaving soon. Is that true?"
"Yes. Just for a little while."
"Are you really only going for a little while?"
When I gave her a look as if to ask what she meant by that, Lenika sniffled.
"Paula. I haven't known you for long, but I know you're a good person. At the very least, I can tell you're diligent in your work and not the type to act spoiled."
"Why are you saying such things...?"
"What I'm trying to tell you is—don't trust anyone in this place."
Her resolute voice buzzed in my ears. The truth was coloring her hardened eyes. Though I couldn't fully comprehend her words, a strange fear rose in one corner of my heart. A sudden chill ran down my spine. I clutched my arms.
"As you know, this is the Count's mansion—a place with strict servant management. Originally, male and female servants aren't allowed personal contact. That's one of the rules we must follow while working here. The reason is that frequent contact might lead to impure thoughts. There have been many such cases before, and this time was no exception."
"......"
"Do you understand?"
Understand what? I couldn't bring myself to speak, only parting my lips slightly. She seemed to recognize my confusion and contorted her face as if about to cry.
"That every single move we servants make is under surveillance."
"......"
"If someone acts contrary to the established rules and shows no sign of returning to normal during the given grace period, that's the end. Didn't I just say those two didn't disappear of their own will? Because during the grace period the butler gave them, they secretly met again."
She said it was another servant sharing their room who reported their secret meetings. Those who report on someone during their grace period receive a reward. Then what happens to those who are reported?
"Those two suddenly went missing."
"......!"
"And yesterday, a housemaid sharing their room said that one of the servants saw suspicious people near the mansion while returning from an errand for the butler. Their faces were covered, so she couldn't tell who they were, but they seemed like a group of strong men. They were carrying something that looked... just like a person."
Lenika paused briefly to catch her breath. There was no need to ask what that meant. Her subsequent sobs answered for her.
"The missing maid was someone who helped me a lot. She was a good person. She said she came to work as a servant here to pay off her family's debts. She always wore a bracelet woven from thread that her mother had made—its unusual design made it recognizable to everyone. But that bracelet... was found lying where those people had been standing."
"......"
"Who made them end up like that—I don't need to spell it out, do I?"
She was right. As I listened to the final moments of the maid and servant who had secretly nurtured their love at night, several figures flashed through my mind. Not Vincent. He wouldn't bother himself with managing the lower servants.
"Paula, listen to me carefully. Never stand out. Never be special. Just like all the other servants, follow the rules and live holding your breath. That's the only way we can survive safely in this mansion. Because we're the lowest class—beings who could die and disappear without anyone noticing."
She lifted her apron to wipe her face. But no matter how much she wiped, the tears kept flowing, covering her face again.
"Don't forget. If lowly servants like us fall out of favor with the mansion's esteemed residents, there will be no more peace. I'm not talking about the master. In fact, the master pays no attention to servants like us. Rather, beware of those who stand below him yet wield power equal to his own."
Lenika warned me with her tear-streaked face. Looking at her like that, I couldn't bring myself to say anything.
I ended up leaving Bellunita Mansion sooner than originally planned. Because a stranger had broken in. Though it was late at night when everyone was asleep, security had been tightened recently—yet no one could figure out how they'd gotten in.
Late at night when everyone was asleep, I found myself unusually restless, tossing and turning until dawn. Eventually giving up on sleep, I rose to get some water—only to freeze in shock. A dark shadow flickered against the transparent curtains.
At first, I thought I was seeing things. I wanted to believe it was just a dream. I'd left the window open tonight because the air was stifling, but I never imagined someone would climb onto the balcony. The moment I clearly saw the silhouette of a pitch-black figure through the fluttering curtains, my hand fumbling across the nightstand knocked over a glass.
Crash! The shattering sound echoed through the room. Taking that as my cue, I immediately leapt from the bed and bolted for the door. But I barely made it a few steps before a dark figure seized me by the shoulder. I thrashed, but it was useless.
A powerful force yanked me backward and slammed me against the wall. The intruder choked me. Then, in the next instant, something glinted before my eyes. Even in the dark, I recognized it as a knife. That thing would pierce my skin and draw blood. I was so terrified my vision swam with tears.
So this is how I die.
Just as despair threatened to burst into sobs—
The bedroom door suddenly flew open. Both the intruder and I turned toward it. Vincent entered the room, feeling his way forward with his hands, then immediately raised an arm in our direction. In his hand was a gun.
The moment I realized that, I didn't even stop to wonder how a blind man could shoot or aim accurately. My only thought was to break free from the assailant's grip. So I grabbed and twisted the fingers around my throat. The intruder groaned and loosened their hold. Seizing the chance, I wrenched free and curled into a ball on the floor.
"Gyah—!"
Gunshots rang out immediately after. Not just one, but several in rapid succession. I covered my head with both hands, trembling violently.
The eerie gunfire was followed by the sound of something—or someone—colliding with objects. The chaotic noise continued for a while before abruptly cutting off.
I didn't have the courage to assess the situation. All I could do was huddle there, shaking uncontrollably. After a moment, slow, shuffling footsteps approached and stopped before me. Then something lightly tapped my head. I flinched.
"It's alright."
"Ugh...!"
Hearing Vincent's voice, the tears I'd been holding back finally spilled over. Fear and relief churned violently in my chest. I couldn't even think of standing, remaining curled up as I sobbed. He stroked my head soothingly.
Guards came running at the sound of gunfire. When they demanded to know what happened, I stifled my tears and looked up. They couldn't find out about Vincent's condition... Fortunately, the room was dark, and Vincent smoothly reported the intrusion of a stranger.
Other servants who had heard the gunshots might come as well. I struggled to compose myself and headed to Vincent's room with him.
The moment I entered the room, I collapsed onto the bed. Unlike the chaos from earlier, my mind had gone completely blank. What had just happened to me felt like a dream. Yet, as if to prove it wasn't, a dull pain throbbed from my bruised neck.
As I sat there blankly rubbing my neck, I sensed frantic movement beside me. Glancing over, I saw him pouring water into a cup—except he'd lost his bearings and was pouring it onto his hand instead. Watching the water gush over his hand and arm snapped me back to my senses.
"Let me do it."
"I'm fine."
After stubbornly fumbling to pour the water properly, he handed me the cup and sat beside me. I hastily gulped down the water, which sloshed precariously close to the brim. The cool liquid soothed me somewhat.
As I sipped the remaining water, I stole a glance at Vincent feeling around for his gun. It was a familiar object—the very one he'd shoved at me during our earlier struggle.
Recalling what had just happened, I realized how dangerous his actions had been for me too. A blind man firing a gun? What if he'd hit me? Even though I'd screamed to signal my location, thinking back, it had been far too reckless.
Yet Vincent had fired without the slightest hesitation. He'd claimed to be confident in his marksmanship—apparently, it hadn't been an empty boast.
Sniffling, I looked at him.
"How did you know to come?"
"I heard the noise."
"But you said there were no bullets left?"
"Never said that."
"Then why didn't you shoot before?"
"Firing just because I'm pissed would make me seem properly insane."
His absurdly reasonable answer startled me in an entirely different way.
Soon after, Isabella entered the room. Her face was tense as she assessed Vincent's condition.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. Judging by the draft, they must've come in through the balcony via the open window. There should've been guards posted."
"The guards are currently inspecting the room. We'll also investigate the guards assigned to patrol this area immediately."
But those guards were already dead. The ones stationed around the annex where Vincent resided were said to be the most skilled in the Count's household. The fact that the assassin had eliminated such experts suggested they were no ordinary foe.
The assassin, wounded by Vincent's gunshot, was later found in the woods not far from the annex. Having failed their mission, they appeared to have taken poison and committed suicide. We never discovered who had hired them. But considering someone had gone so far as to hire an assassin to kill a mere maid like me, the culprit hardly needed investigating.
When dawn finally broke, Vincent ordered me to leave the mansion immediately. That morning, I cleaned his room and attended to him as usual before preparing to depart. I then said my goodbyes to the few servants I'd grown somewhat familiar with. By the time the carriage arrived, it was just past noon.
Vincent didn't see me off. He said he didn't want to act like we were parting forever when we'd meet again. I agreed with him.
Instead, Isabella accompanied me. After boarding the carriage first and taking my seat, I watched as she settled across from me. Seeing her reminded me of what Lenika had said a few days prior.