Chapter 54
The Count's Secret Maid - Chapter 54
Translation: godsn
Lenika, who had been struggling to hold back her tears while speaking, was visibly shocked yet making a clear effort to maintain her composure. Seeing her like that, I realized this wasn't the first time such a shocking incident had occurred. In the end, I hadn't even been able to offer her proper comfort that day.
When I met Lenika in the morning to say goodbye, she appeared much more cheerful compared to days prior. But I could see the sorrow she was forcibly hiding beneath that facade. 'What I want to tell you is—don't trust anyone in this place.' If I shouldn't trust anyone, does that mean I shouldn't trust Vincent either? I shook my head at the thought. He made me a promise. That he would bring me back to this mansion, that he would definitely come find me—there hadn't been a trace of deceit on his face when he said those words.
The carriage began to move. Through the window, I watched the mansion growing distant. When I first arrived here, the luxurious estate had felt both wondrous and unfamiliar, and its master had been a temperamental nightmare who caused me endless hardship. There were moments I'd been drained to the bone serving him with my life on the line. Then I met his guests, tried blending in among the nobles...
So much had happened. Now all those memories felt precious to me. At the same time, I worried about Vincent left alone in the mansion.
"Will a new maid come to replace me?"
Tearing my gaze from the window, I looked across at Isabella. She poured tea from the set she'd prepared and handed me a cup. It felt warm in my hands.
"I'll be taking your place."
"You, Isabella?"
"Yes. The master has ordered that no more attendants be hired."'I'll bring you back to my side. Without fail.' He'd truly meant those words. He really intends to bring me back. If I'm honest, I'd been half-doubting it, and now my nose stung for no reason. Simultaneously, a wave of regret washed over me. I already missed the mansion.
I leaned my face against the window as the carriage jolted roughly along. The forest path had made for poor roads. Sipping my tea, I tried to soothe my melancholy mood.
Then my eyelids grew increasingly heavy. Isabella was saying something up front, but her voice came to me muffled and indistinct. As my consciousness grew hazy, my blinking eyelids finally shut tight without my realizing.
Then I jolted awake.
Straightening from where I'd been slumped against the window, I quickly looked around. The carriage had come to a stop without my noticing.
Had we arrived already? I must have dozed off briefly, but my memory was fuzzy. An empty cup lay rolling at my feet. I must have dropped it without realizing before falling asleep.
Just then, the door opened. Isabella looked at me.
"Step out."
Following her instruction, I grabbed my bag and exited the carriage. The surroundings had grown dark and shadowed. The sun had been bright when we departed—had night already fallen? Had I really slept that long?
But when I looked around, we were still in the forest.
"Where is this?"
"It's a forest not far from Bellunita Mansion."
"What?"
True to her words, the outline of the mansion was visible not too far away. This meant the carriage had barely moved even as darkness fell.
Why? When I looked at her questioningly, Isabella continued calmly.
"Paula. Listen carefully. There's a path over there. If you follow it, you'll come to a small village. Stay at the village inn tonight, then move to a safer place at dawn. The more populated the area, the better—a large city would be ideal."
"W-what are you talking about?"
"People will be coming soon to dispose of you."
The meaning of "disposing" was clear from Isabella's expression. Though her demeanor was blunt, the tension on her face was unmistakable. 'What I want to say is—don't trust anyone here.' Lenika's words from before now rang vividly in my ears. I swallowed dryly and spoke calmly.
"You can't possibly mean the master would...?"
Isabella immediately shook her head.
"While we absolutely obey and follow the master's orders, there are times when we handle matters within our own discretion—for his sake. Especially when it comes to managing the servants. That authority lies entirely with us. Paula, do you know why you were confined solely to the annex? Do you understand why no one except the bare minimum of servants was ever around you?"
"......"
"It was precisely for moments like this."
Isabella spoke as if reciting lines rehearsed long ago, uttering words I could scarcely believe. And unfortunately, I understood immediately. Hadn't I already heard whispers of this before?
"You planned to dispose of me from the very beginning."
"It was merely a precaution."
"Did you do this to the other maids who attended the master before me? When necessary?"
"Only when necessary. But not all dismissed servants met this fate."
"Then why me? Why are you doing this to me? Why?!"
I shouted before I could stop myself. It was unfair—unfathomable. I had worked harder than anyone, adapted well to life in the Count's household. Vincent had changed during my time with him. Changed drastically. Surely my efforts had played a part in that. Isabella knew this too.
Moreover, I wasn't even dismissed—I was merely hiding on the master's orders. So why was I facing this?
"Because the master moved for your sake."
Isabella cut through my protests with a single stroke. Her sharp eyes pinned me in place.
"The master wavered for a mere maid. Acted for a mere maid. That is not a favorable sign. The head steward judged that your existence would have consequences later—and acted. Whether those consequences would be good or bad is irrelevant."
"But... he's still just a servant too, isn't he...?"
"He is the only one who can act in the master's stead. A man who has devoted himself to House Bellunita for decades. Does that answer you?"
A subordinate to the master, yes—but to the rest of us, a man who wielded power nearly equal to the master's. The head steward. Isabella. Hadn't Lenika already warned me?
Had the steward brought me here from the start precisely for this moment? That wealthy-looking old gentleman traveling all the way to a backwater village to recruit a nobody—perhaps because such a person could be easily disposed of. The hefty pouch of gold coins he'd handed me must have carried that very implication.
"...... Are you going to kill me?"
"That was the plan."
"'Was'...? Then—you're not going to now?"
Isabella exhaled sharply. Only then did I notice the slumped figure behind her. The coachman lay collapsed on the ground, lips slightly parted as if mid-snore. In his limp hand dangled a cup identical to mine, barely clinging to his fingers.
My gaze snapped back to Isabella.
"Paula. I am grateful to you. The master found solace in you. He regained the laughter he'd lost, stepped beyond his room, reunited with old friends. For the first time in years, the mansion was alive with noise. As a servant of this household, I thank you for bringing about that change."
As she finished speaking, Isabella drew something from her coat and held it out—a small pouch. When I didn't take it, she wordlessly looped it around my bewildered neck and tucked it inside my clothes.
"This should sustain you for some time."
"What are you trying to say?"
"Run away."
My eyes widened. What did she just say?
"This is all I can do for you."
Isabella spoke firmly. I glanced at the sleeping coachman and realized this entire scheme was her doing alone. Flustered, I stammered,
"Wh-why? You shouldn't be doing this..."
"That's right. If caught, I can't guarantee my life."
"But then why...?"
Isabella lowered her gaze. A passing breeze scattered the silence between us.
"Paula. Women servants like us face discrimination in our work, sometimes enduring humiliation. We're often treated as lesser than men. But that doesn't mean we should accept such treatment as inevitable. You've done enough. This is my repayment to you."
"......"
"Run as far as you can. And never come back."
Isabella scanned our surroundings. There was no more time, she said. The urgency in her eyes told me she meant every word. My eyes stung. Clutching the bag's handle tightly, I bent deeply at the waist. She was the first person who guided me when I arrived at this mansion. And now, the only one helping me.
"Thank you."
So I, too, spoke from the heart.
Then I turned and ran.
The rustling of leaves filled my ears. With every step, foliage brushed against my feet, my thighs, my waist, my arms, tickling my cheeks. Even as I ran without pause, the thicket stretched endlessly before me.
I sprinted blindly along the path Isabella had shown me. I didn't even know if I was going the right way, but I kept running. The more I ran, the clearer it became—the unsettling noise grating on my ears wasn't just from me.
Somewhere, rustling echoed. It sounded so close behind me it sent chills down my spine. Or maybe it was coming from my left. Or my right. The ominous sounds surrounded me like auditory hallucinations. I was terrified. The rustling slowly closed in.
"Soon, someone will come to dispose of you."
Was it the person Isabella had warned me about?
"They'll know you were at the scene of Lucas' s accident. It might not be immediate, but eventually, James will notice your existence. He won't let you go. You're the only witness."
Or perhaps it was someone sent by James—the man Vincent had mentioned.
There were too many possibilities. In truth, everything was suspect. How had it come to this? Why was I in this situation? The days I'd fought just to survive had, in an instant, plunged me into danger. Yet all I could do was keep running blindly.
So I ran. Swallowing the surge of emotion rising in my throat.
"Hah! Hah!"
My breath hitched at my jaw. The weight of the bag in my hand grew unbearable. Worse, my sweaty palms kept losing their grip on the handle. Fumbling to readjust, I tripped over a large rock and fell. Pain shot through me, but I scrambled up before I could even register it and kept running. My knees throbbed belatedly, the damp sensation suggesting blood was trickling down.
Save me.
Someone, please help me.
I didn't know how to handle the endless waves of panic. I wanted to cling to a tree and scream for my life. Fear only multiplied. Just as tears welled up, I spotted the forest's edge. I sprinted toward it.
The moment I burst through the thicket—a blinding light swallowed my vision.