Chapter 63
The Count's Secret Maid - Chapter 63
Translation: godsn
The first thought that crossed my mind upon arriving at the Forest Count's estate was:
'Thank goodness it's not some strange place.'
To be honest, for the briefest moment, I'd suspected it might just look normal on the outside. But the moment I stepped inside the mansion, all doubts vanished. Seeing the impeccably maintained interior, it was clearly a place where proper people lived.
Since we arrived late at night, we were first assigned our living quarters. The small room contained two beds, meaning we'd be sharing in pairs.
'I'd prefer separate rooms—this is embarrassing.'
'I don't mind either way, but are you sure you can wake up alone? We'll have to rise early from now on.'
'......'
In the end, I ended up sharing with a visibly displeased Alicia.
'Don't even think about bothering me.'
I had no such intention. Do as you please. It's not like you'd listen even if I tried to stop you, and there's no harm in you learning firsthand that nothing in life comes easy.
That was last night's affair.
I woke at dawn, washed up, changed into the clothes provided beforehand, and got ready. It had been a while since I'd worn this type of outfit. Though the design differed slightly, the knee-length black dress with a white apron was enough to evoke old memories.
Absentmindedly fiddling with the hem of my apron, I turned around—and sure enough, Alicia was still fast asleep. So much for her earlier fuss about needing separate quarters.
"Get up and get ready. We'll need to head out soon."
"Mmmph. Just five more—"
"Now."
When I shook her shoulder, the lump buried in the sheets squirmed away from me. Another shake elicited whining before the sheets were thrown back. Soon after, a bleary-eyed Alicia rubbed her eyes and sat up—only to scowl fiercely when she saw me.
"You scared me! That ugly face of yours gave me a fright!"
"How fortunate. Now get ready."
I replied nonchalantly and turned away. As Alicia grumbled about why I'd cut my bangs or how seeing my face first thing ruined her morning, I warned that I'd leave without her if she kept it up. Only then did she finally begin sluggishly preparing.
Though her preparations took so long I ended up leaving first.
Descending to the Central Hall, I found the servants lined up in rows—our fellow arrivals from yesterday. Before them stood the elderly woman I'd seen previously, along with five younger male and female servants.
The elderly woman introduced herself as "Audrey." As I'd guessed, she was the head manager overseeing all female servants. She directed the proceedings with practiced ease.
"Step forward one by one."
At her words, those at the front began taking turns standing opposite Audrey and the servants. Brief greetings were exchanged, identities verified, and work areas assigned, it seemed.
I'd heard that upper-class servants usually came through employment agencies or referrals from other households. That's why hiring always began by verifying recommendation letters—identity had to be confirmed. But those of us who came by carriage had no such letters. From their conversations, I gathered we'd been provisionally hired. Not that I was complaining, of course.
After a while, it was Alicia's turn. Realizing we were together, they called me forward too. Standing before them, I found myself stiffening unconsciously with tension.
"Are you two sisters?"
"Yes. Pleased to meet you."
I pressed my palms together neatly and bowed at the waist. Noticing Alicia standing stiff as a board, I quickly nudged her back. With visible irritation, she forced a bow. Audrey's gaze alternated between the two of us.
"Your names?"
"My name is Ann, and this is my younger sister Alicia."'Ann'was the pseudonym I used. Though I'd employed this alias without hesitation before, for some reason my conscience pricked at me now, leaving my lips parched.
"I see. Ann. And your surname?"
"We don't have one."
"Hmm, I see. Ann and Alicia. You sisters don't look much alike."
Audrey voiced this bland observation while scribbling something on paper. She then proceeded to ask various questions—what work we'd done before, what skills we possessed, and so forth. I recounted my past experiences and mentioned I could read and write, while Alicia, with her limited experience, listed whatever minor tasks she'd recently performed. Throughout our answers, Audrey kept moving her pen.
"Return to your spots and wait for now."
I'd expected her to assign us work areas, so this unexpected instruction took me by surprise. Following orders, we returned to our places. Only then did the tension leave my body as I let out a long exhale.
Alicia leaned toward me and whispered under her breath, "Why were you so nervous?"
"No reason..."
One by one, the remaining candidates had their turn with Audrey. The women who'd received their assigned work areas earlier left with young female servants guiding them, while the men followed male attendants. This left only four of us remaining in the hall—Alicia and myself included. After surveying those of us left, Audrey commanded everyone to follow her.
We lined up and trailed after her, heading in the opposite direction from where the other servants had gone. Along the way, one person was assigned to the kitchen, while the rest of us continued following her up the stairs.
Where could we be going? Just as this question formed in my mind, my cheek suddenly stung. Turning my head, I saw one of the men who'd come with us staring—at Alicia, to be precise. His gaze burned intensely.
Again?
I shot Alicia an exasperated look. She had her chin lifted haughtily. Wondering why she was acting like this, I realized she must have noticed the man's attention. Even in this situation, she was swaying her body seductively—an absurd display.
As I walked on with a hollow laugh, the man poked my shoulder repeatedly. When I looked at him, he beamed. " Seeing you like this brings back memories."
"Who... do you know me?"
"What's this? Why pretend you don't recognize me?"
No, who exactly are you? I blinked rapidly. A face with such well-proportioned, pleasant features would be unforgettable, yet...
No one came to mind. I scrutinized him thoroughly, but it was a face I'd never seen before. My silence made the man's expression fall. I remained quiet, genuinely clueless about his identity.
Just as the man, who'd stayed silent for a while, took a step closer to me and opened his mouth to speak—
BANG!
A loud noise suddenly erupted from afar. Our heads snapped toward the sound. A door at the end of the hallway had been flung wide open. Immediately after, someone came tumbling out from inside. As we drew closer, we saw a young man sprawled face-down on the floor—but his state was... unusual.
That is to say...
"Goodness!"
Alicia covered her eyes with her hands—then peeked through slightly parted fingers. The gesture was pointless.
I didn't even consider shielding my eyes, instead staring wide-eyed at the scene before me.
Why is he naked?
Though flustered, my eyes rapidly scanned the man's nude form. Completely nude. His yellowish skin was fully exposed before us.
The suddenly-appearing naked man tried frantically to rise but tripped over his own clothes and fell again. His flailing was almost pitiful.
We stopped in front of him. Only then did he notice our presence and panic. Scrambling up again, he hastily pulled on the clothes he'd been clutching. From his attire, he seemed to be a footman. But why would a footman be in this state? I stole a glance at the back of Audrey's head. With her face turned away, I couldn't gauge her reaction.
The man, who had hastily dressed the important parts, bowed deeply to Audrey. Then he turned away. His retreating figure looked exactly like someone fleeing. Even as he walked away, his still-unfastened pants slipped down. The man grabbed at his waistband and staggered off.
While the three of us were still staring in that direction, Audrey was the first to step into the room. A beat later, I snapped out of my daze and followed her inside. Alicia and the man trailed behind me.
The room was in complete disarray.
Naked bodies were tangled together on the bed. And they were all men. Two men lay sprawled across the bed, while another lay limply beneath it. A thin sheet barely covered their private parts.
Perhaps sensing unfamiliar presences, one of the men on the bed turned to look at us. But instead of showing surprise, he casually yawned. The other two didn't even glance our way. Even in such a state, they showed no intention of moving.
While we stood frozen in shock at this outrageous scene, Audrey spoke calmly.
"Lady Joelli. It's morning."
A brief silence followed.
Soon, a rounded shape rose from between the two men on the bed. As the sheet slid down, it revealed a young woman with voluminous golden hair.
Beautiful, gorgeous—and also completely naked.
"Eeek!"
This time the reaction was more extreme. I turned to Alicia wondering why she was making noise again, but her expression was perfectly composed. When I looked the other way, the male servant had both hands covering his face. Not satisfied with that, he even turned his back. His exposed earlobes were bright red.
"My, how adorable."
The golden-haired woman laughed mischievously.
"Who are they?"
"New servants for your household."
"How cute. What's your name?"
But the "adorable servant" didn't seem capable of answering. Having seen her nakedness, he looked utterly at a loss.
As the woman moved, the sheet slipped even lower. Despite her fully exposed nudity, she showed not a trace of embarrassment.
When the woman sat at the edge of the bed, one of the men beside her rose and draped the sheet over her shoulders. She crossed her legs and smiled gratefully.
"And who are these others?"
"These three will be attending to you from now on."
Only then did I understand why Audrey had brought us here.
"Hmm. What happened to the last ones?"
"We dismissed them."
"Oh dear. What a shame."
A smooth hand brushed her voluminous golden hair behind an ear. Despite her words, her impassive face showed no hint of regret. Rather, her slightly lowered then raised eyes glittered. Without realizing it, I found myself staring at those eyes, which then curved mischievously.
"Fine. I want to wash up now, so everyone out."
At her words, the men who hadn't moved until now all rose simultaneously. Standing naked, they picked up clothes from the floor and dressed. Their practiced movements looked habitual. After hastily covering the essentials, they strode confidently from the room.
My gaze followed them out before returning to the room. Unlike our shocked group, Audrey didn't so much as twitch—clearly accustomed to such situations. Is everyone here like this? Come to think of it, Isabella was the same. Maybe all the senior female servants have nerves of steel.