Chapter 75
The Count's Secret Maid - Chapter 75
Translation: godsn
Fortunately, I didn't see Vincent after that day. He didn't stay here and only visited occasionally. Even when he did visit, unless he went out of his way to meet every servant individually, there was no reason for our paths to cross. At most, I'd catch a glimpse of him from afar or brush past him in passing. He didn't remember me, and I certainly didn't do anything foolish like pretending to know him.
The probationary period was three months. After all, once that period ended, I'd have to leave this place. Honestly, it was for the best. Since this wasn't the Stella Count's Estate but the Bellunita Count Family's, I couldn't stay here any longer. This wasn't the main mansion or the annex where I had lived in the past, and there was no butler here to threaten me. Because it felt safe for now, I almost unconsciously began to adapt to this place.
I reminded myself once again why I had fled from here before. I still had no idea what was going on or what any of this meant, but at this point, it didn't matter. I couldn't let myself grow complacent here. When the time came, I would leave. Things might seem fine now, but there was no telling when or where the butler might find me.
There were less than two months left. Alicia would do everything in her power to stay, so when the time came, I could leave alone. This wasn't a place where I could settle down, but it wouldn't be a bad place for Alicia to live out her future. I had no intention of seeking permanent employment, and even if I were offered a position, I planned to make an excuse about not being a good fit for this household and leave.
Whether I wanted it or not, the end would come eventually.
Until then, I needed to save up as much as possible. 'After all, he doesn't need me anymore.' It really was true—my place in this mansion had vanished. I laughed bitterly, brushing off the bitterness. What had I even been expecting? This was for the best.
But of course, life never goes the way you think it will. My encounter with him took an unexpected turn.
"Young Master?"
As usual, I opened the door to attend to Robert, but the room was empty. Today, the nanny had gone out early in the morning, so I was left alone to tend to him, preparing his breakfast and lunch. Then, after briefly stepping down to the kitchen, I returned to find Robert gone.
But I knew exactly where he was.
I found Robert struggling to climb onto the horse-shaped iron statue. I had no idea how he intended to get up there—even I had trouble climbing that iron statue—but then I saw him plant his small feet on the square supports at the base of the statue's legs and leap up in one swift motion. Clearly, this wasn't his first or second time doing this.
"Young Master!"
At my shout, Robert flinched and turned his head. When he spotted me, he looked unusually flustered. At the same time, his awkwardly perched body slipped, and I rushed forward just in time to catch him before he fell. That could have been disastrous.
"D-don't scold me."
"I won't scold you."
I let out a sigh of relief and helped him climb the rest of the way up. Once seated on the statue's back, Robert gripped the horse's neck and eyed me warily. He seemed well aware that what he'd done was "forbidden." Then again, the nanny always panicked and stopped him, so it'd be stranger if he didn't know. Still, he never once mentioned coming back down.
Not that telling him not to do it would work anyway—kids like him only want to do something more when they're told not to. Besides, I'd recently learned that Robert had his own reasons for constantly climbing this statue. Like wanting to be the first to spot someone emerging from the vast forest beyond.
In situations like this, it was better to humor him and coax him down gently.
"Next time you want to come up here, take me with you."
"You won't scold me?"
"No. Let's climb up together."
With some effort, I hauled myself up behind Robert. His round, violet eyes turned to look at me. I held onto the horse's neck with one hand and wrapped the other around Robert's small body. From this height, the scenery outside the window stretched out wide and clear.
Robert's gaze remained fixed beyond the window. Watching his face as he kept searching for something stirred a peculiar feeling in me.
"What do you see?"
"There are trees. And grass."
"You should be able to see flowers too."
"Yeah. There are flowers."
"What color are the flowers?"
"Yellow."
"Are there red or white ones too?"
"Yeah."
His small head nodded. I kept throwing trivial questions at him—how pretty the sky was, what the soil looked like, the shapes of the trees. Robert answered each one dutifully. If nothing else, I hoped these small exchanges might help the boy forget his longing, even if just for a moment.
"Hey, Ugly."
"......"
"Ugly."
"Yes?"
"Do you think Mother is coming?"
I grimaced briefly before quickly smoothing my expression and looking down at Robert. He was still staring out the window, blinking his large eyes vacantly.
"Yes. She'll come."
"Really, really?"
"Do you miss her very much?"
"Yeah. I miss her. This much."
Robert circled his arms wide, as if trying to measure the enormity of his longing. I can wait quietly, he said with a smile. My heart ached for him. I pulled his small body into my arms and patted his back.
"Even though you miss her, you wait so patiently. You're such a good boy."
"I'm good?"
"Yes. Very good."
"Then can I stay up here?"
Robert refused to indulge my sentimentality. His sharpness in pinpointing my intention—to humor him for a while before getting him down—made me click my tongue in exasperation. As I struggled to force a smile and answer, Robert giggled again and turned back to the window.
"Robert."
A sudden call from below made me glance down—and I startled. I had no idea when he'd arrived... Vincent was standing there. His appearance froze me in place, while Robert beamed and cried, "Vincent!"
Vincent's expression darkened.
"I told you it was dangerous."
The anger in his voice made Robert's face fall. He buried his face against me, pretending not to hear. Watching this, Vincent's scowl deepened. When his sharp gaze turned toward me, I quickly averted my eyes to stare at the horse's head. It was embarrassing enough that young Robert was up here, but for me to be caught joining him...
A sigh reached my ears.
"Come down. It's dangerous."
Vincent reached out. I tried to peel Robert away from me, but the boy kicked and struggled, refusing to go down. After much effort, I finally managed to pass him over carefully. Vincent caught his small body and pulled him close—only to immediately knock him lightly on the head.
"Stop climbing up there. If you do it one more time, I'll abandon you."
"That's mean!"
"It's not mean—it's fair."
"Fair?"
"Yes. Because you're mine, I can do as I please."
What fine words to say to a child. I looked down at Vincent, who was threatening Robert, with utter disdain. The way he laid down the law—because you're mine, don't ever climb up again—made him seem like the most pathetic man in the world.
As I shifted to climb down myself, a hand suddenly extended toward me. After setting Robert on the ground, Vincent reached up for me too.
"Hold on."
"Eh?"
"It's too high for you to get down alone."
Flustered, I alternated between staring at his hand and his face. He flicked his fingers once, urging me to take it. Steadying my trembling heart, I slowly clasped his hand.
The warmth enveloping my palm was comforting. It's nothing. He's just helping because it looks difficult for a woman to climb down alone. Basic courtesy any gentleman would offer. Repeating this to myself, I jumped down to the ground.
It really was quite high up. My body felt like it was floating. The sensation of falling into an endless abyss. In that moment of terror, I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut and lost my balance.
But then a soft sensation enveloped me. Instinctively, I grabbed onto something too. When I suddenly opened my eyes, I saw strands of golden hair fluttering against my chest. My legs dangled uselessly in the air.
I'd ended up clutching his head and clinging to him.
"Eek!"
Startled, I let go and immediately swayed backward. He quickly wrapped an arm around my back to steady me. To regain my balance, I had to grab his head again—nearly tearing out his hair in the process. A pained groan rose from below, and I hastily jerked back.
"S-sorry!"
"Stop moving if you understand."
His face was right beneath me. My vision spun dizzily.
"P-put me down!"
"Wait. I'll—"
"Put me down now! Hurry up and put me down!"
I pleaded desperately, thrashing about no less frantically than Robert had earlier. But the more I struggled, the more tightly I pressed against him. When his breath brushed against my nape, I couldn't take it anymore. My heart pounded violently, hammering against my ribs. The world kept spinning until I felt nauseous.
My flailing finally bore results—my body began descending. When my feet were almost touching the ground, I couldn't hold back any longer and jumped down. But in letting go and leaping at the same time, our movements tangled, and I completely lost my balance.
As my panicked body tipped backward, Vincent reached out to catch me—just as my flailing leg kicked straight between his legs.
Thwack! A horrifying sound echoed.
His body immediately folded forward. Meanwhile, I toppled back and slammed the back of my head against the iron statue's torso.
This time, a choked gasp escaped me. Stars exploded across my vision.
It took seeing about twenty stars before my senses returned. Rubbing my throbbing head, I remembered the sensation against my foot and scrambled up. Vincent was kneeling on one knee, hunched over. Robert, who'd witnessed the entire catastrophe, blinked rapidly before crouching beside Vincent to examine him.
"Vincent, does it hurt?"
"......"
Vincent remained silent. His deeply bowed head seemed to speak volumes. My heart pounded for entirely different reasons now.
"M-master?"
"......"
"You're... okay, right? Right?!"
"......"
When he still didn't respond, I took a hesitant step forward. A terrible premonition gripped me. No—surely I hadn't just committed an unspeakable tragedy. Did I just end the Bellunita Count Family's lineage?! As I despaired over this potential calamity, a burst of laughter suddenly erupted.
"Ahahaha!"
Joelli stood at the back—I hadn't even noticed her arrival. Beside her were Alicia, eyes round with shock, and Johnny, wearing a devastated expression. Amid them, only Joelli clutched her stomach, wheezing with laughter.
"You."
Vincent slowly raised his head. His pale face twisted as his blazing eyes locked onto me with terrifying intensity.
"What did you call yourself?"
I gulped dryly at his gritted question. Let me reiterate—I absolutely did not imagine our reunion going like this.
Not at all.