Chapter 94
The Count's Secret Maid - Chapter 94
Translation: godsn
"You should eat lunch."
"I'll eat later."
"I really think it would be good if you ate when the meal is ready."
"Just leave it anywhere. I'll eat in a little while."
He absolutely didn't look like someone who would eat in a little while. At this rate, he seemed determined to fast until dinner.
After peeling back the sheets and engaging in a few more rounds of tug-of-war with him, I eventually gave up. I had no intention of forcing him awake when he clearly didn't want to. As soon as I let go of the sheet, Ethan swiftly rolled his body back to the opposite side. I shrugged and glanced around the room.
The room was cleaner than I'd expected. Due to Ethan's unplanned stay, Audrey had hurriedly prepared a room for him by gathering the housemaids. They'd removed the dust covers from all the furniture, replaced the curtains and sheets with fresh ones, and given everything another thorough cleaning to hastily prepare for the guest. Ethan had settled into the room without any particular complaints—though being asleep all day probably left him no opportunity to complain.
As I looked around the room, my gaze eventually returned to Ethan. The figure that had fled to the opposite side of the bed to avoid me lay completely still. There was something oddly familiar about this scene... An unexpected fragment of the past surfaced in my mind, making me suddenly chuckle.
"Lord Ethan. You could die sleeping like that."
"......"
"I won't die."
"I know a story about someone who died in their sleep. Would you like to hear it?"
I proceeded to recount in vivid detail the tale of a promising young man who hadn't been seen for several days, prompting the villagers to check his home—only to find him dead, still in the position he'd been sleeping in. Of course, the man had actually died from overwork due to excessive labor, but I conveniently omitted that part.
I'd heard this story from colleagues I'd worked with long ago. There were many rumors about the man's death—some said he'd been so exhausted he could barely breathe, others claimed he'd been staggering when he walked, and some insisted he'd had a chronic illness all along. But no one was particularly surprised by his death. Such deaths were common occurrences back then.
Just as I was about to elaborate further on the dead man's appearance—exactly as I'd heard it described—the round lump on the bed twitched again. Soon after, Ethan's face peeked out, unusually scowling.
"What did you tell me to do?"
"I suggested it would be good if you washed up and had a meal."
I pointed to the lunch I'd placed on the table. Judging by his behavior, it seemed he'd skip lunch again today, so I'd brought the meal separately. Ethan looked at it with a bemused expression before nodding reluctantly.
Smiling brightly, I grabbed the sheet still tightly wrapped around his body and pulled. If I didn't remove it quickly, he might change his mind and burrow back into the sheets.
Then I froze abruptly when I realized the body gradually being revealed was completely naked.
"I'll take a quick wash, so bring me some water."
"Ah, understood."
Struggling to hide my fluster, I headed to the bathroom to fetch washing water. I filled the basin and checked the temperature. It was extremely cold, but I filled it anyway.
When I returned with the wash water, Ethan was sitting on the bed exactly as before, blinking sleepily. His dazed expression suggested he was still trying to shake off his drowsiness.
Placing the basin on the bedside table, I handed him the towel I'd brought along. Still half-asleep, Ethan scooped water and splashed it on his face—then his eyes flew wide open. Watching his shoulders tremble finely, I secretly swallowed a laugh. Served him right for making things difficult for me.
The cold water seemed to have chased away his sleepiness, as Ethan proceeded to finish his meal without further trouble.
"What should I do now?"
"Anything besides sleeping. Like taking a walk."
"I don't really feel like leaving the room......"
Ethan, who had crawled back into bed, grumbled softly while rubbing his face against the pillow. After neatly stacking the empty dishes, I stretched my back.
"Then why don't you read a book?"
"Looking at letters doesn't particularly appeal to me either."
"In that case, lie down on the bed and enjoy the view outside."
Holding the stacked dishes firmly, I turned and stepped out. After taking the empty dishes down to the kitchen, I gathered various cleaning supplies. Today was the day for room cleaning. Since Ethan didn't welcome other servants, I had taken charge of cleaning his room as well. Until now, I hadn't been able to clean properly because he had been sleeping until late at night. So now that Ethan was awake, it was the perfect opportunity.
When I returned to the room, Ethan had collapsed onto the bed again. His unfocused, wide-open eyes suggested he had dozed off and woken up. After giving him a pitying glance, I rolled up my sleeves.
"I'm about to clean, so would you mind stepping aside for just a moment?"
"I'm fine, just go ahead."
"The dust will fly around—it won't be good for your health."
"It's fine."
Ethan rubbed his face against the pillow and shook his head. He showed no intention of leaving. Well, in that case, I saw no reason to press him further and began cleaning.
After opening all the windows, I started by beating the carpet on the floor. After vigorously shaking it out, I folded it neatly to one side, then climbed a small ladder to replace the curtains with fresh ones. Next, I moved to the bed, nudging him aside—he lay there as if nailed down—and changed the bedspread and pillowcases.
I had intended to change the sheets too, but Ethan was currently wrapped up in them. I hesitated, staring at him bundled tightly in the sheets. He gazed blankly back at me. Should I ask him to hand them over? While I pondered, a fleeting look of annoyance crossed his face as he noticed the fresh sheets in my hands. His grip on the sheets tightened with unmistakable resolve. I shrugged and tossed the new sheets onto the bed. Fine, do as you please.
I folded the used bedspread and pillowcases and placed them beside the carpet. Next, I cleaned the fireplace, then took up a broom and swept the floor thoroughly, making sure to reach every corner before mopping it.
As I wiped the now-gleaming floor with satisfaction, I suddenly felt a gaze on my back.
Ethan had clambered onto the bed and was staring at me vacantly. I had assumed he would go back to sleep after a brief look, but instead, he reclined lazily, then sat up again, and now he was blatantly watching me with his chin propped on his hand. And on top of that—
"What are you applying?"
"Polish to make the floor shine."
"Hmm, fascinating."
At some point, he started interrogating me—What's that? What's this? How do you do that?—peppering me with questions. After wiping the window dust and re-laying the carpet to finish the room cleaning, I headed to the bathroom to scrub the tub. By then, he had even dragged a chair over to watch.
Ignoring his gaze as best I could, I rinsed away the soap scum from the tub and stood up. Stretching my stiff limbs, I surveyed the now-tidied room. This should do. The freshly cleaned room looked satisfactorily spotless.
After drying my damp feet with a towel and slipping on my shoes, I smoothed out my wrinkled clothes. One last glance around the room, then I gathered the cleaning tools and the pile of laundry I had set aside. Just then, Ethan, who had been watching me the whole time, spoke up.
"What are you going to do now?"
"I've finished cleaning, so I'll be leaving."
He fell silent for a moment before suddenly sitting up. The sheets draped around him slowly slid down. I turned away, then hesitated—Shouldn't I help him dress?—and started to turn back. But before I could, Ethan grabbed my shoulder and ushered me out of the room.
"Wait just a moment."
"Ah, yes?"
Flustered, I turned around to find the door already closed behind me. I'd been unceremoniously shoved outside. Seriously—first he asks me to attend to him, then kicks me out? Though baffled, I decided to wait quietly.
After a tedious stretch of time, Ethan opened the door and stepped out. But unlike his earlier disheveled state lounging on the bed, he was now impeccably dressed. Even his hair was neatly combed back—utterly flawless.
Ethan handed me the sheet he'd been wrapped in this whole time. As I reflexively accepted it, my eyes swept over him from head to toe.
"Are you going out?"
"No."
Anyone could see he was dressed for an outing. Unless he'd changed his mind and decided to take a stroll instead. Not that it concerned me—I shrugged and turned away.
As I walked down the hallway, footsteps followed close behind. They persisted even as I descended the back staircase toward the basement.
At first, I assumed our paths simply coincided. But when he followed me all the way underground, I realized something was off. Servants climbing the stairs shot furtive glances at Ethan trailing behind me. I halted abruptly and whirled around. Ethan, who'd been peering around curiously, froze mid-step and slowly met my gaze.
"You can't follow me down here."
"Understood."
The compliant reply came instantly. Frowning deeply, I continued downstairs. Whether he truly understood or not, Ethan didn't follow further.
After putting away the cleaning supplies and handing the laundry to the laundress, I made a request.
"I'd like to collect the fresh linens in advance."
"Oh dear, we haven't gathered the dried ones yet."
The flustered laundress asked me to wait momentarily before turning to face two baskets of laundry. Judging by the volume, they'd be difficult for one person to carry. As she lifted one basket and reached for the other, I stepped forward.
"Let me help."
When I moved to take the remaining basket, she hesitated with clear reluctance. I offered a gentle smile and hoisted it up anyway. After some deliberation, the laundress mumbled something about being short-staffed today and accepted my assistance.
Leading the way, the laundress and I ascended the stairs together. I followed her path toward the rear entrance when—
"Are you finished with your tasks now?"
Someone suddenly materialized beside us.
Both the laundress and I startled backward. I clutched my chest. With a stiff turn of my head, I found Ethan standing there.
Why was he still—? Ethan had popped out from the corner leading to the back door. When I didn't see him on the stairs, I'd assumed he'd gone for that walk—had he actually been waiting here the whole time?
"Uh, ah, um?"
The laundress, now face-to-face with Ethan, fidgeted in panic. I shot him a pointed look—what are you still doing here? Ethan, who'd been blankly staring at the woman across from him, seemed to sense my gaze. He turned his head slightly and gave me a knowing smirk.
"Where are you going?"
"To hang the laundry... Didn't you say you were going for a walk?"
"I never said that."
His firm rebuttal left me flustered this time. True, he hadn't actually said that. So he really had been waiting for me? Though absurd, my thoughts shifted when I noticed an approaching servant pause upon spotting Ethan. We needed to leave immediately.
When I asked the frozen laundress where we should go, she began moving hesitantly, as if breaking free from ice. As I followed, Ethan trailed behind again.
What on earth? Suddenly, an unintended procession formed—laundress, me, and Ethan walking in single file. The laundress kept casting nervous glances backward, clearly aware of our aristocratic shadow.