The Count’s Secret Maid - Chapter 13

“Isabella is still pretty. There is no change.”

 

“Sir Ethan, you’ve become more manly since the last time I met you.”

 

“Ah, you don’t have to flatter me. I’ve just grown old.”

 

Ethan rubbed his chin and sat down on the sofa. Isabella winked at Paula. She stood there with a plate and quickly set the drink in front of him.

 

“Thank you.”

 

He smiled kindly at something that was not a big deal. At first glance, it was very strange that a man who appeared to be of high status in luxurious clothes was kind to her, who was only a maid.

 

“Vincent’s condition has gotten a lot worse since the last time I saw him. It wasn’t that bad the last time I saw him. How long has he been stuck in that room?”

 

“It’s been about half a year.”

 

“Half a year… okay.”

 

Ethan smiled bitterly.

 

There was worry in his smile.

 

Evidently, Ethan was aware of Vincent’s condition.

 

That he is blind.

 

If he knew where Vincent was hiding, which even the servants did not know, they had a very deep relationship.

 

“I am friends with Vincent. A very close friend.”

 

Ethan kindly added an explanation as Paula had been staring at him without realizing it. She immediately lowered her gaze and bowed her head.

 

“Sorry.”

 

“Haha, you don’t have to apologise. I heard you are new.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Well, it feels different from the maid I saw before…”

 

He looked at Paula as if he was examining her.

 

She was so tense that her body stiffened.

 

Fortunately, the topic quickly changed.

 

“Is Vincent still alone in the room?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Now the situation… The situation from just before is telling. I heard the news. Even after I left, a few more bad things happened. I was away for a while due to business issues, but I am complacent.”

 

“Sir Ethan did his best.”

 

Ethan smiled bitterly as he touched the teacup.

 

“Isabella. I chose family over friends. It is true. It was bad timing, but it’s an excuse, after all. I came to the conclusion that Vincent would do well on his own and left. But I never wanted Vincent to be like that…”

 

“Ethan.”

 

“I’ve never seen Vincent like that before. When Count Bellunita and the Countess died in an accident, his condition didn’t look this bad.”

 

Ethan’s face darkened.

 

What was in his expression was worry and sadness for a friend.

 

It looked very strange to Paula’s eyes.

 

How he felt the sorrow of others as if it were his own.

 

‘Is that what being friends is like?’

 

‘What? You pretended to be the only one in the world, and you were scared. You had such a good friend.’

 

Paula was a little surprised that her crappy master had such a friend.

 

“Isabella, I must see Vincent’s face this time. If I go back like this, I think I will have trouble sleeping every night.”

 

“I will prepare a room for you to stay in.”

 

Isabella looked at Paula.

 

Paula nodded and left the drawing room.

 

“Do you like it?”

 

“Just about.”

 

Vincent sighed and put it in his mouth. The nobleman’s unique elegance was felt in the way he chewed slowly without making a sound.

 

Recently, Vincent started eating his own meals. It was a really surprising change. The day after that nightmarish night, as usual, she held the spoon in her hand as a courtesy, and he slowly began to eat the rice. Paula was appalled to see it.

 

“Wow, what’s up? Feed in moderation.”

 

“You squeeze your Adam’s apple to the point of crushing it. Are you not tired and exhausted? If you eat like this, I feel like you are going to choke up and die someday.”

 

“You’re really good at joking.”

 

“I’m not joking.”

 

Well, not to that extent. Paula was grumbling inside, but she couldn’t help but be moved by the scene of him eating rice. It felt similar to when she tamed a street cat coming in front of Uncle Mark’s bakery.

 

“Are you sick somewhere?”

 

“Shut your mouth before I throw it away.”

 

Though one’s temper remains the same.

 

Still, it was true that it was a thrilling change. However, the amount of food he ate was disappointing. Paula carefully suggested while looking at the rice bowl that was not even half empty,

 

“How about a little more?”

 

“I’m full.”

 

“Just a little more.”

 

“I’m full.”

 

Vincent frowned. Paula licked her lips with regret and took the bowl.

 

“You need to take your medicine, Master.”

 

He calmly took the medicine bowl when she pulled and placed it into the palm of his hand.

 

She looked at him with delight. When he emptied the bowl, she took out something round from her pocket. After peeling off the wrapper of a piece of candy, she put it in his mouth.

 

“What?”

 

“It’s candy. You always say it’s bitter, so I brought some because I thought it would be good to wash your mouth after taking medicine.”

 

“Am I a child?”

 

‘To me, only the body has grown up, but the inside is still a child.’

 

Still, Paula didn’t say these words…

 

“What happened to him?”

 

“Who are you talking about?”

 

“The one who came in the morning.”

 

“Ah, Ethan Christopher said he would stay here for a few days. He said he would like to see the master’s face.”

 

Then Vincent closed his eyes tightly. It was a face that had witnessed hell. Besides, he sighed infrequently and was even rubbing his face with both of his hands. Seeing him like that reminded Paula of the man from before. He seemed genuinely concerned about Ethan, but she couldn’t understand why he hated him so much.

 

“Would you like to meet him?”

 

“Don’t. Never let him into the room.”

 

Vincent shooked his hand and laid down on the bed. Looking at him like that, Paula brought up what she had been thinking for a long time.

 

“Master, you need to wash up.”

 

“…”

 

But he turned away without answering. He seemed completely unwilling to wash up as he crouched against the wall. She glanced away at his back and sneaked up on him, poking his nose. Then he frowned.

 

She grabbed his arm and put it around her shoulder, helping him get out of bed. Vincent, who was dragged down by a whim, soon twisted his body. Until a few days ago, he screamed and got angry, but this time he asked in a voice that had given up.

 

“What are you doing.”

 

“You smell.”

 

She squeezed his arm. She couldn’t let go this time. It was the smell she had smelled from the first time she entered the room. It was unfamiliar at first, and she had ignored it in a hurry to please him, and then she got used to it. At least she brought a wet towel and wiped the exposed places like his face, neck, and hands, but it was no good. Even today, the stench emanating from him made her head hurt.

 

“When did you last wash up? The stench stings my nose. If you can’t see, why don’t you wash up with the help of a servant?”

 

“Stop talking nonsense, get your hands off me.”

 

“Only if you wash up.”

 

As soon as she entered the room, she went to the bathroom and filled the bathtub with water. She was definitely going to wash him today. Vincent flapped his arm that was around her shoulder, but it wasn’t difficult to subdue the weak man. She grabbed his arm that was around her shoulder and put her other hand behind his back, grabbing him by the waist and leading him into the bathroom. As though she was a horse who was leading, he was almost being dragged along like a carriage. Even the moment he entered the bathroom and headed for the bathtub, he continued stubbornly resisting.

 

When he reached the bathtub, she led his hand and made him touch the bathtub. He stumbled over the bathtub and grabbed it tightly. Surprised, she grabbed his wrist and refused to let go.

 

He tried to get himself out of the bathtub, and a power struggle ensued where she tried to hold on. The power struggle that continued for a while ended when she lost her balance. Instead, with one arm still around his shoulder, she fell forward as well.

 

With a plop!

 

She sat down on the bathroom floor with a sound. When she turned around in surprise, Vincent was stuck in the bathtub. Drenched, she made a surprised face, then shivered. With anger.

 

“…Are you okay?”

 

“Yo-you…”

 

Seeing him unable to speak, she was also speechless. Grabbing her arm, he slashed it fiercely. Then, he tried to stand up on the bathtub himself. However, because of the water, he couldn’t get up and fell into the bathtub. Each time the water surged and drenched her. She didn’t think he needed a bath anymore.

 

“…”

 

Suddenly his movements stopped. It was at that time that she was watching him with nervousness without knowing it. Suddenly there was the sound of the door opening. Soon there were footsteps, and Isabella entered the bathroom. She stopped when she saw Paula and Vincent in the bathtub.

 

Her face showed that she was a little surprised, but she was also calm.

 

“I think you’d better take off your clothes next time.”

 

“…”

 

“I have something to tell you. I’ll take care of the rest.”

 

Then she looked at Paula. Paula bent her back and quickly turned around. She took the laundry she had collected and left the room.

 

She lived!

 

“I heard that Sir Ethan came?”

 

Renica, who came to pick up the laundry, asked. As they saw each other once a day, they had a simple conversation. Paula answered, looking around at the things she had brought,

 

“Do you know him?”

 

“He is the Master’s friend. He is also the second son of the Christopher family.”

 

“He must be a famous person.”

 

“He’s famous. They are a high-ranking family compared to us servants, but he is good.”

 

Renica put her hand in front of her own face and fanned it up and down.

 

Was he handsome? Well, he turned out to be gorgeous.

 

And she saw that he was polite to servants like her.

 

“He seemed kind.”

 

“Yes, he is kind. Why do people like us often get ignored by our superiors? But Sir Ethan? He never ignores us and treats us kindly. That’s why he is known as a very good person among female servants.”

 

“Okay…”

 

“I have only seen him from afar. Wouldn’t it be great if you could get close to such a person at least once?”

 

Renica chuckled, cupping her cheeks with both hands. She imagined Ethan talking to her, her face flushed with ecstasy.

 

“Ethan Christopher is in the guest room in the annex. If you want to see him, can’t you go and see him later? You can even casually say hello.”

 

“Ah, no. We cannot enter the annex.”

 

Renica waved her hand, telling her not to say such scary things.

 

Paula widened her eyes.

***