The Count’s Secret Maid - Chapter 35

The Count’s Circumstances (4)

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Huge thanks to rmhrpr for the kofis! (2/2)

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“How was he?”

“What do you mean?”

“James Christopher. How was he?”

“Well, I only saw him from a distance, so it was hard to tell. But he seemed uncomfortable that he couldn’t meet you. He asked for you to be summoned here.”

His snake-like eyes searched for prey. The memory of the man Paula saw a while ago sent shivers down her spine.

In this world, there were various types of people, and Paula, too, had encountered many different individuals since she was young. To her eyes, that man exuded a sense of danger. If a person could eat another person, that man should not even be brushed by his collar.

“He seemed intimidating. The atmosphere around him was unsettling.”

“That’s right. So, don’t get too close to him. Be cautious not to meet him alone. If you happen to encounter him, don’t lift your head, don’t meet his gaze, and don’t speak to him.”

“Do you think I’ll have such an encounter?”

“Everyone has the possibility of encountering ‘if.’ Since you’re with me, it’s not entirely impossible.”

“Why did you have dealings with such a person?”

“In everything, there are exceptions.”

He let out a sigh or perhaps a lamenting remark. Paula lowered her shoulder to provide a place for him to lean on, sensing his mood. He tossed and turned.

“You mentioned that you and Sir Christopher are old friends. Then you must have seen that man often too.”

“Not often, just occasionally. He always seemed busy. But back then, he was a bit gruff, yet responsible and someone we could look up to. He even played with the young us. But James changed when Count Christopher passed away.”

“Count Christopher?”

“Ethan’s father. It was a murder case.”

‘Oh, my goodness.’ 

Paula recalled the cheerful and lively Ethan. There was no sign of such depth in his demeanour. At the same time, she thought of his younger brother, Lucas. He definitely seemed to carry a heaviness. He smiled, but there was a lack of energy in him.

“What about the culprit? Was he caught?”

“We could only speculate that it was an external intruder, but we couldn’t catch them. At the time, a servant nearby was suspected of being the culprit, but there wasn’t enough evidence, so the case remained unsolved. And after that, the Christopher family was succeeded by James. He is now Count Christopher.”

Was it because of his familiarity with giving orders? His attitude felt oppressive. As Paula recalled his demeanour, she felt a shiver and absentmindedly rubbed her arm.

“After taking over the family, he changed completely, as if he wasn’t the person I knew. He became ruthless, using any means necessary to achieve his goals. He didn’t hesitate to manipulate or kill people, to the extent that he would even slaughter his own flesh and blood if necessary. Yes… he became a different person.”

“Really? Can someone change to that extent?”

“That might be his true nature.”

Nobody truly knows what lies within a person. As he said this, Vincent hunched his body. Since it was still chilly outside, Paula moved even closer to him. Their bodies touched, and warmth passed between them. But the parts that didn’t touch remained cold.

“So, if you happen to meet James, run away. Don’t look back. Just run. Don’t turn around, even if someone tries to catch you. It’s for your own safety.”

“And what about you, master?”

“I… I’m running as far as I can right now.”

“For how long?”

When Paula asked, he remained silent for a moment. Perhaps he was contemplating. However, his closed eyes didn’t reveal any thoughts. Despite appearing serene on the outside, could there be turmoil within him?

Then, the most fundamental question arose in Paula’s mind.

“Why did he hurt your eyes?”

“…”

After a moment, Vincent opened his eyes. The weight of his body, which had pressed against Paula heavily, eased as he stared into empty space. Paula worried that she might have made him uncomfortable with her presence.

However, that wasn’t the case. The wind blew, causing the hat to tilt backwards, revealing his golden hair dancing in the breeze. He remained motionless, his gaze seemingly chasing after the past.

“As I said before, some secrets should be kept as secrets. If you try to violate and pry into them, it will eventually bring trouble. Right and wrong don’t matter much; it’s a question of whether you can handle the consequences.”

“…”

“It wasn’t me that James was after.”

The roaring wind carried his voice, but another gust of wind swept it away. Secrets were buried, and silence engulfed the surrounding air.

Paula couldn’t breathe.

‘Secrets should be buried as secrets. Yet, he confided a part of that secret to me.’

“I’m not the one who needs to put an end to it.”

He pushed his hat back down as if hiding himself. Then, he leaned against my shoulder again and reached his hand behind him, shaking the iron gate. He heard the creaking sound, and closed his eyes.

Now, only the sound of the wind echoed around them. Paula mulled over his words in her mind. Surprisingly, even after erasing them, they resurfaced again, making her contemplate them carefully.

‘Then, who was that man aiming for?’

***

To my eyes, it was simply a large and beautiful place. The surrounding forest, the garden inside it, the majestic mansions, the elaborately decorated interior of the mansion, the furniture, decorations, and even a single picture frame on the wall. All these elements were so stunning that they could blind you. Paula didn’t come here to dream, but being in this place made her feel like she was in a dream.

It was a place of sweet dreams. However, beneath the glamorous facade, there was darkness hidden. The moment you touched something, you would be engulfed by a sticky and suffocating darkness.

‘Then, think about it. This place might not be suitable for empty dreams.’

Wouldn’t you be happy if you had a lot of money? Wouldn’t having many possessions make you glad? Such thoughts might be too superficial.

After the sunset, they came out to the forest as darkness swallowed the surroundings. Just in case, they used the back door, and Isabella greeted them. Seeing that she remained silent, it seemed that the man had left.

After that, nothing unusual happened. It was the usual routine of following his orders. The momentary disturbance quickly settled, and Paula’s mind remained at peace.

[Looking up at the sky makes me want to leave. To a faraway place where no one knows me.]

As always, Paula read the letter with golden letters. However, beneath the flashy colours, she sensed a hint of sadness. She wondered what might be troubling the person. As he looked up in puzzlement, Isabella handed her the next letter. Written on the envelope was “To Paula,” sent by Violet.

[I am sending you a letter to talk with Paula alone.]

Below that, she mentioned that she had ordered a new dress but was unsure how to handle the lace at the end, as it looked tacky. The letter continued with a few more lines of dissatisfaction about the dress and ended with updates on her daily life.

Paula also picked up a pen and wrote a response letter to Violet. Compared to her, her daily life seemed mundane and unremarkable, but she managed to fill the whole sheet of paper. After putting it in the envelope, she was about to lift the golden letter, but Isabella stopped her.

“There’s no need to write a response to that letter anymore.”

“Oh.”

Isabella took the letter and threw it into the fireplace. The letter quickly burned away. At first, Paula thought it was an unusual way to handle it, but then she remembered that she had discovered the first golden letter in the fireplace too. When Paula asked Isabella later, she said she didn’t keep those letters separately; she would simply throw them into the fireplace to burn. Perhaps leaving any trace was not allowed.

Still, it was a bit disappointing. They had exchanged letters quite a few times. At first, Paula was unsure how to respond, but as she got used to it, it became quite enjoyable. She looked forward to receiving the golden letters and felt curious and excited about what would be written inside. It was even enough to make her think about writing a reply whenever something good happened to her.

Even though it was just a few lines, the person put great care into it. Perhaps because of that, politeness and courtesy could be sensed even in those short letters. At one point, Paula even tried to guess who the person might be among Vincent’s acquaintances. Although she didn’t achieve much success.

Paula couldn’t take my eyes off the golden letter that was burning and turning to ashes for a while. To overcome that regret, she decided to start exchanging letters with a new recipient.

And so, one day, even in her ordinary life, she began to grow accustomed to it.

Late at night, when even the moon was obscured by clouds, and the only sound echoing inside the mansion was the rain that had been pouring since the afternoon, suddenly, an urgent knocking sound reverberated. Paula rubbed her sleepy eyes and felt her way across the side table to find the lamp. Since the oil had run out, she lit a candle in its place and carried a candlestick as she stepped out of the room. It seemed Vincent had also heard the noise and was coming out of his room just in time.

“I’ll go and check. Please go back to sleep.”

“I’ll go with you.”

“It’s alright. Please go back.”

“I’m already wide awake.”

Rarely insistent, Paula went downstairs with him. As they opened the door, a man stood completely soaked in rain. When she saw his face, Paula’s drowsiness vanished in an instant.

“Sir Lucas?”

What was that look like in the middle of the night?

Paula looked him up and down in astonishment, and Lucas mumbled something, but his words were barely audible amidst the sound of rain.

“Yes?”

As Paula asked, taking a step closer, he raised his head.

At that moment, lightning flashed, revealing a face that appeared anxious, and then it disappeared amidst the following thunderclap. After a couple more lightning strikes, the brief glimpse of his pale face was noticeable enough.

“Sir Lucas?”

“Vincent… I’m here to see my brother.”

Paula immediately turned around. Just below the stairs, Vincent was holding onto the railing. Lucas’s gaze met Vincent’s.

“Brother.”

“Come in.”

As Vincent turned and started to ascend the stairs, Lucas followed behind. Wherever Lucas passed, drops of water created a path. Paula quickly closed the door and followed after them.

As they entered Vincent’s room, Paula immediately fetched some towels from the bathroom and handed them to Lucas. Gratefully, Lucas wiped his face.

After that, the two of them didn’t say a word. Even though Lucas seemed to have a lot to say, he held back, and Vincent waited for him.

In the heavy silence, Vincent took Paula’s hand.

“Go back to your room.”

“But…”

“It’s okay, just go.”

Paula glanced at Lucas briefly.

Could Vincent be left alone with that man?

But when Vincent shook her hand again, Paula reluctantly returned to her room. Instead, she lay down, pressing her ear against the wall as much as possible, and closed her eyes. With the wall between them, Vincent’s bed and hers were close enough that she could hear faint sounds if she concentrated. However, she couldn’t make out any distinct words.

Soon, faint voices began to resonate. Their conversation continued for a long time until the candles had almost completely melted away.

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