The Count’s Secret Maid - Chapter 4

Isabella approached the window and pulled the curtains, allowing a ray of light to illuminate the room. When she opened the window, cool air rushed in, and only then did Paula could breathe.

Opposite the window, there was a bed placed in a corner where the light could not reach. And on top of that, the sheet was crumbled into a circle. She saw an arm sticking out of it and realized it was a person.

Isabella walked closer to the bed. Sheet twitched, and the figure glided back. Yes, there was no room to escape.

“Are you awake, Master?”

“…Get out.”

A murky voice mixed with anger came out. Isabella politely put her hands together and said.

“I will bring you dinner. I prepared something easy to eat, so please eat it all, keeping your health in mind.”

“Get out!”

The round body moved quickly and threw the vase on the side table. As Isabella turned her head slightly, the vase that had brushed right next to her crashed into the floor and shattered.

Paula opened her mouth to the startling situation, but Isabella was indifferent to it.

“I’ll bring you a new vase.”

“I do not need. Do not come.”

“And I brought the child, who will serve the master in the future.”

Isabella glanced at Paula. She stood by the door until then. Isabella captured the astonished expression on the girl’s face, and stood next to her.

The person on the bed up close was bigger than she had thought. And he was a grown man. Even though his face was completely covered, she could guess from the voice she had heard a while ago and the shape she had seen at first glance.

“Nice to meet you, master.”

“This child will serve the master in the future. If you need anything, please tell this child, and she will prepare it right away.”

“I look forward to your kind cooperation.”

Paula put her hands on her stomach and bent over. But there was only one answer.

“Get out.”

Besides, it came back even tougher.

She glanced up at Isabella. Her shoulders shook as she shuddered. Isabella went on regardless.

“I’ll bring dinner.”

Isabella turned to the door. She was the same as when she came here, with no change in her gait. It was the moment when Paula tried to quickly turn after her, secretly admiring Isabella’s nonchalant appearance even though her heart was pounding in shock.

Suddenly, the movement of his fingertips could be felt, and this time, he fumbled for the knife that was lying on a plate, on the side table.

“If you get it wrong, you’ll hurt yourself!”

She was about to grab the hand. But maybe she ran out in a hurry and didn’t even look down.

Her body slipped on the sheet that was hanging on the floor. Her vision turned upside down.

‘Huh?!’

It looked like a hand stirring in the air grabbed something.

Something hit her as she fell backwards. Even before she felt the pain of hitting the back of her head on the floor, a heavy weight weighed on her chest.

She stuck out her tongue and shut her eyes close.

“Master!”

At Isabella’s urgent voice, Paula realized that it was the master, Vincent, who had attacked her.

She opened her eyes in surprise. She could see a face right in front of her nose.

Dark eyebrows, emerald eyes underneath them, sharp nose, rough, thick lips, and a handsome face that you can look back on once while passing by. She could not help but stutter.

But it was a little weird. Vincent, who seemed as surprised as she was, suddenly looked around on both sides. Emerald eyes faced a distant place.

No, when she looked closely, the colour of his eyes was a little strange. Slightly empty.

His hands approached her face. When the tip of his long finger touched the hair covering her face, she was startled and pushed him back. Only then did she realize what she had done.

As she quickly looked at Vincent, he fell back and began to feel for the floor this time, and it was quite an urgent touch.

Sensing the strangeness, Isabella helped Vincent as Paula narrowed her eyes. Vincent’s hand grabbed Isabella, who hastily raised him. Then he stretched himself with hesitation. Even then, his face moved around, looking for something.

“Eyes…”

Like a blind person.

His face, which had been turning fast, stopped suddenly. Isabella gave Paula a fierce look. Only then did she realize she had made a slip of the tongue.

Bewildered, before she could say anything, Vincent’s face turned grim. Soon after, he let out a loud roar and started tossing things at her as soon as he caught them in his hands.

Crash! 

Bang! Bang! 

Paula was helpless against the indiscriminate attacks. She tried to stop the attack with her arms raised, but it was useless. Isabella, who came to her side before she knew it, grabbed her forearm and made her stand up. As if familiar with this situation, Isabella didn’t even show a sign of surprise, and Paula followed her, terrified of the situation.

It was not until Isabella came out of the room and closed the door that the uproar stopped. Paula grabbed her beating chest. The heart, which was not often surprised, was now beating fast.

“He is very sensitive. Be careful going forward. Especially watch your mouth.”

“…Y-yes.”

Isabella turned away without saying a word to Paula. Paula sighed as she watched her walk away from her. She had a hunch that her future life would not be smooth.

And that day, Paula ended her day with the meal Vincent had turned over. Her room was right next to Vincent’s. Usually, the room of the user and the owner are on different floors, but she had to stay in the room next to his to attend to his calls.

D*mn it.

Still, for the first time in her life, she fell asleep in a soft bed with a clean blanket. Paula woke up because of a strange noise in the middle, but it was a satisfactory sleep anyway.

The next day, she was dressed up, brought in his breakfast, and was hit in the face by a pillow.

* * *

Vincent Bellunita.

He’s the master I’m going to serve.

He is the only child of the prestigious Countess of Belunita, who has attracted people’s attention for his fine appearance since childhood and has been recognized for his extraordinary skills in many ways. Besides, the Count couple was also good, so they were a happy and harmonious family that anyone would envy.

Then, the couple died in an accident, and Vincent Bellunita, who was left alone, took over the family at a young age. There was a lot of talk in the world that he was too young to be in charge of the family, but contrary to concerns, Vincent led the family brilliantly. Thanks to this, the prestige and power of the family increased day by day.

A happy time until…

One day a tragedy struck him.

It was a party hosted by the royal family. The party, which had been running smoothly, was thrown into chaos when a man grabbed a knife and rushed at him. The man was Bellunita’s servant. Fortunately, there was an escort by Vincent’s side, and the wounds were only minor, but the strange medicine sprayed on his eyes by the assassin became a problem.

At first, it was said that his eyes felt a little stingy. Then, his eyes gradually became blurry, and he couldn’t distinguish the shapes. And at some point, the light disappeared, and darkness came in.

From then on, Vincent Bellunita was confined to a room, and the story up to now was that. It was said that Count Vincent Bellunita was recuperating after being injured at the party.

There were rumours that Vincent was involved in this case because the assassin was a member of the Bellunita family, but it soon ended as a rumour. It was because it was soon discovered that the assassin was only dressed as a servant of the Bellunita family and was not actually a servant. However, the identity and purpose of the assassin were never known.

Eventually, Vincent went blind, and the fact was a secret that even the occupants of the mansion did not know except for a few key aides. That’s why Paula has to attend to him alone, in secret.

Confidentiality.

That was one of the conditions Paula had to keep in order to work as a servant here.

Never reveal anything you’ve been through here.

It also meant tacit consent to what would be received if she spoke.

It didn’t matter one way or the other. Paula just thought she should do well. But she realized that serving Vincent was quite, very, very difficult than she thought.

“Take it all out!”

Wow, and that’s how the twelfth plate died like that way.

Paula sighed secretly as she watched the magnificently broken piece of the dish. As soon as she bent her knees and removed the glass pieces, glasses and utensils rolled around on the floor this time.

“Get out!”

Well, there was no other cat in this room with whom the cat, who was mad and wrapped in a sheet, would argue.

It was also the cat, who looked at the girl as if to train her.

There were street cats in front of Mark’s bakery, too. Among them, there was a cat that became thinner every time Paula saw it, and she felt sorry for him, so she used to secretly open the bread for him. The cat, on guard at first, slowly approached her one day, ate the bread, and later rubbed his face against her hand.

But he was too big and a grown-up to treat like a cat.

Paula gathered the broken pieces and utensils, put them on the tray, and looked at Vincent.

“I’ll bring it back.”

“I don’t need it. Get lost.”

“If there is anything you would like to eat, please tell me. I will ask the chef.”

“As long as I don’t have you here.”

“Then I’ll leave this in your room.”

“I don’t need it!”

Vincent said in a roar. Paula glanced him up and down without a response. His hair was randomly tangled, and his clothes stretched out and looked dirty with something on them. The sheet he sat on turned slightly yellow when she changed it.

“I need to change the sheets, too. Clothes, too. I think it would be better to take a quick bath. I will prepare bath water.”

“Get out! Get out!”

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! 

A loud shout rang out.

It was almost ringing in her ears. Shouting like that every day would give you a sore throat. Nevertheless, the poison did not die down. And rather, it seemed that the poison was only increasing day by day.

Paula suppressed her soaring emotions several times a day.

She had been living a comfortable life here.

She couldn’t believe she was already so tired.

She shook her head and caught her breath.

She was used to the foul temper of the upper class. No, it was not just the upper class, and that was how most of the people who hired her were. She had suffered all kinds of scorn and insults for being poor and a woman. The family of the demon cub was no different.

I survived them all. Don’t ignore me because I’m poor!

“I’ll bring it back. Please wait.”

And Paula left the room without looking back.

As soon as the door closed, she heard something bumping. She sighed deeply, thinking of the object that was supposed to be a pillow. She pressed her feet against the floor for no reason.