Chapter 186………………………………………….
Terrence’s aide, Jack, was also present.
Noticing the grim expression on his master’s face, Jack asked cautiously,
“What should we do, Viscount? We do have a shortage of maids in the mansion, though.”
“Even bring in some random girl without a recommendation letter? The Freihyden name’s reputation is on the line.”
“…Well, Viscount, almost all the servants who brought recommendation letters were dismissed by you.”
“What did you say?”
“Ah, nothing, sir!”
“Do as you wish. Do I have to concern myself with hiring even a single maid? Hey, you.”
“Yes, yes!”
Terrence shot me a sharp glance, and I flinched, clutching the tattered sleeve of my dress.
“Judging by your appearance, whether here or at your previous master’s house, you probably fled in a hurry and didn’t bring a recommendation letter. That’s not my concern. Focus on your assigned duties. Jack will ensure your pay is generous.”
“Yes! I’ll work hard!”
And so, I was hired by the Freihyden Viscount family.
Jack showed me my lodging and the mansion’s various areas, instructing me carefully:
“The Viscount is quite sensitive. Be cautious—more than cautious.”
“I’ll remember.”
“Especially when he complains of headaches, stay away. He can be dangerous then.”
“You mean… he gets sensitive because of headaches?”
“Yes. Though it wasn’t always this bad. That headache… I don’t know what it is.”
Jack cleared his throat a couple of times as if regretting saying too much, then told me to get further instructions from the head maid before disappearing.
Back in my assigned room, I set down the single tattered bag I owned and steeled myself.
“I’m never going back to that house. I can’t get kicked out here either. Stay strong.”
Thus began my life as a maid.
Having lived almost like a servant at the Wallace estate, I adapted well to my duties.
Even the initially cold head maid and Jack soon grew favorable toward my diligence.
Fortunately, until then, I hadn’t had to face the notoriously strict Freihyden Viscount up close.
One day, I took on a task from a servant: simply placing the newspaper delivered to the front door on the Viscount’s desk in his study.
I was nervous about encountering the Viscount but, luckily, he wasn’t in the study.
As I relaxed and prepared to place the newspaper on the desk, one headline caught my eye:
“Rianadro Cassius, Viscount of Cassius, Marries a Young Noblewoman from a Country Estate—Shocking Everyone!”
With trembling hands, I opened the paper.
The article detailed the grand wedding of Viscount Rianadro Cassius, held just yesterday.
“Anything interesting in there?”
A voice behind me suddenly spoke, startling me as I read the article in a mix of curiosity and anxiety.
“I’m sorry, Viscount! I—foolishly read your newspaper without permission. Please don’t fire me! I have nowhere else to go!”
“…How do you see me? I wouldn’t fire someone for reading a newspaper.”
“Well….”
“Or would I? I could fire you if I were in a bad mood. You’re lucky—it’s normal today.”
After glancing at the newspaper in my hands, the Viscount let out a cold, sardonic smile.
“Jealous? The girl who went from a collapsing household to becoming the wife of Viscount Cassius—Agatha Wallace, I believe?”
“….”
“That’s what everyone’s talking about. Her life changed in an instant.”
“Well, people have different values, but I’m not envious. She’s marrying a man she doesn’t love for the sake of her family.”
“…You sound quite certain that Lady Wallace doesn’t love Rianadro Cassius.”
“Ah, no, I meant it’s probably a political marriage, that’s all.”
“Is that so? You seem to have a strong personality.”
“Excuse me?”
“Even as a noble, if I were to marry, it would have to be someone chosen for me. And yet, in front of me, you say political marriages aren’t enviable?”
“…I apologize. That was presumptuous of me.”
“Want to stop work?”
“Eh? No! Please, not that!”
“Just kidding.”
The Viscount chuckled, wearing a mischievous expression.
“Stop shrinking like a guilty child. Makes me want to tease you.”
I muttered softly as I dusted the windowframe. That day, even though a few days had passed, my heart still raced at the memory.
“He didn’t seem like a bad person.”
In the mansion, servants often fell silent at the mere mention of the Freihyden name, their faces pale with fear.
So in my imagination, he had been a terrifying villain. But in reality, he didn’t seem that bad.
The third time I met him further reinforced this thought.
“What are you doing there like a little mouse?”
It was the first words he spoke to me when he found me secretly reading in his study at night.
I closed my eyes tight, expecting to be scolded.
Even though I had to resist my desire for books, the study was filled with rare books I’d longed to read.
Having grown up at the Wallace estate, I was always hungry for knowledge.
The people there had no intention of providing me with anything beyond basic education.
Here, as a mere maid, I could access books I would likely never encounter elsewhere.
“I’m sorry, Viscount! Even if I had ten mouths….”
“You read quite a difficult book, don’t you?”
“Eh?”
“You… When I first saw you, your clothes were shabby, and your manner somewhat subservient, but watching you closely, your behavior is refined.”
My chest sank.
How could he know? Even those who spent time with me assumed I was just a commoner.
“Wh-What do you mean…?”
“Also, the newspaper you were reading had a vocabulary suited for the upper class. The subscribers were mostly nobles.”
He slowly approached, resting his hands on the bookshelf behind me.
With the bookshelf behind me and his arms on both sides, I was trapped with no way to escape.
He studied me silently for a while, then stepped back.
“Doesn’t matter. As I said before, just do your work. Anything beyond that is none of my concern.”
“…So you’re forgiving me?”
“Perhaps. But if you don’t want to be accused of theft and thrown out, it’s better to keep the lights on in the future.”
In the future? Did that mean I could continue reading in the study?
I wanted to ask, but lacked the courage to call after him as he left. I just fiddled with the book in my hands.
The next day, Jack informed the servants that, outside of working hours and before midnight, they could freely use the study.
Most servants feared the Viscount and had no interest in a study without novels, so I ended up the only one using it.
As I read more books, I grew increasingly favorable toward the Viscount.
My heart still fluttered remembering the day he had doubted me, but strangely, it didn’t feel unpleasant.
Another strange thing was that I couldn’t help but keep following the Viscount with my eyes.
Even when cleaning windows, if I saw him walking in the garden, my gaze lingered on him.
Once, thinking I had made eye contact, I hid beneath the window in surprise.
When I looked again, he was calmly continuing his stroll—so it was surely just my imagination.
Time flowed peacefully.
Thanks to the quiet days, I was relieved to have escaped the Wallace estate. But then, one day, something happened.
While collecting laundry with other maids, a loud crash echoed.
Followed by an unidentifiable clanging and a scream.
Listening closely, the sound came from the floor where the Freihyden Viscount lived.
I tried to run to see what happened, but the other maids held me back.
“Stop. You’ll get hurt.”
“It’s begun.”
“Is this the start of hell?”
“It’s been quiet for a while, thankfully.”
When I asked why, they spoke in hushed tones:
“The Viscount’s headaches are chronic, but they intensify periodically. Usually, he’s a fine employer, even able to go on long journeys. But when that time comes, he’s a devil. Nothing survives in the mansion.”
“Some servants have barely escaped being mistaken for spies sent by the empress.”
“Well, there have been actual spies, so I suppose it’s understandable he’s wary. But for us, if he suspects once, it’s over. Be careful.”
I could hardly believe it.
The Freihyden Viscount I had encountered was sharp and mischievous but kind enough to open his study for a mere maid.
Still, I had to heed my colleagues’ warning.
I walked on tiptoe, taking detours whenever he came into view.
But some days, I couldn’t avoid him.
“…Get lost.”
That day, during a meal, the Viscount suddenly suffered a severe headache and snapped at the servants.
One problem arose: shards of a broken glass had embedded themselves in his hand, and blood began to flow.
The wound was deep, and the blood quickly formed a small pool on the floor.
I had to remove the shards before they cut deeper, but the other servants, fearing him, had fled.
Normally, Jack would have handled this, but he was out on other business.
Only the injured Viscount and I remained in the dining room.
I cautiously approached him.
“…I told you to get lost.”
I also wanted to escape, but seeing him bleeding, I couldn’t move.
“I-I’ll carefully remove the shards and stop the bleeding.”
“Can’t you understand ‘get lost’?”
“But Viscount, your hands are important. A mistake could…”
Just as I bent to gently hold his hand, he shouted, his voice sharp as a blade:
“Get lost! I said GET LOST!”
I fell backward onto the floor.
For a moment, memories of Lady Wallace beating young me overlapped with the Viscount’s yelling, and tears sprang to my eyes.
Terrence looked down at me, astonished.
