Chapter 72

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 72

Chapter Title: The Count I Met Again (2)

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In the end, I got an earful from the nanny. She scolded me for going outside despite her begging me not to because it was dangerous. I had nothing to say to that. I tried to make an excuse that Lady Joelie had given me permission, but it fell on deaf ears. Meanwhile, Robert was snickering at me from the side. That annoying little brat.

"Go back to your room and rest for today. I'll smooth things over for you."

"B-but."

"And wash your face."

My face? Wondering if something was on it, I touched my cheeks, but nothing came off on my hands. The nanny kept shooing me away with her hands until I practically got chased out.

Only after returning to my room did I check my face. My under-eyes, nose tip, and cheeks were all swollen red—it was obvious I'd been crying. Oh my god.

Robert had been staring right through me. Was it because of this? I'd gotten used to hiding my face with my bangs all this time and hadn't paid it any mind. Then I noticed my shortened bangs. And the ugly face they now revealed underneath.

Had Vincent recognized me? I shook my head. No way. He'd never seen my face even once. How could he recognize someone he'd never laid eyes on? Even if he had seen it, there was no way he'd remember some maid who'd run off five years ago. What a relief. I smiled bitterly at the thought.

I washed my flushed face with cold water and came back to find Alicia sitting on the bed, though I had no idea when she'd slipped in. But something was off about her. She had a dazed look, staring off into space. What was wrong with her?

But I was too tired and drained today to even greet her. I just wanted to sleep, so I lay down on the bed. Then, out of nowhere, Alicia asked,

"Isn't that guy handsome?"

I opened my eyes. Alicia scurried over and plopped down next to me.

"Isn't he handsome?"

"Who?"

"The guy from this morning."

I frowned at her expectant face. The guy from this morning— she meant Vincent. Why Vincent all of a sudden?

Come to think of it, she'd been acting strange ever since she saw him. Staring blankly into space, chuckling to herself for no reason, and now blurting out something like this.

No way.

A bad feeling crept over me. I scowled and sat up. Alicia's big eyes sparkled.

"His name's Vincent. Vincent Bellunita."

"......"

"Vincent... even his name is cool."

A smile spread across Alicia's face as she savored his name. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, just like a girl in love. And in this situation, that was far from a good sign.

"Yeah, probably not."

"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"

"That guy. Joni."

Why bring up Joni out of nowhere? They seemed to be getting along fine lately. I'd seen them chatting amiably quite often, with this weird vibe between them. Of course, most of it was Alicia pretending to be sweet just to boss him around, but still.

Why was she acting like this again?

I gave her a puzzled look, and Alicia crossed her legs, irritably sweeping her hair back.

"Yeah, he's not the one. I can't live like this."

"What are you even saying? And I have something to tell you too. You said you wanted to run away last time, remember? About that..."

"I'm not going."

What?

"What do you mean?"

"I said I'm not going. I'm not running away."

I stared hard at her, wondering if she meant it. Her face showed no sign of lying—steady and calm. No yelling or nagging like usual, which somehow made it even more ominous.

"Last time you said you wanted to run away. You hated it here."

"I did, but I changed my mind just now."

"Why?"

"That guy."

That guy. Her lips curled seductively as she said it. Alicia smiled dreamily, clearly thinking of someone. She twirled the end of her long hair with her index finger and squirmed shyly— something she rarely did.

That guy.

I knew exactly who she meant.

"......Why him?"

"Because I'm going to seduce him."

Her brazen words made me doubt my own ears. Even seeing my shocked reaction, Alicia just haughtily lifted her chin, refusing to take it back. If anything, she seemed even more confident.

"Someone like me isn't so bad, right? Our statuses are a bit apart, but with this beauty and figure, I can overcome that."

"Are you crazy?"

It was a genuine question. I seriously thought Alicia had lost her mind. She hadn't exactly been normal before, but today was especially bad. I stared at her like she was some weirdo. She just gave me a "so what?" look.

"As long as we like each other."

"Like each other?"

"I like him."

What on earth was this nonsense?

I couldn't make sense of anything Alicia was saying.

"Sis. Help me out a little, okay?"

"......"

"Are you even listening?"

"I am. But I have no idea what you're talking about. You just saw the Master—no, that guy—for the first time this morning."

"So what? I knew the moment I saw him—he's my destiny."

"What are you even— Have you ever even talked to him?"

Alicia shook her head at my question.

"Nope."

"Not even a greeting?"

"Not yet."

"And you like him? That doesn't make any sense."

"Why not? We're destined."

"How can it be destiny if only you're into it? He doesn't even know you exist."

"Then we'll get to know each other from now on."

"......"

Her words kept leaving me speechless. It was too absurd. You can't just decide on your own and call it "getting to know each other." Vincent didn't even know Alicia existed. But she looked dead serious about seducing him, brimming with confidence.

"He's the master here. A count! I thought that woman was the lady of the house this whole time and wasted my time flattering her. Who knew there was such a handsome count? And with this kind of wealth... We're perfect for each other."

"Alicia."

"I think coming here was the right choice."

"Alicia."

"Why do you keep calling me?"

Alicia frowned, her smile fading. I was the one who wanted to snap.

"I have something to say too. Before we came here, you said we'd go to the Stella family, remember? But it wasn't."

"Did I?"

"What?"

"Maybe I did. Why get mad about it?"

"Mad? You lied! What if it had been dangerous?!"

"It wasn't, so it's fine."

"Alicia!"

Alicia shrugged like I was being annoying.

"You decided to come along. Don't blame me."

"I thought it was the Stella family!"

"Why? Is there some reason another family wouldn't do? Sure, it might've been risky like you said, but it turned out to be a proper place. So what's the problem?"

"That's......"

The problem is this is the Bellunita family. The problem is Vincent is here. But I couldn't bring myself to say it. If I admitted I'd run away from here before, that I'd once worked here as a servant, I had no idea how Alicia would react.

As I hesitated, Alicia shot me a sharp glare.

"Wait, is this the place you ran away from?"

"......No."

"No? You sure?"

"Yeah, no. Look, what I'm trying to say is, you know what happened before. I got hired as a servant at a count's house, and things went south. It's still not resolved. I'm still being hunted, and I could die any time. But you dragged us to a noble estate where those people might show up, and you even hid the family name change from me. Get what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, I get it. Stop, I don't wanna hear more."

Alicia waved her hands dismissively and moved back to her own bed. I didn't let up, unloading everything. In the end, even she admitted she wasn't sure if it was Stella or another family at first, only finding out recently—but insisted it didn't matter anyway.

I let out a sigh.

"Stop dreaming and let's leave. We're just probationary hires anyway. People without clear status won't last long. Better to find a proper job now."

"No."

"You—!"

"Like I said before, I don't care about your situation. I've decided to stay. Once I seduce the count, who cares if it's probationary or whatever."

Her words drew another deep sigh from me. My head was starting to ache. I pressed my forehead and took a breath. Right, why didn't I see that coming? We'd come here because of Alicia's stubbornness in the first place.

Suddenly starting something she said was too easy to end. But I never dreamed she'd fall for him. I hadn't anticipated this outcome at all.

"If you wanna go, go alone. I won't stop you."

"You don't get nobles. To them, people like us are bugs. Besides, do you even know what kind of person the count here is? His personality... could be really nasty."

"How would you know?"

From experience.

"Just... nobles are usually like that."

"If it's easy, it's no fun."

"You could die."

"What's the difference from our usual lives? Might as well die."

Alicia didn't yield an inch.

Alicia's words were so outlandish they just left me stunned. I couldn't think of anything else to say. Instead, my head throbbed. Once she got stubborn like this, she'd see it through no matter what. So I knew she wasn't bluffing.

Alicia had been raised pampered in a poor family, treated like a princess. She'd never properly gotten her hands dirty with water, never begged by bowing her head.

She threw tantrums like it was her right and acted spoiled, and everyone put up with it. That pretty face won her love and admiration from everyone, even from Father, so she must have felt the special treatment. No wonder she feared nothing.

I could understand her confidence to some extent, since that's how she'd grown up. But it only worked in Pilton. Maybe accepting the lord's son's affections—who liked her—was the fastest way to the life she wanted. But she'd let that slip away. And now she was reaching for something even higher.

How was I supposed to talk her out of that iron will? As I pondered, Alicia wrinkled her nose.

'Don't look at me like that.'

'Like what?'

'You're looking down on me. Thinking it's all nonsense. You're always like that—disrespecting me, treating me like a joke.'

'......'

'I don't care what you think. Just don't get in my way.'

Alicia warned me firmly and turned away. She was done talking. I sighed heavily. Who was disrespecting whom? She disrespected me more, then acted like I was the bad guy.

So she was really going to be stubborn about it. It left a bad taste in my mouth. Vincent and Alicia? I couldn't even imagine it. No, I didn't want to. I knew it was impossible, but still... knowing that... what if it somehow happened...

"She's pretty, that's all."

Yeah, she's pretty. I muttered it, then quickly shook my head. Another sigh escaped me. Then someone patted my shoulder. I turned to see Joni staring blankly at me.

"What're you thinking about to sigh like that?"

"Oh, nothing."

I shook my head again and glanced ahead. Lady Joelie, in a voluminous blue dress, was checking herself in the mirror from every angle. Alicia stood behind her. For once, she was smiling, flattering Joelie with comments about how pretty she looked.

Lady Joelie had to attend a party today, so preparations had been in full swing since early morning. Robert was attending too, apparently, and he was already dressed up, waiting for Joelie to finish.

Naturally, Alicia and Joni had been in her room since morning to attend her. But Joni just stood behind me while Alicia handled most of it. The nanny helped Alicia, and I quietly stayed by Robert's side.