54. The Earl's Secret Maid (7)
Lenika, who had struggled to hold back her tears as she spoke, tried not to lose her reason despite the massive shock. Seeing her like that, I realized this wasn't the first time such a shocking event had occurred. In the end, I couldn't even offer her proper comfort that day.
Lenika, whom I met in the morning to say goodbye, was cheerful, unlike a few days ago. But I knew the sorrow she had forcibly hidden inside.
*'What I want to say is, don't trust anyone here.'*
Don't trust anything. Then should I not trust Vincent either? Then I shook my head. He had made me a promise. That he would bring me back to this mansion, that he would definitely find me. There was no lie on his face when he said that.
The carriage began to move. I watched the mansion grow distant beyond the window. When I first came here, the luxurious mansion was fascinating yet unfamiliar, and the man called Master had a terrible temper, causing me much suffering. There were times I was exhausted from serving him with my life on the line every moment. Then I met his guests, tried mingling among the nobles...
So much had happened. Now, all of it remained as precious memories. At the same time, I worried about Vincent, left alone in the mansion.
"Will a new maid come to replace me?"
I took my eyes off the window and looked at Isabella sitting across from me. She poured the tea she had prepared into a cup and offered it to me. Taking it, it was warm.
"I decided to take your place."
"You, Ms. Isabella?"
"Yes. The Master ordered not to hire anyone else to serve him."
*'I will bring you back to my side. Without fail.'*
So the words he said were truly sincere. He really intended to bring me back. Honestly, I had half-doubted it, and my nose tingled for no reason. At the same time, regret rushed in. I already missed the mansion.
I leaned my face against the window. The carriage rattled and shook. As we went down the forest path, the road was rough. I sipped my tea, comforting my melancholy heart.
Then my eyelids grew heavier. Isabella said something from the front, but her voice echoed dully. My mind drifted, and my blinking eyelids eventually closed tightly.
Then my mind snapped awake.
I straightened my body, which had been leaning against the window, and quickly looked around. The carriage had stopped at some point.
Did we arrive already? It felt like I only slept for a moment, but my memory was hazy. An empty cup was rolling at my feet. I must have fallen asleep without realizing I dropped it.
Then the door opened. Isabella looked at me.
"Please get off."
At her words, I grabbed my bag and stepped out of the carriage. The surroundings had grown dark. It was bright when we departed, but it was already night. Had I been asleep for that long?
However, looking around, it was still a forest.
"Where is this?"
"A forest not far from the Velunita mansion."
"What?"
True to her words, the mansion was visible not far away. It meant the carriage had barely moved while darkness fell.
Why? As I looked at her asking that, Isabella calmly continued.
"Paula. Listen carefully. There is a path over there. If you follow that path, you will come across a small village. For now, stay a night at an inn in the village, and when dawn breaks, move to a safe place. The more people there are, the bigger the city, the better."
"Wh-what are you talking about?"
"Soon, someone will come to dispose of you."
I could tell from Isabella's expression what 'dispose of' meant. Despite her blunt attitude, her face was filled with tension.
*'What I want to say is, don't trust anyone here.'*
The words I heard from Lenika rang clearly in my ears at this very moment. I swallowed dry saliva and calmly opened my mouth.
"Surely, the Master didn't..."
Isabella immediately shook her head.
"We absolutely obey and follow the Master's orders, but sometimes we handle things on our own for the Master's sake. Especially the management of servants is entirely under our authority. Paula. Do you know why you had to stay only in the annex? Do you know the reason why there was no one around you except the bare minimum of servants?"
"...."
"It was for exactly this kind of situation."
Isabella was uttering unbelievable words to me as if reciting a line she had practiced for a long time. And sadly, I understood immediately. Hadn't I already heard the story?
"You were planning to dispose of me from the start."
"It was just in case."
"Did you do this to the other servants who served the Master until now?"
"If necessary. But not all dismissed servants were treated this way."
"Then why are you doing this to me? Just why!"
I yelled without realizing it. It felt unjust and hard to understand. I worked harder than anyone, and I had adapted well to life in the Earl's household. While with me, Vincent changed. It was a huge change. My efforts were definitely in there. Isabella couldn't have been unaware of that fact.
Besides, I wasn't dismissed right now; I was temporarily hiding by my Master's orders. So why did I have to face this situation?
"Because the Master moved for your sake."
Isabella struck down my rebuttal in a single stroke. Her sharp eyes glared at me.
"The Master was swayed by a mere maid, and moved for that maid. That is not a good sign. The butler judged what impact your existence would have later and acted upon it. Whether that impact is good or bad is not important."
"Why... he is also just a servant in the end..."
"He is the only person who can handle matters on behalf of the Master. He is also someone who has devoted himself to the Velunita family for a long time. Does that answer your question?"
Someone lower than the Master, but to us, someone high who could wield power equal to the Master's. The butler, Isabella. Hadn't Lenika already warned me?
Did the butler bring me here from the start preparing for a moment like this? The elderly gentleman who looked wealthy came all the way to a small village and took an unremarkable woman as a servant—maybe it was because I could be easily disposed of at any time. The hefty gold coins in the bundle he handed me must have held that meaning.
"...Are you going to kill me?"
"That was the plan."
"That was the plan... Then you're not going to kill me?"
Isabella took a breath. Only then did a figure lying collapsed behind her catch my eye. The coachman was asleep on the floor, smacking his lips. In his hand, a cup just like mine was precariously dangling.
My gaze snapped back to Isabella.
"Paula. I am grateful to you. The Master found comfort in you. He regained his lost smile, stepped out of his room, and met his friends. The mansion, which was always quiet, became bustling for the first time in a while. As a servant of that place, I express my gratitude to you who brought about such a change."
Isabella, having finished speaking, pulled something from her bosom and offered it to me. It was a small pouch. When I didn't take it and stood still, she hung it around my bewildered neck and hid it inside my clothes.
"With this, you should be able to make a living for a while."
"What are you trying to say?"
"Run away."
My eyes widened. What did she just say?
"This is all I can do for you."
Isabella said firmly. I looked at the sleeping coachman again. I realized that all of this was something she had done on her own. Flustered, I continued speaking.
"Wh-why, you shouldn't be doing this, should you?"
"That's right. If we're caught, I can't guarantee my life."
"Then why..."
Isabella lowered her eyes. A breeze blowing for a moment scattered the silence between her and me.
"Paula. Female servants like us face a lot of discrimination while working, and sometimes we have to endure humiliation. There are plenty of times we receive treatment inferior to men. But even so, I don't think we should accept that treatment as a given. You've done enough. This is my reward to you."
"...."
"Run away as far as possible. And never come back."
Isabella scanned the surroundings. She said there was no more time. I felt her sincerity in the gaze urging me on. The corners of my eyes stung. I gripped the handle of the bag in my hand tightly and bowed deeply. She was the one who first guided me when I came to this mansion. And now, she was the only person helping me.
"Thank you."
Because of that, I also conveyed my sincerity.
And just like that, I turned around.
I heard a rustling sound. Every time I took a step, leaves brushed against my instep, swept past my thighs, brushed my waist, scratched my arms, and tickled my cheeks. Despite running and running without rest, the bushes stretched on endlessly.
I ran blindly along the path Isabella had told me about. I couldn't even tell if I was going the right way, but I kept running anyway. As I ran, I felt it more clearly. The annoying noise ringing in my ears wasn't just coming from me.
Somewhere, a rustling sound was heard. It was eerie, sounding right behind my back. Or maybe it was to my left or right. Those ominous sounds echoed around me like auditory hallucinations. I was terrified. The rustling sounds slowly tightened around me.
*'Soon, someone will come to dispose of you.'*
Was it the person Isabella mentioned?
*'They'll know you were at the scene of Lucas's accident. It might be fine for now, but eventually, James will notice your existence. He won't let it go. Because you're the only witness.'*
Or maybe it was someone sent by James, whom Vincent had mentioned.
There was much to suspect. In fact, everything was suspicious. How did it come to this? Why was I like this? The days I struggled to live even just one more day threw me into danger in an instant. Even so, all I could do was run blindly.
So I ran. I forcefully swallowed down the surging emotions.
"Haa! Haa!"
I was completely out of breath. The weight of the bag in my hand felt burdensome. Moreover, perhaps because my palms were sweaty, the handle kept slipping. As I kept adjusting the slipping handle, I ended up tripping over a large rock and fell. I felt pain, but without even having time to hurt, I sprang up and ran again. My knee, which had scraped the ground, throbbed belatedly. It felt damp, probably because blood was flowing.
Save me.
Someone help me, please.
I didn't know what to do with the endlessly surging anxiety. In my heart, I wanted to grab even a tree and scream for someone to save me. I was scared. The fear only multiplied. When tears finally welled up in my eyes, the end of the forest came into view. I ran towards it.
It was the moment I just burst out of the bushes. A strong mass of light snatched away my vision.