# 72
72. The Count I Met Again (2)
In the end, I received an earful from the nanny. She asked if I hadn't begged her not to go outside because it was dangerous, and I had no excuse. I tried to slip in the excuse that I had received Lady Joelli's permission, but it didn't work at all. Beside me, Robert laughed at my predicament. That cheeky little brat.
"Just go back to your room and rest for today. I'll put in a good word for you."
"B-but..."
"And wash your face too."
My face? I wondered if something had gotten on my face and touched it, but nothing came off on my hand. The nanny kept waving her hands dismissively, and I ended up practically being driven out.
Only after returning to my room did I check the state of my face. Under my eyes, the tip of my nose, and my cheeks were swollen red—anyone could tell I had been crying. Good heavens.
Was Robert staring at me earlier because of this? I had grown accustomed to hiding my face with my bangs and hadn't paid it any mind. Then the shortened bangs caught my eye. And the ugly face revealed beneath them.
Would Vincent have recognized me? I shook my head. That's impossible. He had never seen my face even once. How could he recognize someone he's never seen? Even if he had, he wouldn't remember a maid who ran away five years ago. What a relief. Thinking so, I smiled bitterly.
After washing my flushed face with cold water and returning, Alicia was sitting on the bed, having come in at some point. But something was off about her. She was staring blankly into space with a dazed expression. What's wrong with her?
But today, for some reason, I was tired and exhausted and didn't want to acknowledge it. I lay down on the bed intending to sleep, but suddenly Alicia asked.
"Isn't that man handsome?"
I opened my closed eyes. Alicia scooted over and sat next to me.
"I asked if he's handsome."
"Who."
"The man we saw this morning."
Seeing her expectant face, I furrowed my brow. If she meant the man from this morning, she was talking about Vincent. Why Vincent all of a sudden?
Come to think of it, Alicia had been a bit strange since seeing him. She would stare blankly into space, let out little chuckles for no reason, and now she was asking something like this out of nowhere.
Could it be.
A bad feeling crept over me. I scowled and sat up. Alicia's large eyes were sparkling.
"That man's name is Vincent. Vincent Bellunita."
"......"
"Vincent... Even his name is handsome."
A smile spread across Alicia's face as she savored his name. Her cheeks were slightly flushed. Just like a girl in love. In the current situation, this was not a good sign.
"I don't think so after all."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"Him. Johnny."
Why Johnny all of a sudden? They seemed to be getting along fine. I had often seen the two of them having affectionate conversations lately. They even gave off a peculiar atmosphere. Of course, most of the time Alicia was just pretending to be affectionate to use Johnny, but still.
But why was she acting like this again all of a sudden?
When I looked puzzled, Alicia crossed her legs and irritably swept her hair back.
"He's not the one after all. I can't live like this."
"What are you talking about since earlier? And I have something to say too. You said you wanted to run away last time, right? About that..."
"I'm not going."
What?
"What are you saying?"
"I said I'm not going. I'm not running away."
I stared intently at Alicia, wondering if she was serious. Her unwavering face showed no sign of deceit. Rather, she looked at me calmly. Unlike usual, she wasn't angry or demanding, which somehow felt even more ominous.
"You said you wanted to run away last time. You said you hated it here."
"I did, but I changed my mind just now."
"Why?"
"That man."
"That man," she breathed, and the corners of her mouth rose seductively. As if recalling someone, Alicia smiled blissfully. She twirled the ends of her long hair around her index finger and twisted her body, acting uncharacteristically shy.
That man.
I immediately knew who she was talking about.
"...Why that person?"
"I'm going to seduce him."
At her shameless words, I momentarily doubted my ears. Even seeing my appalled reaction, Alicia just lifted her chin haughtily and didn't take back her words. Rather, she was brimming with confidence.
"I'm not too bad, right? There's a bit of a status difference, but with this much beauty and figure, I can overcome it."
"Are you crazy?"
It was a genuine question. I seriously thought Alicia had gone mad. Of course, she couldn't be called normal all this time either, but today was especially worse. I looked at Alicia as if she were a strange person. Alicia made a face like it didn't matter.
"As long as we like each other, that's all that matters."
"Like each other?"
"I've come to like that man."
What kind of nonsense is this?
I couldn't understand at all what Alicia was saying.
"Unnie. Help me out a bit, okay?"
"......"
"Are you listening to me?"
"I'm listening. But I don't understand what you're saying. You saw the master—no, that man for the first time this morning."
"So what? I knew at first sight that man was my destiny."
"What on earth are you talking about since earlier? Have you ever exchanged even a single word with that man?"
Alicia shook her head at my question.
"No, I haven't."
"What about a greeting?"
"Not yet."
"But you like him? That doesn't make sense."
"Why doesn't it make sense? We're destiny."
"How is it destiny when you're the only one who likes him? He probably doesn't even know you exist."
"We can get to know each other from now on."
"......"
Since earlier, I'd been rendered speechless. It was too absurd. Is getting to know each other something that can be solved by one person's determination alone? Vincent doesn't even know Alicia exists. But Alicia had a confident face as if she truly intended to seduce Vincent.
"That man is the master of this place. He's a Count! I thought that woman was the master all this time and needlessly tried to please her. Goodness, I had no idea such a handsome Count existed. Plus, with this much wealth... He's a perfect match for me."
"Alicia."
"I think it was a good thing I came here."
"Alicia."
"Why do you keep calling me."
Alicia, having erased her smile, frowned. I was the one who wanted to lose my temper.
"I have something to say to you too. Before we came here, we said we'd go to the Stella family. But it wasn't that."
"Did I say that?"
"What?"
"It might not have been, so why are you getting annoyed?"
"Annoyed? The story is completely different! What if it had been a dangerous place!"
"It's not dangerous, so isn't that fine?"
"Alicia!"
Alicia shrugged with an annoyed face.
"You're the one who decided to come together. Don't blame me."
"I thought it was the Stella family!"
"Why, is there some reason it can't be another family? It might have been dangerous as you said, but in the end, it's a proper place. So what's the problem?"
"That's..."
The problem is that this is the Bellunita family. The problem is that Vincent is here. But I couldn't bring myself to say those words. Because I didn't know how Alicia would react if she found out I had run away from here, that I had originally worked here as a servant.
As I hesitated, Alicia glared at me sharply.
"Don't tell me this is the place you ran away from?"
"...No."
"No? Are you sure?"
"Yeah, it's not. Anyway, what I want to say is, you know too. I was employed as a servant at a Count's estate before and something went wrong. That's still the case. I'm still being hunted, and I don't know when I might die. But you insisted on coming to this mansion where those nobles could come and go, and you even hid from me that the family had changed. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Ugh, I get it. Stop talking because I don't want to hear any more."
Alicia waved both hands dismissively and moved to her own bed. I didn't back down and poured out more words. Eventually, Alicia also made excuses that she didn't really know herself whether this was the Stella family or another, that she had only found out recently, and what did it matter even if it had changed.
I let out a sigh.
"Don't dream empty dreams and let's leave. We're provisionally employed anyway. People without clear status won't be able to stay long. Let's find a proper job instead while we're at it."
"No."
"You really!"
"I said it last time too, but I don't care about your situation. I've decided to stay here. If I seduce the Count, what does it matter whether I'm provisionally employed or whatever."
At those words, I let out a deep sigh again. My head started to ache. I pressed my forehead and caught my breath. Right, I wondered why you wouldn't say such things. Even coming here was because of Alicia's stubbornness.
They say things that start suddenly end easily. But I never dreamed Alicia would fall for him. I never imagined it would lead to such a result.
"If you want to leave, go alone. I won't stop you."
"You don't know the hearts of nobles. To them, lower people like us are like insects. Besides, how do you know what kind of person the Count here is? His personality... could be really foul."
"How would you know that?"
From experience.
"Just, that's how nobles usually are."
"Well, it's no fun if it's easy."
"You could die."
"What's the difference between our life and death anyway."
In the end, Alicia didn't yield on a single word.
* * *
Alicia's words were so absurd that they were just ridiculous. No more words came out. Instead, my head ached. She was the type who, once stubborn, would definitely follow through. So I knew it wasn't a lie.
Alicia was a child who had been raised being pampered, unsuited to a poor family. She had never properly gotten her hands wet, nor had she ever bent her back to beg.
She threw tantrums and acted horribly as if it were natural, and the other party accepted it. That pretty face was loved and admired by everyone, and even her father didn't mess with Alicia, so she must have felt the special treatment she received. That's why she feared nothing.
Having grown up like that, I couldn't say I didn't understand that confidence. But that was limited to Filton. Perhaps accepting the heart of the lord's son who liked her might have been the fastest path to the life Alicia wanted. But it was Alicia who let that slip away. And yet she was greedily aiming for something even higher again.
I was wondering how to soothe that stubbornness of hers when Alicia frowned.
'Don't look at me like that.'
'What am I doing?'
'You're looking down on me. You probably think I'm talking nonsense. You're always like that. Looking down on me, treating me like a joke.'
'......'
'I don't care what you think. Just don't get in my way.'
Alicia warned firmly and turned away. She didn't want to talk anymore. I sighed heavily. Who looked down on whom how much. She looks down on me more, yet she always makes it seem like I'm the bad person.
So she's saying she'll be stubborn after all. For some reason, I didn't feel good about it. That Vincent, with Alicia? I couldn't imagine it. No, I didn't want to imagine it. I knew it was impossible, I knew that, but... still... what if that happened...
"Because she's pretty."
Right, because she's pretty. I murmured so, then quickly shook my head. I let out another sigh. Someone patted my shoulder. When I turned my head, Johnny was staring at me blankly.
"What are you thinking about to sigh so much?"
"Ah, nothing."
I shook my head again and glanced ahead. Joelli, wearing a dress with an abundant pale blue skirt, was examining her reflection in the mirror from various angles. Behind her stood Alicia. Smiling, which was rare for her, she was flattering Joelli, saying how pretty she looked and such.
Today, Joelli had to attend a party, so preparations had been underway since early morning. Whether Robert was also attending that party, Robert had also gotten dressed up. Of course, Robert's dressing had long been finished, and he was waiting for Joelli's preparations to be completed.
Naturally, Alicia and Johnny, who attended to her, were in her room since morning. But Johnny only stood behind me, and Alicia attended to most of her needs. The nanny helped Alicia, and I quietly stayed by Robert's side.