Chapter 6: Countess Sergia (4)

The searing pain, like burning flesh, thankfully subsided enough after a day that I could move again.
I managed to reach the main building.

I was a bit late, having moved cautiously to avoid Judel’s notice, but thankfully, I reached the head maid’s room without bumping into any members of the Count’s family.

“?! Chloe, what happened to your face?! You’re ghostly pale..!”
“Ah… something came up… Do you happen to have any medicine for wounds?”

Seeing my face, drained of color from the pain, the head maid approached me in surprise.
She quickly rummaged through a drawer and pressed a small container of ointment into my hand.

“What on earth happened? Where did you get hurt like this?”
“Ah… my back…”

‘Bringing up Judel wouldn’t be wise.’
‘How could a maid possibly badmouth the master in front of the head maid?’
‘If word got back to Judel, my skin might literally be peeled off this time.’

I tucked the ointment from the head maid into my pocket and sought out my seniors to get a feel for the atmosphere in the main building.
Perhaps because I’d worked quite diligently before meeting Judith, I was able to gather some information from them.

“The main building these days? Same old, same old.”
“I think I heard something about Young Master Erben being furious because Young Master Judel caused some trouble…”
“That’s just Young Master Judel’s personality, what can you do? It happens all the time.”

Hearing that Judel had been scolded by Erben, I realized the person hidden behind the fence that day must have been Erben.
‘If the Count himself had seen it, he would have dealt the punishment directly. Erben wouldn’t have had to step in,’ I thought.

“And… perhaps that the Madam is planning to host a tea party soon?”
“A tea party?”
“Yes, she’s been nagging the head maid relentlessly because the Marchioness, who hasn’t been well, is planning to attend.”

The Countess’s tea party… the most dreaded event of all, and it was just around the corner.
It hadn’t even been that long since Judel’s intrusion, and now I had to worry about the Countess too?
It would be lovely if I could just ignore it, but the Countess despised Judith.

No, she hated her enough to want her dead.
The Countess, who adored, loved, and utterly cherished her husband, had absolutely no intention of turning a blind eye to the Count’s infidelity.
Therefore, she tormented the illegitimate child, Judith, with a burning hatred.
She hadn’t started the torment yet only because Judith hadn’t drawn her direct attention, but the moment she did, the Countess’s pent-up fury would escalate beyond mere harassment to potentially lethal levels.

“When is the tea party scheduled?”
“Hmm… Maybe it’s not confirmed yet? The head maid hasn’t said a word. But since Madam is planning it, perhaps next month at the earliest?”

‘About a month left…’
‘According to the original story, Judith, having briefly slipped away from Chloe, would be unable to resist the sweet aroma of the snacks at the tea party. She’d get too close and suffer terribly.’
Now that I was here, that shouldn’t happen, but considering Judel had noticed Judith earlier than in the original plot, there was no telling what unexpected events might unfold at the tea party, deviating from the original story.

‘If I rely too heavily on the original plot, I could face a disaster, just like with Judel…’
Therefore, I had to prepare as much as possible.
I didn’t want to endure that kind of pain again…
The wound from Judel’s beating seemed to throb with renewed intensity.
Trying hard to ignore the stinging ache, I continued listening to my seniors, hoping for any other useful scraps of information.

In the end, the only significant news was about the tea party.
It was a relief, perhaps, just to know about it in advance.
If I took the next month to carefully consider my options, surely I could come up with a plan.

I received ingredients from the chef, packed them into a sack, and struggled to carry it.
By the time I emerged from the main building with the sack, evening was already drawing in, the sun beginning its descent.
Just as I was pondering what meal to quickly prepare for Judhith upon my return.
My eyes met Erben’s as he was entering the main building.

“You are…”

Startled, I bowed my head hastily, forgetting I was still holding the heavy sack.
A few potatoes tumbled out, rolling across the ground.
Erben seemed to recognize me.
‘Why…?’
‘I never even made eye contact with him during my time working in the main building…’
‘Could he have recognized me from when Judel was whipping me?’

“…Is the wound alright?”

So, the person obscured by the fence had indeed been Erben.
Erben let out a small sigh before asking the question.
‘What is this…?’
‘He’s not usually like this…’
Lifting my head, I cautiously studied Erben’s face. He regarded me with an expression laced with irritation.

“Yes… I’m alright…”
“…Alright. If the wound troubles you, let me know. I can at least provide some medicine.”

With only those words, he turned and entered the main building as if there was nothing more to discuss. I watched him disappear inside.
I couldn’t fathom his true intentions.
Was he genuinely concerned, or was this just his way of cleaning up his younger brother’s mess?
I gathered the fallen potatoes and headed towards the annex myself.
Was it fortunate, maybe, that I encountered Erben instead of Judel?
Clutching the sack tightly, I hurried towards the annex building.

As I stepped into the annex garden, the door to the small mansion swung open, and Judith came dashing out with quick, light steps.

“Milady! You’ll fall if you run like that!”

Ignoring my warning completely, she reached me, pulled the sack down, hastily gathered the contents, and hugged them tightly in her arms.
Then, without a word, she turned and darted back towards the annex.
She was incredibly cute, and I felt incredibly grateful.
Watching her small back retreat as she ran with her arms full, a small, involuntary smile touched my lips.
But Judith had forgotten something crucial.
With her hands completely full, she couldn’t open the closed annex door.
She looked back and forth between the stubborn door and me, then finally yelled, a hint of frustration in her tone.

“Hurry up!!”

What an adorable sight.
‘That Countess must be insane. It was her husband who couldn’t control himself, yet she directs her abuse towards this small child.’
I hoped nothing bad would happen during the tea party… Lost in thought, I smiled and walked towards Judith.
Since they were food ingredients, she couldn’t just drop them on the ground, leaving her hands useless. I could see her ears flushing a bright red.

After a pleasant dinner, it was time for bed, and we retired to our respective rooms.
I took off my clothes to tend to the stinging wound on my back, which was becoming unbearable, but I couldn’t quite reach the spot.

-Knock knock-

“Chloe? Can I come in?”

Judith entered my room, carrying the bowl of warm water and the towel I had prepared for her earlier. She looked at me.
Seeing me struggling to manage alone, Judith practically forced me onto the bed and began gently cleaning the wound on my back.

“Milady… I can do it myself…”
“No. I’ll do it.”

A sharp sting radiated as the warm towel touched the raw wound.
However, thanks to Judith’s small, delicate, and warm touch, the pain wasn’t overwhelming.
Once she finished cleaning the wound and applying the ointment, a wave of relief washed over me.
‘I don’t know about tetanus, but at least having the medicine applied is something…’

“I told you to call me when you need help.”
“…Next time, I definitely will.”

Clearly displeased with my excuse, Yudhith shot me a glare before letting out a small sigh.
Since arriving here, I felt guilty asking for Yudhith’s small hands, so I had been trying my best to handle everything I could on my own.

“Thank you. I’m fine now, really. Please go back to your room and sleep.”
“Haa…”

Yudhith let out a heavy sigh, turned, and walked out of the room.
‘Was she frustrated that I wouldn’t rely on her?’
But… I wanted to avoid leaning on Judith as much as possible.
She was still just a child.
I didn’t want to burden such a young child with unnecessary worries…
I didn’t want to become another burden for her to carry.

-Bang!-

I jumped, startled, as the door burst open without a preceding knock.
Judith stood there, holding a blanket clutched in her arms. She tossed it onto my bed and spoke, her tone sharp with annoyance.

“You use this blanket today.”
“…How can I possibly use Milady’s blanket.”

The blanket Judith used was identical to those used by the Count’s family in the main building.
I had managed to persistently nag the head maid until she gave me a spare one, making Judith’s blanket and pillow the most luxurious items in the entire annex.

“What are you going to sleep under? There are no other blankets.”
Ignoring my protest entirely, Judith pulled the blanket over me, her expression still sour.
Her face clearly indicated she would genuinely lose her temper if I refused again, leaving me no choice but to accept.

“Then… shall we sleep together today?”
“What?”
“My bed is quite wide. It gets chilly at night now, were you planning to sleep without any covers?”

Judith hesitated for a moment, then sighed softly and climbed into my bed.
The bed wasn’t enormous, but it was certainly large enough for the two of us.
Lying beside me without turning away, Judith’s constant stare felt intense and slightly uncomfortable.
She didn’t avert her gaze, just kept watching me as I lay facing down.

“…Milady, aren’t you going to sleep…?”
“I’ll watch you fall asleep first.”

My eyes met Judith’s striking red ones.
It was said that magicians’ eyes turned red due to their mana.
The original story mentioned that the brighter and more vivid the red, the higher the purity of the mana, indicating exceptional magical talent.
Judith’s red eyes.
They were bright and sparkling, resembling rubies among precious gems.
It was fascinating how they could possess such a deep, ruby-like hue, reflecting even the faint moonlight.
Unable to sleep under her piercing gaze, I considered starting a conversation, but then my eyes fell upon Judith’s small hand resting near me.
A child’s tiny hand.
I gently took it and started pressing each of her fingers, one by one.

‘It’s still so small and soft.’

The soft, yielding hand of a young child.
But soon, this hand would likely become calloused and stained with blood.
I gently kneaded Judith’s small, soft hand.

“…Chloe.”
“Yes?!”

Worried I might have overdone it, I quickly released her hand and looked at her.
Judhith hesitated, her lips moving slightly as she struggled to form the words.
Finally, with considerable effort, she voiced the question that weighed on her mind, a question about me.

“You… don’t you hate me…?”
“Why would I ever hate you, Milady?”

Hesitantly, Judith asked again.

“Why… are you so kind to me…?”

‘Because I didn’t want you to kill me…’ The words remained unspoken, lodged in my throat.
Why was I being kind to Judith?
Was it because I’d witnessed her fate in the original story? Because I knew the pain and struggles she would endure?
I just…

“I… I just want you to be happy, Milady.”
‘I want you to be happy, at least during this time that I am beside you.’
That was truly all there was to it.

“I see…”
Judith turned her head away, her voice barely a whisper, thick with unshed tears.
I gently patted her head and closed my eyes.
Was it because I was feeling human warmth for the first time in a long while? A sense of peace began to settle over me.
Ever since I arrived here, I had felt utterly alone every single day.
An unknown world, an unknown era, unknown people.
Dropped utterly alone in a place where I knew no one.
Every night, loneliness felt like a physical blow, assaulting my body.
But… perhaps thanks to Judith lying beside me…
I didn’t feel that crushing loneliness tonight.
Closing my eyes with a tranquility I hadn’t experienced in a long time.
I had a feeling I would sleep wonderfully well tonight.

The Countess’s Room.

The Countess, currently occupying separate chambers from the Count, simmered with discontent.
She couldn’t fathom why it was so difficult to even encounter her beloved husband within the confines of their own home.
To quell the boiling rage within her, she routinely beat slaves, vented her fury, and tormented the maids, yet this insatiable thirst remained.
How could he betray her with another woman—a common prostitute, no less—and sire a child?
She yearned to march over this instant and tear that woman’s wretched byproduct limb from limb.
But her beloved Count forbade it.

“Ahh… how utterly dull…”
On the floor lay a s*ave, covered in wounds, collapsed and barely conscious.
She had purchased him because his resilience was advertised as a key feature, but now, his end seemed terrifyingly near.

“Madam. All the invitations have been completed.”
“Yes… A tiresome duty, but it must be done…”

That blasted social circuit, that blasted tea party.
The life of a Countess entailed far too many obligations.
All she truly desired was to live out her days forever by her beloved husband’s side.

“…See to the preparations diligently. Ensure everything is arranged to the Marchioness’s taste.”
The butlers would handle the tedious arrangements for the tiresome tea party.
According to the head butler, the byproduct’s mana was expected to manifest sometime this year.
He’d said the manifestation period extended until the end of this year, hadn’t he…
She didn’t know what her husband expected from that by product…
But the very instant his interest in the child waned…
She felt that only tearing it to shreds with her own two hands would finally quench this burning thirst inside her.