Chapter 3: Countess Sergia (1)

Armed with a broom, duster, and rag, I flung open the attic window and began cleaning.

Dust poured out endlessly, no matter how much I shook things out, and trash seemed to accumulate constantly, no matter how much I swept.

It was enough to make my head spin.

Judith just watched me from outside the doorway, saying nothing, her continuous gaze making the back of my neck prickle.

“Cough! Cough! Ugh…!”

Even with a cloth covering my mouth, the sheer amount of dust irritated my throat and made my nose itch.

How could they possibly make someone live in a place like this?

I couldn’t fathom the thoughts of the previous occupant, let alone the nobles.

Only as the sun began its slow descent did the room finally start to resemble a place where a person could sleep.

Watching the sunset outside, I finally snapped back to reality and realized something crucial.

I had neglected Judith, leaving her hungry.

‘Oh, right! Judith’s food!’

Forgetting I hadn’t prepared her meal, I spun around in surprise, but Judith was gone.

I rushed outside and started searching for her, but she was nowhere to be found in the annex.

“My Lady! My Lady!!”

I searched every room in the annex, but Judith was missing.

Neglect was also a form of abuse, wasn’t it?

Fear gripped me – was this how things would start to go wrong?

I ran out of the annex and began frantically searching outside.

“My Lady!! If you can hear me, please answer!”

Was this what a parent felt like losing their child?

My feet pounded restlessly as I dashed around the annex grounds, frantic.

My heart felt like ice while my head burned hot.

As I searched, consumed by anxiety, I heard a rustling sound from the bushes beyond the garden.

Turning my head, I spotted Judith there.

“There you wer-“

The sight of Judith stopped me mid-sentence.

How little attention had she been given for things to come to this?

Anger surged within me.

Judith, who had been picking and eating wild berries like raspberries from the bushes to stave off her hunger, looked up at me, startled.

Her eyes widened as if caught red-handed, and fearing I would take even the berries away, she quickly hid the remaining ones behind her back.

“…My Lady. Could you come out for a moment?”

With a look of resignation, Judith slowly approached me.

Unlike the description in the original novel, where she was constantly trembling and consumed by fear, this Judith seemed strangely calm.

She emerged silently from the bushes and stood before me, head bowed, maintaining her silence.

Her shoulders were tense, as if bracing herself, silently saying, ‘If you’re going to hit me, just get it over with.’

The sight was simply too heartbreaking.

I quickly enveloped Judith in a hug, holding her close.

What kind of care had she received for a child this young to resort to picking berries in the bushes out of sheer hunger?

Releasing her, I looked at Judith’s face.

She just stared back at me, her expression utterly bewildered.

“You must be hungry, right? I’ll bring you a meal right away.”

The berries Judith held were crushed, their juice dripping onto the ground like blood, staining her small hand red.

Only then did she lick her palm, as if regretting the waste.

I couldn’t bring myself to stop her.

I, too, had neglected her under the guise of being busy.

I had no right to force anything upon this child.

“I’ll be right back.”

I asked Judith to return to the attic and sprinted towards the main building.

The distance was surprisingly far; the thought occurred that it might actually be faster for me to cook myself.

---

“Are you kidding me…”

Returning to the annex, I let out a curse upon seeing the state of the kitchen.

When I asked the head maid, she confirmed that cooking in the annex was already permitted.

The previous maid had apparently requested that only ingredients like bread be sent, claiming she would do the cooking herself.

Therefore, the head maid assumed the kitchen was fully stocked and hadn’t mentioned it to me, but…

The kitchen spread before my eyes showed no trace of cooking.

Instead, it was covered in dust, an utterly unsuitable environment for preparing food.

Cooking here would be a violation of hygiene laws in my previous world. Seriously.

‘Did she even do any work at all?’

I didn’t want to speak ill of the dead, but this was unforgivable.

She had neglected the child and lied about cooking, not even bothering to prepare meals.

Where had the weekly food supplies gone?

The pantry was completely empty.

‘Could she have been embezzling?’

It was a common story among maids – pilfering items from the Count’s estate to line their own pockets.

For maids lacking loyalty to the family, it was an unspoken but prevalent practice.

They wouldn’t touch anything too valuable, instead stealing things less likely to be missed and selling them during their weekly outings.

Even I, having been here less than a month, could tell this place was a complete mess.

There was no way to hold the deceased accountable now.

For the time being, I grabbed some bread and a few potatoes from the main building.

At least I could provide boiled potatoes and bread, I figured.

Darkness had fallen, so deep that without candlelight, it was impossible to see.

Lighting a candle on a holder, I carried the freshly boiled, still-hot potatoes and bread up to the attic.

-Creak… -Creak…

Only the sound of rotting wood grinding against itself echoed through the haunted house-like annex.

Windows were broken, wooden floors were decaying, and insects I’d never seen before crawled across the floor.

The darkness of the annex was terrifying, and I found myself muttering under my breath as I climbed the stairs.

Tears welled up at the thought of having to live here from now on.

-Knock Knock-

“My Lady. I’ve brought your meal.”

No response.

I waited, but silence was the only answer, so I turned the doorknob and opened the door.

Beneath the window, bathed in the faint, pale moonlight.

Judith, who had been gazing outside, turned her head to look at me.

Was it the backlighting from the dim moonlight?

Her blonde hair seemed almost silver.

Taking a step forward, I placed the small desk I had tidied earlier in front of Judith and offered her the food.

Judith just stared at me, her face bewildered, as if asking what on earth was happening.

I handed her a still-warm boiled potato, steam gently rising from it.

“Next time, I’ll make you something more delicious.”

Chloe’s memories included some cooking skills; this body’s original owner was apparently quite a good cook.

Memories surfaced – not mine, but Chloe’s – of receiving praise from her family.

Hesitantly, Judith’s small lips parted slightly.

“Th… Thank you…?”

Why the question mark?

As I stepped back slightly, she looked suspiciously between the potato and me, then squeezed her eyes shut and popped the hot potato into her mouth whole.

“Hah… Hooh…”

With the hot potato in her mouth, Judith pursed her lips, trying to cool it down, her face flushing red.

A small chuckle escaped me at the sight.

I poured a cup of water and handed it to her.

A bitter smile touched my lips as I watched Judith alternate between the water and the potato, hastily shoving the food into her mouth despite the heat.

It was just a boiled potato.

Even the maids usually didn’t care for such plain food.

Yet, Judith devoured it eagerly, as if it were a feast.

It was pitiful.

But I couldn’t show pity or cry in front of her, so I forced a bittersweet smile.

“Have some bread too.”

I tore the bread in half and placed it on her plate.

When we first met, I simply thought about avoiding my death flag and getting away from Judith.

But now, looking at this small child before me, the thought of her walking the thorny path laid out in the original novel made my stomach churn.

Many hardships would block her way.

She would suffer, bleed, and curse the world.

But at least for this brief time while I am by her side…

I can only pray that this time won’t be meaningless to you.

---

Day one living in the annex.

I couldn’t sleep properly.

The ghostly noises emanating from the dilapidated mansion kept me awake all night.

With heavy eyes, I headed to the kitchen to prepare Judith’s breakfast.

Cleaning the still-disastrous kitchen is today’s main task.

Whether I can finish it today remains to be seen.

I boiled the potatoes I had saved from yesterday for breakfast and carried them up to Judith’s attic room.

After knocking, I entered to find Judith already awake, sitting up in bed.

Our eyes met.

Judith hopped down from the bed, bowed deeply towards me, and offered a thanks.

“Thank you…”

“…My Lady.”

At my call, Judith straightened up.

I knelt on the floor to meet her gaze properly.

Finally, our eyes were level.

Her red, ruby-like eyes still flickered with uncertainty.

Looking into those eyes, I continued speaking to Judith.

“You don’t need to use formal language with me.”

“But…”

Judith clasped her hands politely.

I took her small hands in mine.

They were still grimy, not yet properly washed.

There was so much I needed to do.

“I am… Lady Judith’s personal maid. Please feel free to treat me comfortably.”

“…What’s… your name…?”

Had I really not even told her my name?

‘Some maid I am.’ A dry chuckle escaped me at my own carelessness.

“My name is Chloe Bayella. You can just call me Chloe.”

“…Chloe…”

“Yes, My Lady.”

Only then did Judith’s eyes stop wavering and fix directly on me.

Her sparkling red eyes reflected only my face.

“Chloe… Please take good care of me from now on…”

“Of course, My Lady. Likewise, please take good care of me.”

Our meeting was vastly different from the original novel.

I had no intention of abusing her, and she didn’t seem inclined to avoid me.

There probably wasn’t much time left before her magic manifested and caught the Count’s attention.

During that short time, however brief it may be…

I will give this child happy memories.

Because that’s likely the only thing a mere maid like me can do.