“Episode 22”
This situation was painfully embarrassing.
And at the same time, she realized.
“Now I’m wrong. I’ve fallen for Evan Hilchen’s flirting.”
It had only been two months.
No, was it already three months?
Her heart wavered and completely collapsed. Evan Hilchen, who had taken root in that collapse, still didn’t know the truth.
“I lost…”
As Yuliana silently admitted defeat, Evan tilted his head and whispered to his melancholic wife.
“I heard you’re supposed to kiss your wife. Patting her on the forehead is something children do.”
“Don’t lie.”
Yuliana pursed her lips sharply. Evan, looking at her deliberately protruding like a duck, smiled mischievously in response.
“Right. It’s a lie.”
And in a soothing tone as if calming her down just before she fell asleep, he said,
“I’ll tell you when you wake up. It’s like the stories the quack doctors told me when you were in pain. You like it when I’m in distress, don’t you? Right?”
“That…sounds…exciting.”
Yuliana yawned, feeling drowsy.
Being wrapped in a soft blanket was better than she had thought. In the comfortable feeling, Yuliana unknowingly fell asleep again.
—
“Pant, pant!”
Perhaps because she had run up the stairs.
She was out of breath. Anna peeked her face through the crack in the door of the countess’s room.
In that moment, the count was sitting by the countess’s head, looking at her sleeping countess.
The count’s gaze towards the pale countess, soaked in sweat, was tender, and he didn’t seem like the devil they described on the battlefield.
Anna couldn’t dare to enter and stood outside, fidgeting with her feet.
Then, the count shifted his gaze away from the countess and casually called Anna.
“Come in.”
“Yes, yes, Your Grace.”
Anna cautiously entered the room.
With his long legs crossed and arms folded, the count watched Anna’s every move with a sharp gaze.
Anna stiffened with fear. Afraid she might make a mistake, she placed the water on the table next to the countess’s bed. Upon seeing the spilled basin just now, she grimaced. Her dismissal seemed inevitable.
“Now might be the time to pack my things.”
“You can work at the mansion.”
“Yes. I understand, Your Grace. I’ll leave immediately. I’ll always regret my mistakes—”
“You never listen till the end. Are you like my master?”
“Yes, yes?!”
Anna clasped her hands together.
The Count stared at Anna, who was trembling uncontrollably, with an expression that was hard to read.
It seemed like he wanted her to understand what he had just said. Fortunately, Anna understood his words. Her tearful face, which had been full of remorse and tears just moments ago, suddenly brightened.
“Are you serious? Your Grace?!”
“My wife seems to find you charming, so I can’t help it. If it were up to me, I’d have someone much more competent by my side.”
Despite the Count’s gruff tone, Anna cried out with gratitude.
“Thank you! Thank you so much! I promise, I’ll never endanger the Countess again!”
“Is that promise genuine?”
The Count smiled affectionately, a smile usually reserved for his wife.
With his black hair brushing against his eyes, he had taken care of the Countess’s nursing duties for a month. His chiseled cheekbones seemed even more prominent.
Even with a stern expression, he looked very handsome. His classical beauty seemed to shine even more. However, there was a sinister undertone to the Count’s affectionate attitude.
Anna noticed this undertone but realized she couldn’t do anything about her trembling heart. The Count was excessively handsome.
“What am I thinking so rudely!”
Anna bit her lip and hastily nodded her head.
With a determined look and tearful eyes, Anna pledged her loyalty to the Countess. The Count, in turn, spoke kindly to her again.
“Yuliana seems to find you oddly charming. It’s the first time my wife has shown such care for a servant. Well, it might be a good thing. After all, it’s been two years since she’s taken a liking to anyone in the mansion. Having a maid she finds cute might make things easier at home.”
“Yes, yes! The Countess always takes me with her.”
She couldn’t help but feel proud of herself.
Anna couldn’t hide her pride, puffing out her chest and sniffing. The Count chuckled at the sight of the young girl who could laugh and be disheartened in an instant.
“Honesty looks good on you.”
“Th-thank you…”
Was this praise or just incredulity? It was hard for Anna to distinguish, but she decided to take it as a compliment and smiled happily.
Whether Anna said anything or not, Evan was still looking at his sleeping wife, gently brushing her cheek.
Her body had weakened and thinned as a side effect of using magic too abruptly. His gaze trembled as he looked at his wife in that state.
For the first time in her life, Yuliana had changed to help her husband, Evan.
It was undoubtedly a good thing. However, the feeling of missing something didn’t disappear.
Evan tried to retrace his wife’s emotional changes. But the more he tried, the more entangled it became, like a tangled ball of yarn with no clear beginning or end.
His cruel wife, who brought up divorce as soon as they returned from their outing. Yet, she had abandoned even their usual ‘games’ and wandered around the temple. Then she briefly associated with her husband to cut off the followers who followed her around—Yuliana Orbon.
While he gladly accepted the opportunity Yuliana provided him, her subsequent actions were unexpected.
She dragged the empress into a divination contest and even participated in a contest that could be considered a waste. Then she fell off.
His wife, who had always kept her distance from Evan’s affairs, was finally entering his jurisdiction.
Overjoyed, Evan had no time to think about her actions and reasons.
“A starving dog doesn’t know the taste of its food until it’s in front of its eyes.”
Thinking like that, Evan laughed at himself.
Yuliana held the leash tightly, holding a starving dog that had been hungry for a long time. For some reason, as Evan Hilchen, he was very willing to accept the recent situation.
“But…”
His own stupidity had caused this situation to arise. Now he needed to carefully retrace Yuliana’s actions.
“Anna.”
Lost in thought, Anna was startled by the voice that came unexpectedly, unable to relax.
Surprisingly, the Count was smiling gently at her.
“Yes, yes?!”
My word! The Count called my name! Feeling both scared and amazed by the Count, Anna didn’t know what to do with her body.
Addressing the young maid waiting for the continuation of his words, the Count spoke like a compassionate employer.
“I hope you’ll assist the Countess well. As you know, she’s fragile. She’s been at death’s door several times since she was young.”
“Yes, yes. Oh, I know.”
“Then the conversation will be quick.”
“Yes?”
At that moment, something rose from the Count’s white hand.
It looked like a black pebble, but there was an eye drawn in the center. So, it was a peculiar gem with a unique taste. Hesitantly, Anna approached the gem extended to her.
The Count was still smiling as he urged her to take it. However, unable to comfortably view that smile, Anna swallowed nervously.
Unable to feign ignorance of the Count’s gift, Anna eventually reached out her hand with great effort. Eventually, the gem was placed in her hand.
“I-Is this…?”
“A communication device that can reach me directly.”
“H-How can you give such a precious thing to me?”
Anna’s eyes welled up with tears.
Her tightly tied light brown hair stood up one by one. That’s how eerie she felt.
The magical tools were indeed expensive. Something so precious that a maid’s salary couldn’t afford in a lifetime was casually handed to her.
Moreover, the so-called ‘communication device’ she held in her hand was ominously black and very cold. Seeing Anna’s confusion, the Count softened his smile and reassured her.
“I’m sorry if I was too harsh on you earlier. I don’t want to burden you. I simply hope that you’ll continue to assist the Countess.”
“?”
As Anna hesitated, she looked down at the communication device in her hand.
It seemed somewhat cute like a small button…
Observing Anna, who was wavering in her thoughts at Evan’s words, he gently continued.
“My wife might fall ill frequently like this. It’s important not to engage in risky behavior beforehand. Now that you’ve become the chief maid of the Countess, I trust you’ll perform your duties well.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Don’t worry about it too much. It’s a sort of reward, isn’t it? You want to continue working by the Countess’s side, don’t you?”
“Yes!”
Anna’s eyes sparkled.
After her response, Evan chuckled faintly and once again brushed aside his wife’s hair. Turning his gaze to her pale face, he spoke gently.
“If something big happens to the Countess, report it to me. Of course, without her knowing. She’s quite stubborn about these things.”
“Are you suggesting deceiving the Countess?”
“You catch on quickly.”
With a slight tilt of his head towards Anna, Evan casually spoke. “I’m determined to do whatever it takes to protect Yuliana Orbon. I thought you’d agree with my methods.”
Of course, this event was also quite shocking for Anna. The Countess, who had been bedridden for a month, often babbling nonsense, seemed completely out of character, despite her usual antics being a bit extreme.
“I-I will.”
After contemplating for a moment, Anna nodded her head. Seeing her resolve, Evan smiled slyly. Then, as his face turned serious, he said, “Go ahead.”
And in that moment, Anna realized.
Unlike the diamond necklace the Countess had casually handed over as a joke, this was something she had to take seriously. If the Countess were to be harmed again due to her mistake, the Count would not forgive her.
So, this was a bribe that had to be accepted and guaranteed success. Anna solemnly bowed her head and quietly left the room.
And time passed like flowing water.
On the day marking two months since her awakening to her past life, she, who had participated in the divination contest for the first time and even fallen off, forgot a whole month. She was lying on her pillow, sadness evident on her face.
“Darn it…”
“Um, excuse me! Countess, how can you use such vulgar language?”
Upon hearing the news of the Countess’s recovery, Empress Erena immediately sent an invitation to the palace ball. Anna, who was busy arranging dresses, was startled by the words that reached her ears.
Turning around, she saw Yuliana rubbing her cheek against the pillow, looking annoyed.
“What did you say? You know all the creative curses when you’re doing laundry alone, don’t you?”
“How did you know?”
Anna was surprised by her words. Watching Anna’s reaction, Yuliana chuckled and said teasingly,
“You really do curse a lot. It means you look like a hamster.”
“Wh-who said I look like a hamster? Wait… what’s a hamster anyway?”
Anna’s hands stopped arranging the dress, and she became indignant.
Being stuck together for eleven months had blurred the lines between maid and employer, leading them to play pranks on each other.
After a moment of contemplation, Yuliana chuckled and said to Anna,
“It’s nothing serious. It means a pet mouse.”
“A…a mouse?! You’re saying I look like a mouse? Countess, your words are too harsh. Didn’t I tell you about my hometown? At my hometown farm, I always had to kill those damn mice that kept eating the crops every morning. Knowing such sad circumstances, how could you…”
“It’s just family reminiscing.”
“Co-Countess!”
Anna pursed her lips. Ignoring Anna’s obvious annoyance, Yuliana wriggled her foot.
“Ouch!”
Seeing Anna’s discomfort, Yuliana slyly glanced around and said,
“Why are you like this?”
“Do you really mean I was bedridden for a month?”
“It seems like you don’t remember. Look! The tedious winter of the empire is ending, isn’t it?”
“I hate spring the most.”
“I love spring the most.”
“You never give in, do you? About the hamster topic…”
“Oh my!”
Anna’s cheeks puffed up as if she had filled them with sunflower seeds.
“Why on earth do you hate spring? You’ve been in a mood since this morning.”
“Because that’s when the heroine appears.”
“…What?”
Turning around from arranging winter dresses and looking surprised, Anna asked.
While marveling at Anna’s efficiency, Yuliana murmured sadly,
“…I don’t know. It’s ruined. I might end up entering the original story. My extra flower path… My path to the abbey is all ruined…”
“Today, you seem to be in a bad mood. Should I call a therapist?”
“Humph! How dare you say such rude things to a noble lady.”
Yuliana snapped angrily, then slumped onto the bed with a sniffle.
“…No, it’s nothing. Alright, fine. It’s all my fault. It’s because that handsome Count got me with his pretty words, saying I’m the most beautiful in the world with his handsome and pretty mouth… It’s natural for me to be pretty, you know. But why do I lose my mind whenever my husband is called handsome?”
