Translator: Nox

Chapter 50

50

50. The Baron Family's Secret Maid (3)

Moonlight spilled down that night, and the manor fell into chaos.

A scream shattered the midnight stillness. Sharp and stained with tears, it reached the Separate Residence and even the servants in the distant main house. Soon, the maid who first arrived at the source of the commotion screamed, and other servants quickly gathered.

‘Oh, my God!’

‘Is that Christopher? Is that really Christopher?’

‘Aah! Someone, help me!’

Screams of horror and hurried footsteps filled the air. It was a dark, deserted night. The ground behind the Separate Residence was soaked with blood, and small droplets splattered against the walls. The red blood, evoking a gruesome scene, trailed around the corner and towards the front of the building. At the end of that trail, the youngest son of the Christopher family lay bleeding. It was clear to anyone that he had been harmed by another. The servants who realized this fell into confusion. Who dared to do this to him?

The butler immediately took charge. Isabella ordered everyone to leave except for a few servants. The servants glanced at Lucas, who lay as if dead, and returned to their posts. They were all preoccupied with whispering about who could have done this to him.

Amidst the commotion, I was holed up in my room.

I hid my tear-streaked face between my knees, curling up as small as possible. I stared at the firmly closed door, my nerves on edge. It felt as if someone would burst through the door and swing a knife at me. Even though I had locked the door, such thoughts dominated my mind.

I’m scared.

I spent the whole night alone, trembling, before finally falling into a fitful sleep.

My body floated in the sky. The sensation of floating was pleasant. I didn’t want to go down again. If I drifted aimlessly like this, wouldn’t I eventually reach somewhere? Even if I didn’t, it didn’t matter. I wanted to disappear like this.

‘It’s okay, Sister. I’m okay.’

A beautiful face smiled kindly. I wanted to capture that image in my eyes, but my vision kept blurring, making it difficult. That was all I could do, but I couldn’t even do that.

‘Don’t do anything. That’s what you need to do.’

A blatant sneer pierced me. I remained silent at those words because I thought so too.

‘Then think about it. This isn’t the place to have vain dreams.’

I know. I know that very well. Stop it. Don’t do this. Even if you don’t say it, I can’t do anything. Please, leave me alone.

‘You will never forget this moment.’

A gentle voice reached me. Lucas came to mind. The man who looked at me in the darkness, the man who confessed he liked me. He always smiled kindly at me. Even then, he smiled at me. No, that’s not right. I didn’t see his face at that moment. I turned away from what might have been his last moment.

The darkness receded, and his fully revealed face was contorted in pain. He tried weakly to capture me in his eyes. A single tear streamed down the corner of his eye. His rough, dry lips parted urgently.

‘Run, away!’

At that moment, my eyes snapped open.

I quickly scanned my surroundings. It was quiet. I strained my ears, but I couldn’t sense anything. It’s okay here. It’s just me. There’s no one else. Only then did I exhale and slump my shoulders.

Knock, knock.

Then, I heard a knock on the door.

I flinched. I pulled the sheet over myself and huddled as far into the corner as possible, watching the door warily.

When there was no answer, the doorknob rattled. It seemed they realized the door was locked, and the sound stopped.

However, a moment later, the door opened with a click. Someone entered through the slightly open door. I watched them without taking my eyes off them.

The door closed with a thud. Feeling around, Vincent slowly approached me. Vincent groped around as if looking for me.

As soon as I saw Vincent’s face, I crawled out from under the bed and ran to him.

I grabbed the arm that was groping in the air and clung to it. With my other hand, I turned him by his chest. Startled emerald eyes fixed on me.

“Lu, Lucas, Lucas!”

I stammered out the unfinished words. His surprised expression gradually subsided. I anxiously scanned his lips.

“He’s alive.”

As soon as I heard those words, my legs gave way. Vincent bent down with me as I collapsed. He asked if I was okay, but my mind was filled with only one thought, so I couldn’t even answer.

He’s alive. He’s alive. Lucas is alive… The tears I had been desperately holding back burst out again. I clung tightly to his sleeve and sobbed.

Vincent’s hand groped my face. Feeling the wetness that soaked his hand, he hugged me.

“Don’t cry.”

Then he patted my back.

“It’ll be okay.”

“I, I thought he was going to die. I thought he was going to die like that, sob. The wound, the wound was so severe. He bled, he bled, he bled so much. Hic.”

The hand that had been patting my back stopped abruptly. He quickly pulled me away from him.

“What are you talking about? Wait… Was it you who screamed?”

“Yes.”

I answered, wiping away the tears that streamed down my face. The events of last night came to mind. I was so scared, so terrified, and so worried about Lucas that I ended up screaming. I desperately hoped that someone would hear my scream and come to save him.

“What?”

His emerald eyes widened. His gaze flickered for a moment, then he grabbed my arms tightly.

“The attacker? Did you see them?”

“No. I didn’t see them. I ran away before I could see them…”

“Did they see you?”

“I, I don’t know. I was in the moonlight, so they might have seen me…”

As I spoke hesitantly, his face became even more serious. The hand holding my arm tightened. I frowned at the painfully constricting grip, and he lowered his head.

Just as I was trying to listen carefully to what he was muttering, the door burst open. I was startled and looked towards the door.

It was Ethan.

Ethan, who had been looking around the room, spotted us and hurried over. Vincent’s gaze turned to Ethan. Ethan grabbed Vincent’s collar and roughly pulled him up.

I jumped up from my spot and anxiously watched the two of them.

“Vincent. Tell me now.”

“……”

“Tell me the truth.”

Ethan’s face twisted. He was so different from his usual mischievous and lighthearted self. His clothes were disheveled as if he had been running, and his breathing was ragged.

He was trembling with anxiety. His complexion was pale, and his eyes were red.

However, Vincent was not flustered by his sudden actions. He looked at Ethan with a calm expression.

“Did James, did your brother do this to you?”

Vincent answered Ethan’s question a beat late.

“…Yes.”

“Was he targeting you from the start?”

“No. Lucas was who he was targeting.”

“Why?”

“Because Lucas found out James’s secret. It was a secret that shouldn’t have been known. So he threatened Lucas. But he must have still been uneasy. Even if he promised to keep his mouth shut, he would have been a thorn in his side.”

“So, you’re saying James was the one who did that to Lucas?”

I looked at Ethan in surprise, then back at Vincent. He pursed his lips with a troubled expression, as if he had foreseen all of this long ago.

“Yes.”

Ethan gritted his teeth. The hand holding Vincent’s collar trembled. Then he let go of his collar and buried his face in his hands. A face mixed with sorrow and confusion was hidden by his hands.

“…Was he also the one who killed my father?”

A choked question flowed out once more. This time, the silence was long. Soon, Vincent closed his eyes and uttered a heavy answer.

“Yes. Lucas witnessed it.”

“……”

“That’s the secret James was trying to hide.”

Ethan immediately turned around. Noticing this, Vincent reached out his hand. Vincent, who barely managed to stop him, quickly continued.

“Ethan! Please understand Lucas’s feelings.”

Ethan didn’t turn around. He didn’t say anything.

“Lucas couldn’t tell you because he was worried about you.”

“Why.”

“Because you’re both precious brothers to him. You and James.”

“What about you.”

“I didn’t want you to kill your brother.”

“……”

“Lucas and I were worried about that. Because you loved your father very much.”

Ha, Ethan let out a hollow breath and shook off Vincent’s hand. Vincent, who was hurriedly following Ethan as he left the room, tripped over a table and fell. I immediately ran to Vincent and asked if he was okay. His gaze was following the sound of his friend who had left in vain.

He groped my hand that was holding him.

“Follow him. Go and stop him. Tell him not to do it.”

“Do what.”

“Everything. Everything.”

Vincent urged me. I hurriedly left the room and looked around the hallway. Ethan was already walking towards the end of the hallway.

I ran and grabbed him. A face filled with confusion turned to look at me.

“Please don’t do it.”

“……”

“Please don’t do it.”

“Do what.”

“Everything. Everything.”

“It’s impossible.”

Ethan smiled bitterly. His brown eyes were wet with tears.

“Miss Maid. I didn’t come here to get permission. I just wanted to gain certainty. But in fact, I already knew. But I turned a blind eye, saying it couldn’t be true. This is the result.”

“Please don’t do it anyway.”

“He tried to kill Lucas. My own flesh and blood.”

“……”

“Next, it’ll be me. Or Vincent.”

At those words, the hand holding him slipped down. Ethan erased his sorrow. His face, devoid of any wavering, was frighteningly calm.

“Please tell Vincent. I’m sorry.”

“……”

Ethan turned around. This time, I couldn’t stop him. There was no need to put into words what Ethan was thinking, how firm his resolve was, as he blamed himself for what had happened while he hesitated.

Watching his receding figure, I lowered my head.

When I returned to the room, Vincent, who sensed my presence, immediately turned his head. In response to his gaze asking what happened, I replaced my answer with a hollow laugh.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. You don’t need to apologize.”

Vincent shook his head. But he couldn’t hide the fact that he was drained.

I approached him, who was groping around, and supported him. Vincent grabbed my hand.

“Pack your bags right away.”

“Yes?”

“I’m thinking of sending you somewhere else.”

I widened my eyes.

“Why, why? Did I do something wrong? Is it because I couldn’t stop Ethan?”

“No.”

“Then why…”

“Because you’re in danger.”

He turned his body while holding my hand. He faced me and spoke calmly.

“He must have known that you were at the scene where Lucas was attacked. It might be okay for now, but eventually, James will find out about your existence. He won’t leave you alone. Because you’re the only witness.”

“……”

“There’s a villa in Nouvelle that belongs to our family. I’m going to send you there. Go there and rest for a while. After the situation is sorted out, I’ll call you back when I think it’s safe.”

“I don’t want to.”

“……”

“I don’t want to.”

I shook my head and took a step back. When I tried to pull my hand away, he held it even tighter. The distance widened, but only the hand that was held was still touching him.

“Please don’t abandon me.”