KFBRV - Chapter 86

'But... there's just one thing that's bothering me.'

“I don’t understand. Paula went straight from the ball to the annex, so how did she get her hands on the keys that were in my pocket?”

Yeah, that's the problem.

'How could she have touched the key to the dungeon in his coat when he had never been in the same space as Paula?'

Odette pretended to be cautious and opened her mouth.

“Father, I’m afraid I have to be careful about what I say, but I don’t think Paula did it alone. She seemed to have an accomplice. Because someone was waiting for her at the entrance to the dungeon in the annex.”

"What?"

“Her name is-”

Everyone in the room had a hardened expression at the name she blurted out.

***

The person who found Paula was the housekeeper, Courtney. As the Countess's person, she worked closest to Paula. This means that it was easier for her to predict her behavior patterns than the other servants.

'Whenever she got scared, she would always hide in Madam's dressing room.'

As expected, Paula, who had been hiding in the corner of the dressing room, screamed as soon as she saw Courtney's face.

“I, I didn’t do that! I didn’t do anything!”

Saying something like that without mentioning anything is no different from a confession.

“Come out!”

Courtney grabbed Paula's wrist tightly and dragged her out of the dressing room.

“Let go, let go!”

The Countess keeps coming and coming and coming, so she must be acting out of line. Courtney ordered her maids.

“I found Paula! Take her to the office now!”

The maids dragged Paula away in unison. Courtney sighed in relief and followed her to the office.

'Still, I'm glad I found her.'

It had been a long time since the Count had been this angry. Today's events must have put both the Countess's maid Paula and the head maid Dolly under severe pressure.

Courtney thought she had probably been caught too, so she decided to find Paula to redeem herself from the Count's displeasure.

'With this incident, Madam will become nothing more than a scarecrow in this mansion.'

Courtney didn't want to give up her job as a housekeeper.

She had been loyal to the Countess since she had the authority to manage the housekeeper, but from now on, she had to look after the Count, not her.

'It's good because I wanted to make a contribution anyway.'

“I didn’t touch you, young lady! I never hit you!”

Paula was dragged to the office, screaming.

“How could you believe the coachman’s words and treat me like this- Aaah! You, you’re alive?!”

As soon as she found Odette kneeling in the office, she started the match.

The Count frowned and sent away all the low-ranking maids who had brought in Paula.

“Courtney and Paula remain, and you all go back. This is a solemn gathering for only the high-ranking servants.”

Paula has already done something crazy. So who knows when she will do something crazy again? That's why she seems to have only kept the upper-level employees.

If Paula were in danger of death and possessed by evil, she might spill the secrets.

The Count spoke to Paula in a chewing tone.

“Truly, you are just like your master. Especially when it comes to telling stupid lies.”

“Master, Master.”

“I left you alone because Sasha liked you, and now this is what happened. You tried to kill Odette, and you even touched my slave, Karl. You deserve to be killed.”

The Count gestured to Ferdinand with a murderous look on his face.

“She is the woman who knows our family’s greatest secret. So cut off her head with your own hands, Ferdinand.”

“Yes, Father.”

Paula looked around with a dumbfounded expression.

“Ah, the young lady is alive, so why should my head be cut off- Gyaak!”

But when Ferdinand actually swung his sword, Paula closed her mouth with a bloodless face.

'Yeah. You really tried to kill me.'

It was then that there was a commotion outside, and a woman came running in.

“Oh, no!”

Sasha was a mess, having shaken off the servants. She ran in and hugged Paula.

“Oh, no! Honey, no. Please, no Paula. Paula! Quickly apologize.”

Paula dodged the knife diligently, but in the process, she received a rather deep cut on her shoulder. Her face was shocked when she saw the blood.

Since entering this mansion, Paula has not been scolded even by the Count under Sasha's protection.

She always believed that even if all the other maids were like flies, she alone would not be like that.

Paula immediately knelt on the floor.

“I... I was wrong. I disobeyed your orders and laid a hand on Miss Odette. I felt that if I missed today, I would never have another chance like this...”

“Yeah. That’s why you even touched Karl. Without even knowing the topic.”

"Yes?"

“How dare you, a lowly person like you, dare to release Karl?”

Paula blinked with a 'What are you talking about?' expression.

“When I think about having nightmares again because of you, I feel like cutting off your head and that of your master, Sasha, right here and now.”

“Karl is free? What are you talking about? That’s not me. Seriously-”

“Seriously, this is so annoying. I clearly found your hairpin there, and you’re evading it again?”

The Count chuckled and threw the hairpin with her name engraved on it into Paula's face.

Paula, her face scratched and bleeding, had a dazed expression.

“Why is this-”

The Count, who was disgusted by the sight of that smoke, grabbed his rifle and aimed it at Paula.

“Is killing you the only way to shut you up?”

As if he was going to shoot Paula right away if she made even one more excuse.

But this time, Paula, who felt truly wronged, continued to shake her head.

'No, really. I mean, really not!'

Then the Count put his finger on the trigger. Instead of Paula squeezing her eyes shut, the Countess screamed.

“Don’t touch Paula! Don’t touch Paula!”

Sasha trembled and hugged Paula tightly as if she was willing to die in the maid's place, with a gesture that was almost madness.

“Paula, no! Absolutely not!”

“Tsk.”

When he could no longer shoot Paula, the Count clicked his tongue, lowered his gun, and motioned to Ferdinand.

“Let’s deal with the accomplice first. Rolf, subdue the accomplice’s body.”

It was at that moment. Rolf instantly grabbed Courtney's arm as she watched the situation.

“Butler, why are you doing that?”

“Dolly. Search the housekeeper’s body. If Odette’s testimony is correct, you’ll find the key.”

“Huh? What is that-”

But Dolly's hands were quicker. From her apron pocket came a key that Courtney had never seen before, with a clank.

“Why, why is this-”

“Ha, so this confirms that Paula and Courtney did this together.”

“I, I don’t know anything about this-”

“I’m sick of this. Ferdinand shut that housekeeper’s mouth right now.”

At the same time, Ferdinand's knife grazed the housekeeper's mouth without giving her time to scream.

Then as if he had prepared in advance, Rolf put a thick white cloth in her mouth. The cries that came late were buried in the cloth.

“Now, when I hear them say, ‘No, I don’t know,’ it gives me a headache.”

“Hipp.”

Paula hiccupped as if she was sobbing under his cruel hands. The Countess hugged Paula tighter and said.

“I don’t know what happened, but Paula and Courtney, the two of you, are conspiring? Paula is a maid. A housekeeper is the one with power in this house. Courtney must have been in charge. So just kill that woman and spare Paula.”

While everyone's attention was focused on the Countess, no one was paying attention to Courtney, who was shedding tears.

Except Odette.

***

“Her name is Courtney. Judging from the fact that she was waiting before Paula, she must be the one who stole the keys from the mansion.”

The purpose of today's work was to catch Courtney.

Of all the people Odette had to take revenge on, the one who had tormented her in the most sinister way was thr housekeeper.

'It was Courtney who cut out my tongue in my last life.'

Her father gave the order, but it was Courtney who cut her tongue out with a knife. It was she who stuffed a dirty napkin in her mouth to muffle her screams.

'When you feel wronged but your tongue is cut off and you can't express your grievance in any way, the frustration is indescribable.'

Still, Odette was merciful.

Ferdinand is more skilled at using a knife than Courtney, so he'd be done with it in one go, right?

'Unlike me, who had to continue feeling that pain because of your immature skills.'

Previous                Next

Support Novellate!