Then, I wish you good luck (7)
There were three people in the large room.
Claire, Ryan and Beth.
While Beth helped Claire get dressed, Claire said, “Beth, you look well.” Claire felt it had been a while since Beth was with her.
“Is that so?” Beth had replied with a smile.
“I felt it had been a while since I last saw you. I’m so happy.”
“Really?”
“Of course.”
Beth blushed in response.
Beth hummed while she combed and styled Claire’s hair. When she finished, Claire’s hair fluttered like a golden waterfall.
Claire appeared to be in high spirits while being with Beth.
Dana had sent over new dresses as the days had grown warmer in the summer. One of the dresses had white frills with blue cloth. It gave off a refreshing vibe.
Meanwhile, Ryan stared at them while he ate a madeleine on Claire’s bed.
Without even looking, Beth chided, “Ryan, stop eating in bed. The crumbs are getting everywhere.”
“Claire hasn’t said anything, so why are you complaining?”
Ryan disregarded Beth’s scolding and gleefully rolled back and forth on the bed. Claire laughed while Beth worried about Ryan’s manners.
‘I was concerned about Claire’s timidity, but his personality is much worse.’
Sure, he spoke more, but each word he said was offensive. Still, it looked like he was close with Claire, despite being rude.
Beth felt troubled on how to correct his personality.
Will everything be okay?
Even so, no matter how devious Ryan became, he would never hurt them. ‘Just like the original story’, Beth thought.
An important matter Beth needed to consider was when to send Ryan. Originally, she was going to send him whenever, but now Claire had become closer to Ryan than what Beth expected. Plus, her responsibilities at the mansion had increased leaving little time for anything else.
After she was dressed, Claire moved from the chair to her bed and looked at Ryan. She wanted to play with him outside but struggled to ask. Ryan felt Claire’s silent stare. In frustration, he cried out, “Hey! Say it already…!”
His sudden outburst startled Claire. When he saw this, he paused. Then he cleared his throat. “Te, tell me quickly.”
‘Wow.’ Beth’s eyebrow twitched when she saw Ryan being so patient with Claire. She laughed at his obvious bias towards the young girl.
“Beth.”
At some point Kedrick arrived without knocking and called Beth.
“Yes.”
“Madam is leaving the mansion today.”
“I see.”
“You don’t want to go?” Kedrick’s tone carried the thought of, ‘I think it’s going to be fun. Why don’t you go see it?’
Beth nodded.
“This will be the last time, so I’ll have to say goodbye.”
Beth displayed a desire to go as well since she wouldn’t want to miss out on such an interesting sight. Meanwhile, Kedrick handed the candy in his pocket to Claire and Ryan while he told them to wait. Then, Kedrick and Beth left the room and climbed down several flights of stairs. The closer they drew to the Countess’ carriage, the noisier it became.
Feeling everyone’s eyes were on her, Beth slowly approached the carriage with her head bowed. Her expression was somber and enviable. Occasionally, Kedrick patted Beth and whispered, audible only to each other.
“I was aware, but I’m great at acting.”
“You’re being noisy, Kedrick.”
Overshadowed by the handsome man beside her, Beth’s wretched appearance was further highlighted.
Though she felt fine, others viewed Beth as pitiful due to rumors of her being abused by the Countess. Cheap sympathy didn’t resolve the issue, but nothing was as effective to villainize someone. It doesn’t cost a dime to spread gossip.
Some men tried to flirt with Beth but couldn’t as Kedrick stood close by.
She watched as the Countess loaded her luggage into the carriage. Disgruntled, the Countess had been exhausted for many days. She herself had begun to question her own logic when the maids were punished due to them causing the Countess to seem insane.
Was it really not true? Maybe she had forgotten? She doubted herself.
Every time the Countess would do something, she would double check each thing one by one. Then, she rechecked it again. And again. Ten times she did this for thirty minutes. Rumored as the pitiful lord, the Count was troubled by his wife’s actions. In the end, unable to trust the Countess, he admitted to her madness.
I was so blinded by love.
At first, the Countess blamed Jenny, who she fired due to the letters sent to her previous maids. She claimed this was Jenny’s plan to get back at her. The Countess tried to prove her theory by having Jenny confess. The Countess searched high and low for Jenny, but she had disappeared to God knows where. She spent a ridiculous amount of time hunting for Jenny to no avail.
In the end, the Countess still was viewed as a lunatic.
Her long-time maids silently dressed the Countess. They hoped her appearance remained neat on her journey.
The Count announced the Countess will visit a serene location with clean air to help calm her mind and body. But everyone knew. They knew the Countess would never return.
No one looked at the Countess with concerned eyes. Instead, their gazes were filled with relief, especially those who had been employed for many years. ‘I knew it would be like this.’
Meanwhile, the Countess had made excuses not only to her personal maid but also to other staff members who were displeased with her. The staff simply thought they could put up with it. However, it was not the same for the Countess’ personal maids. The maids couldn’t handle the abuse and so would quit one by one.
The mansion’s personnel viewed the removal of the Countess as ill-fated. Consequently, when the rumors were blown out of proportion and the confessions of the six maids were blended with half-truths, no one spoke up. Beth’s maltreatment also played a part. Despite her being in pain, she was unable to leave the mansion.
All the employees at the mansion were, in a way, accomplices. They all aided in the expulsion of the Countess.
“Beth.”
A maid with a sad expression approached Beth. Beth smiled bitterly at the maid.
“Chief Maid.”
“Oh my God, Beth… Look at you. Is it okay to come out like this?”
This maid had always been honorable even when she served Claire. Yet, when she became the personal maid of the Countess, she looked so weak.
Filled with regret, the maid touched Beth’s fluffy hair.
Beth replied with a slight smile.
“It’s okay. I just wished no one else got hurt.”
She said kind words that were not placed in her heart.
Troubled, Beth asked cautiously,
“May… May I say goodbye to the Madam?”
“Is that okay?”
“I was the last maid to serve her.”
The maid looked at Beth. Such a young and kind-hearted woman. Her eyes turned red. Why did God give a good child a hard time? The chief maid carefully led Beth to the Countess. The Countess had a vacant look on her face.
When Beth approached the Countess, she respectfully greeted her. “Hello. Madam, this is Beth.”
“Okay….”
The vicious woman from the past was gone. All that was left was a blank face. Beth grabbed the Countess’ hand and smiled.
“Madam…”
She whispered low enough only to be heard by the Countess.
“You really don’t have to memorize everything, right?”
It was a tone of ridicule.
“…..!!!!”
The Countess’ blank face turned red. The anger and resentment in her heart was re-ignited.
“You !!!”
The Countess’ eyes, no longer out of focus, glared at Beth with anger.
“You were the one who betrayed me!!!!”
Smack!!!!!!
The sound of flesh being struck echoed. Beth fell to the ground. Her right cheek stung. Beth remained on the ground and gently covered her right cheek. The employees sharply inhaled.
The Countess roared.
“It’s her! Her! She made me like this!!! The mansion’s witch!!! You’re going to ruin this mansion!!!!”
The Countess squeezed her head, screamed, then disappeared.
“Quickly! Bring the Madam to the carriage.”
The butler who had witnessed the previous scene ordered the soldiers to force the Countess into the carriage. Once inside, she continued to shout. The butler shook his head and said it was a blessing the Count did not send her off.
———
“Sleep.”
Kedrick reached out to Beth.
Beth stared at his hand. Without a word, she grabbed it and was pulled to her feet. Kedrick was no longer surprised when she held his hand.
He naturally brushed away Beth’s disheveled hair.
Beth remained indifferent.
Then, I wish you good luck,
In the future.
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