The Obsessive Maniac Is Trying To Confine Me - Chapter 36
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Episode 36
I headed to the basement where Rihardt was, carrying his meal.
“You’re late.”
Rihardt, who was leaning against the wall as always, called out to me.
He who always smiled gently and put on airs somehow looked sulky.
“…Am I late?”
“Yes, you are late.”
Incomprehensibly, he had a disappointed expression.
‘I did come later than usual…’
It was partly because the Head Maid had given me work, but I also had to keep watching in case Lena might touch the Blue Diamond.
‘Lena didn’t steal anything.’
Of course, since I was constantly watching, she absolutely couldn’t have touched Arzen’s belongings.
“Were you hungry?”
That man was also confined and couldn’t even eat, so he might have felt miserable.
I felt brief sympathy for Rihardt. But then Rihardt’s brow furrowed.
He seemed somewhat irritated.
‘Well, hunger does make one edgy.’
“I wasn’t that starved. It’s just.”
A smile crossed his beautiful face.
“I missed you so much it was difficult, Miss Maid.”
“…”
…I almost got seduced again. His face really is disgustingly handsome.
“…You can suffer more then.”
“If you always speak so sharply, I think I’ll develop new tastes.”
What a horrible thing to say.
“…But, Miss Maid.”
He suddenly reached out and caught my wrist.
“Why so suddenly…”
“You’re injured.”
It was a very small wound, but Rihardt’s eyebrows twitched upon discovering it.
I don’t even know when I got hurt while working.
“A maid getting hurt while working is common enough.”
“What kind of work do you do, Miss Maid?”
“Just moving luxury goods that were going to Count Evantes…”
Rihardt didn’t look pleased.
Indeed, bringing up anything related to Arzen in front of him made him uncomfortable.
“Luxury goods?”
His questioning voice was calm, but Rihardt’s gaze remained on my hand, not my face.
…Come to think of it, when is he going to let go of this hand?
“As I recall, Miss Maid used to do other work like peeling potatoes or carrying meals.”
“I did do other work originally. The Head Maid assigned me this just this once due to lack of personnel.”
“So the Head Maid made you get hurt then?”
Does getting hurt while working count as that…?
Rihardt smiled an unreadable smile.
“Head Maid, I should remember that.”
“…?”
Why would you remember the Head Maid?
When I raised my eyebrows, Rihardt let out a low laugh and released my hand.
“Be careful, Miss Maid.”
“I should be careful not to get hurt.”
“That too, but there seem to be many people meddling unnecessarily these days.”
“…”
His tone was smooth, but his gaze remained sharp as ever.
“There must be a hierarchy on that side too, so it’s strange to use a maid who was peeling potatoes until recently for moving luxury goods.”
“That could happen. A servant might be needed by chance…”
“When coincidences repeat.”
He tilted his head and smiled.
“Then you don’t call it coincidence.”
His words had a piercing quality to them.
“Isn’t that right, Miss Maid, mmph…”
Before he could continue speaking, I shoved a candy into his mouth.
Meaning he should stop talking.
“It’s delicious, eat it.”
“…”
I was already suspecting the same thing myself.
I didn’t particularly want to hear it from Rihardt’s mouth, and I didn’t like him getting involved in my affairs.
“It’s sweet, Miss Maid.”
“Because it’s candy.”
“Sweet like Miss Maid.”
“…”
Please shut that mouth of yours.
* * *
Today was the last day of moving luxury goods.
I had spent these past few days constantly hovering around Lena, watching her.
“You carry this box.”
The box Lena pointed to with her chin was a double-sealed oak box.
With metal decorations added to it, it definitely looked too heavy for one person to carry.
“This… me?”
I looked at Lena as if bewildered. Then she let out a sneer.
“Since you did menial work, you must have carried a lot of luggage. You’ll do well, Roji.”
“…”
“I’ll move the jewelry here to the Treasure Room.”
The Treasure Room, or treasure chamber.
It was a place where Arzen’s rare and expensive treasures were displayed.
In the original work, it was written that hundreds and thousands of treasures were placed inside.
As a commoner, it was a room beyond my imagination.
But the problem was…
Right now, a blue sapphire ring was displayed in that room.
…The one Lena had been eyeing.
“Roji, you take that down to the Lower Storehouse.”
Could she be trying to steal the ring now?
“No way. I can’t carry this box alone. We need to carry it together. And the rule is that two people enter the Treasure Room together.”
It was a rule established to prevent theft. So they could monitor each other.
So if Lena stole the ring, I could also get in trouble for failing to properly supervise.
“Didn’t you hear the Head Maid tell you to do as I say?”
“Oh? There’s the Butler passing by. Should I ask him how to handle this?”
Then Lena’s face openly contorted.
But what could I do.
Enduring Lena’s irritation was a hundred times better than having my head fly off from Arzen’s ice-cold blade.
In the end, Lena moved the boxes to the lower storehouse with me.
And so all the work was finished.
Now for a while, no more jewelry that Arzen had purchased would be coming in.
“…What kind of thing is all that?”
Lena muttered irritably as she left.
She still seemed to be eyeing them, but once today passed, it wouldn’t be my concern anymore.
Now that the jewelry moving work was done, it would be difficult to approach.
Even if Lena stole something and ran away, my job was finished as of today.
I should return to my original work….
That was also unsettling, but anyway, I had prevented the worst incident that could happen immediately.
…But why do I feel uneasy?
* * *
What kind of thing is all that?
Thinking of Roji made her angry again.
“Lena, haven’t you done it yet?”
When the work was finished, the head maid who had subtly approached sent a reproachful look.
“That girl Roji wouldn’t leave my side at all, so there was nothing I could do!”
Lena made excuses, but the head maid’s gaze was cold.
‘How annoying! What the hell is this!’
A while ago, the head maid had given her compensation and assigned her a ‘special task.’
It was something that happened occasionally.
Sometimes the head maid would assign ‘secret tasks,’ and Lena would do exactly as she was told without asking anything. When successful, she was given rewards as sweet as honey.
“Lena, the head butler will be away from his post soon. Steal the key then and enter the treasure room.”
The head maid subtly instructed her on a new method.
“Can you do it?”
Her gaze looked at her like she was viewing a dull beast. Lena’s pride was hurt.
“I can do it, Head Maid.”
It wasn’t that she had failed due to her own incompetence. It was because that clueless girl Roji had been following her around all day.
After parting with the head maid, Lena waited for the opportunity when the butler would be away from his post.
And a short while later, Lena succeeded in stealing the key and entering the treasure room.
‘Got it!’
She had stolen the ‘Blue Diamond’ that the Count treasured.
Having completed her task, Lena ate her meal more joyfully than ever and returned to her quarters.
Poor Roji.
Since Roji was pretty, even her crying face would be pretty.
Lena waited for dawn to break and the trouble to erupt.
And so the next day, trouble erupted just as Lena had expected.
“Roji! How dare you steal the Count’s jewel?”
* * *
It was when I was bringing Rihardt’s breakfast as usual.
But I heard the head maid’s voice filled with anger.
“Roji! Where is that wench!”
“Uh, huh?”
At the booming sound, I, who had been dozing off beside Rihardt as he ate, woke up startled.
As I jerked my head up as if bouncing up, I lost my balance and nearly fell backward, but Rihardt caught me as a bonus.
“How dare you steal the Count’s jewel!”
Her voice was so loud that the sound reached painfully to the basement.
“Miss Maid, did you steal a jewel?”
“Are you crazy?”
“As you know, stealing a noble’s belongings is a serious crime.”
This person, really.
“Miss Maid will go to prison. How pitiful.”
“….”
“Your delicate body won’t be able to endure the torture.”
Rihardt looked at me as if he felt sorry for me.
“Still no thoughts of running away with me?”
“Wow, you’re insane.”
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————