The Obsessive Maniac Is Trying To Confine Me - Chapter 42

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 42

The news that I had become a personal maid spread quietly, and everyone looked at me with pity.

“Roji, stay strong.”

“Roji is smart, so she’ll do well.”

The maids around me quietly offered words of comfort.

I couldn’t bring myself to say thank you, so I smiled awkwardly when the housekeeper appeared.

The maids flinched and stepped back.

Since the housekeeper disliked me, they were worried they might get caught in the crossfire.

“Roji, do you have a moment?”

However, contrary to the maids’ expectations, the housekeeper called me gently.

I could see the corners of the housekeeper’s mouth trembling slightly, making me feel sorry for her.

“Of course, Housekeeper.”

The maids looked puzzled at the suddenly improved relationship between the housekeeper and me, but I waved at them and followed the housekeeper.

* * *

When we arrived at a secluded corner of the manor, the housekeeper urgently spoke up.

“Roji, if I really give you this, you’ll… keep that secret, right?”

“You mean the embezzlement ledger?”

The housekeeper seemed flustered by my direct statement and bit her lips.

“I don’t lie about things like this.”

“…Yes, thank you.”

The housekeeper handed me a map with trembling hands.

It was none other than a map showing the location of a place to create fake identities.

Lena’s revelation wasn’t just about the embezzlement ledger.

【In case the ledger or her son’s affairs get exposed, she even prepared forged identities.】

【The housekeeper is already preparing to flee far away.】

As soon as I heard those words from Lena, I became interested. I was already wondering how to live outside the manor while avoiding the transcendents’ eyes.

【Roji… I told you everything, so you have to help me too. You understand, right?】

Lena earnestly pleaded as if demanding repayment, but unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen.

She had tried to use me as a scapegoat for her own greed. So what happened to Lena was her own doing.

“Thank you, Housekeeper.”

I had promised the housekeeper to pretend I didn’t know about the embezzlement ledger in exchange for information about where to create forged identities.

It was an amicable agreement.

“…Don’t mention it. It’s nothing much.”

“But now that I think about it, how can I trust you, Housekeeper?”

“…What do you mean by that?”

She widened her eyes as if flustered.

“You could have given me a fake map. You’re good at deceiving others, after all.”

“Roji, it’s not a lie, it’s real. Why would I tell such a lie…”

“Trust doesn’t just happen naturally.”

“Roji, why would I lie to you? It’s real. Please believe me.”

The housekeeper’s expression as she looked at me desperately didn’t seem like she was lying.

“I was joking, Housekeeper.”

“…”

“Don’t think about doing anything foolish from now on. I’ve made arrangements so that your embezzlement will be revealed even if I disappear.”

Actually, there were no real arrangements.

It was just a threat to make the housekeeper scared and keep her promise.

“And you don’t need to worry about Yurta. I’ve already resolved that issue.”

“…You resolved it?”

Even though the housekeeper had confessed that Yurta was the one who ordered her to frame me as a thief, she seemed afraid that Yurta might find out she had failed to complete his task and had told me all this.

She must be anxiously wondering if she should flee the Marquis House right now.

“Yes, I resolved it well. I reasoned with Yurta so he would understand properly. He won’t say anything to you, Housekeeper.”

“…You reasoned with Yurta? How exactly?”

Right. It would be absurd that a mere maid had reasoned with a member of the County.

The housekeeper who heard my words clearly showed signs of terror.

“You don’t need to know the details, Housekeeper. You just need to understand this one thing properly.”

I waved the map she had given me in front of her eyes.

“If this is fake, not only will my effort in reasoning with Yurta disappear, but you won’t be safe either, Housekeeper.”

“…”

“As a bonus, the embezzlement and the fact that your son is doing business using the Marquis House’s name will also be revealed that very day.”

I raised my finger straight up and made a gesture of cutting my throat.

“I trust that you, being a smart person, understand this well, Housekeeper.”

“…Yes.”

“Good. We’re in the same boat now, so let’s do well together, Housekeeper.”

I smiled brightly and extended my hand to the housekeeper. She stared at my hand for a moment, then reluctantly took it.

I felt like I had become some kind of human scoundrel, but if it was for survival, this much was nothing.

Survival is a natural instinct that humans possess.

“But Roji…”

The housekeeper spoke to me with a cautious expression.

“Did Yurta agree to contribute money needed to create a new identity?”

“Pardon?”

If I were to create a fake identity, I had planned to use the money I had saved from my salary at the Marquis House.

Roji had saved up quite a bit of money over time.

“Creating a new identity requires a lot of money.”

The amount that came out of her mouth was truly shocking.

I suddenly felt dizzy.

* * *

100 million linen.

Considering that Roji had earned around 4,000 linen working for nearly two years, it was a considerable amount.

I had thought about leaving this place, but I didn’t know the outside world and had no way to escape.

And I didn’t have much money either…

I guess I’ll have to catch the spy after all.

“My lady, what are you thinking about so seriously?”

While I was deep in thought alone, Rihardt poked at my furrowed brow.

Upon hearing the news that I had become a personal maid, Rihardt was so happy that he was grinning and had already changed how he addressed me.

It was so annoying.

“What could be troubling you so much that you won’t even glance at me today?”

Seeing Rihardt smile carelessly without knowing my inner thoughts, I felt like demanding to know who the spy was.

“Do you really think that? That I couldn’t look at you because I was lost in thought?”

“Then is there another reason?”

“It could be because I don’t want to look at your face.”

I spoke teasingly and looked at Rihardt with triumphant eyes, but the corners of his eyes curved up subtly.

Looking closely, his lips seemed crooked, but was I imagining it…?

Just as I found myself observing Rihardt without realizing it, he pulled my body toward him.

“…!”

I was about to cry out in surprise when his face came right up to mine.

Purple eyes showed through his dense, long silver eyelashes.

“Still, you did like my face quite a bit.”

It was an annoyingly shameless thing to say, but I couldn’t bring myself to refute it.

…Because I liked that face then and now.

This wasn’t a matter of preference.

There probably wasn’t anyone in this world who could refuse that handsomely beautiful face.

That’s how beautiful Rihardt was.

That’s exactly why I’m more wary of Rihardt. In case I get enchanted by that face.

‘Should I just let myself be enchanted?’

If I acted enchanted, would Rihardt let his guard down even a little?

Maybe he’d show an opening.

Thanks to that, I might even be able to find the spy.

Of course, it was hopeless.

I know Rihardt wouldn’t make such a mistake.

Even so, I held onto a sliver of possibility and acted on instinct.

I turned my face away pretending to be embarrassed. Then I immediately regretted acting so unlike myself.

‘Why did I do that?’

I should have just acted like I normally do…

I glanced at Rihardt and saw him open his eyes wide as if he’d seen something amazing.

He even looked somewhat dazed.

…Why is he reacting like that?

* * *

I made time with difficulty and came outside.

Because I needed to catch the spy as soon as possible.

The original story mentioned who the spy was, but I didn’t remember much about it.

Only that the spy knew how to use magic.

Of course, a spy pretending to be an ordinary servant wouldn’t openly use magic.

And I had someone in mind for who the spy might be.

The four people who recently joined as servants. And among them, the one I think is Rihardt’s spy is…

‘The person who came out of the basement in the middle of the night besides me.’

Was he trying to provide some information to Rihardt?

Why wasn’t there a gatekeeper at that time?

There were more than one or two strange things.

I fiddled with the hairpin I received from my fellow maid.

If I hadn’t left this hairpin behind, I wouldn’t have witnessed that suspicious scene.

Therefore, I decided to call this hairpin my lucky pin.

“Ah, there he is.”

I waved at the servant carrying luggage and approaching me.

It was Philip, that suspicious man who had come out of the basement in the middle of the night.

I smiled brightly and called out.

“Philip! Over here!”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————