I don't know exactly how much time had passed since the fire, but I could tell you that it was definitely around two hours.
Karina took me away, gathering the head maid and a few other girls I didn't know. We were also accompanied by a knight whose appearance I found very interesting. His golden hair shimmered brightly in the moonlight, and his green eyes sparkled more than a diamond.
He looks like an aristocrat. His extraordinary appearance couldn't belong to a simple slave. I think he's hiding something. Look at those eyes.
Exhaling from my useless thoughts, I rested my chin on my hand and once again looked around the room where my group was staying.
Karina led me to a small house about a kilometer away from the burned-out estate. From the outside, it looked like a cute old lady with a pot of pies would come out any moment. But instead, a mouse ran out.
The inside wasn't much of a "Wow" either. An old window, dirty, tattered curtains, and cabinets from the dinosaur era. Although it was dirty, the moonlight illuminated the room and provided a small sense of satisfaction.
My maid clutched the hem of her uniform and lowered her head, mired in apologies.
- Lady, please excuse this decrepit house. It was the most accessible and safe place. I'm sorry.
- What are you apologizing for?- I turned to look at her, but I didn't get up from my chair.
- It hasn't been cleaned for a long time. I'm sorry you have to stay here,- said Karina, who was not usually like this, as she dusted everything around me and apologized.
- Don't be. Rather, answer, what kind of house is this?"
The girl looked at me, frozen, as if she was remembering something that hurt her, and then she lowered her head and sighed softly.
- This is... This is my late grandmother's house. I used to live here.
Oh. So sweet Granny with the pies did exist after all. I know what it's like to lose a much-loved grandmother. So empathy overcame me. I reached out and squeezed hers. She twitched and bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears that came. To smooth things over, I tried to change the subject.
- So that's how it is.. I see. You know, I want to know more about you. Let's start with how old you are?
She sniffed, quickly suppressed her urge to cry, and replied.
- I'm twenty, lady. I'll be twenty-one in October.
Yeah, a year older. So, October is probably coming soon, depending on the weather. I remember.
- Alright. And what's your work experience? I mean, how long have you been working for these bas.. The Count.
I looked away, clearing my throat. If the maids and the knight weren't here, Karina would have heard everything I had to say about the Vanos family.
By the way, the girls and the boy stood in silence, their heads bowed, and only occasionally did they exchange quiet words. And even then, it was only the maids who did so. The golden-haired boy did not utter a single word.
I was beginning to wonder if he was still alive. He seemed petrified.
- Um.. - Karina thought, and looked somewhere in the ceiling, apparently counting and remembering, - if I'm not mistaken, about ten years.
Hm-m.. If you take ten from twenty, you get ten. That means..
- Did you get a job at the age of ten?
The answer came immediately, without confusing the girl at all.
- Yes. The thing is...- she wanted to continue, but apparently thinking that she had gone too far, she stopped in mid-sentence.
Yeah, if it were anyone else, I wouldn't have cared. But I set out to be nice, at least to a potentially loyal dog. And that dog turned out to be her. Karina.
- So what's the problem?
When she realized that I was interested, she smiled slightly, just for a moment.
- We were poor, you see, miss. It was hard without gold, and even my grandmother's magical berry concoctions couldn't save us from hunger,- the girl enthusiastically praised her grandmother's compote, reminiscing about her childhood, - and then I heard that the Count was looking for staff. An idea struck me.
I chuckled in my head, realizing that Karina was not just a cold, steely lady, but also a human being with her own difficult story. She was not an NPC with a neural network for brains, but a girl like everyone else.
- Of course, my grandmother was definitely against it. She was afraid for little me. But for the sake of our future, I decided to do it.
When she didn't continue after her speech, I ventured to ask.
- And fa-..
Before I could finish, the door creaked open—I'm surprised it didn't fly off—and the devils emerged from the darkness of the corridor. No, not the ones with horns, but the ones in charge.
The Count flew at me, his hand clenched into a fist, as if he were restraining himself from giving me a good punch. The vein in his forehead throbbed, and his jaw clenched.
It's funny. Now I'm sitting, and he's standing.
- The estate has burned down,- he said in his deep, old-man voice.
- I know.
He clenched his fist even harder.
- Let's not beat around the bush. You did it, didn't you? That was you? You decided to play with fire, offended by the fact that I didn't agree with you back then? You...
"Feeling offended"? "Disagreeing with you"?
Ha-ha-ha! What an old fool you are. I'm even amused by your indignation.
Unable to control my laughter, I laughed out loud, which only made my grandfather angrier. The younger boy stood behind him, watching the two of us.
- You! Damned little devil, do you dare to mock me?
I couldn't take it anymore, so I spoke up.
- And you immediately thought of me. It's funny. Of course it's me. It's all me. It's all my fault,- My bad temper often played on the strings, exacerbating the situation. - And the dinosaurs went extinct because of me. Have you just realized that? I thought you were smarter.
He grabbed my arm, pulling me close so that I was looking into his angry eyes. Karina stood behind us, unsure of how to approach the situation and make it better.
Don't interfere, I'll handle it, I tried to tell her mentally.
Geraldine approached, squeezing her father's shoulder.
- Don't waste your nerves and time, Father. I'm sure it's not her. She doesn't have the guts, and all she can do is think she's smart and annoy you,- I don't know if he really believed that, but it was to my advantage. - Please, let it go.
Karina stole a glance at me after he said that.
It took the old man a dozen seconds to open his claw and let go of my wrist.
- Yes, you're right. That's true. Let's go,- the Count said, his face losing its redness.
The moonlight fell on their retreating silhouettes, revealing that they were not black, foolish shadows, but the Count and his son. The light also illuminated my face, which was still covered in soot.
Finally the Count said through all his strength:
If you don't wash up and leave within fifteen minutes, you'll be living here.
Yes, of course. Will you make a mannequin out of Geraldine?
The door closed with the same noise, and I took a deep breath, imagining my future life.
- You see, Karina. It's all right. It's bearable.
- I'm glad, Lady. But now we must prepare.
- Yes, that's right.