CBOM 06

Chapter 6

Ribeanu entered the next room that Grace had cleaned and was once again dumbfounded.

She could hardly believe that this was the annex she had been staying in until recently.

The wallpaper was all torn off, spiders had made their homes, and there were plenty of insects.

Just clearing the accumulated dust alone seemed like it would take several days, yet Grace had become Ribeanu’s maid less than a week ago.

“Did you really clean all this in just a few days?”

“Yes. The wallpaper was a bit tattered, so I asked for some extra pieces and patched it up.”

“…The wallpaper? Alone?”

“Of course. This is nothing for me.”

There was still more wallpaper, which she planned to use to clean the room with the fireplace and even redo the wallpaper there.

Since the fireplace room was larger, it would take more time, but Ribeanu did not worry.

“Anyway, to clean thoroughly, we have to move the furniture first, so I’ll start by moving the bed.”

“…Really?”

Ribeanu’s gaze was full of doubt—was Grace serious, or had she simply gone mad from working too hard?

Grace decided it was better to show action than to talk. Rolling up her sleeves, she stepped back into the bedroom.

Ribeanu followed timidly, almost like a little puppy, unable to hide her anxious expression.

But Grace, with her usual commanding presence, effortlessly lifted the bed where Ribeanu had been lying all this time as if it weighed nothing.

Her face didn’t change a bit; it didn’t even seem difficult.

She even walked while holding it.

Ribeanu was silently shocked.

“Ah… no… how….”

“This is easy.”

Within just a few minutes, Grace had successfully moved the bed to the adjacent room and brushed the dust off her hands with a grin.

“Now, lie down here and rest!”

Grace left, saying she would quickly finish her work, and Ribeanu sat quietly in the now perfectly cleaned bedroom.

A familiar silence enveloped her.

It was something normal, of course, but being alone like this suddenly felt strange.

The maids had mostly left Ribeanu alone, and even when a maid came, she would barely speak a word each day.

Recently, it had felt unusually bustling, and Ribeanu realized it was because of the new maid.

That, too, was a kind of skill.

Just one additional person and it felt lively.

Yet instinctively, Ribeanu sensed something: if she let Grace get close but then Grace left without a word like the previous maids, she wouldn’t be able to treat it casually like before.

She had learned what it felt like to have someone beside her, and it would take a long time to return to the way things were.

Just like when her parents had abandoned her.

‘I don’t want that.’

She was already scared.

She had gotten used to this in just a few days, so what if Grace couldn’t endure it and left?

From her strength and personality, it didn’t seem likely, but Ribeanu had always been prone to imagining the worst.

‘What would I do then?’

Moreover, the previous maids always left precisely after one month.

Ribeanu didn’t know the exact reason, but it seemed like all her previous maids had disappeared as soon as a month had passed, so she assumed that had been the condition from the start.

Grace would probably be the same.

There was no reason for her to stay longer than necessary.

These were worries Ribeanu had never experienced before, and her mind was already starting to feel tangled.

Her life had been short, and few people had ever shown her any kindness.

No one had ever ignored the terrible smell, diligently done their work, nursed her when she was sick, or brought her meals. All of this was a first.

Before, when she was hungry, she took medicine.

Taking medicine on an empty stomach caused stomach pain, and she would writhe in agony for hours.

The pain masked her hunger.

Afterward, she would go out to eat grass and draw water from the almost-dry well in the corner.

In spring or summer, she might pick some berries, but in fall and winter, even that was gone, making survival difficult.

She sometimes thought of dying from misery, but then remembered who would be happy if she died, and that made her refuse to die.

She endured and survived for a very long time, wanting to make them regret it.

Of course, it had always remained just an imagination.

Ribeanu sighed, staring at her melting skin.

She had never looked in a mirror since being abandoned in the annex, but she knew it would be disgusting without even seeing it.

Yet why did Grace treat it so casually?

How could she do that?

Any normal person would have flinched at least once, yet Grace never did.

It was amazing, and Ribeanu wanted to believe that perhaps Grace was different.

But at the same time, she was scared.

She feared it would just be a fleeting connection, like anyone else.

Grace spent half a day entirely focused on cleaning.

She even made sure to bring meals to Ribeanu during the process, and the previously daunting cleaning task was nearly finished.

However, it seemed unlikely that the chimney could be cleaned by today.

Eventually, exhausted from working all day without even stretching her back, Grace could finally rest when dinner time arrived.

“Hmmm. Dust cleaning is mostly done, so I’ll clean the chimney next and redo the wallpaper.”

Grace glanced at the thoroughly cleaned room before quickly heading to the kitchen to receive ingredients from the chef.

She brought freshly baked bread to go with the stew she had pre-cooked, and even added fresh salad.

“Master! It’s time for dinner!”

Ribeanu had been staring at the entrance, and as soon as the door opened, she jumped up and met Grace’s gaze.

Of course, it was only for a brief moment before she looked away, but Grace smiled gently.

“You must have been hungry.”

“…Not really.”

“Then… were you waiting for me?”

“Not that either.”

“Alright then. Eat this first.”

Ribeanu glanced at Grace.

It looked much like the morning, vibrant and alive.

Had Grace been exhausted from cleaning alone, or was she just pretending to be fine?

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

When Grace noticed Ribeanu’s gaze, she asked, and Ribeanu quickly averted her eyes, pretending nothing had happened.

“When did I…?”

Trying to act innocent while showing no expression at all made Grace smile unconsciously.

Then, she suddenly placed her hand on Ribeanu’s forehead and said:

“You have a high fever.”

“…Uh…”

Ribeanu fumbled, gently trying to avoid Grace’s hand.

“I want to be alone, so you can leave.”

“Ah. Okay.”

While Grace focused on cleaning, Ribeanu decided to keep her distance.

She still couldn’t trust how long Grace’s diligence would last.

If she trusted too quickly and got hurt, it would only be herself who suffered, so taking time and observing patiently seemed reasonable.

With that thought, Ribeanu quietly watched Grace with her eyes.

“I’ll leave now, so eat and call me if you need anything.”

Grace stepped back casually, and Ribeanu’s shoulders slumped slightly.

After a few days, the chimney and wallpaper work were completed, and Ribeanu had to move rooms again.

With the fireplace lit, warmth filled the room, and Ribeanu’s cold was gone.

However, Ribeanu, who had started to relax a little, began to raise her guard again.

Grace did not get discouraged.

After all, she was the only one by Ribeanu’s side.

Time passed day by day, and soon it had been a week since Grace had become Ribeanu’s personal maid.

“Huh?”

After finishing her day as usual and preparing to rest, Ribeanu saw Grace going outside.

She had never seen her leave first, so Ribeanu wondered where she was going.

If she had gone out openly, Ribeanu would have thought it was a walk, but sneaking out like this made her curious.

She cautiously followed.

Though it was dark everywhere, Grace seemed to be heading toward a corner, raising Ribeanu’s suspicions further.

In the shadows, Ribeanu saw Grace meeting someone.

She craned her neck to see, but the other person wore a black robe, so their face was obscured.

‘Who could that be?’

Wanting to hear their conversation, she stepped closer.

“Ribeanu… are you…?”

“…I did…”

However, the distance made it hard to hear clearly.

It seemed the two were used to meeting each other, as their conversation flowed naturally.

Ribeanu had assumed she would be the first to get close, but someone was already there—a variable she hadn’t expected.

She thought it would be just a matter of time before Grace gave her attention to her, but depending on Grace’s relationship with the person in the robe, it might not be that simple.

Frowning, Ribeanu resolved to try harder.

Crack—

She accidentally stepped on a dry branch, and the sound echoed loudly.

The black-robed figure snapped their head toward the noise.

“Who’s there?”

A metallic voice, unpleasantly sharp.

At that moment, Grace’s heart sank.

Though the face was still hidden, the voice was unforgettable.

Grino Egpara. It was definitely him.