Chapter 031. The Look of a Drenched Mouse
Drip, drip, the water droplets streaming down from her body spread darkly across the dirt ground.
Deborah lifted her soaked skirt up to her knees, clutching the hem to keep it from dragging on the ground.
Even though she already looked thoroughly disheveled, she wanted to avoid making things any worse.
– “If you turn a bit further, there’ll be a side path. Follow that path straight, and it’ll lead to a road behind the main building.”
Marsa added that while it would take twice as long to go around the forest path, it was better than running into someone in this state.
– “Seriously, why weren’t you more careful? My goodness… what a mess this is.”
The image of Marsa clicking her tongue and shaking her head made Deborah’s face instantly droop.
Deborah truly hadn’t expected things to turn out like this.
Just moments ago, unable to resist the maid’s loud scolding, red-faced and shouting, most of the people in the laundry room had been pushed outside.
Under her command, they had moved a large wooden tub hanging on the outer wall of the laundry room to the flat ground in front of it—all in the span of just a few minutes.
Caught up in the chaos without knowing why, it wasn’t until much later that Deborah understood the reason.
The maids filled the massive wooden tub, large enough for several adults to roll around in, with water brought from the laundry room. Then, they promptly rolled up their skirts to their knees, securing them firmly with pins so they wouldn’t slip down.
After that, some of them kicked off their shoes and socks and stepped into the tub without hesitation.
– “What are you doing? Hurry up and get in!”
Was it the excitement of escaping the stuffy laundry room, or the thrill of having something to relieve their stress?
Marsa’s expression, as she gestured for Deborah to join, looked almost like a child with a new toy in front of them.
Well, up to that point, it was fine. Though she hesitated a bit, dipping her feet into the water-filled tub was certainly okay.
The problem started when the water, lapping up to her calves, began to feel pleasant.
The warm temperature against her bare skin melted away her accumulated fatigue, and the spring breeze brushing past her nose carried a refreshing scent.
Before she knew it, her mood had lifted slightly.
Looking back, when she was younger, she used to play in the water with the other orphanage children at nearby rivers.
That had become less frequent as she grew older and more aware.
Perhaps it was because the judgmental gazes of others saw a young woman baring her legs and playing in the water outdoors as vulgar.
For Deborah, an orphan, those gazes must have felt even harsher and more unforgiving.
Splash, splash—
Maybe that’s why this moment, free from anyone’s scrutiny, felt all the more enjoyable.
The sound of singing, starting to rise here and there, further boosted Deborah’s uplifted mood.
Still, she should’ve been more careful…
Caught up in the excitement, she didn’t notice the bubbles fizzing in the water.
Whoa—her foot slipped, and losing her balance, her body lurched forward and plunged headfirst into the wooden tub.
With water splashing in all directions, Deborah ended up looking exactly like a mouse soaked in soapy water.
So, who could she blame? This was all because of her own carelessness.
Even though it was pointless, Deborah kept walking barefoot along the dirt path, trying to peel off the clothes clinging to her body.
‘How much further do I have to go?’
She had followed the advice to leave her apron behind since it would need washing anyway, but perhaps because of that, she felt even more embarrassed about her current state.
Not only was the fabric thin, but it was white, and being soaked, it felt almost transparent…
In any case, hoping not to run into anyone before reaching the main building, Deborah quickened her pace.
Thankfully, Marsa’s claim that hardly anyone used this path seemed true, as she hadn’t seen a single person—or anything resembling one—on her way so far.
While hurrying along, Deborah’s eyes slowly took in the surrounding scenery.
The beautiful white Elfengrin mansion was like a painting no matter where you looked, but the forest surrounding it was the most breathtaking of all.
Though it had been months since she arrived here, fleeing almost, this was the first time she had taken the time to truly look around, and her gaze was inevitably drawn to the scenery.
“Wow…”
A gasp of awe slipped from her lips.
She didn’t know the exact species, but Deborah gazed in wonder at the trees soaring so high they seemed to touch the blue sky.
How long had they stood here, growing to such heights? Lost in that thought, she continued walking along the long forest path.
Suddenly, a strange sound from somewhere made her slow steps come to an abrupt halt.
‘…What was that?’
Deborah’s head slowly lowered, and she began looking around, trying to identify the source of the sound.
The moment her gaze met the scene in front of her, her golden eyes widened in shock.
About twenty steps away—not too far, not too close—several men who appeared to be nobles were walking toward her.
Since when had people been approaching from the opposite direction? Didn’t Marsa say no one used this path? More importantly—
Even amidst her racing thoughts and mental haze, Deborah’s gaze locked onto one person.
Duke Cheister.
Despite the distance, she recognized him instantly.
His blue eyes were staring fiercely in her direction.
How foolish… Why had she let herself get distracted by trivial things, only to end up in this predicament? Regret surged within her like wildfire, but it was too late.
She couldn’t move forward, nor could she turn and flee.
While Deborah stood frozen in place, the men approaching from the opposite direction were now just steps away.
Among the curious gazes directed at her, the first to speak was the black-haired man standing at the far right.
Count Leister, whom she had seen once before at the mansion.
“Well, who do we have here?”
Taking a step forward from the group, he looked at Deborah’s stunned face with a peculiar gaze.
“I thought I recognized you—you’re that maid from last time.”
“…”
He spoke as if greeting an old friend, but the way his eyes scanned her drenched body sent chills down her spine.
Without realizing it, Deborah’s body trembled slightly, and only then did she notice she had forgotten to greet them. Quickly, she bent her knees and bowed her head.
Even as she did, her mind was racing with thoughts.
‘What do I do now? …I’ve greeted them, so can I just pass by? No… would that be rude?’
She tried to think of her next move to escape the situation, but since Count Leister, a guest of the duke, had spoken to her, simply walking past wasn’t an option.
She desperately wished they would just pass by without another word, but the next words shattered that hope.
“Looks like you’ve been swimming or something. All soaked like that…”
Tsk, tsk, he clicked his tongue, and several pairs of eyes turned toward her at once.
Their blatant stares raked over Deborah’s body, as if stripping her bare, and she could hardly be unaware of it.
Her face flushed red with shame in an instant.
In her panic, she had completely forgotten what she looked like.
‘This is insane…’
Deborah hurriedly lowered her skirt, hiding her calves and bare feet beneath it.
Seeing this, the thin lips of Count Leister curled slightly upward.
“Come to think of it, there’s a great river around here for dipping your feet in. Last time I was here, it was too cold, which was a shame.”
Even as he rambled on, his gaze never left Deborah.
Each time his snake-like, narrow eyes scanned her body, she felt as if bugs were crawling over her skin.
“Perhaps, if the duke permits, this maid could guide me—”
The moment the smirking count finally turned away from Deborah, a heavy voice interrupted.
“I’m sorry, but—”
Until that moment, Raymond, who had been silently observing, spoke in a low tone.
It was the duke’s usual smooth and elegant voice they were accustomed to hearing.
But—
“Would you all go on ahead?”
His smile, his expression, somehow felt strangely precarious.
The three men, who had been cautiously gauging the situation, nodded in understanding and resumed their steps in silence.
Only the oblivious Count Leister remained, frowning in annoyance.
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By Anna 💓
Greetings, I hope you’re doing okay. I’d like to propose some novels that I’ve translated that may interest you:
The goal is five divorces.
The Ruffian and the Mad Warrior Get Married.
