The maid was left alone (1)
Well, it was hot. It was so hot that it felt like my skin was on fire. I stood there, sweating profusely. Drops dripped from his forehead, blurring his vision. I wiped my forehead with a towel, while at the same time raking away the ashes. The shovel kept slipping out of my wet palms.
While I was clearing away the ashes, holding tightly to the shovel, someone called out to me.
- Hey, little bastard.
- …
- Hey! Hey!
I didn’t react; the guy tapped my shoulder with his fingertips. I openly ignored him, my irritation growing. He, apparently offended by this attitude, moved closer.
- Hey! Can you hear me?
There was no point in pretending to be deaf, because then I would continue to be harassed. Having come to this conclusion, I sighed heavily, straightened up and stuck the shovel into the pile of ashes. When I turned to face him, the guy flinched and backed away. I looked at him coldly and spoke.
- What do you need?
-Have you talked to her?
- What?
– I asked what she thinks about me? Last time I asked you to find out about this!
Oh, he's talking about this. I remembered how last time he persistently asked for something like that. I picked my finger in my ear and, taking it out, blew on it.
- Well, she said she doesn't like you.
- What? Why?
The man looked sad and shocked, as if he did not expect that this could even happen.
Really. I shrugged and grabbed the shovel again. Then he tugged at my arm, demanding to answer the question.
- Because you are poor.
- Ass?
“She doesn’t like you because you’re poor.” She loves gold coins. Are you able to give her gold?
- Of course not!
“Stop talking nonsense and just give up.” I'm saying this for your own good.
He is an ordinary worker, and it is obvious that it will be difficult for him to get a silver coin, and there is nothing to say about gold. Daily earnings could barely cover food costs. Besides, I couldn't stand his bad character.
I shook off his hand and went back to work. The guy froze in place. Is he really that shocked? She didn’t even look in his direction, but he still dreamed up something for himself and fell in love with her.
But that's none of my business. I concentrated on cleaning up the ashes, but the man did not lag behind and was now pointing his finger at me.
- Don't lie to me!
- I'm not lying.
- You're lying! You're trying to separate us!
-Are you crazy?
Apparently the heat got to his head. Who and what is doing with them? I grinned as if I had heard the most absurd statement in the world. But he insisted on his own.
-You...Have you got your eye on me?
- Nonsense. Get out of here, I have enough suffering without you.
– You like me! That's why you're acting this way!
-Are you about to get hit with a shovel?
I slammed the shovel back into the pile of ash and glared at him. My hair, wet with sweat, was disheveled and stuck to my face. My threatening gesture made him flinch again, but the guy did not back down.
“Do you think I could like someone like you?” Actually, I'm not blind. Hey, you better judge your chances correctly. Your sister is a hundred times more beautiful and a hundred times more attractive than you. I love her. For me she is the only one. Missed it?
– I don’t quite understand what you mean, but I know something for sure...
Having patiently listened to his ravings, I grabbed the shovel and pulled it out of the ashes with both hands. I shook it off sharply, and then turned my gaze to the man.
- Now you will get it.
- What?
- Come here, bastard!
Since he pestered me so persistently, then I have no reason to retreat. I swung the shovel at the astonished guy.
***
-What happened to you?
- I...
Wiping away the ashes smeared on my cheeks, I looked at Alicia. Swinging at that guy, I stirred up a pile of ash, and now my whole body was covered in dirt. The people who walked Alicia home probably stared at me, they didn’t even need to check.
Alicia frowned, looking me up and down.
- Disgusting. Hurry up and wash your face.
- Definitely.
I put what I was holding in my hand on the table. Alicia quickly ran up to me and unfolded a piece of paper. She looked first at its contents, and then turned her angry gaze on me.
– I can’t eat this! - she exclaimed.
- What's wrong? This is already more than you deserve, so eat in silence.
She should be grateful for that at least, but all she does is complain. Today I swung a shovel all day - I didn’t have the strength or patience to listen to Alicia’s whining.
As I turned around, rubbing my tired eyes to wash myself, something flew into the back of my head and fell to the floor. This was the bread I bought today with my daily salary.
I turned my head, stroking the back of my head, and looked at Alicia, who was looking at me with displeasure.
- How can you eat this! How is it even possible to eat this?
Again she is on her own. I exhaled heavily and bent down to pick up the fallen bread, then shook it off.
– Are you sighing?
“You complain like a child.”
- Child? Are you saying that I'm being childish?
- That's right.
- Hey!
- Well?
I calmly looked at my angry sister. I was actually very sad. I couldn't buy new food because I simply didn't have the money for it. In the conditions in which I lived now, the opportunity to eat this stale, tasteless bread was akin to a blessing.
– If you don’t want to, don’t eat. I wouldn't mind snacking on this myself.
-...
– If you don’t like it, then try to earn money yourself.
The less others eat, the better for me. I put the bread back on the table and removed the cloth wrapped around my head. I looked at my reflection in the broken mirror hanging on the wall. My already dark skin seemed even darker because of the ash. It will be difficult to wash it off.
Suddenly something flew past me from behind and flew into the wall. This was the bread that I had just put on the table. Then the dishes that I had carefully kept flew and also hit the wall.
While I was looking at the broken plate, other objects began to fly either into the wall or into the back of my head. “Ah!” Alicia shouted and began throwing everything she could get her hands on.
If I had reacted in any way, there would have been an even bigger fuss, so I didn’t even look in her direction. I was looking at my reflection in the mirror when my head suddenly fell back. Alicia, angry, grabbed my hair and shook my head in front of the mirror. Everything happened so quickly that I didn’t even have time to scream.
- Oh, you vile creature! – Alicia screamed.
- Let go.
– Do you think I’ll let you go? You treat me like a dog! You'll see, I'll fix my life by seducing an aristocrat. Then I won't tolerate you!
- Do what you want. Let go already.
- No way!
- Is that so?
I attacked Alicia. She grabbed a clump of her well-groomed hair and pulled with all her might. I heard her piercing scream, but I didn't care. It hurt so much, it felt like the skin had been ripped off my head, so all I had to do was return the favor.
- Ay! Let go! Let go!
- Right after you.
- Let me go! I can't!
We held each other tightly, but in the end she let go of me first and fell to the floor. Meanwhile, I stepped aside.
We both had hair in complete disarray. Pieces of her long curls remained in my hands, and when she looked at them, she immediately grabbed her head.
- Ha ha, my hair!
I threw the clumps of hair onto the floor and began to sort out my own hairstyle. Unraveling the knots from my strands, I touched the ribbon with my fingertips, which had already lost its original color and was covered with ash.
I took a short breath and began to clean it. My gaze lingered on a barely noticeable embroidered flower. Alicia's scream brought me back to reality.
“And what do you plan to do with my hair now?”
- And what? Do I need to do something with them?
- My hair is not like yours! Do you have any idea how much effort goes into styling your hair?
- So don’t suffer and just cut them off. I will sell them at the market.
- Creature! It's your fault! All because of you! How can you be so shameless!
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
Alicia burst into tears, her shoulders slumping. Tears and snot flowed like a river, revealing her to be the most unhappy.
– I don’t need anything! Just die!
“I hope your current wish will come true,” I answered calmly.
She turned her fierce gaze on me, but I continued to look at my reflection, pretending that I hadn’t noticed anything. I tried again to cleanse myself of the ashes, but it was no use, so I threw the cloth away. Behind me, sobs were heard non-stop. If she has the strength to cry like that, then everything is fine with her.
But now I was definitely not in a position to listen to all this. I scratched the back of my head and turned to her. Alicia looked at me with her eyes, as if she had been waiting for this moment.
- You'll see! I'll hook up with a noble or royalty and raise my status! Ugh, I'll go away and leave this vile life behind! Don't try to look good in my eyes, I won't take you with me!
- I think you're wrong.
I looked around. The house was dilapidated, cracks appeared here and there, and the roof was leaking in places. We had to clear it of snow, otherwise the roof could completely collapse. This house was too cold in winter and unbearably hot in summer. It is also surprising that even the slightest breath of wind seemed to be able to topple these walls.
Even in such wretched surroundings, I dared to hope that I would live to see the next day. Here was my only refuge that could save me from death.
– The life of an aristocrat is not as wonderful as it might seem. Sometimes it is even more unbearable than one can imagine. Someday you will understand that even in this shabby, poor house, life can be much happier,” I said with conviction.
- What? How would you know?
- I just know.
After looking around the space again, I turned my gaze to Alicia. She frowned, trying to comprehend my words. In response, I just shrugged my shoulders.
***
I heard about them again completely by accident. One day I was walking down the street and came across a discarded newspaper. The big headline immediately caught my attention, and the article itself told me how the whole story ended.
"Count James Christopher arrested for murder."
At that moment I felt how insignificant my presence was in their lives.
For some time I hid in the village to which Ethan drove me. The village was large, crowded, and strangers were treated with indifference. Perhaps this was all Ethan's plan. Thanks to this, I did not attract unnecessary attention and could live in peace.
The bag Isabella gave me was full of gold coins. I spent some of it to provide myself with housing and food, but a few days later I was robbed and I was left with nothing. Even my travel bag was stolen by some poor people. All I had left were the clothes I was wearing.
In an instant I found myself at the very bottom. I wandered aimlessly through the streets, I was unable to eat properly, and I could already feel my slow approach to death. Sometimes I consoled myself by convincing myself that this was normal for me, because my life had never been smooth.
But suddenly I remembered that there was a father and his third child left in Filton.