About The Death That You Served Me

Episode 11

 

“T-that, that… I…”

 

Jason’s severe stutter rendered him unable to speak. All eyes in the room were on him. As he struggled to make his words, his entire body quivered like the leaves of an aspen tree.

 

“I-I found it by accident.”

“Accident? Aha.”

The duke chuckled as the world rolled off his tongue.

“I lack persuasion.”

 

His cold voice echoed in the lobby. The onlookers visibly swallowed dryly.

“No, it’s true… I learned about it from an old southerner, he spoke of precious leaves-”

“That’s false.”

 

Ashlyn, unable to see the duke clearly from where she was, stepped forward. The duke’s pupils shifted toward her.

 

“The platinum tea leaves are cultivated and supplied directly by the lower-ranking nobles designated by the royal family. It is not easily known by the servants. Moreover…”

 

She bent over slightly and turned to look at Jason. His pale, frightened face was a nice sight.

“The nickname Southern Diamond was coined and is used by the Imperial Family. There is no way that Jason, who’s never stepped outside of the dukedom, would know of it.”

 

“… … .”

 

A long silence passed. No one was able to speak easily. Ashlyn waited patiently for the duke’s reaction. However, he just stared at Ashlyn and said nothing.

 

The one who broke the long silence was the chief butler with a confused expression.

“Well…how do you know of it, then? Since it’s used by the Imperial family.”

 

Ashlyn took a moment to catch her breath. Memories of her past, which now felt so distant, came to mind. That is, the time when Ashlyn used to be part of the Royal family.

 

“I…”

What had she said to Sophia when she first saw the platinum leaves? 

“I used to work at the Imperial Palace.”

 

‘From now, I shall call this the Southern Diamond.’

Because the nickname had been chosen by herself to begin with.

 

“I happened to overhear what her highness, the princess, was calling it.”

“Ashlyn at the Imperial Palace?”

“No wonder!”

“How did you end up at the Duke’s residence if you were at the palace?”

The servants who were watching whispered.

 

“You.”

Amidst the surrounding noise, a hushed voice emerged, causing all noises to be silenced.

“I believe you said you lost your memories.”

 

Ashlyn looked up and looked at the duke. He seemed somehow nervous.

 

“I remember what happened before I came to the Duke’s residence. I worked for a while at the Imperial Palace, passed through Count Freyback’s estate, and came here.”

 

It was something she’d found out after looking through the maid’s papers.

“I still lack memories from when I first arrived here.”

 

Ashlyn had nailed the response. There was another awkward silence.

 

“······Right.”

 

The duke muttered like a man struck by fragments of something.

‘I guess he was hoping my memories had come back.’

 

After reading the meaning of that expression, Ashlyn’s mouth felt bitter for some reason.

The butler, who watched the situation for a while, asked cautiously.

 

“My lord…is Ms.Ashlyn correct?”

“That’s right.”

The resolute reply caused a great uproar inside.

“The term The Southern Diamond is used exclusively by the Imperial family.”

 

Jason’s legs were wobbling now.

“It was particularly used often by… the deceased princess.”

 

It felt awkward to hear her name escape from his mouth. Ashlyn swallowed dryly.

The butler’s eyes widened.

 

“Then Jason is trying to frame Ashlyn!”

“Oh no! I feel so bad for doubting her a little!”

“I guess so.”

 

The Duke said coldly.

 

The owner looked at Jason coldly. Feeling the piercing gaze, he anxiously averted his eyes and began to ramble incoherently.

 

“Jason Barron. Do you have any more excuses left?”

“Chief butler, no, I am, I didn’t-”

“How dare you steal from the head of the household and frame your colleague?”

The butler’s face trembled.

 

“I feel bad! It wasn’t me who stole it!”

Jason waved his hand frantically in the air.

 

“Not me!”

All of a sudden, he looked around frantically. He seemed to be looking for someone.

Ashlyn, who saw that, immediately opened her mouth.

 

“My lord, chief butler.”

All eyes turned to Ashlyn again.

“Since the iron is still hot, I must take this opportunity to tell you something.”

“What?”

 

The butler raised his glasses and asked.

“A few days ago, when I was sleeping alone in the treatment room.”

Ashlyn spoke slowly. Jason sighed and began biting his fingernails.

“I was almost kidnapped by a gangster.”

“What? oh my god!”

“What is this again?”

 

The lobby heated up in an instant. The murmur of the servants reached its peak. The Chief Butler looked at Ashlyn with eyes stained with astonishment.

 

“Ashlyn, is that true? Who the hell dared to commit such a terrible crime in this mansion?”

“I know the culprit.”

“Who is it? Speak now!”

“Jason Barron.”

 

The place was quiet for a moment, then it flared up again.

 

bang bang!

The butler couldn’t stand it and hit the railing roughly with his dry hand. The chaotic lobby finally quieted down.

The Chief Butler glanced sideways at the duke.

 

“Ashlyn, be careful. No matter how angry you may be at Jason for framing you, you can’t make these accusations so casually.”

 

“I have witnesses.”

“What? witnesses?”

“Those who tried to kidnap me.”

 

The butler’s eyebrows went up. Jason muttered blankly with a puzzled face.

“Witnesses? No way…”

 

Instead of answering, Ashlyn smiled coldly at him. Jason’s eyes widened when he saw that smile.

“Nonsense, Ashlyn. You’re trying to frame me!”

 

Jason ran towards Ashlyn.

“Get Jason!”

 

However, the butler’s order was faster. Two nearby servants seized him by the arm.

At the same time, the sound of a sword hitting the floor came.

 

“Use it if necessary.”

A cold voice that chilled the air followed.

The sword that had been so casually thrown on the floor was one of Laperion’s treasured heirlooms.

 

‘You’re throwing it on the floor like this…’

The butler swallowed his saliva. No one thought to touch the Duke’s sword.

The duke’s temper seemed, truly, really, unfavorable at the moment.

 

‘I need to wrap it up quickly.’

The butler turned his head and looked at Ashlyn.

 

“Tell me who the witnesses are.”

Ashlyn looked down the stairs with a calm expression.

 

“Hugo, Hazleton. Where are you?”

At the low call, two people appeared from among the servants. They crouched up the stairs.

“Those guys… aren’t they the apprentices working with Jason in the garden?”

 

The butler wrinkled his brow. The frightened servants shrugged their shoulders.

“You bastards! How dare you betray me?”

 

Jason struggled and shouted. His voice was boiling with rage.

“I-we… … .”

 

Hazleton stammered. Jason did not miss this and intercepted his words.

“My lord! Absolutely not! Hugo, Hazelton. They stole the southern diamond from you first! they…”

“Brother Jason threatened us!” Hazelton interrupted him.

 

Jason lost all his remaining cool at that. He shook like he was having a seizure, and made the two apprentices jump in fear.

 

“Hugo, Hazleton! Shut up! Before I really kill you! You traitorous bastards!”

“Shut his mouth.”

“Yes.”

 

Someone brought over a gag and put it over Jason’s mouth.

 

“Eup! Ugh!”

 

Still, he didn’t give up.

“Keep talking.”

“Yes… Brother Jason, he… he told us to go get Sister Ashlyn. We were told to catch her and string her up to a tree in the garden.”

 

Hazelton said with a much shrunken posture. Just standing in front of the duke seemed to terrify him. The butler frowned as though he couldn’t understand what he was saying.

 

“Why would Jason kidnap Ashlyn? Tell me, Hugo.”

“He confessed his feelings to Sister Ashlyn a few days ago, and he was embarrassed because he got rejected. Even though he hates her now, he keeps following her.”

 

At that moment, the chief butler had to look at the Duke once more nervously.

“So it seems that brother Jason had a grudge and tried to harm sister Ashlyn.”

“… … .”

“Tethering a person to a tree in this cold, harsh winter…” Hugo cried out, as if he was repulsed even by hearing the idea.

“That’s the same as telling us to kill Sister Ashlyn!”

 

Clang.

A loud crash was heard somewhere.

Ashlyn turned her shoulders and searched for the identity of the sound.

 

“L-lord…”

 

The Duke’s expression remained indifferent, yet everyone could see that the armrest he had been gripping had become detached from the chair. A mysterious chill engulfed the room as the Duke calmly spoke, without shifting his gaze even for a moment.

 

“Continue.”

 

He had his eyes fixed on Hugo.

The butler bit his lip.

 

Let’s finish this quickly. Quickly.

 

“So, did you infiltrate Ashlyn’s treatment room?”

Hazelton nodded.

“Brother J-jason threatened to kick me out, so I had no choice….”

“But we didn’t actually kidnap our sister!”

“That’s right!”

“We went to her and told her to just run away. How could we harm sister Ashlyn?”

 

Ashlyn calmly recalled the events of that night.

The two met her eyes. Now it was her turn to perform.

“Hugo and Hazelton are right.”

The butler shifted his gaze to Ashlyn.

“It’s true that these kids came to see me, but it was for my sake, and they didn’t actually do me any harm.”

 

Ashlyn chose her words carefully. She didn’t want to direct any fire at Hugo and Hazelton.

“But… like they said, Jason was trying to kill me.”

“Ugh!”

“Even though I expressed my dislike for Jason, he forcefully tried to coerce me into accepting his proposal,” she explained. “And this wound on my leg was also inflicted by Jason when he stepped over my boundaries.”

“…..”

“If it hadn’t been these two but Jason who’d come that night…”

Ashlyn added in a low voice after a short interval.

“I wouldn’t have been here.”

 

The butler let out a long sigh.

Just in time, Hazleton took out an object from his pocket.

 

“I-we have proof!”

“Proof!”

“This twine!”

A round bundle of twine fell on the dry floor.

“It’s a string in the garden that only Jason uses!”

“Ugh!”

 

Jason’s eyes widened even more…

“He gave this to us and told us to kidnap and maim our sister!”

It was Hugo who set up the final stage.

 

“…..”

 

The annex was enveloped in a heavy silence.

 

“I speak from the bottom of my heart,” Ashlyn said as she knelt down and bowed her head. Although her wound throbbed, it wasn’t the time to pay it any heed.

 

“For the crime of recklessly meddling with the Duke’s belongings and attempting heinous crimes within the mansion… none of which are light offenses, I implore you.”

She looked up at the Duke.

“Please, banish Jason from the mansion.”

 

It was the finale.

The lifeless crimson eyes stared directly at her.

After a moment of silence, the Duke slowly spoke.

 

“Would it be enough to merely banish him?”

His voice was so low it sent shivers down everyone’s spines. Everyone flinched at the sound.

“A thief, a harasser, a potential murderer… wouldn’t our Duchy appear to be a breeding ground for criminals?”

 

He let out a chilling laugh.

Ashlyn raised her eyes slightly and looked at the Duke.

 

“Decide on a punishment. It’s not enough to just banish him.”

His sharp gaze was fixed on Ashlyn’s face.

“Since you’re the party that suffered the most damage here.”

Ashlyn met his gaze with an expressionless face, refusing to avert her eyes.

---

 

Decided to change housekeeper to chief butler.