It clearly seemed like she hadn’t seen anything.
“Ah, she was just feigning ignorance!”
Carol tapped her forehead with a realization on her face. She clutched the hem of her dress and bit her lower lip.
This was her mistake.
The Duke could not understand Carol’s overreaction. He had heard there were no servants Carol particularly cared about.
“It seems there was someone living in the Duke’s Mansion without my knowledge.”
When the Duke spoke in an unpleasant tone, Norman and Carol froze like ice.
Norman probably didn’t know the names of all the servants either. But Norman did know this person’s name, and they were that important enough for him to burst into the room.
There were not just one or two suspicious points that he had never heard of before.
Norman and Carol exchanged glances. Carol raised her hand to stop Norman.
“I will explain.”
This was not how she had wanted to reveal it. She had intended to carefully explain to the Duke…
But now the opportunity had passed. From now on, she had to explain well.
“There is something I want to tell you.”
“Yes, it seems there is something for me to hear too.”
“I should have told you sooner……”
About the young boy who seemed buried in the snow.
Carol opened her mouth with a grave expression.
“There is a young child living in the annex.”
With silver hair just like yours, and red eyes.
****
After briefly hearing from Carol about Noah and the situation he is currently in, the Duke rubbed his forehead.
‘I knew the council elders had been given a lot of authority over the family head…’
But what could he do about outside matters? He didn’t even know what was happening under his own roof.
He was furious at the people who had mocked him within his own estate, but dealing with the situation took priority for now.
“Did Lady Margaret discover the child while searching for the culprit?”
“It seems she knew from the beginning.”
“So it wasn’t an accidental discovery, but a calculated move.”
This incident occurred because the Duke had rebuffed Margaret Chesworth.
“I thought she would stay quiet, but she was investigating behind the scenes.”
“…But still, how could she pin such a cruel false charge on a young child…!”
Norman still didn’t fully understand.
“Cruel? For the Duke’s Mansion, this is rather tame.”
“Pardon?”
It was the noble way–stepping back haughtily and using others to achieve one’s aims and uncover what one wished to know.
“Well, when you claim a young child is secretly living in the annex, it’s more than enough to set one’s imagination running wild.”
If predicting Lady Margaret Chesworth’s imagination, this was quite a restrained response.
Realizing what the Duke meant by “imagination running wild”, Carol pressed her fingers hard against her forehead. It was an unsavory thought indeed.
“…She may think he is an illegitimate child.”
“It’s tantamount to declaring her reason for demanding our engagement be called off.”
The Duke nodded at Carol’s reply, while Norman’s mouth opened so wide a bug could fly in.
“Impossible! An illegitimate child? She couldn’t possibly have such a shameful thought… Good heavens.”
“This has become troublesome.”
He had deliberately cast a wide net. To resolve this, he would have to summon the Council of Elders. Just imagining what nonsense those old farts would spew gave him a headache.
Norman’s expression grew worse than before. He shuffled his feet restlessly.
“What should we do? Carol, quickly go and at least clear the boy of being labeled the culprit.”
Seeing Norman this agitated suggested that he had rushed here alone when the situation turned sour.
Carol had also grasped the situation. But with the Duke’s relationship with her improving, she could not easily understand why Lady Margaret Chesworth would act so hastily like this.
To take such drastic steps on mere suspicion of an illegitimate child, without even firm conviction?
“However…”
Lost in thought, when Carol spoke up, both men turned their attention to her.
Furrowing her brow, Carol voiced the doubt that had been nagging at her.
“I thought your relationship with Lady Margaret Chesworth had improved?”
The Duke scoffed and immediately denied it.
“There has been no interaction, so how could it have?”
“…Didn’t you send her flowers as an apology?”
“Flowers?”
“The ones by the window.”
The Duke then recalled the vase he had left by the window until a few days ago.
“Ah, the flowers I sent you.”
“…Sent to me? But those were clearly…”
Carol pointed to herself with a perplexed expression. She definitely didn’t remember receiving any flowers. If her brothers had received them, they surely would have told her…
“Duke, I will gladly accept punishment for this disrespect. But time is of the essence. May I take Carol with me?”
The frantic Norman had no choice but to interject in the middle of their conversation.
Snapping out of her reverie at Norman’s earnest tone, Carol nodded.
“May I go with him?”
“You have my permission.”
Norman deeply bowed at the Duke’s approval.
“Then I’ll be back shortly.”
“The teacher can go first. Norman, a moment.”
Carol quickened her pace and walked down the corridor.
‘So it wasn’t for Margaret after all.’
She was startled to realize she felt relieved by the Duke’s words amidst all this.
Their exchange must have been brief, as Norman quickly caught up to Carol. Midway through, his long strides became too difficult to match and she was left breathless.
Soon, Noah’s scream-like voice could be heard. She exchanged glances with Norman.
A bad feeling.
The two quickened their pace toward the source of the sound.
The guest rooms were on the opposite side of the mansion from where the Duke was. By the time they arrived, their foreheads were drenched in sweat.
“I really didn’t do it!”
Noah’s face was streaked with tears. But no one seemed to show any sympathy for the pitiful child.
Rather, their cold gazes suggested they found his appearance repulsive.
“Lying so well for a mere child!”
“I’m not lying! I’ve never even seen any jewels.”
Though it was the same hallway as the Duke’s rooms, there were several people standing there.
Even at night, two servants had not left, along with Margaret Chesworth and her servant Kate, as well as Mrs. Wells with Noah clinging to the hem of her dress–-a total of six in a standoff.
Mrs. Wells seemed to be the only one trying to protect Noah.
In fact, Carol had some suspicions about Mrs. Wells and Norman, who knew about Noah Winterox but kept silent to the Duke. The doubts that surfaced whenever they were kind to Noah made Carol uneasy.
‘Even if they hid him, they would never see Noah as a mere tool.’
If so, they would have punished him first to resolve the immediate situation, then judged right from wrong later. It would not have escalated to this standoff.
Kate stood in front, shooting icy cold, harsh words at Noah that cut sharper than Cardiff’s winter.
The others already seemed convinced Noah was the culprit, standing behind Kate and glaring at him.
“Then why do you sneak into the manor at night like a rat?”
“That’s…! If you bring Carol, she can explain!”
“This child’s lies call for a whipping until the truth comes out.”
Just as a servant stepped forward wielding a thick cane,
“Wait, please wait a moment!”
Norman rushed forward with a shout.
As Carol came into view from behind Norman’s large frame, Margaret Chesworth frowned.
And at the same time, Noah’s eyes lit up as he quickly grabbed hold of Carol’s dress.
“Carol!”
One of Noah’s cheeks was flushed red. Carol knelt down to meet his gaze.
“Noah, goodness. Were you struck?”
“This is nothing!”
Noah seemed relieved his ally had arrived in this desperate situation, quirking up the corners of his mouth.
“But your cheek is so red!”
“I said I’m fine!”
The innocent brightness unique to a child who didn’t yet realize the situation was far from resolved, and the road ahead would be anything but smooth.
Mrs. Wells, who had been quietly observing, spoke up.
“Lady Margaret is an esteemed guest, but I have authority over matters occurring in the Duke’s Mansion.”
Mrs. Wells stood upright, facing Margaret Chesworth.
“Once I become the mistress of the house, that authority will be mine.”
“But you are not yet.”
Mrs. Wells drew a line that contorted Margaret’s previously nonchalant expression.
“…It seems you have not considered what comes after my arrival, Mrs. Wells.”
Margaret’s words carried a clear warning – that the moment she sets foot here, Mrs. Wells’ future will be uneasy. A harsh warning.
But Mrs. Wells’ expression did not waver.
“Lady Margaret, if the culprit becomes clear, we will administer punishment. But the situation is still uncertain, is it not?”
