“…..”
“You should have at least seen one or two people trying to raise their social status by being nice to a child who could potentially become the heir.”
Margaret muttered to herself, wrinkling her nose. However, her muttering was loud enough for everyone to hear. It was clearly meant for them to hear.
“I didn’t dream of that.”
“…Sorry, Carol.”
Noah apologized, realizing that Carol couldn’t even respond easily because of him.
“You don’t need to apologize.”
Margaret clapped her hands as if a different thought had occurred to her.
“I said I wouldn’t mention what happened earlier anymore, but a question just came to mind.”
“What is it?”
Kate responded faithfully to her miss’s words, opening her eyes wide.
“Come to think of it, it’s strange. The child was caught in the act of stealing, but we still haven’t been able to find the jewels.”
“That’s true. It would be difficult for a child with limited mobility to do that.”
“Unless an adult helped them, that is.”
So that’s how it is.
The two of them didn’t want to pin the blame on Noah as the culprit.
Their target was Carol.
When Kate caught Carol returning from meeting Noah, this very moment was already set in motion.
The vague misfortune that Louis warned was worrying and to stop it quickly, had materialized to block Carol’s path.
‘So this was it.’
I should have thoroughly investigated what the servant did at the general store.
By the time Louis went to inquire as I had asked, the item had already been sold.
I should have at least had that evidence.
Just then, another servant hurried over. The servant brushed past Mrs. Wells and stood before Margaret.
“What is it?”
“I came to report on the matter you asked me to investigate in the downtown area this afternoon…Shall I come back later?”
He was a servant of the Duke’s Mansion, yet he stood by Margaret Chesworth as if he were her subordinate.
“No. Speak now.”
Margaret spoke in a gracious tone, and the servant opened his mouth as if he had been waiting.
“The item was sold quickly, so I didn’t see the actual jewels, but the description matched the appearance of the lost jewels for sure.”
“…It was sold?”
Margaret’s expression hardened slightly.
“And they said the person who bought the item was a young woman.”
“Good heavens.”
Carol couldn’t claim in the afternoon that she was just a little bird and couldn’t have stolen them. She bit her lower lip.
Kate wiped tears from the back of her hand and said disgustedly,
“Good heavens. Poor Miss. The jewels Miss treasured…”
“Was there nothing about the person who sold the jewels?”
“I heard the seller was also a woman. It seems she was silenced and only spoke up much later.”
“Did you hear anything about that woman…?”
“And they said that woman had brown hair.”
The other servants who had been exchanging glances also joined the conversation actively, sensing the changing atmosphere.
“To think someone stole from the Duke’s Mansion, it’s unbelievable.”
“Even if a noble lady’s belongings are coveted, still…!”
There were at least three people with brown hair here. Carol let out an incredulous laugh.
Margaret covered her cheek and cast her gaze downward.
“Yes. I did wonder how she could have hidden the item from the eyes of the servants who know this mansion better than anyone, but I didn’t expect she had already taken it outside…”
The servants clapped in response to Margaret’s words.
“So that’s why we couldn’t find it, since it was no longer in the Duke’s Mansion.”
“It would arouse less suspicion to ask someone who goes outside the mansion every day.”
Strangely, Kate’s enthusiastic agreement beside Margaret felt even more annoying.
For a moment, Margaret looked directly at Carol. Their eyes met. But that moment was fleeting.
“And the one he’s closest to happens to be that person.”
The well-planned play had included Carol too.
“I didn’t steal it.”
Margaret slowly walked toward Carol.
“Do you have proof?”
“…That’s…”
“If you conspired to steal the item? Doesn’t it make it possible to secretly take the stolen item out since you leave work every day?”
“Oh my, good heavens.”
The Duke’s servants behind them glared at Carol with wide eyes.
Carol let out a hollow laugh.
‘So you were grinding your teeth, trying to implicate me too.’
Mrs. Wells, who had been silent, stepped forward.
“Miss.”
“Yes. Even with this circumstantial evidence, there’s no solid proof, so we’ll put this to rest for now.”
Mrs. Wells bowed deeply to Margaret’s cold face.
“But a witness has come forward, aren’t you being overprotective?”
“If we could single out the culprit just by brown hair, that would be convenient, but unfortunately we cannot.”
It was the first time the Duke’s Mansion had been so noisy at night.
“If you describe the jewels in detail, I’ll have all the servants search again.”
Margaret clicked her tongue and nodded at Mrs. Wells’ firm words.
“Kate.”
“Yes, I’ll go inform them.”
“A dirty bastard clinging to an opportunist.”
Carol flared up at the muttered words from the passing servants.
“How dare you…! Huff.”
She had even said he wasn’t a bastard and offered to show his lineage, but they didn’t seem to believe it.
Though infuriated by the insulting remarks, she couldn’t reignite the fire that Mrs. Wells had just extinguished.
Mrs. Wells called over one of the servants trying to leave in a group.
“Go fetch the coachman.”
“Me?”
“Yes, aren’t you a servant of the Duke’s Mansion?”
“…Yes.”
The servant looked displeased but soon answered obediently.
Mrs. Wells, Norman, Noah, and Carol moved to the servants’ lounge.
Carol, who had kept her mouth shut, finally heaved a deep sigh.
“The situation has passed for now, but at this rate, I’ll definitely be confirmed as the culprit.”
She had thought she remained composed, but her aching shoulders suggested she had been quite tense.
Norman patted Carol’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of help.”
“No, just having you here was reassuring.”
He couldn’t say anything as a large man intruding could later be claimed as intimidation.
Carol also apologized, gently embracing Noah’s back.
“Noah, I’m sorry I couldn’t stand up for you.”
“Mmm. No, I’m the one who’s sorry for causing you to go through this.”
Watching the three apologize to each other, Mrs. Wells let out a sigh tinged with a smile.
“I know you’re not the culprit. I’ll quickly clear this false accusation.”
Mrs. Wells’ strangely confident tone put Carol’s mind at ease.
The reason she hadn’t said anything earlier was that if Mrs. Wells, the Duke’s person, appeared to take one side, it was obvious Margaret would become more upset.
While Carol understood her position, she had feared deep down that Mrs. Wells might suspect her too.
“After work, I was walking through downtown for a bit when I saw Miss Kate.”
“Miss Kate?”
“The brown-haired woman they said was seen at the general store was probably her.”
“But no one saw her leaving.”
“Miss Kate must have been out when the young lady was continuously in her room. If the young lady says she and Kate were in the room together the whole time…”
“If someone claims to have seen her outside, she’ll just say they mistook her for someone else.”
In such a premeditated secret departure, verifying the truth would be extremely difficult.
Claims of being together in a private space would surely carry more weight than being seen from afar.
“But at that time, she was with Louis, no, Young Viscount Walden.”
“I see. Thank you for telling me.”
Carol smiled bitterly. If Louis hadn’t been there, she realized her own witness account couldn’t have proven the truth.
“Carol, go home for today.”
“But it’s not time yet.”
“The Duke instructed me to have you leave.”
“The Duke did?”
Ah, so that’s why the Duke briefly called Norman aside earlier.
“He felt very sorry he couldn’t accompany you.”
“When he clearly knows the circumstances, whatever.”
Though she had been fine earlier, thinking the Duke was being considerate of her made her eyes water.
“…I’ll head out first then.”
Since a servant had already been sent to call a carriage, she didn’t insist further.
“Carol, are you okay?”
Noah clung to Carol.
She wanted to cry but didn’t want to worry the child needlessly, so Carol forced a smile.
“Yeah. Sorry. Even though I came, the issue wasn’t resolved.”
“Why is Carol apologizing! Thank you for coming.”
Noah couldn’t hold back his tears any longer.
“Oh dear.”
“Please console Noah well.”
“Don’t worry.”
Mrs. Wells pulled Noah over. Noah obediently went with her, burying his face in the hem of her dress and crying. It was a pitiful sight.
“Noah…!”
“Don’t worry and just go home for today.”
Mrs. Wells patted Noah’s back.
With a nod gesturing to Noah, implying he would only cry more if Carol stayed, Carol stepped back.
“…Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Carol rose unsteadily. It was a mess. Unable to focus from the start of class, she felt like she had wasted the entire day.
