DSMBL Chapter 24

Chapter 024

The nanny’s voice trembled as she spoke, her head bowed low.

“I can’t help but suspect… that it might be the Duchess.”

“And why do you think that?”

Cassius asked calmly. A triumphant smile spread across the nanny’s face. As expected, Cassius believed her. Finally, she could get rid of that woman who had been rubbing her the wrong way since her arrival. Excitement bubbled inside her.

Goodbye, Charlotte.

The nanny nervously gauged Cassius’s reaction. He remained calm and showed no particular emotion, which had irritated her.

‘Why isn’t he reacting?’

The Duchess’s heirlooms weren’t ordinary items like necklaces or rings. Cassius’s mother, Seldeina, the nanny’s former mistress, had been the last royal of the Kangkas Kingdom. When Seldeina passed, the kingdom fell, and its territory was absorbed into the Empire. The heirlooms she left behind were the final legacy of Kangkas.

There were three such heirlooms:

The crowns of the King and Queen of Kangkas and the King’s scepter.

Due to their historical significance, these items were never to leave the family’s secure vault, located beneath the Isteria estate.

The nanny swallowed nervously. The vault had three keys: one with the Duchess, Charlotte; another with Cassius; and the last with the nanny herself. Cassius had entrusted the key to the nanny as a sign of respect for her role in raising him and Theo. Officially, only the three of them could access the vault.

Tearing up, the nanny pleaded,

“Two days ago, I stopped by the vault. I thought I saw a sword there that might suit Young Master Theo. But something seemed off about one of the heirlooms. The King’s scepter… it didn’t look the same as before.”

Cassius asked quietly,

“And why do you believe Charlotte is responsible?”

“Because she’s the most suspicious person right now. Everyone in the household says she’s changed. She suddenly became kind and even volunteered to save Young Master Theo. I’ve also heard she disappeared at night and was found in Theo’s room on multiple occasions. Who knows what she might have done during those times?”

The nanny spoke confidently, her words flowing smoothly. The more she spoke, the more convinced she became of her own story. She felt a sense of satisfaction swelling within her.

She continued,

“Moreover, I’ve heard that the Duchess’s family is struggling financially, but they’ve recently come into a large sum of money. And I’ve also been told she’s sold off all her dresses.”

Cassius’s brow twitched slightly.

“What does that mean, Your Grace? It means the Duchess has achieved her goal and is preparing to leave!”

Though some parts of her accusations seemed coincidental, there was a grain of truth to them. Cassius frowned slightly.

‘Leave? Why?’

Among all the nanny’s ramblings, the part about Charlotte preparing to leave stuck in his mind the most.

“Your Grace, this is a matter that cannot be taken lightly. Therefore, you must—”

“Nanny.”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

The nanny wiped her tears with a handkerchief and responded. Cassius regarded her coldly.

When their eyes met, the nanny flinched, but the tense atmosphere shifted quickly. Cassius smiled warmly, as if he had never looked at her with such a cold gaze. The nanny blinked in surprise.

“I will look into your concerns. Leave the matter of the heirlooms to me. We’ll determine who tampered with the scepter, and I’ll find out who it was and whether it’s real or fake. But before that—”

His smile was so warm it could melt her heart. It was the same smile Cassius often showed when his mother, Seldeina, was alive.

The nanny blinked again.

“I think it’s also important that you avoid any further suspicious behavior. I appreciate your loyalty, but I’ve noticed Theo has been spending too much time alone lately.”

“T-that’s because of the Duchess! Her educational methods are completely different from mine, Your Grace. She doesn’t respect me and forces her opinions, trying to hold young master Theo back. So I—”

“Ah, if that’s the case, then you can leave it to Charlotte.”

“Pardon?”

Cassius stood up from his desk.

“I’m telling you to step back from taking care of Theo, Nanny. I think you’re better suited for another task. I’d like you to take charge of the household management.”

“M-me?”

“You’re more than qualified. Charlotte is still inexperienced.”

The nanny gulped nervously.

“I-I don’t know if I’m qualified for it, but… I’ll do my best!”

“I trust you, Nanny. You may leave now.”

Cassius spoke in a low voice. The nanny left the room with a different expression than when she had entered. Cassius rubbed his chin, staring at the empty space where she was present.

It seemed the nanny was unnecessarily competing with Charlotte out of pride. While investigating the scepter was necessary, his suspicions leaned more toward the nanny than Charlotte.

Entrusting her with household management was also a way to keep an eye on her, as she had been leaving the estate suspiciously often.

‘Even if she did dispose of the scepter, she wouldn’t have acted alone.’

Oddly, despite the nanny’s claims, he couldn’t bring himself to suspect Charlotte.

<This is for you, Cassius. You’ve seemed so tired lately. I hope this helps.>

<I need to make a bubble wand, but it’s a bit tricky on my own… Will you help? Theo will love it!>

<Next time, let’s try building a castle. There’s nothing you can’t make with paper!>

A woman who said such things didn’t seem like someone who’d steal heirlooms and run off with the money. Sure, Charlotte had changed overnight, but…

“So what?”

Whether her soul had been swapped, she was reborn, or something else entirely—it didn’t matter. Cassius’s sharp eyes gleamed. The important thing was that Charlotte was here, by his and Theo’s side.

That woman who loved paper crafts and kept nagging him to take supplements.

The woman who was gradually filling this mansion with spring. She mattered more than anyone.

There was just one thing that bothered him.

‘She sold her dresses to prepare for leaving?’

Cassius’s expression twisted in frustration. She couldn’t leave. He needed to increase security and inform Luna in advance. Fixing the barn after losing the cow wasn’t Cassius’s style.

---

Oddly enough, the nanny came to see me with a triumphant look. When did we become that close? Theo, who had been reading beside me, subtly tugged at my sleeve.

“Theo?”

“Just trust me, Charlotte. If the nanny says anything, I’ll protect you.”

What’s with this adorable determination? I almost burst out laughing but managed to nod instead.

“Alright, Theo. I’ll count on you.”

And for some reason, Luna stood behind me, ready to protect me. I felt strangely reassured.

After her heartfelt advice that day, Luna had started to seem different.

The now-closer nanny gave a polite bow, then looked between me and Theo, her lips curling into a smooth, unsettling smile. What was that about?

Ugh, so annoying.

“By the Duke’s orders, I will no longer be involved in young master Theo’s affairs, Duchess.”

“…That’s good to hear.”

“And from today, I’ll be managing the household. Perhaps it’s because the Duke doesn’t trust you.”

“That might be true.”

What’s the problem?