‘Looking at me like this, we look more alike.’
Before, he also used his aura to make Bonita go up and fall, but she didn’t look scared. Did mother and daughter resemble each other in this respect? For just a brief moment, Damien was immersed in such sentiments.
“What did you believe in when you jumped?”
Damian asked.
“I believed that the master would catch me.”
“Didn’t you think it would be dangerous?”
“It would be dangerous under normal circumstances, but Your Excellency can use aura.”
“…What are the odds that I won’t catch you?”
“I didn’t even think about it.”
“How come?”
Damian asked as he placed Reina on the ground.
“I just believed that.”
Reina seemed to be able to stand with her feet firmly planted, but she stumbled and fell to the floor. And she smiled weakly and said,
“…If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to jump.”
“…okay.”
Damian heard Reina’s answer and looked around her with indifferent eyes.
“Why did you have to risk your life to jump?”
But there was anger in that indifferent expression.
“Well, let me explain.”
Count Embron approached with a pale complexion. Everyone around him didn’t look good. Reina looked at them with a pale complexion. They were all brainwashed by Count Embron. Among them was Sophia.
‘That’s it.’
As expected, Sophia, who was Count Embron’s hand and foot, approached Reina and Estelle when she caught a glimpse of them, and it was Sofia who gave advice that was not advice. Among the residents of this mansion, Sofia was the least suspicious when she approached Reina, so no one seemed suspicious when she hovered around Reina.
“Your Excellency has been deceived by this treacherous family.”
“I was tricked?”
Damian looked at Count Embron with his eyebrows furrowed.
“Yes. As soon as His Excellency left the room, the woman’s eyes changed as she looked at the Princess. At the risk of causing misunderstanding, I, Embron, turned around and saw that she was a woman who had earned His Excellency’s trust. “I knew that it was dangerous to follow only one’s heart, but my deep-rooted loyalty was…”
“That’s a long introduction.”
“Anyway, in the process, I found out that that woman was aiming for the position of duchess. Of course, there’s no way rumors about her wouldn’t have reached Your Excellency’s ears!”
“Because I don’t listen to nonsense.”
“It’s not a rumor! That woman has really been acting it all out to aim for her position as duchess!”
If you look at Embron’s expression, there really wasn’t a single loyalist. In order to protect his lord, who was possessed by a witch, Count Embron gave advice even when a sword was put to his throat, and shouted as if he were a loyal subject.
“I can explain! There is also evidence that that woman has been collecting things to take advantage of the princess!”
Damian looked at Embron and asked Reina.
“Have you had time to gather evidence?”
“What?”
Those words were like talking to her.
‘Reina Borton must have always been busy watching over my daughter or taking care of her own children.’
“She hired someone else…”
“Did Reina Borton have money to hire someone?”
“That’s right, Your Excellency!”
“I have yet to pay any financial compensation to Reina Borden.”
Of course, it may not be a rumor going around. Damian added in a dry tone. He said, looking at the servants standing behind Count Embron.
“I guess I didn’t pay attention to the mansion. Just because I was away for a while, I brought things into the mansion that thought someone else was the owner and started wagging their tails.”
Damian’s voice didn’t contain any anger, but rather it aroused fear. What was more fearful than anger was indifference. Damian spoke as if he had no expectations from them at all. Count Embron’s eyes wavered.
“Yes, that’s right. The Princess… please ask Estelle! If she is, she will agree with what I say! I will bring Estelle to you right away…!”
“It’s not possible…!”
When the Count insisted on bringing Estelle, Reina quickly interrupted him. Count Embron was confident. In the past few days, he had been giving Estelle a coercive class and the child only followed what he said. So, he had no doubt that if he brought Estelle back now, she would take his side and not Reina’s.
‘That woman noticed that too!’
Reina didn’t even have the strength to get up, but she was looking at Count Embron with her eyes wide open. She seemed determined to make sure Estelle could never be brought back.
“Your Excellency! Look at that! That woman is afraid that if she brings Estelle in now, all her tricks will be exposed!”
Damian took a few steps forward and blocked Reina’s view. Count Embron was completely hidden from Reina’s view.
Damian said to Reina.
“Tell me your opinion.”
“…”
“Reina Borton.”
As an action, Damian said he would protect Reina. Reina caught her breath and opened her mouth.
“Forcing the perpetrator and the victim to face violence is because it is another perpetrator.”
Violence, perpetrator… As soon as those words came out, hostility appeared in Damian’s eyes, and Embron’s image was reflected in his aggressive eyes.
“Violence! I never hit Estelle!”
“Hitting is not the only form of violence. An adult forcing a child to do anything is also violence. While the master was away, the young lady was virtually isolated from anyone other than Count Embron.”
“The only one who claims that is that maid. Your Excellency, why has your judgment become so clouded? Everyone who served you longer than that maid says that she did something wrong, but why do you only listen to what that maid says!”
“I don’t just listen to Reina Borton.”
Damian waved his hand at Peter and gave him some instructions.
“The problem is that you are deceiving me and telling me lies.”
Soon, the knights who had gone out with Damian surrounded Embron and the servants who were standing behind him.
“Now, let’s share the story one by one.”
* * *
Widely.
Reina returned to the room where Bonita and she were staying.
“Look…”
Even in the commotion, Bonita’s shadow was not even visible. There’s no way he could have hidden this well by himself, but who did it? Maybe she ran out of the mansion as soon as the commotion broke out. If a child had run outside in this weather, he might have frozen to death. Just thinking about it gave her a chill in her stomach. Reina tried to maintain her composure by pressing down on her cold, hardening heart. No matter how much Damian believed in Reina, she couldn’t leave the province until everything was over.
Reina, who had been lazily wandering around her room, realized that she couldn’t do anything now and sat down at the table. At that time, the door opened with a knock.
“Borton.”
Anne-Marie came into the room, pulling a cart. Even though she didn’t say she could come in or anything, she seemed quite natural.
“You starved for two days. Eat.”
Reina blinked as she looked at the fairly large cart.
“I can’t eat that much.”
“I didn’t bring this to eat alone.”
“Yes?”
So, did she bring it to eat together? Anne-Marie was the maid in this mansion who most openly stayed away from Reina.
“Not me.”
“Then…”
Anne-Marie sighed and lifted the cloth covering her cart, muttering to herself.
“What can I do with such an oblivious child?”
Little Inyoung, who was crouching inside the cart, finally stretched out her bare body and spoke.
“Mom?”
“Bo, Bonnie? Why are you out there?”
“Anne-Marie, she took me with her when they captured you.”
Bonita was still warm and soft as she came into Reina’s arms. She could see that the child was alive and that what was in front of her was not a dream. Reina looked after Bonita for a while and checked her condition before she looked at Anne-Marie.
“Anne-Marie, did you protect Bonnie? How can I repay you for this favor?”
“I didn’t protect her because she was your daughter.”
Anne-Marie answered sharply in a quiet voice and began setting out food on the table.
“I didn’t like the way Count Embron behaved toward Lady Estelle.”
Anne-Marie muttered, saying, “I don’t know what kind of education the employees of this mansion received, or whether they are protecting people who are not their owners.”
Anne-Marie set up the fork and knife perfectly and then spoke to Reina.
“You are the only maid that Lady Estelle trusts. So please be more careful. I don’t like people who don’t know their own worth.”
Reina listened quietly and asked.
“Was what you said in the warehouse also advice?”
Anne-Marie was startled by that question. Anne-Marie’s eyes wavered.
“So, you were telling me not to act carelessly until the master comes? The reason you put the photo in that warehouse was because I thought Count Embron wouldn’t come in there.”
“That.”
“Until then, Anne-Marie was trying to protect her as best as she could?”
Anne-Marie’s expression was stern, as if everything she said was correct, but she could see her ears turning bright red.
“Anyway, I’m going to go testify to my master in a little while. Since he is going to talk to each person individually, I’m sure we’ll get caught out soon. And…”
“And?”
“The knight who came now is investigating the area around the castle, so your innocence will be proven.”
Reina, not understanding what investigating the surroundings had to do with proving her innocence, just looked at her in confusion. Anne-Marie sighed as she looked at Reina.
“I have a suspicion that an artifact was used. Brainwashing artifacts were banned a long time ago, so the only ones available are ancient ones. Where did you get them?”
—————————————————————
Translator Note:
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
If you like my work please support me with Ko-fi or Patreon. Next post will be released on March, 9.
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Screw Damian x Reina(┛✧Д✧))┛彡┻━┻
Anne-Marie x Reina is the new otp (ʃƪ^3^) Anne-Marie is the real MVP of this arc Damian is gonna have to put in work if he wants ti be with Reina