Idel’s gaze turned to Diane, who was kneeling.
Despite her trembling hands, which showed how tense she was, her eyes shone brightly.
‘…What day is it today?’
Why is everyone acting like this?
Not even considering that her nosebleed incident might have shocked everyone, Idel reluctantly opened her mouth.
“…What is it?”
“Um…”
Diane took a deep breath once more and quickly spat out her words.
“I’m really sorry! As a servant, I shouldn’t presume to understand my master’s intentions, but not only did I assume things about you, I also arrogantly decided I needed to keep an eye on you!”
“…What?”
While Idel was taken aback by her rapid-fire words, Diane’s confession reached its climax.
“How can I call myself lucky to serve you personally, yet fail to protect you in front of the other servants like a coward…? I’m trash!”
“Tr… what?”
“I’m trash…! I know I’ve made a huge mistake, so if you want to fire me, I understand, but please, at least reconcile with Miss Gianna! The atmosphere among the servants is really strange. It feels like something big is about to happen.”
Just when he thought he could finally understand her words, the meaning became unclear again.
As she pondered Diane’s words, Idel opened her mouth with a look of utter confusion.
“Can you explain it a bit more? I don’t understand any of it. What’s going on with the servants?”
“Oh, that’s, um…”
Diane’s cheeks flushed red upon hearing Idel’s words. It was then that she realized she had skipped over too much information.
“Um… to explain the overall situation, we need to go back to the time when you collapsed.”
Diane, unsure of where to start, took a moment to organize her thoughts before clearly conveying the circumstances of the incident.
Dianne shared stories about the unfavorable rumors surrounding the Duke’s household, Melisa’s actions after Idel collapsed, and the servants’ whispers.
Idel finally uncovered the answers to the questions that had puzzled her.
‘So that’s why Melisa has been quiet all this time.’
It was strange how she had been so unusually silent for a villainess who usually stirred up trouble behind the scenes.
Doing nothing was exactly what she needed to do.
‘Did she hope that I, isolated from everyone, would come to find her?’
In this place, or rather, in this world, her only ally is her mother.
‘How despicable.’
The corners of Idel’s mouth twisted slightly. She hadn’t expected she’d been pulling off such a sly scheme after ordering her to sleep.
If Diane hadn’t told her, she would have only realized it when the incident occurred. The difference between the two was significant.
“…This is what happened. I was wondering how to tell you, but when I heard that you were hurt today, I thought I had to….”
“…”
“So, um, I know it’s presumptuous of me, but how about you reconcile with Miss Gianna? If you two are together, the servants won’t dare to act recklessly… Um, Miss Idel…?”
As she poured out her thoughts, Diane glanced at Idel for a moment. Idel had been unusually quiet.
‘If it were the usual Miss Idel, she would have given me a sharp retort by now…’
…Was it too shocking?
Suddenly struck by that thought, Diane gasped and held her breath.
The servants were trying to torment her…!
How shocking must this situation be for the young miss? Contrary to appearances, she’s delicate on the inside, so she might have been hurt.
‘She might feel her pride wounded by my suggestion to reconcile for “safety,” not for any other reason…’
After thinking about it carefully, there are more than one or two things that bother me.
Diane, convinced she had indeed committed a crime worthy of being fired, squeezed her eyes shut and murmured softly.
“…Um, should I clean up my things and room by the end of this week…?”
“What?”
“Or, um, maybe tomorrow?”
Idel let out a small scoff at the shrinking timeline. With her hands on her hips, she raised an eyebrow and replied to Diane.
“Why would you clean up your things and room? Who’s kicking you out?”
“…Uh, what?”
“Go and complain to your friends as much as you want. Say that I’m bullying you.”
“Huh?!”
Idel frowned at the loud voice that nearly pierced her ears. Reading the sincerity in Idel’s expression, Diane gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.
“Oh, I’m sorry! But I don’t quite understand. Are you… telling me to get involved in bad things?”
“Yeah. Do that. That way, they can relax and play their little tricks.”
“Uh…”
“And forget about Gianna. Just… it’s fine.”
Diane, who understood the unnecessary words perfectly, was taken aback and shouted again.
“Wait! Have you reconciled with Miss Gianna?!”
“Shut up! Don’t make a fuss over something trivial.”
From her ticked-off reaction, it seemed she had indeed reconciled. Diane let out a sigh of relief without realizing it and tilted her head slightly.
Hearing that Idel had reconciled with Gianna made her even more confused about Idel’s words.
“Hmm, then Miss Idel, wouldn’t it be better to tell the Duke and Lady Rowena?”
“What? No way.”
“Uh, um…?”
“Then everyone will leave. That’s a bit…”
It’s a shame.
If she told the Duke, Melisa’s schemes would be stopped, but she couldn’t completely overturn them. She could just use the new servants again.
‘In that case, I should use this opportunity more wisely.’
She needed to make Melisa believe that things were going her way.
While Idel was grinding her teeth in frustration, Diane was interpreting her words completely differently.
‘…If I tell the Duke, everyone will leave the Duke’s household, but that seems a bit much…’
Could she really be worried about her subordinates losing their livelihoods so easily?
It would be hurtful, yet she was considering giving them another chance?
‘…Miss Idel is really…’
Feeling a lump in her throat for no reason, Diane hurriedly lowered her head. She didn’t want to show any tears and make things awkward.
“So, I’m curious about something, Diane.”
“Uh… Yes?”
“Where do the servants usually share such words?”
“…Huh?”
“I mean, there are many eyes in the Duke’s household. Is there a place where they can talk secretly?”
Gathering her emotions, Diane raised her head, only to roll her eyes at the unexpected second question.
‘…Could it be that she’s planning to go and cause a scene herself?’
No way.
‘…Surely not?’
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
After finally getting an answer from a very cautious Diane, Idel snuck out of his room late at night.
Fortunately, it wasn’t to cause a scene as Diane had imagined.
She simply wanted to eavesdrop on the servants’ conversations.
‘My younger sibling said that the solution to every mess is to eavesdrop.’
Interestingly, the place Diane mentioned was also noted in her sibling’s book report as the “Duke’s household’s public bamboo grove.”
[Is the staircase leading to the garden the Duke’s bamboo grove? Why do all the kids share important secrets there…? That’s where Gianna confessed, and where the spoilers are too…!]
It wouldn’t make sense not to check out a place like this.
If she played her cards right, she might gather some decent information herself.
Thinking this, Idel stealthily made her way to the staircase leading to the garden, taking advantage of the darkness.
‘Is this it?’
As she moved behind the staircase, using her small frame to her advantage, Idel couldn’t believe her ears when she finally arrived at the location.
“I heard that you broke the gift he gave me, Melisa. Why are you doing this to me?”
“…Hah, Rowena. You called me out here for just that? At this hour?”
“Just that? Knowing how much I cherish that gift? Do you really hate me that much?”
“…”
Contrary to her expectations that the servants would be gossiping, there were people she hadn’t anticipated.
Idel cautiously looked up the staircase with widened eyes. Peeking out, she saw Melisa and Rowena facing each other.
It was a very peculiar scene.
With eyes full of anguish, Rowena gazed at Melisa and spoke earnestly.
“Sister, please be honest with me. We used to get along well. Why do you keep tormenting me? Have I done something wrong to you? Is that why this is happening?”
