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Chapter 26: Reshuffling

With maids tearfully pleading with him and the cold wind howling around his wife, Damian found himself with a headache.

If there had been a direct conflict between Aracila and the maids, he would have unhesitatingly taken her side. However, this was a fight over Aracila’s personal maid.

As the master of the household and their employer, Damian needed to make a neutral judgment. That was the only way to ensure his servants remained loyal and trusting of him.

For now, he pushed past the maids and approached Aracila. Standing beside her, he addressed the gathered maids.

“Your mistress is standing right here. Who exactly are you begging to save you?”

The maids looked as if their world had collapsed. His words clearly took Aracila’s side.

However, after turning to face Aracila, Damian immediately extended his judgment to the other side as well.

“I understand what happened, madam. However, since neither side has conclusive proof, let’s be fair and dismiss everyone involved.”

“…Are you saying to fire Audrey as well?”

“That’s right. But in return, feel free to bring in any maids you desire from House Hugo’s estate.”

Aracila let out a dry laugh. No matter how many maids she brought in, none could replace Audrey.

More importantly, dismissing Audrey along with the others wasn’t fair at all.

“How is it fair to fire someone who has been falsely accused?”

“Objectively, there’s no way to prove that Audrey was falsely accused. There are only circumstantial clues, but no concrete evidence. In that case, it’s actually better for her to leave along with the others.”

Damian’s words were rational. But they were only rational because none of his own people were involved in the matter.

“If your steward were accused like this, would you also ‘fairly’ dismiss him?”

“…….”

At the mention of the steward who had served him since birth, a small crack appeared in Damian’s expression.

Albert was one of the few people Damian genuinely trusted. If he were to be caught up in something like this…

As he gazed intently at Aracila, he took a step closer and spoke in a low voice.

“I understand how you feel. But even so, for now, it’s best to send that maid back to House Hugo.”

“…….”

“I can’t take your side without solid evidence. Later, I—”

“Listen to me.”

Her voice, cutting through his words, was calm. A feather-light touch settled on his broad shoulder. His large frame tensed slightly.

Leaning toward him as if relying on him, Aracila whispered:

“You married me because you love me, didn’t you?”

She was simply referring to the official reason given for their marriage. But as he met her unwavering blue eyes, Damian found himself feeling strangely unsettled.

It was as if waves were rushing in from a quiet night sea, crashing over him.

He weighed the options—supporting the maids or siding with Aracila. Which would be more beneficial?

The maids had served him for a long time. Some had even worked for the ducal household before he arrived. They were useful.

But Aracila was the one he needed to hold onto most right now. Maintaining their marriage was key to securing the duchy.

‘The person I need more right now is undoubtedly her.’

Damian surrendered to the unwavering gaze of Aracila, standing firm before him. He decided to make the kind of blind ruling expected of a husband who had married for love.

“Did anyone here see Audrey enter the room of the maid who lost her necklace?”

“…….”

“If not, then it’s difficult to say she stole it. Dismiss everyone involved—except for Audrey. I will reorganize the maids to restore order.”

Damian made his ruling, citing an absurd reason.

Betrayed by their master, the maids immediately protested.

The most vocal was the head maid. She herself had avoided dismissal, but her relationship with Aracila was now beyond repair.

If the maids who followed her were expelled, her position would weaken. After all, most of the maids allied with Rosalyn were her faction.

“Master, this is an unfair decision! The mere absence of an eyewitness doesn’t prove Audrey’s innocence! By that logic, we too—”

“I can prove my innocence.”

A faint, trembling voice cut through the head maid’s outburst.

All eyes turned to the left corridor.

There, drenched in sweat and panting as if she had run all the way, stood Audrey.

“I can prove my innocence.”

Despite being out of breath, Audrey spoke each word clearly and firmly.

Aracila, who had been watching with wide eyes, quickly approached her.

“Audrey, are you okay?”

“Yes, madam. But more importantly, please read this.”

Audrey pulled something from behind her back and held it out.

Two letters.

Aracila, looking puzzled, took them.

As her mistress checked the contents, Audrey stepped forward confidently to face the other maids.

“I endured it when you all excluded and tormented me. Since I was new, I assumed it was just hazing and that things would settle down eventually. But I’ve changed my mind.”

The reason Audrey had kept quiet about the bullying was simple.

She had believed it was just a passing storm.

But if it wasn’t, then there was no reason for her to endure it any longer.

Sweeping her gaze over the maids who couldn’t even meet her eyes, Audrey turned toward Damian and bowed deeply.

“Master, Rosalyn and some of the other maids have been defying the mistress and slandering her behind her back. The head maid, who should have managed them, turned a blind eye. Please punish them all.”

Damian’s expression turned cold.

Among the panicked maids, the head maid, looking especially shocked, was about to step forward again when—

“Damian, has Rosalyn ever tried to seduce you?”

 

After finally finishing reading the letters, Aracila turned around and asked,

“Has Rosalyn ever tried to seduce you?”

The abrupt question made Damian’s eyebrow twitch.

“Who is Rosalyn?”

“That blonde-haired maid over there.”

Aracila extended a pale, slender finger and pointed at Rosalyn.

Rosalyn stood frozen, her face drained of all color. Her gaze was fixed solely on the letter in Aracila’s hand.

The name “Bradley Brown” embossed on the envelope was the alias used by the duchy when sending letters.

Why is that… over there…?

A chill ran down her spine. She should have disposed of it immediately upon seeing it. She had planned to burn it after sending her reply, but then Aracila had called for her, leaving her no chance to send it. She had hastily hidden the letter behind the nightstand before leaving.

So why was the duchy’s letter—along with the reply she had never sent—now in Aracila’s possession?

“She has been a nuisance. But as far as I know, she was already scheduled to leave soon.”

“You can’t let her go. I believe she’s a spy sent by your enemies.”

Aracila’s gentle voice struck Rosalyn’s ears like a death sentence.

At the same time, Damian’s gaze turned as cold as a guillotine blade.

It’s over. I’m finished.

Overwhelmed by a sense of imminent doom, Rosalyn instinctively turned to flee.

“Move!”

She shoved past the maids and bolted toward the door. But she didn’t get far before—

Thud!

She collapsed.

Aracila had used a binding spell to trap her feet. White strands of light extended from her hand, coiling tightly around Rosalyn’s legs like ropes.

Desperate, Rosalyn tried to crawl away. But someone stepped in front of her.

She lifted her head to see who it was.

Aracila—so angelically beautiful that she seemed more like a demon.

“She was caught rummaging through my dressing room by another maid.”

Aracila unfolded Rosalyn’s letter and read aloud. Her clear, resonant voice reached everyone’s ears.

“I will frame her for theft and have her expelled. Take care of her accordingly.”

“…….”

“The head maid has also cooperated, so there shouldn’t be any obstacles.”

Thud.

A dull sound came from behind.

The head maid had collapsed to her knees. Her lips trembled as she realized it was the end for her.

Aracila calmly looked down at Rosalyn before handing a handkerchief to Damian.

Her gaze bound Rosalyn as tightly as chains, rendering her completely immobile.

“Gag the head maid with this. It would be troublesome if she bit her tongue.”

Without a word, Damian took the handkerchief and stuffed it into the head maid’s mouth.

Rosalyn, trembling violently, suddenly sprang up.

She had to do something—anything—to survive.

Desperation gripped her throat as she frantically shook her hands.

“N-No! That letter is fake! Someone must have—yes, Audrey! She must have fabricated it! I’m not a spy—!”

“Hold out your hand.”

“…What?”

Caught off guard, Rosalyn extended her hand.

Aracila placed her own hand over it and channeled her magic. Slowly, Rosalyn’s fingers began turning red.

Watching this unfold, Damian’s blue eyes narrowed meaningfully.

As expected, she touched the prenuptial contract.

“W-What is this…?”

“There’s a spell that marks anyone who touches my belongings without permission.”

Rosalyn stared at Aracila in stunned silence.

Aracila lifted her elegant lips into a smile and reached out.

Audrey quickly pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and handed it over.

“You should have kept your hands to yourself.”

“…….”

As Rosalyn’s helpless eyes reflected Aracila’s smiling face, she shuddered.

Aracila grasped Rosalyn’s chin and forced the handkerchief into her mouth.

Though the grip wasn’t strong, Rosalyn couldn’t resist.

“Take them to the underground cells.”

Damian had already summoned the knights.

Bound and gagged, the head maid and Rosalyn were dragged away without a sound.

Aracila gracefully approached her husband.

Slipping the letters into his coat pocket, she stood on tiptoe and whispered,

“Don’t worry. The prenuptial contract hasn’t been exposed.”

Even if Rosalyn had managed to steal the document and escape, it wouldn’t have done her any good. A spell prevented just anyone from reading it.

“Make sure you destroy them completely. And let me know the details later.”

She smiled radiantly, as if whispering sweet nothings.

Damian exhaled a short, amused breath.

Then he asked,

“What about the remaining maids?”

“I’ll handle them myself.”

“Understood.”

With a cold expression, Damian turned away.

His golden eyes, fixed on the underground passage, gleamed like those of a predator.

Just from his gaze, it was clear that the price of betrayal would be severe.

A heavy silence hung over those left behind.

The maids wore varied expressions, but despair was a common thread among them all.

They had been swayed by a spy and caused trouble for their mistress. Their punishment wouldn’t be light.

“You all acknowledge that you’ve taken me lightly and been neglectful in your work, don’t you?”

The maids answered with silence.

Aracila clapped her hands together.

“Well then, let’s begin the reshuffling.”

Restructuring the Household

A thorough investigation was conducted to see if any other maids, like Rosalyn and the head maid, had been bribed by the duchy.

Fortunately, there were no additional spies.

Over the course of several days, Aracila compiled a list of those to be dismissed.

The top priority for dismissal were those who had been closely associated with the two spies. Even if they hadn’t been directly involved in espionage, they weren’t entirely innocent.

Some of them came to her in tears, pleading their innocence.

“We really didn’t know! If we had known Rosalyn and the head maid were such awful people, we never would have associated with them!”

“That’s right! It was an honest mistake! If you give us one more chance, we’ll never repeat such a mistake again!”

“Please, madam! Have mercy! I have a family to support….”

Aracila’s smile remained, but her eyes were ice-cold.

At this point, she didn’t even feel anger—just amusement.

Tapping her pen against the desk, she spoke leisurely.

“You had fun laughing and gossiping together, didn’t you? You enjoyed spreading baseless rumors as if they were facts. You singled out someone and tormented them.”

“…….”

“Don’t pretend ignorance. You knew it was wrong to harass Audrey and slander me, yet you did it anyway.”

She never raised her voice, yet the maids stood as if struck by lightning.

Not a single one of them could refute her words.

 

 

 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ✧: *. ꕥ .* :✧ﾟ. ───