Ch#60
“But first, you need to convince me right away. We need clear proof that you, Edel, didn’t steal those items.”
“If I had stolen them and distributed them, I would’ve told them to sell them immediately. Why would I leave them in their rooms until now? I knew you’d notice their absence soon enough.”
“That doesn’t serve as proof in this matter.”
“Of course, that could be the case. But by the same logic, the items turning up in the rooms of the three maids close to me doesn’t prove I’m the culprit either.”
And Edel, suppressing her rising anger, said in a low voice,
“Yet among those who had access to your room, there’s exactly one person not mentioned as a thief. And that person is the one framing me.”
Only then did Linia recall that she hadn’t suspected Marsha either.
“The missing items were ones you hadn’t worn much before. And besides Mrs. Bohen, who else knew that so well?”
*Spoils of war*
*Duchess*
Linia fell silent, lost in thought.
The small pearl hairpins and thin gold necklaces that had gone missing were ones Edel had recommended after becoming her exclusive maid, and thanks to that, Linia had worn them often lately.
Truly written by Lemon Frog
If Edel truly were the culprit, why steal such items? She would’ve known they’d be noticed right away.
“You may suspect as much, but this was undoubtedly Mrs. Bohen’s doing to pull me down.”
“Right, I suspected her briefly too. But what does she gain from orchestrating this?”
“She’d reclaim her position as your exclusive maid. Mrs. Bohen greatly regrets losing that role.”
Linia knew that much.
Throughout the time she served her, Marsha had chattered endlessly about gifts other head maids close to her received from their mistresses, and Linia couldn’t help but buy her something each time. The errand items always cost more than expected, so she’d long suspected Marsha was skimming off the top.
“But framing you as a thief for that alone? Isn’t the risk too great even for Mrs. Bohen?”
“It may seem trivial to you, miss, but not to Mrs. Bohen. To her… this mansion is…”
Edel hesitated to continue.
- 2 -
.
How could she tell them they’d been suckers, that this household had been mere prey for a head maid?
But the time had come to reveal it.
Marsha had gone after her friends, so there was no more reason to hold back.
Edel’s expression was so hardened that it was obvious at a glance.
“In any case, I’ll report this to the Count and discuss further matters with him. I’ll inform you after his decision, miss.”
“……Regarding Marsha?”
“Sorry to interrupt your work.”
“Yes.”
“Must be that important. Speak.”
Linia nodded as if guessing something, rather than prying further as Edel had expected.
Around his usual return time, Laslo had a headache from Dimacus’s words as he changed clothes and skimmed a few tedious documents in his office. Then came a knock.
“It’s Edel.”
“………You mean the gift where I asked you to trust me instead of a blank check?”
He still didn’t understand why that was preferable to a blank check worth hundreds of thousands of lingtan.
“Yes, that one.”
“What? You still don’t have a butler? Forget fretting over the Imperial Guard—you need to get your household in order first!”
He hadn’t forgotten.
No, seeing Edel bring it up now, it seemed she was finally about to explain.
But he was at a loss where to even start.
*If he’s so worried, he could just send a decent butler.*
Of course, the moment he let an emperor-recommended butler into the house, he’d suspect the man of reporting his every move back to Dimacus.
“I remember.”
“Then give me that gift now.”
Laslo scoffed at her abrupt request.
“Out of the blue?”
“I’ve been accused of stealing Miss Linia’s items and distributing them to the maids close to me.”
“Come in.”
A low, composed voice. Yet it oddly made her heart skip.
It was sincere. If Edel had lusted after possessions, he could’ve given her far better ones. Edel had greatly contributed to both his and Linia’s outward transformations and was the primary reason Linia hadn’t been humiliated.
So there was ample reason to give her good things.
But since she wasn’t the type to want that, it was tricky—and believing a mere accusation against her was false wasn’t hard at all.
Since she’d taken charge of changing his appearance, they’d spent considerable time together, but after his vacation ended, they rarely crossed paths.
So her visit was a bit welcome.
“I believe you didn’t steal them. Satisfied?”
.
