Chapter 11
Episode 11
At that moment, Marie realized. This damned girl had never submitted.
On the contrary, she was saying she knew Marie was the one drugging the food.
But Marie quickly regained her composure. It was a futile action anyway.
"So what? Do you have proof?"
"Are you admitting to it right now?"
"Admitting what, Rosie? I never did such a thing. I only mentioned proof because you're spouting nonsense."
"But Marie."
Rosie gently stroked Marie's hair. Disgusted by the unpleasant sensation, Marie roughly swatted Rosie's hand away.
A fleeting look of hurt appeared on Rosie's face.
That pretentious bitch...!
"Normally, when someone says 'It was you,' shouldn't you ask 'What was me?' I haven't said anything yet, but you already seem to know."
"......That's."
She was at a loss for words. Overwhelmed by embarrassment, Marie bit her lip.
"......Even if you're interrogating me, it's pointless. You have no proof, so don't falsely accuse an innocent person."
"Got it. Then let's go."
"What......?"
Before she could understand Rosie's contextless words, Rosie grabbed Marie's arm and dragged her along.
Caught off guard, Marie followed her.
The place Rosie led her to was the first-floor hall, and there......
"You've come, Marie."
The butler gazed at her with a cold face.
Marie scanned her surroundings with trembling eyes.
Beside the butler stood the Head Chef with a fierce expression, next to him Emily with a triumphant look. And......
......The kitchen maid kneeling before them.
What in the world was going on?
Marie's fingertips trembled.
At that moment, Rosie, who had linked arms with her, turned to look at her. A soft smile played on Rosie's lips.
"Now then, explain yourself, Marie."
* * *
In truth, I knew a simple way to resolve the issue of the drug in Rihart's food.
It was to catch the kitchen maid in the act of adding the suspicious substance.
So I had tipped off the Head Chef and Emily to keep an eye on her.
The kitchen maid was only wary of me, so she wouldn't have dreamed they were watching her.
And as I expected, late at night, the kitchen maid appeared to mix the fruit into the ingredients for Rihart's meal in advance.
Thanks to my prior warning, the Head Chef and Emily were able to catch her red-handed.
And so, now.
All the servants had gathered on the first floor amid this commotion.
"Confess truthfully what you tried to put in the food! Hurry!"
The butler sternly shouted at the kneeling kitchen maid.
I watched the scene with half-resigned relief.
Upon seeing the butler for the first time today, I realized something.
The blond man I'd reported Rihart's escape attempt to before wasn't the butler.
No way, I didn't make a mistake with some high-ranking person, did I?
If the man I'd called butler back then was Arjen......
'No. He said he wasn't.'
My suspicions had turned to firm distrust at some point, but I had no choice but to trust him through gritted teeth.
"What exactly did you try to put in it! Do you realize the grave mistake you've made?!"
"I-It... They said it enhances the flavor when added to food... so I thought it would be good to put it in......"
No one was fooled by the kitchen maid's stammering lies.
I signaled Emily with my eyes. Understanding, she nodded and approached the butler.
"Butler."
"What is it?"
"It's a botanical guide."
Emily handed the thick book to the butler, who accepted it reluctantly.
He opened it to the page with the bookmark.
"When we saw the kitchen maid adding something suspicious and she seemed unwilling to confess truthfully, I borrowed it quickly."
A spark lit in the butler's eyes.
"Was this your idea?"
When the butler asked Emily, her gaze turned to me. I signaled her again.
Just say you did it!
Understanding our signal, Emily beamed. As expected of clever Emily......!
"No, it wasn't me—Rosie told me to do it!"
......Wait, Emily?
"And Rosie was the one who noticed the kitchen maid's suspicious behavior too!"
No, Emily! That's not it!
"Quite a clever maid."
The butler glanced me up and down before turning back to the botanical guide.
I figured nothing major would come of it and let it flow.
"Is this true?"
Having read the botanical guide, the butler held it open before the kitchen maid.
She desperately shook her head in denial, but the truth came out in an instant.
Realizing she could no longer lie, the kitchen maid finally confessed everything, and at the butler's summons, I brought Marie.
"Repeat what you said earlier."
The butler coldly commanded the kitchen maid, who looked at Marie with teary eyes.
"Senior Maid Marie knew I had a sick sibling and gave me money while ordering me to drug the meals!"
"What the hell is this...! Butler, this is slander!"
"Silence!"
Determined not to suffer alone, the kitchen maid spilled all the circumstances so far.
Marie shouted in denial with a flushed face, but too many pieces fit together.
"That kitchen maid is slandering me!"
"What reason would the kitchen maid have to slander you specifically?"
"I don't know either. I'm innocent! I'm innocent!"
Even as Marie cried out pitifully, the butler's gaze remained ice-cold.
"For now, I'll report this to the Marquis. Lock up the kitchen maid, and Marie, you reflect on your actions. It's only circumstantial for now, but you'll be punished the moment evidence emerges."
As Marie ground her teeth and glared at me upon hearing the butler's cold words, I pretended not to notice and turned my head.
During my meal duty, I had to block all problems.
This was good for the next maid who would take over too.
"And Rosie."
I hadn't expected the butler to call my name, so I widened my eyes.
"Would you perhaps consider becoming the exclusive maid?"
"......Pardon?"
"They call what the Marquis brought a monster. They say it curses and bewitches people. But unlike the rumors, that's not the case."
Wait a second, butler. What are you saying?
As if trying to persuade me, the butler earnestly tried to soften the image of Rihart that Arjen had built up.
But I knew what had happened to the exclusive maids in the original story.
"It'll be easier than your previous duties. And your salary will increase."
"......"
"Not bad conditions. In fact, you won't find better."
"......Butler, I."
Reading my refusal in my expression, the butler spoke before I could finish.
"Think about it a bit and give me your answer......"
"I've thought about it a little, and no thank you."
Perhaps because I answered too firmly, the butler looked flustered. But he quickly schooled his expression back to normal.
"Understood. If you don't want it, I won't press further."
"Thank you for the generous offer."
Fortunately, the butler didn't keep pushing.
I planned to leave the Marquis's household as soon as I saved enough money.
Before Rihart escaped later.
So I had no intention of becoming the exclusive maid riddled with death flags.
With that firm resolve, I came to deliver Rihart's dinner, but......
"I heard you turned down the exclusive maid offer."
How do you know that?
"Why did you refuse?"
Incomprehensibly, his eyes darkened ominously.
* * *
With Marie's issue resolved, I felt relieved as I headed to Rihart with his dinner.
"I heard you turned down the exclusive maid offer."
But the moment I entered the room, Rihart asked point-blank.
How does he know that?
Rihart was smiling, but it didn't seem like a genuinely happy smile.
"The Guard told me."
As if reading my question, he immediately revealed his source.
"The Guard told you......?"
"Precisely, I overheard the Guard talking with a close acquaintance outside."
Conversations from outside could be heard inside this room?
"Why did you refuse?"
