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Chapter 29
Translated by Yonnee
“Pardon? N-No, I will just come back next time, Young Master.”
“You said it’s urgent. Or if not, then were you just lying?”
If she said that it really wasn’t urgent, then it would seem like she was trying to kick Salvier out of the room for something trivial.
Feeling the cold sweat trickle down, Angela answered laboriously.
“It’s a matter of utmost secrecy…”
“So you’re saying there’s some kind of secret that you, the Head Maid, knows but I don’t?”
As Salvier’s eyes glinted with a dangerous look, Angela desperately turned to the grand duchess to implore her wordlessly.
The grand duchess looked at Salvier for a moment, then with the most affectionate and benevolent expression, she spoke.
“It’s alright. You can say it now.”
“M-Madam.”
“If you tell me later instead, won’t it look like I’m hiding something from my own family?”
At that, Angela was thrown into a sea of confusion.
‘But isn’t this supposed to be a secret? If this gets revealed, there will be a huge blow to the Madam’s image.’
Angela thought it over quickly. Then, at the same time, it finally clicked.
Come to think of it, Salvier extremely disliked Bunny.
No, it’s not just dislike per se. Just saying the first syllable of Bunny’s name in his presence would be enough to make him grit his teeth.
It’s true that he helped let Bunny into the main mansion and also helped drive out Princess Ophelia’s exclusive maids, but this was all for Princess Ophelia’s sake.
In fact, he must have wanted to get rid of Bunny as soon as possible.
‘Wouldn’t he be the one who’ll be happy to hear this more than anyone else?’
Angela concluded so.
But the thing is, there’s also the matter of Salvier ordering the chefs to cook for Bunny, regardless of whether she gave it all to the servants or not.
Angela didn’t hear anything about this at all.
‘Yeah, this should be something I can say in front of him, right?’
Perhaps this would make the young master be more aggressive.
Since Angela’s and his interests were aligned, she just might gain another strong backer here.
Laughing inwardly, Angela quickly spoke.
“To be honest, I’ve assigned new maids for the fake Princess. I don’t know what else to call it other than my masterful handiwork. To control it well, I appointed the maids who are very good at discreet bullying.”
“……”
Salvier’s expression was cold and stiff. Even the mocking smirk he had just now was completely gone.
Unaware of this fact, Angela bowed and continued speaking without a hint of hesitation.
“Regardless of what that fake does, I assure you that I’ll report her every move. It won’t be possible to do anything drastic since she’s in the main residence, but I believe we can prevent her contacting anyone outside. It’ll be easy to isolate her and discipline her with food.”
“Her food, her movements, huh.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Angela proudly answered.
“If she doesn’t listen, she will be starved, and—”
But she couldn’t even finish her sentence.
Salvier abruptly grabbed her throat remorselessly.
“Urk!”
Suffocated right then, Angela gasped for breath while instinctively trying to tear off Salvier’s hand.
But as though he couldn’t even feel her efforts, he didn’t budge.
With his eyes focused entirely on Angela alone, his teeth gnashed together. Then he asked.
“That kid is already like a skeleton, but why are you going to starve her?”
“Mmph, keugh…”
“Hey, why don’t you try starving?”
The grand duchess, as she was frozen for a moment now, suddenly ran forward and grabbed Salvier’s arm.
“Stop it. She’s going to die.”
“People don’t die this easily.”
He wouldn’t have killed her off that easily.
In the first place, he was controlling his strength enough that she could still breathe.
Not knowing this, Fluvia placed her hand over Salvier’s and patted it gently to soothe him.
“It’s much too harsh to use force without even asking why first. You’re not that kind of child.”
No, it would be right to say that he was.
“Let go now, come on.”
However, Salvier let out a deep sigh. He had no choice but to loosen his grip.
His stepmother, Fluvia, looked as white as a sheet, like she was about to faint any second now.
Barely being able to back away, Angela coughed loudly. Her face was bright red because her circulation got cut off.
And as soon as she caught her breath, she fell to her knees in front of Salvier and trembled.
“Plea—cough! Please spare me!”
“I don’t understand. Let’s just say you’re crazy enough that you’re seeking your own death, but why must you report something like that to Mother?”
Was she trying to shock someone who’s already weak?
As Angela prostrated with her face nearly sticking to the ground already, Salvier leaned down and roughly raised her chin.
All the while, he was fiddled with the sword at his side, showing an inch of its blade and then sheathing it again, over and over.
It was a clear threat.
His icy blue eyes glinted like a well-sharpened blade.
I’m going to die. I’m really going to die here.
She knew that it wouldn’t end with just grabbing her throat next time.
Losing all sense of rationality as she was at the door of death, she spewed desperate words unknowingly.
“The M-Madam told me to do it!”
“What?”
Who asked to do what?