What he heard was so preposterous that Salvier couldn’t immediately respond.

He just knitted his brows slightly.

‘Mother ordered that a kid like that would be surveilled, locked up and starved?’

It was absolutely, utter nonsense.

But for some reason, something about Angela’s expression bothered Salvier.

After doing something like that, she was already terrified to the point that she’d lost her rationality.

Usually, if someone was pushed to such an extent, they would blurt out the truth.

“Mother, is what she said true?”

He glanced behind him at Fluvia. He couldn’t believe what he just heard, but he was still asking for her confirmation.

For a few moments, she only showed how taken aback she was, but there soon was a pitying expression on her face. And instead of answering him, she asked Angela.

“Truly? Did I say something like that?”

“……”

Angela was entirely dumbstruck.

“But Madam, surely…!”

Ack.

At a loss for words now, confused, Angela clamped her lips shut.

Now that she thought about it again, she wasn’t explicitly told to do any of that.

In the first place, Fluvia was known as the grand duchess who was pure, honest and righteous—simply worthy of the name of the blue moon.

She wasn’t the kind of person who’d give such orders.

‘But I definitely thought that’s what the Madam wanted. That’s the only reason why I took the initiative!’

She felt so wronged to the point of madness.

‘I mean, Bunny didn’t know her place and often insulted the Madam. The Grand Duchess is also an orphan, but becoming the Ducal Princess like that is just, surely I…!’

Angela put the Grand Duchess in a tough spot. Bunny hadn’t looked well since she entered the main palace.

Letting out a sigh, Fluvia murmured under her breath, “I hope Bunny doesn’t hate me a lot as her stepmother.”

She’s not the real ducal princess—just a fake who was going to be kicked out one day.

The grand duchess was someone who never said harsh things to other people and was so sweet, but that Bunny was disturbing the Madam’s mood.

That’s why, that’s why…

Angela thought that it’s only natural for her to step forward.

She was under the impression that if she was favored by the grand duchess, then she would be able to push out the head lady-in-waiting and take her place.

“Y-Your Grace said that if I do my best for you, I can be the head lady-in-waiting…”

“I only meant to say that I could see your potential. I have no idea how on earth you could connect my words to such terrible plans.”

“But I heard from Your Grace’s favorite lady-in-waiting that Bunny has been running her mouth and insulting you while she herself doesn’t know her place!”

“You mean Lily? She’s simply too attached to me that she sometimes makes up things that aren’t true. I already berated her about that habit.”

Fluvia shut her eyes tightly and placed a hand over her chest, taking in a deep breath. Then, she stumbled forward as though she had gotten dizzy.

Surprised, Salvier quickly helped her lean back on her chair.

“I’m sorry, Angela. But I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”

Fluvia cradled her throbbing head.

“If you have a reason behind this, then will you tell me? I want to understand you.”

“I-I did it all for you, Madam.”

“Was what you did truly for my sake?”

“But wasn’t it? I was chosen, and I’m special just like the Madam!”

There’s nothing more worth listening to.

Salvier called the knights in and ordered them to drag out the deranged maid.

“Keep her in solitary confinement. Don’t give her a drop of water for a week.”

“P-Please spare me! Madam! I did it for you alone! Madam!”

Did anyone even say that you’d be killed?

Salvier clicked his tongue as he watched Angela warble like a pig being dragged to the slaughterhouse.

“I don’t know why you get tangled up only with such crazy people, Mother.”

“Don’t say that. Surely their hearts are wounded severely, that’s why. I should have noticed and took better care of them…”

Fluvia murmured, her expression carrying heavy regrets.

“You’re being too forgiving with those crazy people who don’t know their place. Mother, you’re no longer a saintess.”

Salvier blurted out the words without much thought.

Of course, he meant these words in a way that she shouldn’t be responsible for all those trash-like people since she wasn’t a saintess anymore.

Then, in a split second, there was a crack in Fluvia’s gentle demeanor.

However Salvier didn’t know what kind of effect his thoughtless words had on her.

He followed after the maid who was dragged away, so Fluvia remained alone.

The compassion and anxiety-filled eyes that trembled pitifully soon became cold.

“No longer a saintess, he said.”

She muttered to herself.

“Yeah, I’m no longer a saintess.”

She was the Grand Duchess of Credel.

She lacked nothing, be it honor, power, or wealth. And from now on, she would never lack it all.

“So then, how was it discovered?”