CH 6

Sometimes, Emma also secretly gave Bunny some food to eat or some other clothes to wear.

Bunny had no choice but to trust and rely on her because she had no one else.

“M-Milady, I…”

Taken aback for a moment, Emma was speechless but she soon began to tear up.

“I don’t know why you’re claiming that I stole it. I don’t even know what the stolen brooch looks like.”

Did I perhaps step on the Lady’s toes?

Emma continued to imply this pitifully.

Tears formed around her big eyes and soon trickled to the floor.

Then the two maids, who usually took good care of the kind Emma, turned around with a fire lit in their eyes.

“Emma is definitely not the one!”

“Emma? A thief? Absolutely not! A gentle child like here wouldn’t do something like stealing the Young Master’s prized belonging. What a ridiculous false accusation!”

Sara and Melissa wrapped Emma in their embrace, glaring down at Bunny with a contemptuous look.

“As far as we know, it’s Emma who took care of the Lady a lot… You can’t abuse other people’s kindness.”

There seemed to be the underlying meaning of, ‘There’s a limit to your ungratefulness’.

However, Doah responded without even being shaken by anything that they said.

“Then go ahead and search Emma’s quarters.”

“Milady!”

“If you don’t find anything, then I’ll obediently accept the branding.”

Sara and Melissa both widened their eyes at Doah’s words.

It was because they just thought that Bunny was being cornered, so she was targeting Emma, who looked to be the easiest.

‘But why are you so confident?’

Was it because of Doah’s confident declaration?

Emma flinched as though nervous, then after a moment of contemplation, she fumbled.

“You’re too much, Milady! I, I didn’t do anything wrong to the Lady!”

With a dubious expression, Salvier looked between Doah and Emma.

But he soon snorted and spoke up.

“Why do I have to make such an effort?”

He seemed to believe not one ounce of Doah’s claims.

Of course.

‘I won’t be able to get out of this unless I can present the right evidence to prove that I didn’t steal it.’

At this point, she had now fully recognized Salvier, and so she spoke.

“Those maids are the exclusive maids of Princess¹ Ophelia.”

Instead of meaninglessly trying to insist that she was innocent, she deliberately mentioned Ophelia, who was Salvier’s weakness.

“So?”

“What if Emma really stole it? When the Princess returns, it’s like you’re allowing a petty thief to stay next to her.”

“……”

At this, Salvier’s brows became furrowed.

This time, there was no retaliation of harsh refutation, threats or ridicule.

This was because when the name Ophelia was uttered, his worries arose.

‘Wow, look at how his eyes change the moment his sister is mentioned.’

It’s ridiculous.

Doah continued speaking, her eyes cold.

“I heard that the Princess is a gentle and innocent child. Is it alright if you don’t check this maid properly?”

“……”

“And if it’s someone like the Princess, she’ll cover for this maid, even if she’s a thief.”

Her voice was quiet and serene, like a flowing river.

Salvier felt that something was amiss after hearing Doah’s calm voice.

It was different from her usual tone of voice, shouting at him to look at her.

‘Have you always been like this?’

She was much too calm.

The gaze that blindly chased after him, the gaze that was so desperate. It was nowhere to be found.

There was only a distinct coldness to her red irises, and he couldn’t read what she was thinking at all.

It seemed like she would not even blink when faced with the threat of branding her with a slave’s mark, even done through fire and not a magic scroll.

‘Did you somehow get ahold of rat poison inside this spire?’

Salvier stared at Doah as though he would tear her to shreds. But soon, he spoke through clenched teeth.

“You. Guide me to your quarters.”

“B-But, Young Master…”

Emma stuttered. Her face was not only white—it had turned blue.

Her legs were shaking as though she was about to collapse.

“I’m not the one who did it!”

“Guide me there while I’m still being nice. Don’t make me say it again.”

Considering that he never compromised on anything as soon as he’s decided, Salvier’s temper rose.

While butting his head near Emma’s face, Salvier growled furiously.

And right then, she collapsed as though her legs had loosened.

“Stand up. You there, call the knights in front of this maid’s room.”

As he went on to solve this case like a bulldozer, Doah barely managed to sit while leaning against the wall.

‘Seems like I starved too much.’

Since she didn’t eat or drink, she was left dizzy and exhausted. She couldn’t even lift her fingers.

‘Ah, I feel like I’m about to faint.’

If she could just close her eyes like this, it would soon come to an end either way…

But Doah had no intention of ending it here.

With her shaking hand that was about to lose its remaining power, she pointed towards Melissa.

“That maid.”

And, she continued to ignore her increasingly blurry vision.

“Because of her desire to gain recognition, she’s very two-faced and has an extremely light mouth.”

Her body was gradually losing strength.

Ah, not yet.

“There’s a high possibility that she’s been spreading around Credel’s internal affairs to others. Her employment contract should have a clause of sword secrecy somewhere there. Even if it doesn’t have one, well. She knows such a big secret, but I’m not sure if it would be good to still keep her.”

Then, Doah immediately pointed to Sara.

“This one has the disposition of a swindler. Some of the other servants must have suffered under her. There’s no one outside who could refute her words, so there’s a chance that she’s been making false claims about Credel.”

Fortunately, before her vision turned dark, she was able to finish what she needed to say.

“Please, try and investigate…”

Doah added this. Then, her eyes closed shut.