/
Salvier was unrelenting.
Once the seed of doubt had been planted, he chased after his opponent to the ends of hell just to get to the bottom of the truth.
Now that Emma was in Salvier’s sights, there was no other outcome other than being caught for her theft.
“How dare you steal my mother’s belongings…”
His anger shot up so high that his clenched fist started bleeding because of how deep his nails dug in.
After the room’s floor was torn off, several valuable items were found. This included Ophelia’s brooch.
Among the other valuables were the grand duchess’ earrings, which had gone missing about three years ago.
‘This wasn’t planned by that insect.’
Bunny was brought into the mansion two years ago. That’s why she couldn’t have been responsible for this theft.
He was wrong. Entirely.
Salvier glared at Emma with a gaze that was reminiscent of a volcano that’s about to erupt.
‘Of all things, why did you steal the brooch.’
Salvier despised Bunny to the core.
It wasn’t enough that her appearance resembled Ophelia, but she was also a fake who was trying to take his sister’s place.
There was no way that he would come to like her.
Since entering the Credel Castle, Bunny had done all kinds of things.
Every day, she stole Ophelia’s belongings and displayed them in her room as though they were trophies of war.
After hearing about Ophelia’s way of speaking and some of her mannerisms, she copied them exactly to the point that he got goosebumps watching her.
Instead of just filling in the spot because of a role, she acted as though she really would steal the real Ophelia’s position.
His younger sister was stuck at the furthest corner of some remote village without even enjoying all the good things that were her birthright.
Bunny was here only to receive a curse in Ophelia’s stead.
‘That insect has crossed the line a long time ago.’
Nevertheless, it was impossible to kick her out.
Ophelia was cursed with malice, that’s why it was difficult to bring any harm to her.
That’s why that maid cleverly thought of stealing the brooch that Bunny would have coveted, framing her at the same time. She knew that even before a proper investigation could take place, Salvier would point at Bunny and accuse her of being the culprit.
‘Did that maid use me in her plan to steal?’
Salvier was so outraged that his vision was turning white.
‘I will interrogate you personally.’
He would make her pay a great price for daring to underestimate him.
On the other hand however, there were other thoughts that wouldn’t leave his mind.
Salvier recalled how Bunny looked before he left the room.
Leaning against the wall and closing her eyes helplessly.
As though her breathing would stop at any given time.
‘Damn it, that insect.’
Whatever happened to her, it was none of his business.
But it would be difficult if she would die.
He had been holding it in for a while now.
Whenever he had the urge to kill her, he thought of Ophelia’s lovely smile and suppressed it.
‘But you’re going to die all on your own?’
Did she think that he’d let her go just like that?
Salvier beckoned the knight commander to come close.
“Call the interrogator and pull out a confession.”
“Yes.”
At the same moment the commander was about to leave the room after Salvier’s command,
He recalled what Bunny had said while pointing towards the other maids.
As long as it was true that the maid Bunny had pointed out was the real culprit, her words about the other maids couldn’t be dismissed as nonsense.
“Investigate the other maids. In addition to what they’re doing inside the mansion, find out about their reputation outside, their family, acquaintances and everything else. Be thorough.”
After this additional command, Salvier hastened his steps and headed towards the western spire.
Bunny was still in the same spot, sitting against the wall with her eyes closed.
Salvier reached out to her. He wondered if she was already dead.
But when a light breath touched the tip of his finger, he flinched and pulled back his hand.
She’s alive.
“Hey.”
“……”
“Hey. Insect.”
“……”
She’s just pretending to sleep.
Salvier hit her without even the slightest thought to be considerate.
Then, Bunny’s body slid down all the way to the floor.
She fell.
And at the same time, the boy, whose face was tinged with annoyance, became very flustered.
“Hey!”
He grabbed Bunny and raised her up again. When he shook her, her body just followed the movements limply, so he had no choice but to cradle her in his arms.
‘You’re this light?’
Things that he didn’t used to pay attention to suddenly entered his vision.
He looked down at the forearm that he was holding with his hand.
It was much too thin. To the extent that all he could feel were her skinny bones.
Even Ophelia wasn’t this thin despite being born weak and often had to be bedridden…
‘Do you even eat?’
Though she was from the slums, she should have been fed high-quality meals inside this mansion she’s been living in for two years. It didn’t add up.
‘What kind of ragged outfit is this. Why are you wearing this?’
It was a dress made of silk.
But being part of the noblest of noble families, Credel, Salvier grew up seeing only the best of everything in his entire life.
Far beneath his standards, Bunny’s clothes looked like rags to his eyes.
Moreover, the fabric was too thin. She’s wearing such rag-like clothes while enduring the cold of the north?
She wasn’t in this condition before. When did it start.
‘Even your hair is all tangled up.’
The only thing about her that resembled Ophelia was her face.
Rather than being taken care of, her hair even smelled, and it led him to question when on earth the last time she washed.
Something wasn’t right.
Although she was locked up in the western spire, there was a dedicated budget for Bunny every month, and it amounted to 200,000 Festha.
It was the amount equivalent to the cost of maintaining the dignity of even an imperial princess.
Of course, compared to Credel’s enormous wealth, even that was just a chump change.
‘That money was being given to you so that you won’t look for trouble.’
But where did that money go.
From checking the ledger regularly, he knew that she’s been buying luxury goods until recently.
“Damn it… What the hell is going on.”
As he cursed, he carried Bunny and left the room.
No, he was about to leave the room.
Until he found an old bowl at the entrance.
“……”
The stench of the unpleasant looking liquid in it rose to the tip of his nose, smelling like a rotten mop.
It didn’t take him long to figure it out.
That it was supposed to be a bowl of soup.
And that Bunny the only meals being given to Bunny was food waste.