Translator and Editor: Lea and Aki

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Chapter 46

Selena almost became sick by consuming the monstrous food the maid served. It had become an issue now that she had been treated with such food even if she didn’t eat it as it was considered an insult. She was fully entitled to demand a follow-up report.

However, the butler made no such response to her. He thought her to be sensitive. Saying that none of those facts mattered and that it was only a mistake made by the maids.

Selena, who was internally agonizing about whether to turn the table over or not, took a step back.

“Very well. Since it’s late, I shall go inside.”

She coolly flipped it over, shook it off, and finished in accordance with her personality. It would have been the case if he had apologized neatly from the beginning and backed down. However, considering the fact that the butler took the maids’ side without a second thought, it was not yet finished.

Her anxiety of getting killed outside was high, but living inside the mansion with her breath hitched in suspense every moment was no less worrying.

As Selena rose from her seat, a glimmer of relief came across the maids’ and butler’s faces.

“You must have become sensitive because of the exhaustion from your journey. I will continue to try to recruit more servants for your convenience, so have a reassuring sleep tonight.”

The butler chirped in a winning voice.

‘That wouldn’t help much.’

A promising smile crept up on Selena’s face as she looked at the butler.

‘You’re the one who should have a good sleep tonight. You won’t be able to smile starting from tomorrow.’

***

When she returned to Kalcion’s room, she found him all washed up as he continued to dry off his hair with a towel.

“Did you wash up by yourself?””Yes.”

She thought maids always served him whenever he took a bath.

“Why? We’re not on the move, and I wasn’t here either.””Didn’t you say you didn’t want me to be touched by another woman?””What?”

That was an unexpected reply.

It was just so that she could create a jealous act. In Selena’s absence, it had nothing to do with being served by maidservants.

“You said you didn’t like it, so I held onto it. It wouldn’t add up if we get back to normal as soon as we arrived at the mansion.”

It was ridiculous that Kalcion thought so far. He thought Selena wanted to drag it out longer. Was he this spontaneous and thoughtful?

“That’s true….. but at Renbird, you were seemingly disturbed by all those acts. You even threatened me to give it up. But it’s scary when someone shows motivation all of a sudden.”

Kalcion threw the wet towel on the backrest of the chair.

“The operation has gone too far to be scrapped. Now that I’m in the enemy territory, I’ll have to act with all my heart.””Oh….. So you were really thinking of scrapping it off before.”

Kalcion grinned instead of answering.

That was the threat that her life was on his palm. She appeared to be a great actor, but was respectable, physically and mentally.

“I didn’t know you could be good at something you weren’t meant to be doing.””I told you. If it’s necessary, I can do it.””Then, make a face of affection right now.””I’m not doing that.”

He wasn’t good at it. Kalcion laughed it off at the end as she kept insisting upon such a ridiculous thing.

‘Let’s just say that you’re not good at acting.’

However, just his willingness to act actively doubled up Selena’s acts. It would have been twice as hard if he had been passive until the end.

“Anyway, the enemy’s influence could be larger than you think.””Did something happen at the dining room?””Yes.”

Selena admired his perception. He must have become more alert.

“The maids here are openly hostile towards me. No, not just the maid, but all the ones who work in this mansion seem to be.”

She briefed him on the situation. As he listened to the story, his face sank in a serious look.

“…….Has it occurred before?”

She was referring to the time when Irelle stayed in the mansion.

“Most likely, it has. But, I don’t think that has ever happened in the Duchy.””In comparison, the servants here are more likely the ones involved in the situation rather than those in Renbird. Before saying anything, I’ll have to be more sensitive and prepare myself to note things according to what is needed.”People who act like puppies in front of their owner make their owner turn to a dog.”

The eternal truth had also been applied here.

The owner who couldn’t even imagine a loyal subordinate of his to be hard on others would just wrap it up. As the trust between them increased as the subordinates acted loyally in front of him, they became more powerful behind his back.

“Irelle had no peripheral consciousness to inform you, Duke, nor did she believe her words would move you. And they must have been aware of it.”

Kalcion groaned low. The place where people talked included not only the social gatherings but also his own house.

However thorough the security was, this heart impaling truth could not be prevented. He couldn’t say it was the one that killed Irelle, but all of them might have been bullying his guest from the start. Secretly and cunningly, from a place he had very little knowledge of.

Unable to keep quiet, he jumped out of his seat.

“What are you doing?””I will kill them all.”

Her eyes widened at his unexpected radical reaction.

“……..You can’t be serious.””I mean it.”No way, you’re not serious about what just happened.””Including that.”

She thought and shook her head.

“No, I think it’ll be a strange way to act. If this had really happened by any chance……you should wait.”

She examined her hypothesis over and over again. It was a ‘no’ through every obvious reasoning, but his response was not too rational.

“Didn’t you have feelings for Irelle?””There were times when I didn’t even look at her face.””There’s a saying that you fall in love at first sight.””Do you think that makes sense?”

Selena nodded proudly.

“Of course. Look at my face. I’ve been told that my face will remain probable for the rest of my life.””Huh.”

Kalcion snorted instead of replying. However, he did not deny that it was not.

“Anyway, there’s no reason for you to be so angry. Not after learning about Irelle’s situation.””I’m angry that the same thing happened twice. Not only to Irelle, but also to you. And I didn’t even notice.””Hmm…… Well, that makes sense.”

Who would allow things to happen beyond their control? He would definitely be angry if it were the people he had around.

It was only surprising to her that Kalcion, who appeared indifferent to everything, was getting this pissed off.

“I’m sorry to take advantage of your anger, but your reaction itself is good.””You mean because I had intentions of killing them?”

Kalcion asked with suspicion.

“Yes. Like how your anger is from the bottom of your heart, it could be dangerous. You sounded like, ‘How dare you hurt my girl? I’ll kill you all!’?””……I did?””That’s how it felt.”

She slurred back, grinning.

“Anyway, I’ve complimented you for your great response, so please calm down and sit down. Jeez, it wasn’t a situation for you to get that mad.”

He sighed deeply and plopped back down on the sofa.

“I don’t even know if these things are dangerous. They’re making such moves behind me…….”

He clenched his teeth as he thought about it.

“Were they involved in Irelle’s death?””I don’t know about that. We don’t know exactly who ordered her murder yet.””What if we dig information from back then?””Haven’t you already done that?””I did conduct some research.”

Immediately after Irelle’s death, all the occupants of the mansion were also subject to investigation.

However, no one was found directly involved. Naturally, servants were excluded from the list of suspects, and Kalcion was no longer interested……

“One doesn’t have to be led by someone to act with malice. They may either have some personal grudges or have no knowledge of what bad they’re doing due to the surroundings.””Nothing came out in the last survey, so we won’t be able to find anything new if we were to re-investigate.””Except for the things I have experienced.”

Selena had begun to reveal much deeper information than her original purpose of prying information from the society. Those were parts that he had to know.

“You’ve done great.”

It was confirmed once again that Mrs. Janet, who was silently attending her work in the mansion, was a dictator behind, and there were forces who kept watch for her secretly, which allowed her to send messages back. There was even an invisible pecking order and a struggle in the house that ensured perfect safety.

Such parts that went beyond the imagination of Kalcion. It was also proof that his vision was as dark as it was in places other than the battlefield where he fought with swords.

“I want to fire every one of them right now. Do you know how?””It doesn’t look like you’ll have to fire all of them.””It’s going to be the same anyway. Wouldn’t it be better to remove all of them?””It is, but the cause of the problem is the atmosphere. If you hire a new maid and if she has heard of me, she’d definitely try to act above me.””Hmm.”

He looked rather unhappy.

The easiest way to get rid of poisonous mushrooms that grew in places he didn’t know was to renew the soil in the garden.

But Selena did not agree.

“Only the butler, who protected the maids after they caused the issue today, is to be fired.””Did you not say the atmosphere was the cause? Isn’t there a risk of repetition as long as there’s someone left?””Even if a new person comes in, they will act the same toward me, who is neither an aristocrat nor the Duchess. It would be better to warn them that they’d get caught if they try anything wrong.”

Kalcion decided to follow her opinion unconditionally. He was unfamiliar to it anyway. It was only right to follow the opinion of someone who experienced it in person.

“Then, let me call the butler now.””No, not today. Tomorrow.”

He tilted his head in confusion. Selena smiled.

“Since it’s happening anyway, wouldn’t it be better to produce a dramatic effect by adding a scene?”

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