Chapter 43

‘Looking at her like this, she resembles her even more.’

Before, when Bonita had used aura to leap high and fall, she had not looked frightened either. Did mother and daughter even resemble each other in that way. For a brief moment, Damian found himself thinking so.

“What made you believe you could jump?”

Damian asked.

“I believed you would catch me, my lord.”

“Didn’t you think it might be dangerous?”

“In ordinary circumstances it would be. But Your Grace can use aura.”

“…What were the chances I wouldn’t catch you?”

“I didn’t even consider that.”

“Why not?”

Damian asked as he set Reina down on the ground.

“I just believed it.”

Reina stood with both feet together for a moment, then swayed and collapsed onto the ground. She gave a weak smile.

“…Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to jump.”

“…I see.”

After hearing her answer, Damian swept his gaze around with an unreadable expression.

“The reason you had to risk your life and jump.”

There was no overt anger on his face, yet fury lingered beneath it.

“I, I will explain.”

Count Elbron approached, his complexion pale. The people behind him looked no better.

Reina looked at them with a wan face.

They had all been swayed by Count Elbron. Among them was Sofia.

‘…So it really was Sofia.’

When Reina had secretly observed Count Elbron and Estelle, the one who approached her and offered advice disguised as concern had been Sofia.

Of all the servants in this estate, Sofia was the least suspicious choice to approach Reina. No one would question her lingering around.

“Your Grace has been deceived by this wicked woman.”

“I have been deceived?”

Damian frowned as he looked at the count.

“Yes. The moment Your Grace left, the way she looked at the young lady changed. I, Elbron, risked misunderstanding and investigated her. I knew she had earned Your Grace’s trust and that acting on suspicion alone was dangerous, but my deeply rooted loyalty…”

“Your introduction is long.”

“…In any case, through that process, I learned that this woman has been aiming for the position of duchess.

Surely rumors of such a thing could not have failed to reach Your Grace’s ears?”

“I don’t entertain baseless rumors.”

“They are not baseless. This woman has been acting all along to claim the duchess’s seat.”

Judging by his expression alone, Count Elbron looked every bit the loyal retainer.

A subject who would speak out even with a blade at his throat to save his lord from a witch’s spell.

He cried out as if he truly believed himself righteous.

“I can prove it. There is evidence that she gathered items to manipulate the young lady.”

“…”

Damian looked at Elbron, then asked Reina,

“Did you have the time to gather evidence?”

“Pardon?”

It was almost as if he were speaking to himself.

“Reina Botn has always been busy either attending to my daughter or caring for her own child.”

“She, she hired someone else…”

“Does Reina Botn have the money to hire someone?”

“Well, Your Grace…”

“I have not yet given Reina Botn any financial compensation.”

That was not something commonly known outside.

Damian added in a dry tone as he glanced at the servants behind Elbron.

“It seems I neglected this estate. I stepped away briefly, and you wagged your tails at another master the moment he arrived.”

There was no raised voice, no visible rage, yet that made it more terrifying.

What was more frightening than anger was indifference.

Damian spoke as if he had never expected anything from them in the first place.

Count Elbron’s eyes wavered.

“Th, then ask the young lady. Ask Lady Estelle. She will confirm my words. I will bring her here at once…”

“No.”

The moment the count insisted on bringing Estelle, Reina interrupted urgently.

Count Elbron was confident. For the past few days, he had conducted harsh lessons with Estelle, and the child had followed only his words.

He was certain that if Estelle were brought now, she would side with him, not Reina.

‘She realized that.’

Reina, despite lacking the strength to stand, glared at Count Elbron.

She was determined not to let him bring Estelle.

“Your Grace, look at her. She fears that if Lady Estelle comes, all her deeds will be exposed.”

Damian stepped forward, blocking Reina’s view.

Count Elbron was completely hidden from her sight.

Damian spoke to Reina.

“State your opinion.”

“…”

“Reina Botn.”

With that act alone, he told her he would protect her.

Reina steadied her breathing and spoke.

“…Forcing a victim to face their abuser is another form of harm.”

Abuser.

The moment that word left her lips, hostility filled Damian’s eyes. His sharp gaze turned toward Elbron.

“Abuser? I have never laid a hand on Lady Estelle.”

“Violence isn’t only physical. When an adult imposes everything upon a child, that is violence as well. While you were gone, my lord, the young lady was effectively isolated from everyone except Count Elbron.”

“…”

“That claim comes only from this maid. Your Grace, why has your judgment grown clouded? Every servant who has served you longer than she has says she is at fault. Why do you listen only to her?”

“I am not listening only to Reina Botn.”

Damian flicked his fingers at Peter, giving a silent order.

Soon, the knights who had returned with him surrounded Elbron and the servants behind him.

“We will hear detailed accounts one by one.”

* * *

Clack.

Reina returned to the room where she and Bonita lived.

“Boni…”

Even amid all that chaos, there had been no sign of Bonita. The child could not have hidden so well alone. Someone must have hidden her.

Perhaps she had fled outside the estate the moment the commotion began.

If a child had run outside in this weather, she could have frozen to death.

The thought made Reina’s blood run cold.

She pressed a hand against her tightening chest, trying to steady herself.

Even if Damian believed her, she could not leave the room until everything was resolved.

After pacing slowly around the room and realizing she could do nothing, Reina sat at the table.

Then there was a knock, and the door opened.

“Botn.”

Annemarie entered, pushing a cart. She did not ask for permission, yet she stepped in naturally.

“You haven’t eaten for two days. Eat.”

Reina blinked at the rather large cart.

“I can’t eat that much.”

“It’s not for you alone.”

“What?”

Then was it meant for them to share?

Annemarie had always been the maid who most openly kept her distance from Reina.

“Not me.”

“Then…”

With a sigh, muttering about how dense she was, Annemarie lifted the cloth covering the cart.

A small figure curled up inside slowly peeked out.

“Mom?”

“B, Boni? Why are you in there?”

“Annemarie unni took me with her when she was hiding.”

Bonita, warm and soft, rushed into Reina’s arms.

The child was alive, right in front of her. It was no dream.

Only after holding Bonita for a long time and checking her over did Reina look at Annemarie.

“Annemarie, did you protect Boni? I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”

“I didn’t protect her because she’s your daughter.”

Annemarie replied flatly as she began setting the food on the table.

“I just didn’t like what Count Elbron was doing to Lady Estelle.”

She muttered something about not understanding how the servants of this estate could defend someone who was not their master.

After perfectly arranging even the fork and knife, Annemarie said,

“You’re the only maid Lady Estelle trusts. So be more aware.”

“…”

“I don’t like people who don’t recognize their own worth.”

Reina listened quietly, then asked,

“Back in the storage room, was that advice too?”

Annemarie flinched. Her eyes wavered.

“So when you told me not to act recklessly until my lord returned, you meant it. And you put the photographs there because you thought Count Elbron wouldn’t enter that room.”

“That’s…”

“And until then, you were trying to protect the young lady as much as you could.”

Annemarie’s expression remained stiff, but her ears had turned bright red.

“Anyway, I’ll be giving my testimony to my lord soon. Since everyone is being questioned separately, the truth will come out quickly. And…”

“And?”

“The knight who arrived is investigating the area around the estate. Your innocence will be proven.”

Reina did not understand what investigating the surroundings had to do with proving her innocence and simply stared at her.

Annemarie let out a deep sigh.

“There is suspicion that an artifact was used. Mind control type artifacts were banned long ago. Only ancient ones remain. No one knows where he could have obtained one.”