♛
With a cold glance, I turned to Erica. Lisian pretended like he was thinking carefully and nodded faintly.
“Well, let’s hear from both sides. Let’s talk about it in detail.” (Lisian)
‘Do you think you’re Solomon?’
I was dumbfounded but stayed still for now. I’m looking forward to seeing how great a show she puts on.
“I was away for a while and returned to the party because the Princess ordered me to do something else. However, I found Miss Mayerie in the party’s corner and was behaving strangely, so I talked to her.” (Erica)
It’s too much to call it ‘suspicious behavior.’ But I just watched Erica silently.
“I noticed her face turned pale, so I approached her and asked her if she was sick.” (Erica)
What? I was the one asking you what you were doing there earlier.
Still, Erica was pretty good at improvising.
‘Unlike Lady Lupinus, she’s a master of ad-libs.’
By adding appropriate lies to the truth that really existed, she has created a natural excuse for everyone around us to believe.
“But since she’s surprised, as I talked to her, Miss Mayerie dropped the earrings she was holding.”
“Why were you holding it?”
It must be a situational drama that she improvised, but Lisian perfectly kept pace along.
In a way, Erica could make an excuse.
“I picked it up on behalf of Miss Mayerie, who had stiffened, figuring out what was going on.”
Erica shouted, appealing to the audience, but paused to breathe and continued,
“Of course, it was my fault that I didn’t report immediately after I found the earrings, but I was worried that the disturbance might escalate and damage Her Majesty Stella’s reputation.”
Erica brazenly admitted that everything she did was for Stella’s sake. While in truth she was a spy of Lisian.
“And as soon as I saw her putting the earrings in her arms, Miss Mayerie, who had turned into a demon, shouted.”
‘You’re the one who sounded like a demon.’
I couldn’t help but laugh, but I had to control myself from doing so, so I held it in.
“Okay. I understand. Mayerie, do you have anything to say?”
Lisian’s tone of voice, which had been kind until recently, turned businesslike immediately.
Such a subtle difference that only the person involved could know, but the pressure felt heavy makes someone unable to speak.
If I didn’t know anything, I won’t be able to lead the conversation smoothly, feeling embarrassed. I have a rough idea of what Lisian and Erica are thinking, so it’s okay.
“I have no idea what Miss Erica is saying.”
Unlike Erica, who acts like the most innocent person in the world, I spoke calmly,
“I’ve been with Princess all this time, but I just came back after organizing my clothes for a while.” (Mayerie)
I could see the expression on Erica’s face not understanding my actions.
“Before I left, Lady Lupinus was still wearing the earrings, and when I came back, there’s already a commotion that the earrings were gone. If you don’t believe me, ask the Princess.” (Mayerie)
On top of that, I had a definite alibi, Stella, who has a higher status than anyone else here, will prove my alibi.
“Is it true, Princess?” (Lisian)
“Yes, she’s been with me the whole time. As Mayerie said, she returned to the party later than I did to tidy up her clothes, so she wouldn’t have had time to steal the earrings.”
“Your Majesty, Stella!”
Erica glanced at Stella with eyes wondering why she was taking my side. No, it’s the truth. What do you want me to do?
Thinking she was at a disadvantage, Erica cried out and insisted on her innocence.
“I didn’t really… It doesn’t make sense for me to hold the earrings, who was away during the tea party, and only returned this time.” (Erica)
You should also listen to where the earrings were, so who’s more miserable now?
“It’s difficult. They are both related to the Princess and both are denying it…” Lisian muttered embarrassingly.
However, he secretly shifted the blame to Stella. The nobles who have just heard him will think so.
No matter which one of them lied, in the end, it happened because Princess Stella didn’t correctly handle her maids.
Then, someone from the crowd raised a question, “By the way, what order did the Princess give to the maid?”
Saying that as if whispering to themselves, it was enough to spread the word at the party.
“Did she order the maid to steal the earrings?”
“Shh! Your too loud.”
“…”
It turned into a big incident, even if everyone acted to not know those whispers, they still heard them.
Some nobles were also quibbling a little more about it.
Feeling the atmosphere, Lisian asked Erica, “Can you tell me what order the Princess gave you?”
“Yes, Her Majesty Stella ordered me to find out about social rumors and trends,” Erica answered without hesitation.
The sound of laughter, and ridicule to Stella among the nobles sprung.
“Pft…”
“Oh my goodness.”
Usually, grasping social rumors or trends is also included in the ability of the person concerned.
That’s why it was considered shameful to have the maid know such information from behind. Because she was blaming her for not having enough connections.
Some aristocrats, who usually hated Stella, mingled with the crowd and were openly sarcastic.
“It’s possible because it’s the Princess.”
“Yes. I understand.”
“That maid must have been busy.”
The sentence, ‘If it’s the princess, she can do that, whose meaning is unclear, contained a variety of ridicule.
A very humiliating mockery that they could do because Stella lacks power, no family, and no friends.
Stella couldn’t say a word and bowed, hiding her red face in shame. When I saw it, I was somewhat choked up.
“Her Majesty Stella always gave me such an order when there’s a party, and today I’m just doing my job.” comments, added by Erica, were an insult to Stella.
She acted as if she was willing to sacrifice her life for Stella until before, but now she’s cursing Stella more than anyone else.
The nobles had already lost interest in the culprit who stole Lady Lupines’ earrings and was slandering Stella.
‘Maybe, even after calculating this, Lisian asked Erica such a question.’
The initial plan must have been to drive Stella into a thief, and then, with Lisian’s help, Stella owes him a favor.
Perhaps, because the plan had gone awry, Lisian wanted to deviate from the story of finding the culprit who stole the earrings.
So he turned Stella into a dartboard. She was the right person for the nobility to make a mockery of and disparage.
As Lisian expected, the nobles were busy laughing at Stella’s flaws rather than the culprit who stole the earrings.
Why did it feel ominous? I clenched my fist.
Somehow, seeing Stella humiliated by strangers made me feel like my blood is boiling inside.
‘There’s nothing good about stepping up here, but…’
I knew I had to put up with it… It’s presumptuous to act recklessly in society. I know my position well, being Stella’s maid, whom everyone is laughing at now.
‘Besides, we’re not even close enough to fend for Stella.’
If Radiata had been insulted, I would have stepped forward, but she’s the one who made me suffer all the time.
While trying to suppress my emotions, Erica’s excuses continued without a break, “I’m willing to do anything for Her Highness Stella, so if she ordered me to steal the earrings, I would have stolen them, but this time it wasn’t the case.”
Because of the words ‘this time,’ was enough to give the impression as though Stella had never given such an order before.
The nobles don’t easily forget such trivial words and interpret them as they please and disparagingly.
As expected, they began to mow down Stella excitedly as if they had waited. Some remarks were too far-fetched.
“Oh, she’s having a hard time with the wrong owner.”
“I know, right? That maid is also pitiful.”
Hey, these people keep crossing the line.
‘Everyone really thinks the royal family is an easy target.’
I realized once again how much the authority of the imperial family had fallen to the ground.
“It’s not like that this time…” (Erica)
Erica, who had been making excuses, blurted the end of her words as if something had suddenly come to mind.
Then, she mumbled a little louder, “Did you make Mayerie do that while I’m away?”
Erica’s self-talk was intentional. She did it knowing that all the nobles at the party were listening to her now.
The moment I heard those words, I lost my reason.
Slap—!
A heavy clash resounded in the middle of the party.
‘Oh, I couldn’t control my strength.’
Turning her head, Erica stood stunned as she did not fully understand what had happened, and cried out to the surrounding nobles.
“What did you just say?!”
“Blood, blood…!”
“Oh my!”
A scream broke out. The nobles were speechless when they saw Erica. Because her nose was dripping with blood.
“What the hell are you doing?!”
Lisian raised his voice, startled by my sudden action.
“Huh, blood, there’s blood… Blood!” Erica muttered, realizing that blood was flowing from her nose.
“Hurry up and take her to the doctor.”
Erica moved into the mansion with red swollen cheeks and blood flowing from her nose.
When Erica disappeared, the disturbance calmed down, but the atmosphere at the party grew colder.
Lisian frowning rebuked her saying, “Mayerie, do you understand what you’ve done?”
I started acting regardless of his bitter glare.
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