Why?
She didn't shout that loudly, but her soft voice naturally drew our attention to Madam Mancini.
She approached me with a calmer expression than expected and opened her mouth.
"I have just received a report on what happened in Isabella's room. First of all, I should thank you for not making a scene on the spot."
"No, Ma'am. It was natural."
"Of course not."
She swallowed a sigh and turned her head to look at Aileen.
The Viscountess knew very well what a capable maid Charlotte was, and that she had no reason to steal anything from her.
So, of course, the gaze towards Aileen, who has been unable to hide her anxiety for a while, is bound to deepen.
"Aileen probably hasn't heard about it yet, so I'll explain as I go."
"Yes yes?"
"I should go and hear Charlotte's story. And I'll have to think about how to handle the situation."
Looking at Aileen, who was hiding her trembling hands, my eyes turned to the annex where Daniel and the escorts were staying.
Madam Mancini saw the direction of my gaze and nodded.
"First, we need to listen to the situation and then make a decision. I hope you don't have to call the security forces or even ask for Daniel's help."
The calm tone contained a strange power.
It was only then that I realized why she was so famous.
This is why so many noble ladies in society still respect her and make efforts to have young ladies imitate her.
There was no hesitation whatsoever in the woman's steps as she led toward the space where Charlotte was confined.
Until yesterday, I felt that her heart was so strong that it was hard to believe that she was someone who was mourning someone who had left her side.
***
Charlotte had a half-resigned look on her face.
Whatever the reason, her actions were something a maid should not do.
It up so far has been destroyed.
Being kicked out of the mansion was a foregone conclusion, but there was a big difference between being handed over to the security forces and simply quitting working at the mansion.
Charlotte looked up and saw Aileen trying to hide her trembling. Soon, the maid, who had been heard to be quite capable in the mansion, began to speak clearly.
"I recently heard a story about a mercenary looking for Lady Isabella in the kitchen. The kid who brought in the groceries saw the portrait and said it looked just like Isabella. He said that the woman the mercenary was chasing was not only not of noble birth, but she was also a runaway criminal. Everyone passed it off as a joke, and I thought that too."
"What does that have to do with today's events?"
"But Miss Aileen..."
Aileen flinched at the name that came out of Charlotte's mouth.
However, instead of showing any signs of surprise, the Viscountess's face was calm.
She must have already guessed that there was some connection, judging by Aileen's anxious attitude before coming up.
"I want you to keep talking."
Charlotte's expression was momentarily disturbed by the Viscountess's voice.
Although I felt a slight sense of guilt and regret, there was no sign of regret. In front of the Viscountess, there was definitely a hint of regret.
"Miss Aileen said there were a lot of suspicious things about Isabella. She has lost her memory, so she doesn't understand how she learned and mastered etiquette so perfectly. At that moment, without realizing it, I remembered the story about the mercenary I had heard from the child."
Charlotte glanced at me and spoke again.
"She said she had lost a hairpin and that someone saw it on Miss Isabella. So, she may have come into the mansion with bad intentions. She wants me to look for the missing hairpin among her belongings."
The Viscountess, who had been quietly listening to the story, asked again.
"Did you find the hairpin?"
"No. There wasn't. To begin with, Miss Isabella rarely buys anything. Unless it's a special occasion, she doesn't wear any jewelry. At least nothing similar was found in the lady's room."
Aileen shouted sharply.
"Well, it's a lie. I thought she was trying to touch Isabella's things for no reason and she got caught, so she's trying to blame me!"
The Viscountess looked at her blankly at the threatening voice. Aileen, who was hesitatingly taking a step back, opened her mouth to the Viscountess in a sorrowful voice.
"Aunt, you don't really believe everything that maid says, do you?"
Aileen, who was shaking her head and shedding tears, certainly looked like someone who could be pitied.
The Viscountess looked at Aileen, who was shedding tears like a child, and spoke as if to comfort her.
"It's not a good idea to cry and complain, Aileen. It would be better to think about the basis for why that maid's claim is wrong."
"Do you believe the maid who was searching through the Master's storage box more than I do? She could have been making excuses for stealing in the first place!"
Charlotte, who was bowing her head, did not give up and explained herself.
"I have been serving Lady Isabellanfor several days already. There have been plenty of opportunities to get my hands on the Lady's valuables. If I want, I can search through all the places and check."
Even though she made the wrong choice by being disrespectful to the Young Lady she was serving, it was clear that she had no intention of covering up Aileen's crime by being framed as a thief.
The Viscountess's eyes turned to Charlotte.
Not only did the beloved niece provoke the maid who had been working at the Lady's mansion for a long time, but she also publicly insulted her as a 'thief', effectively slapping the Viscountess in the face.
No matter how generous she was, she did not belong to the Viscountess, but the trusted maid was different.
Even just raising a capable maid who will be loyal to the mansion is no easy task.
Aileen easily saw the Viscountess's pride.
Losing to her often does not diminish Madam Mancini's prestige and reputation as an aristocrat, but today's incident was different.
'If Alfred had been there, he would have already prevented the accident before it happened.'
How much easier things have become since he left the mansion.
Madam Pinatelli suggested as soon as Aileen stopped crying.
"If you feel unfair, you shouldn't just believe Charlotte's claims. Let's investigate Charlotte's whereabouts right now."
"It could have all been passed on to other users. If you speak with such confidence, you might have other accomplices!"
The head maid's face hardened at those words.
Although her favor towards Aileen was not very high, to begin with, her current remarks were an insult to all the employees who had devoted their lives to this mansion.
"In that case, Madam, you may inspect all the quarters we use. I will tell the children not to touch anything and to come out of the place immediately."
Aileen, who had barely stopped crying, started breathing heavily with excitement.
The head maid added as she looked at her.
"As it happens, there are people in the mansion who have nothing to do with us and can selflessly search."
Daniel, who was brought in like that and was designated as a person who could selflessly participate in the investigation', scratched his head in embarrassment.
The maid's attitude was firm.
'Maybe I'm regretting it a little bit.'
If only she had told the Madam the truth back then Aileen's atrocities could have been stopped. However, Alfred solved the problem by getting Annie out of sight. She couldn't have tampered with the mansion after everything had already been done. She probably didn't want to disturb the Viscountess.
"This is all just my guess, though."
The headmaid bowed her head towards Daniel.
"Please, Sir Daniel. If the guards directly help with the investigation in detail, I think we will be able to clear our name with ease."
"Hmm."
"There is no place in the mansion that our hands and eyes cannot reach. If you have any doubts about us, how can you live comfortably in the mansion?"
Daniel, who had been listening to the strong words of the head maid, glanced at me.
I am a step back from all of this and cannot help but be a victim at any moment.
"..."
As I did not avoid eye contact, a smile slowly spread across his face we made eye contact for a while. Eventually, Daniel turned his head, glanced at his escorts, and accepted the maid's offer.
"I will do that. It must be quite embarrassing for the users, but I tell them to pretend not to know about things or their personal lives that are not related to this issue."
"Thank you for your consideration."
Those who were standing at a distance began to work as soon as Daniel accepted the offer.
First, a person was selected from among the guards to help with a simple search, everyone in the shelter was driven out of the building, and the structure was identified in order to conduct an efficient search.
'He's definitely not an ordinary person.'
The Viscountess's attitude towards him.
Eric's boundaries.
And the competence of his subordinates.
All of that could never have been created by chance...
[Master.]
Windy, who had been following Alfred all along and following his footsteps, flew in.
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