The closet was filled with so many gorgeous, sparkling dresses that it was hard to tell where to look. With Aila growing so quickly, it was clear most of these clothes would be thrown away after only a few wears.
Laura felt pity for those expensive clothes, and also felt a sense of guilt, so she frowned and turned her head to the display case where the jewelry was on display.
‘...What should I take?’
What could I bring to make things even more difficult for Lisa? Laura stroked her chin and gave a mean smile.
And, among the precious trinkets, she took out a few of the more expensive ones and put them into the cloth bag she had prepared.
If she had really intended to steal, she would have just stolen a few things so as not to be noticed, but now her goal was to make things worse and get Lisa out of the way, so there was absolutely no need to be careful.
Laura, having gathered the jewels and returned to the hallway, quickly moved to Lisa's room. Fortunately, her room was not far from Laura's. This was thanks to the fact that they were both maids of Aila.
'I hope the door isn't locked.'
Laura nervously turned the doorknob.
Most of the mansion's employees usually left their doors unlocked. Unless they had something special to hide, like Laura, there was no need to lock them.
Of course, even if it was locked, she could still sneak in with the dexterity she'd learned from her uncle Cloud. But it would be better to leave no trace of the intrusion. If there were any traces of the door being opened, it could serve as evidence proving Lisa's innocence.
And luckily, Lisa wasn't locking the door.
Laura scoffed at Lisa's naivety and cautiously entered the room. If she were this complacent, wouldn't she be accused of being a thief and kicked out?
'It's like her head is a flower garden. She thinks everyone likes her.'
She snorted and pulled the cloth bag containing the jewels from her bosom. Now it was time to consider where to hide them.
But then,
“Stop, Laura Spencer!”
"Look! Am I right? I saw it! Laura came out of the Princess's closet and sneaked in here!"
Lisa's door burst open, and a maid and two knights, who were scolding her, rushed into the room.
“What is this...”
Laura's hair seemed to turn white.
Clearly, when stealing the jewels and entering this room, she checked several times to make sure no one was around.
But how did she get caught? And how did she get caught like this, caught red-handed, with no excuses or lies to back him up?
“Let me check that pocket for a moment.”
The knights strode forward menacingly and snatched the pouch from Laura's hands. And, of course, it was filled with Aila's jewels, the very ones she had just stolen.
“...This is pure evil. Not only did you steal the Princess’s jewels, but now you're trying to touch Young Lady Herzig’s belongings as well.”
The knight spoke harshly. He seemed to have mistaken her entry into the room as an attempt to steal Lisa's belongings.
Laura was about to retort, wondering how much she could possibly steal from the daughter of the notoriously poor Baron Herzig family, but in that brief moment, she quickly snapped her mind shut.
It was a matter of weighing whether it would be better to try to frame Lisa for the crime or to just be accused of being a thief.
'You idiot, either way, I'm finished. What will happen to me if my mother finds out...?'
Laura wanted to smack herself in the head. She was so stupid that she couldn't even handle something like this and got caught.
If she gets caught stealing from her master, you will not only be kicked out of the mansion, but she will also be taken to the authorities for investigation and possibly even imprisoned.
Then, if she is caught disguising her identity and it is revealed that she is a descendant of a traitorous family...
As these thoughts continued, Laura even thought that it might be better to just run away and try contacting her uncle.
If only she could run away.
There were already two well-trained knights in this room, and even if she managed to escape, she would be caught and unable to leave the mansion grounds.
'What should I do? Please, someone save me... '
Laura was terrified, tears welling up in her eyes. In this place where enemies surrounded her everywhere, she had no one on her side.
Now it seemed that nothing was left for her but destruction.
"First, I must report to His Excellency the Duke. I must also return the jewels to the Princess..."
And then, the sound of two knights discussing suddenly reached her ears. Suddenly, Laura had a flash of insight.
There was one person on her side who had the power to help her: Aila.
The moment she realized that, a glimmer of hope seemed to return to the future that had seemed utterly doomed.
‘No matter how much that woman has been acting up lately, she won’t leave me, right...?’
Laura gritted her teeth as she was dragged away by the knights. They say there's a hole to climb out of even if the sky falls. Perhaps she, too, had a chance at salvation.
A moment later, Laura was dragged in front of Roderick and Ophelia.
"Laura, is what I heard true? That you stole Aila's jewels."
Roderick asked in an angry voice.
In fact, Laura had been somewhat suspicious of Roderick for a while now. She thought he was a fool, blind to the fact that Aila had come to take his life, and that he had been so blindly trusting.
But the Roderick who was now glaring at her with sharp eyes was different from the foolishly kind-hearted man she knew.
Even though he hadn't raised his voice or made any particularly threatening gestures, Laura was overcome with fear and began to stutter.
“That’s... that’s not it...”
It was when Laura, kneeling before Roderick, was mumbling in fear.
“Laura! What is going on...?”
Aila and Lisa came to see her, having heard the news.
“That’s what I mean, Miss.”
The maid who had reported Laura approached Aila and explained the situation in detail.
Lisa's face turned pale as she listened to the story. She couldn't believe that Laura, who had said she was sick and wanted to rest, had done something like that.
“Not only did you steal your master’s jewels, you’re even trying to steal your fellow employee’s belongings...!”
"No, Your Excellency. She has no reason to steal. There must be some misunderstanding!"
Lisa intervened, defending Laura with a puzzled expression. Her intentions were pure, but her intervention only served to further embarrass Laura.
"If she wasn't trying to steal, why would that kid go into Lisa's room? Could it be she was trying to frame you for theft...?"
Ophelia, who had been quietly observing, intervened and said this.
“What the...! How would someone do something so cruel to someone as kind as Miss Lisa!”
The unnamed maid who had been at Aila's side covered her mouth with an exaggerated and dramatic gesture and shouted. Her expression was one of utter unforgiveness.
“No, I, I...”
Laura felt even more cornered and trembled. She felt like a mouse surrounded by cats.
“...If that was truly your intention, then it is unforgivable. You should accept the punishment for falsely accusing an innocent person.”
Roderick opened his mouth as if he was about to drag Laura to the authorities.
“Father, just a moment.”
At that moment, Aila quietly opened her mouth. It was a lifeline that had been extended to Laura.
“Yes, Aila. Go ahead.”
“If Laura... did something like that, there must have been a reason. Let me hear why.”
Aila, who had expected Laura to defend herself by saying that it couldn't be true, gave Laura a chance to speak in a calm voice.
What good does it do to give a reason in this situation?
"Yes, Laura. Tell me. Why did you do that?"
Ophelia, who had heard her daughter's words, asked in a cold voice, different from her usual friendly one.
Laura, who had hoped that Ophelia, who had always been so kind to her, might take her side, was disappointed.
“...I’m sorry. Since both you, the lady, and everyone else like and treat Young Lady Lisa so well, I felt like my place was becoming smaller and smaller. I was so scared... Please don’t kick me out.”
Laura confessed to the crime in a tearful voice. She felt it would be better to admit everything and appeal to her emotions to get her punishment reduced.
She thought maybe that was why Aila allowed her to tell her her motivation.
“That can’t be...”
Lisa covered her mouth, seemingly shocked by Laura's attempt to slander her. Her kind eyes looked as if they were about to burst into tears.
“Father, Mother. Laura indeed committed a crime, but she’s been so kind to me all this time... Please don’t kick her out. It’s partly my fault for not being so kind to her that Laura feels so threatened, right?”
Aila pleaded with her furious parents to stop her.
Laura finally felt a little relieved at the sight. A glimmer of hope emerged; perhaps she might not be kicked out of the mansion.
“...Aila.”
“Please, Father. Let me beg you.”
When Roderick sounded embarrassed at his daughter's request, Aila once again pleaded for leniency in a desperate voice.
"If you say so... But there's Lisa, the victim, so wouldn't it be ridiculous for me to forgive her on my own? If Lisa allows it, I won't impose any legal punishment. And as punishment, I'm thinking of making Laura do chores... Is that okay, Lisa?"
“I, I...”
Laura felt pity for those expensive clothes, and also felt a sense of guilt, so she frowned and turned her head to the display case where the jewelry was on display.
‘...What should I take?’
What could I bring to make things even more difficult for Lisa? Laura stroked her chin and gave a mean smile.
And, among the precious trinkets, she took out a few of the more expensive ones and put them into the cloth bag she had prepared.
If she had really intended to steal, she would have just stolen a few things so as not to be noticed, but now her goal was to make things worse and get Lisa out of the way, so there was absolutely no need to be careful.
Laura, having gathered the jewels and returned to the hallway, quickly moved to Lisa's room. Fortunately, her room was not far from Laura's. This was thanks to the fact that they were both maids of Aila.
'I hope the door isn't locked.'
Laura nervously turned the doorknob.
Most of the mansion's employees usually left their doors unlocked. Unless they had something special to hide, like Laura, there was no need to lock them.
Of course, even if it was locked, she could still sneak in with the dexterity she'd learned from her uncle Cloud. But it would be better to leave no trace of the intrusion. If there were any traces of the door being opened, it could serve as evidence proving Lisa's innocence.
And luckily, Lisa wasn't locking the door.
Laura scoffed at Lisa's naivety and cautiously entered the room. If she were this complacent, wouldn't she be accused of being a thief and kicked out?
'It's like her head is a flower garden. She thinks everyone likes her.'
She snorted and pulled the cloth bag containing the jewels from her bosom. Now it was time to consider where to hide them.
But then,
“Stop, Laura Spencer!”
"Look! Am I right? I saw it! Laura came out of the Princess's closet and sneaked in here!"
Lisa's door burst open, and a maid and two knights, who were scolding her, rushed into the room.
“What is this...”
Laura's hair seemed to turn white.
Clearly, when stealing the jewels and entering this room, she checked several times to make sure no one was around.
But how did she get caught? And how did she get caught like this, caught red-handed, with no excuses or lies to back him up?
“Let me check that pocket for a moment.”
The knights strode forward menacingly and snatched the pouch from Laura's hands. And, of course, it was filled with Aila's jewels, the very ones she had just stolen.
“...This is pure evil. Not only did you steal the Princess’s jewels, but now you're trying to touch Young Lady Herzig’s belongings as well.”
The knight spoke harshly. He seemed to have mistaken her entry into the room as an attempt to steal Lisa's belongings.
Laura was about to retort, wondering how much she could possibly steal from the daughter of the notoriously poor Baron Herzig family, but in that brief moment, she quickly snapped her mind shut.
It was a matter of weighing whether it would be better to try to frame Lisa for the crime or to just be accused of being a thief.
'You idiot, either way, I'm finished. What will happen to me if my mother finds out...?'
Laura wanted to smack herself in the head. She was so stupid that she couldn't even handle something like this and got caught.
If she gets caught stealing from her master, you will not only be kicked out of the mansion, but she will also be taken to the authorities for investigation and possibly even imprisoned.
Then, if she is caught disguising her identity and it is revealed that she is a descendant of a traitorous family...
As these thoughts continued, Laura even thought that it might be better to just run away and try contacting her uncle.
If only she could run away.
There were already two well-trained knights in this room, and even if she managed to escape, she would be caught and unable to leave the mansion grounds.
'What should I do? Please, someone save me... '
Laura was terrified, tears welling up in her eyes. In this place where enemies surrounded her everywhere, she had no one on her side.
Now it seemed that nothing was left for her but destruction.
"First, I must report to His Excellency the Duke. I must also return the jewels to the Princess..."
And then, the sound of two knights discussing suddenly reached her ears. Suddenly, Laura had a flash of insight.
There was one person on her side who had the power to help her: Aila.
The moment she realized that, a glimmer of hope seemed to return to the future that had seemed utterly doomed.
‘No matter how much that woman has been acting up lately, she won’t leave me, right...?’
Laura gritted her teeth as she was dragged away by the knights. They say there's a hole to climb out of even if the sky falls. Perhaps she, too, had a chance at salvation.
A moment later, Laura was dragged in front of Roderick and Ophelia.
"Laura, is what I heard true? That you stole Aila's jewels."
Roderick asked in an angry voice.
In fact, Laura had been somewhat suspicious of Roderick for a while now. She thought he was a fool, blind to the fact that Aila had come to take his life, and that he had been so blindly trusting.
But the Roderick who was now glaring at her with sharp eyes was different from the foolishly kind-hearted man she knew.
Even though he hadn't raised his voice or made any particularly threatening gestures, Laura was overcome with fear and began to stutter.
“That’s... that’s not it...”
It was when Laura, kneeling before Roderick, was mumbling in fear.
“Laura! What is going on...?”
Aila and Lisa came to see her, having heard the news.
“That’s what I mean, Miss.”
The maid who had reported Laura approached Aila and explained the situation in detail.
Lisa's face turned pale as she listened to the story. She couldn't believe that Laura, who had said she was sick and wanted to rest, had done something like that.
“Not only did you steal your master’s jewels, you’re even trying to steal your fellow employee’s belongings...!”
"No, Your Excellency. She has no reason to steal. There must be some misunderstanding!"
Lisa intervened, defending Laura with a puzzled expression. Her intentions were pure, but her intervention only served to further embarrass Laura.
"If she wasn't trying to steal, why would that kid go into Lisa's room? Could it be she was trying to frame you for theft...?"
Ophelia, who had been quietly observing, intervened and said this.
“What the...! How would someone do something so cruel to someone as kind as Miss Lisa!”
The unnamed maid who had been at Aila's side covered her mouth with an exaggerated and dramatic gesture and shouted. Her expression was one of utter unforgiveness.
“No, I, I...”
Laura felt even more cornered and trembled. She felt like a mouse surrounded by cats.
“...If that was truly your intention, then it is unforgivable. You should accept the punishment for falsely accusing an innocent person.”
Roderick opened his mouth as if he was about to drag Laura to the authorities.
“Father, just a moment.”
At that moment, Aila quietly opened her mouth. It was a lifeline that had been extended to Laura.
“Yes, Aila. Go ahead.”
“If Laura... did something like that, there must have been a reason. Let me hear why.”
Aila, who had expected Laura to defend herself by saying that it couldn't be true, gave Laura a chance to speak in a calm voice.
What good does it do to give a reason in this situation?
"Yes, Laura. Tell me. Why did you do that?"
Ophelia, who had heard her daughter's words, asked in a cold voice, different from her usual friendly one.
Laura, who had hoped that Ophelia, who had always been so kind to her, might take her side, was disappointed.
“...I’m sorry. Since both you, the lady, and everyone else like and treat Young Lady Lisa so well, I felt like my place was becoming smaller and smaller. I was so scared... Please don’t kick me out.”
Laura confessed to the crime in a tearful voice. She felt it would be better to admit everything and appeal to her emotions to get her punishment reduced.
She thought maybe that was why Aila allowed her to tell her her motivation.
“That can’t be...”
Lisa covered her mouth, seemingly shocked by Laura's attempt to slander her. Her kind eyes looked as if they were about to burst into tears.
“Father, Mother. Laura indeed committed a crime, but she’s been so kind to me all this time... Please don’t kick her out. It’s partly my fault for not being so kind to her that Laura feels so threatened, right?”
Aila pleaded with her furious parents to stop her.
Laura finally felt a little relieved at the sight. A glimmer of hope emerged; perhaps she might not be kicked out of the mansion.
“...Aila.”
“Please, Father. Let me beg you.”
When Roderick sounded embarrassed at his daughter's request, Aila once again pleaded for leniency in a desperate voice.
"If you say so... But there's Lisa, the victim, so wouldn't it be ridiculous for me to forgive her on my own? If Lisa allows it, I won't impose any legal punishment. And as punishment, I'm thinking of making Laura do chores... Is that okay, Lisa?"
“I, I...”
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