GTMDWH | Chapter 100

~Chapter 100~

Leah arrived at the Blumhardt estate not long after Patrizia had entered.

“Um, Lady Leah…”

The guards at the entrance approached her with awkward expressions.

“Yes?”

“Her Highness the Princess came here saying she lost her earring and wanted to retrieve it…”
“What?”

The princess came here?

“She promised to leave right after finding it, so we let her in. But then she asked the servants where your room was, and now she won’t come out.”

“Sir Chris, are you saying you let the princess into Leah’s room?”

Harry, who had been listening quietly next to Leah, frowned in anger.

“I’m sorry, Sir Harry. But she said if we didn’t let her in, she’d bring royal guards…”

Chris replied in a defeated voice.

“And you call yourself a knight of the Blumhardt family? You got scared by a silly threat and just let her in?”

“…”

“His Grace won’t let this slide.”

Harry glared fiercely at Chris and the other knights.

“Lady Leah, I’ll go get the princess out immediately. Don’t worry.”

“Wait, Sir Harry!”

Just as Harry turned to head up to the fourth floor, Chris stopped him.

“We tried to escort her out earlier, but she threatened to charge us with treason against the royal family if we touched her or her maids.”

“Sigh… Sir Chris, what matters most isn’t her royal status—it’s the safety of our lady.”

Harry brushed off Chris’ hand.

Now that Leah thought about it, Isabella had once told her:

You can’t touch a royal without permission, even if they’ve committed a crime—unless there’s solid proof.

So it’s dangerous to act rashly against royals.

‘I bet she came to see me, so I’ll go myself.’

“Wait, Sir Harry. Let me go instead.”

“That’s not acceptable.”

Harry looked serious.

“We don’t need to take this all the way to court. You should go and get the Duke.”

Leah tried to persuade him.

“We don’t know what she’ll do.”

“I’ll take some knights with me.”

“It’s still dangerous.”

“I’m not a child. I can protect myself.”

“…Lady Leah.”

Harry sighed in frustration.

“Sir Harry, please just trust me.”

Leah believed Patrizia wasn’t too difficult to handle—she was simple and predictable.

‘And even if she tries something, she’ll want to save face in front of the knights.’

“It’s not that I don’t trust you…”

“There’s really no other way. And if you go to trial and get convicted, you might lose your position as a knight.”

“That doesn’t matter to me.”

Harry replied without hesitation. His loyalty to the Blumhardt family was impressive.

“Well, if you go to court, then I’ll have to leave this place.”

“…What? Why?”

“Because I’d feel too guilty.”

Even if it sounded like emotional blackmail, Leah couldn’t help it.

‘I can’t let Harry get in trouble because of me. He’s someone very important to the Duke.’

“At this rate, my room’s probably been turned upside down. Please, Sir Harry, go get the Duke.”

Leah turned toward the stairs, essentially forcing her will on Harry.

“…Fine. Then I’ll send another knight to the Duke and stay by your side.”

“Okay. Let’s go.”

Leah led the way, followed by Harry and a few knights.

“…This is a mess.”

As they reached her room, they saw the parlor completely trashed.

Isabella had decorated this place so beautifully. How could the princess rummage through someone else’s room like this?

Leah walked in, furious.

“Your Highness, what on earth are you doing?”

“Oh my, you’re finally here.”

Patrizia looked completely shameless.

“Someone stole my earring, so I came to get it.”

“What are you talking about?”

She stole her earring?

“You stole my earring last time, didn’t you?”

What nonsense was this?

“I didn’t steal anything.”

“We’ll see. Diana, what are you waiting for? Go check the bedroom.”

Patrizia waved her hand, and her maids, though hesitant, started walking into Leah’s bedroom.

“You can’t go in there without my permission!”

Leah rushed to block them, but they were already inside.

“Search every corner until you find my earring.”

Patrizia leaned against the bedroom door, giving orders.

“What if you don’t find anything? What will you do then?”

Leah clenched her fists.

“My earring will turn up in your room.”
Patrizia stepped closer.

“Because I’m going to make sure everyone sees you as a filthy thief and totally humiliate you.”

She whispered right into Leah’s ear.

“You barged in here just to frame me?”

Leah glared at her with disgust.

“What? Frame you? Do you know how angry I’ve been? I haven’t slept for days!”

Patrizia shoved Leah’s shoulder.

“I really didn’t take anything!”

Leah looked at her in disbelief.

“Didn’t take anything? You stole the Duke from me and still have the nerve to act innocent?”

Patrizia’s eye twitched in rage.

“The Duke isn’t some object you can steal. And you lost your engagement because of your own actions. How is that my fault?”

“…”

Speechless, Patrizia stormed into the bedroom and started throwing ornaments all over the floor.

“Find that earring! Now!”

“Stop it!”

Leah tried to stop her.

“Not until I find it.”

Patrizia’s eyes were bloodshot with rage.

“I’m not the only one who should know—you humiliated thief. Everyone should know what kind of person you are!”

This wasn’t even a conversation anymore.

Leah hadn’t expected the princess to be this unreasonable.

“…Hey, stop!”

Just then, Patrizia opened a drawer and pulled out a jewelry box.

“What’s this? A jewelry box? How fancy.”

“That’s mine!”

“Oh? Did the Duke give it to you? He never even gave me a single flower. Though, it looks kinda old-fashioned.”

“Give it back! At this point, you’re the one acting like a thief!”

Leah snatched the jewelry box from her.

SMACK!

“…Who are you calling a thief?”

Patrizia suddenly slapped Leah across the face.

Her eyes were wild.

“Your Highness, please calm down.”

Even her maids looked terrified. They probably just wanted to leave at this point.

“Your Highness, please stop.”

Harry stepped forward.

“And who are you supposed to be?”

“If you keep crossing the line, the Duke won’t stay silent.”

“A knight threatening a royal? How bold of you.”

Patrizia poked his shoulder with her finger.

“I believe the earring was lost at the palace. I suggest you go back now.”

Harry didn’t budge.

SMACK!

“How dare you give orders to a princess?”

Patrizia slapped Harry this time.

‘I’ve had enough of this.’

Leah walked up to Diana, the maid who’d been fidgeting nervously and hiding something in her hand.

“Your Highness, I think your maid is actually the thief.”

Leah revealed the earring in Diana’s hand to Patrizia.

Maybe now she’d stop this farce and leave.

“…I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

“Damn you, Diana! You can’t even handle one job—!”

Patrizia stopped herself mid-sentence.

“You should leave now…”

Leah tried to end things, but Patrizia marched up to Diana.

“You stole from me and made me look like a fool?”

Then she grabbed the maid by the hair.

Now that she’d been cornered, she was putting all the blame on her maid.

“You thief! You shameless little—!”

Diana staggered, crying.

“Your Highness, I told you I didn’t want to do this—”

“Shut up!”

Patrizia quickly cut her off.

“Your Highness, please stop.”

Leah handed the jewelry box to Harry and pulled Patrizia off the maid.

Thanks to her training in the mountains, Leah had no trouble restraining a pampered royal.

“How dare you touch me without my permission? Let go!”

“I’ll let go if you stop being violent.”

Leah answered firmly.

“Do you have any idea how serious it is to lay hands on a royal?”

“Before you talk about royal rights, maybe learn the law first.”

A cold voice cut through the tension—it was Johann.

Patrizia immediately shut her mouth.