ATDTYSM 09

Chapter 9

Three days have passed.

Ashlyn left the treatment after three days. As soon as she was able to move, she went back to work.

“How are you feeling, Ashlyn? Your face still looks so pale. Shouldn’t you rest more?”

“No, it’s all right. I’m fine now.”

The head maid couldn’t hide the concern on her aged face.

Ashlyn smiled at her, pleased at her visit even though she was busy with the mansion.

“You didn’t run into him, did you?”

She looked like she was sick of even thinking about it.

“Yes. I didn’t have to go near the garden.”

“For the time being, I’ve asked another child to go to the food warehouse, so you should only stay in the kitchen.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

Ashlyn bowed politely. If she hadn’t needed to go to the warehouse that day, she wouldn’t have run into Jason.

“Ashlyn, the meal is ready. Oh, Head Maid.”

The maid, who peeped her head through the kitchen door, widened her eyes, as if surprised to see the head maid here. The head maid smiled.

“You all must be busy. Well now, get to work.”

“Yes.”

After another light bow, Ashlyn followed the maid into the kitchen.

There was a variety of food prepared in the trolley before she’d noticed.

“I didn’t disturb you, did I?”

“Yes. Don’t worry.”

Only then did the maid relax and laugh. She seemed nervous, as if afraid Ashlyn might hate her.

Ashlyn pushed the trolley.

The wound on her calf hadn’t healed yet, but there was no problem walking slowly. The other maids followed Ashlyn one after another, pushing the other trolleys.

When she arrived in front of the Duke’s dining hall, the chief housekeeper glanced at her.

“We’ll be setting up the food, your excellency.” announced the housekeeper. Ashlyn slowly began to set the food on the wide table. Today too, the duke had his face buried in a pile of documents.

“…….”

The duke raised his head at the sound of her pouring rice wine into a glass. Ashlyn filled the glass, taking care to avoid making eye contact with him as much as possible. She finished setting up the table at a speed neither too fast nor too slow and stepped back to one side of the dining hall to stand with the other maids.

“What a mess.”

A low note rang through the room. The housekeeper looked startled at the sudden remark.

“What?”

“The state of the garden.”

The duke had his eyes casted outside the window.

“I think the gardener is distracted with something else.”

“……”

“Isn’t that right?”

In an instant, the air in the dining hall chilled. The sword at the duke’s waist made a heavy sound as he shifted his posture. A cold sweat trickled down the housekeeper’s neck. Unconsciously, his eyes confined themselves to the calm maid standing at the side.

“I’ll fix it right away, lord.”

He answered without delay, but received no reply from his master.

* * *

“The Lord must be in a bad mood today.”

A maid murmured as she washed the dishes.

“But since he said that, will Jason be fired?”

“Well. I hope Hugo and Hazleton aren’t cut off.”

The other maid whispered.

Hugo and Hazleton were boys who worked in the garden alongside Jason. Ashlyn had also spoken to the two a few times. They were young and pure-hearted apprenticeship gardeners.

“Still, you must be a little relieved, Ashlyn.”

When her name was called, Ashlyn looked at her side.

“Jason could be fired.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Ashlyn smiled rather vaguely. When she rolled up her sleeves and was about to soak her hands into the dishwater, a maid with light-brown hair rushed into the kitchen.

“Guys!”

It was Lena. She was panting and her hair was in disarray.

What was wrong with her?

People in the kitchen buzzed.

“What’s the matter, Lena?”

“The household members and all the servants of the house must all gather on the first floor of the annex.”

Lena gasped and seemed unable to calm. Ashlyn moved to her side, wiping her hands on her apron.

“Why? Is something wrong?”

“The southern diamond.”

The thing came up out of the blue. All the noise in the kitchen was silenced in an instant. A dozen pair of eyes were all directed at Lena, waiting for her next words.

“The southern diamond brought by the Lord has disappeared!”

“…….”

“Some idiot stole the Lord’s diamond!”

For a moment, there was nothing but pure silence.

However, it was short-lived since it was soon followed by the commotion caused by the servants.

* * *

The lobby was already crowded.

The northern annex was where the servants stayed. The first-floor lobby of the annex also boasted a very large space, as there were hundreds of employees in the dukedom.

“It’s a mess.”

As Ashlyn reached the crowd, she thought. All the servants in the lobby were whispering to each other. Since the matter involved the duke, they were keeping their voices down.

“……?”

Suddenly, she felt a stinging gaze. When she turned to her right, she met Jason Barron’s eyes.

Hmph, his shoulders sprang up. He lowered his gaze reflexively and looked at Ashlyn’s calf.

‘It must be bothering you.’

Ashlyn laughed inwardly at his gaze.

“Ashlyn, come here.”

Sophia frowned when she spotted Jason. She drew Ashlyn close to a wall and shielded her from Jason’s eyes.

“Be quiet, all.” Adele, the head maid, ordered in a solemn voice. The whispers were cut in an instant. Soon after, the housekeeper appeared. A middle-aged man in glasses stalked up the stairs across the servants. With the central staircase at the center, maids gathered naturally on the right and the male servants on the left.

“I believe some of you have already heard it, but for those who haven’t; today, a very unsavory incident occurred in the mansion.”

The housekeeper opened his heavy mouth as he scanned the inside of the lobby.

“The southern diamond, which the lord brought back from his journey, is gone.”

At that, words broke out from the silence between the servants.

Thump, thump. The housekeeper stamped his foot lightly.

“Of course, we are all one family. I don’t wish to cast doubt on any of you.”

He added after an interval.

“There has been no visitor from outside that has entered or exited from the ducal residence as of lately, so we have no choice but to assume that the culprit is in here with us today.”

There was a look of great regret at that.

“If you turn yourself in, We will only give you a simple punishment and forgive you.”

The servants were as quiet as a dead mouse.

Ashlyn gently shifted her eyes and peeped at Jason Barron’s face throughout the crowd.

He had an ominous grin on his face; as if he was in the middle of something really fun.

“…no one? Well, in this case, we have no choice but to inspect all of your rooms and belongings.”

The housekeeper murmured with a long sigh as if he were tired.

Room inspection? Baggage inspection?

Some of the servants complained.

Just then, a hand flashed up from among the servants.

“Yes, Jason Barron?”

The housekeeper stared at Jason through his glasses.

“I know the culprit, sir.”

Jason took a step forward. He also did not forget to cast a sneaky look at Ashlyn.

‘Jason Balon, you’re so…’

She swallowed a sigh inside.

“Really?”

“Yes, I saw it.”

Jason slowly turned around and raised his arm. His short index finger pointed to a figure in the crowd.

“The one who stole it is Ashlyn Rosebell.”

What? What?

There was a buzz around.

Ashlyn glared at Jason Barron’s face as he smiled confidently.

‘You really never fail to live up to my lowest expectations of you.’

Ashlyn kept her expression calm. It was because all eyes had become focused on Ashlyn in an instant. Most of them were shocked.

The housekeeper asked Ashlyn.

“Is that true, Ashlyn?”

“Of course not. You can check my room and luggage if you want.”

A clear and confident voice replied. People around her stopped whispering at her calm appearance. However, Jason Barron didn’t stop smiling.

“Indeed, that’s what you must do, chief butler! I saw Ashlyn Rosebell sneak into her room with the southern diamond this morning with my own two eyes.”

“Jason Barron, are you really an idiot? Ashlyn shares the room with me, I didn’t see anything of the sort!”

Sophia, who couldn’t watch any longer, stepped up.

“Sophia, haven’t you been in the laundry room since morning? You haven’t been with her all day, so how would you know?” Jason cried his reply. Sophia couldn’t refute him and shut her lips begrudgingly.

“Is that right?”

The housekeeper asked again. Ashlyn straightened herself up.

“It is true that I left the treatment room this morning and stopped by my room.”

“Look at that!”

“Be quiet, Jason.”

“But it was to change out of my clothes, not to hide some southern diamond.”

Jason scoffed loudly.

“Chief Butler, you have no idea how sneaky that girl is!”

He let out a snort. His face was flushed red.

“She even dared to clamor me to bring her a southern diamond. I didn’t even know what a southern diamond looked like, so I just went for a normal diamond…”

His voice sounded like he’d experienced some great injustice. Ashlyn let out a small laugh.

“That wasn’t a real diamond anyway.”

If anyone heard him, they’d mistake it for real.

“Either way, I’m right. Besides, Ashlyn was alone for three days! Who else knows if she sneaked out in the middle of the night?”

“Jason! Say something that makes sense! Ashlyn hurt her leg because of you!”

“So you say, but look at her move like she does! I don’t think she’s that seriously hurt.”

“Jason!”

Ann and Lena, who couldn’t stand it, shouted back in retortion. The buzz grew even among the servants who were watching the scene unfold. The housekeeper raised his hand.

“Stop! Stop it!”

The housekeeper stared at Ashlyn in the face. Ashlyn didn’t shy away his eyes.

His gaze under the glasses was familiar.

In the Duke’s bedroom, in the Dining room.

The housekeeper frequently cast glances towards Ashlyn, each filled with a multitude of intentions, yet underlying them all was an unmistakable disapproval that couldn’t be concealed.

He hated Ashlyn.

‘Does the butler think I stole it? Me, the maid who’s the duke’s secret lover?’

But she shooed away her thoughts.

The housekeeper’s perception of her didn’t matter right now.

Ashlyn took a step forward.

“Chief Butler, please clear me of this false accusation. I would much rather have my belongings checked.”

“…if you say so. Indeed, that would be the quickest way.”

The housekeeper sighed deeply. He beckoned once, and the maid who was standing nearby him approached.

“You, go to Ms. Ashlyn Rosebell’s room and thoroughly inspect it, and bring all her bringings here.”

“…Yes, sir.”

The dreary-faced maid left the lobby with some other maids.

The debate, which had been raging like a storm, briefly entered a lull.