Chapter 17
“You can no longer stay here.”
“There’s no doubt that you stole Ellie’s necklace. For a mere servant, a hired hand, to steal something from the Astaire family—it’s revolting.”
The duke’s fury radiated with such intensity that it felt like a blade.
Lily collapsed to her knees, gasping for air as if the pressure itself was strangling her.
“N–no… I… I would never…”
Lily tried to deny it, but terror had stolen her words.
I had planned to slip the necklace into Lily’s pocket, but never found the right chance. In the spur of the moment, I hid it up my sleeve and then made it look as if it had been in her pocket all along. Thankfully, it worked.
Now all that was left—
“Please listen to me!” I shouted so loudly that everyone could hear.
“I have been abused by my assigned maid, Lily!”
I showed everyone the bruises and cuts on my hands and legs from when I had been beaten before.
“Th–that’s just… you did that to yourself, slamming into things…”
“So I ask you—please investigate Lily’s abuse of me!”
I had already anticipated what Lily would say, so I raised my voice to cut her off.
Everyone present looked shocked.
They hadn’t known I was being cruelly mistreated, much less imagined that I would raise my voice to declare it.
“For a servant to mistreat her own mistress… Until the investigation is complete, lock her up. Once the results are clear, her punishment will be decided. Prepare yourself.” The duke’s anger was laid bare.
Tiana thought, He must have taken Lily’s actions not only as abuse toward me, but also as an insult against the proud house of Astaire itself.
Lily resisted, but was dragged away by the knights and taken from the room.
She had gone too far.
I might be called a misfit and the stain of the ducal house, but I am still a direct blood relative bearing the Astaire name.
By the time Lily’s voice could no longer be heard, the servants were already whispering—about her cruel mistreatment of Tiana, and about stealing the necklace belonging to my sister.
“The maid Lily, who has caused such trouble, is dismissed as of today. She will face heavy punishment. Furthermore, I will assign Vice to investigate this matter, and anyone involved will face strict penalties.”
As soon as the duke began to speak, the servants instantly fell silent.
“Yes, my lord.”
Vice accepted.
Vice Ford had long been the duke’s right arm, riding with him across many battlefields. Since the war’s end, he served as the chief aide in the ducal household. A man the duke trusted completely, and now, in the duchess’s absence, he managed the Astaire family’s finances. A most capable man.
“Tiana’s injuries must be examined by a doctor. Let us adjourn here for today,” Gilbert said.
“Tia, are your wounds all right? It must hurt…” My elder sister’s voice was full of concern.
“… …”
Liam said nothing, only staring at me.
“Tiana, let’s go to the infirmary. Come along.”
“Ah—yes.”
Gilbert stood and led me toward the infirmary.
