Chapter 26
“I’m innocent! I didn’t steal anything!!”
Pamela knelt in the middle of the mansion, fiercely proclaiming her innocence.
“Nanny, then what is this?”
Out came the Goldstein from deep inside Pamela’s wardrobe. When they overturned the chest that had been in the small room, Isabella’s lost jewels poured out, along with the Marquis’s fountain pen. Seeing the pen roll, the Marquis’s servant covered his mouth in shock.
“You vile thief! How dare you steal my jewels after I was harsh with you?”
Isabella shouted sharply and slapped Pamela’s cheek. Several maids tried to restrain her, telling her to calm down.
“No! It’s not true!! This is a terrible frame-up!!!”
Amid Pamela’s loud protests, the servants whispered among themselves.
“To think such a terrible kleptomaniac has been with the Rosana family for so long…”
“How come she loved the first lady so much, yet luckily didn’t steal her jewels…”
“How shameless. Because of her, we’ve been suspected…”
Pamela’s face flushed red as tears streamed down. She looked truly wronged. But the facts were clear. Moreover, even the maids loyal to Pamela were almost gone.
“It’s not true! Why would I steal—agh!!!”
“That’s something only you know well, Pamela. Why did you do this?”
“No, Jonathan! I’m innocent! My salary is enough; why would I do such a terrible thing!”
The steward sighed, pressing his temple.
“Miss Ria!! You know this nanny would never steal! You’ve seen her for a long time! This is a false accusation!”
At that moment, Miller sneered, and their eyes met. Pamela glared fiercely, pointing a finger.
“It’s all the head maid’s doing―! That wicked woman framed me!!”
As everyone’s attention shifted toward Miller, Eliano stepped toward Pamela, diverting the gaze.
“Our nanny…”
The gentle first lady might forgive the nanny, and Miller looked tense. Pamela had already accused her. Miller quickly retorted.
“To call a thief a member of the Rosana household is unforgivable! She broke the trust of all servants and must be harshly punished!”
“Right! How dare she touch the mistress’s valuables? Let’s throw her out bare-handed. That’s punishment enough…”
“Throw her out? Hamilton, isn’t that too lenient?”
The head maid and deputy steward argued over Pamela’s punishment. Someone suggested cutting both her wrists according to the rules. Pamela, about to lose her hands, cried out with desperate eyes.
“Miss Ria! Please believe in my innocence! It’s all Miller’s doing! That cruel woman even broke my leg!”
Miller shouted back in denial.
“Nanny, what are you saying? How dare I touch the mistress’s or the Marquis’s belongings? How shameless! Admit your wrongdoing!”
Eliano’s green eyes swept over the jewelry and valuables presented as evidence of theft. She put a hand gently to her chest, a calm and soft gesture amid the chaos.
“Our nanny… she didn’t steal my things.”
Her voice was so clear that Miller, who had been angrily pointing, turned to look. The whispers of the knights and servants all turned to Eliano.
“I didn’t want to confirm the nanny’s heart like this…”
Eliano avoided Pamela’s desperate gaze with a sad expression. Pamela’s face twisted, and as Eliano turned away, she shouted.
“How can you do this to me?! I raised you!”
Isabella cursed loudly.
“Who are you taking your anger out on? You were supposed to raise your sister! Acting like you did something great! Leaving your sister bloodied without treatment!”
Isabella’s voice was full of anger and resentment. Her eyes glistened with tears.
“Oh my, what is this? Really? The nanny did that? Didn’t the nanny once quarrel with the first lady? My, my…” The servants’ whispers grew blatant. At that moment, Pamela’s sorrowful cries and harsh screams blended.
“Ahhhhhh!!”
Pamela crawled toward Eliano with a fierce expression, somehow freeing herself from the knights holding her arms.
“Who stayed up all night to treat you when the Duke punished you? Who cared for the inadequate lady with such devotion? Do you think you can throw me out for this? No, never! I know your secrets! I caught you with these hands, and I—!!”
Pamela’s words abruptly stopped. She seemed overwhelmed by emotion. Her venomous eyes turned to the head maid.
“Miller, you dog! How dare you falsely accuse me? You think you can kick me out? Listen carefully! The real thief is her! She’s scheming to steal Miss Ria away from me―!! Everyone is being fooled!”
The power struggle between Pamela and Miller wasn’t new. The head maid, receiving some suspicious looks, lost control and cursed, “The thief’s on the defensive, so she’s losing it! Age gracefully!” Pamela raised her voice to Eliano again.
“Miss Ria, you shouldn’t treat me like this!! You’ll regret it!!!”
Eliano’s face darkened mysteriously. Yes, she did regret it. She regretted sending the nanny away in her previous life. It would have been less unjust if she had let her husband kill her. Her green eyes grew cold and momentarily deadly.
The one who first took what was hers was before her. Because of the magic tool Pamela stole in her childhood, she had suffered disgrace and was doomed to die…
She wanted to strangle the old woman’s neck.
“You can’t do anything without me! I raised you like a daughter!! No one can do this to me!!!”
Pamela grabbed Eliano’s skirt. Eliano tried to pull away, but Pamela’s grip was too strong to budge. Several knights rushed over and pulled the nanny away. Pamela collapsed on the floor, screaming again.
“No one can treat me like this! Call the Duke!! I know your secrets! Miss Ria!! If you treat me like this, what will become of your future? Aren’t you afraid? You’ll be in big trouble!!”
Pamela’s words were enough to break Eliano’s composure.
With a blank expression, Eliano approached Pamela. The knights didn’t have time to intervene. Her hands touched Pamela’s neck. She saw the nanny’s wide eyes who raised and deceived her. Impulsively, she wanted to snap her neck.
I can do it.
As Eliano clenched her hands in anger, Pamela kicked her with her uninjured leg. If not for a nearby knight, Eliano might have fallen embarrassingly. She clutched her knee.
The knights shouted in alarm.
“Miss! Are you alright?”
“Have you seen such a crazy woman! Bind her immediately!”
Pamela’s continued struggles made a knight draw his sword. Since she attacked the lady, drawing a weapon was allowed. The sharp sound of metal echoed and Pamela’s voice stopped. Only heavy breathing remained.
“I will decide the punishment for the nanny.”
Eliano spoke without hiding her anger. The mansion grew silent. At some point, Eliano’s voice carried an unyielding spirit.
“If you admit your guilt and repent, I would have forgiven you generously for the past. But you are shameless and cruel, so cut off Pamela’s right wrist.”
The head maid, about to suggest cutting both wrists and throwing her out, shut her mouth when her eyes met Eliano’s. For the first time, she felt the first lady’s intimidating presence and lowered her eyes.
No one moved, so Eliano spoke coldly.
“Steward, can’t you hear me?”
“Yes, Miss Eliano. As you say…”
Pamela started sobbing loudly. She cried bitterly that she had raised the young lord and ladies and devoted herself to the family. Eliano frowned at Pamela’s sudden change from hysterics to this new behavior.
Turning toward where Pamela looked, Eliano saw Damian Rosana standing.
“Master Damian!!”
Pamela shouted like he was her savior.
Eliano gritted her teeth. Of all people… She glanced at Isabella with a reproachful look, silently asking if she forgot to finish things while the Marquis was out. Isabella only looked at Damian nervously.
“Where on earth have you been…?”
Damian walked past Pamela and picked up the fountain pen lying on the floor. The red pen, made with sacred temple craftsmanship, was a precious item Damian cherished.
“Master!! Please clear this nanny’s innocence!!! I didn’t steal anything!”
Damian ignored Pamela’s cries and bowed again. In his hand was a worn brown pouch—the one that had spilled its contents from the chest. Something round dropped out of the slightly opened pouch.
It was Elasom.
Whenever Eliano returned battered from punishment by the Duke, there was always an ointment on the nightstand. After finishing Eliano’s treatment, Pamela would sell some of it at a high price. This was Pamela’s reliable old-age fund.
“You’re wrong, Eliano.”
Hearing Damian’s words, Eliano raised her eyebrows. What was he saying? When did he return? Then she realized Damian had been watching the whole situation.
“You stole this too.”
Damian suddenly threw the pouch at Eliano. She didn’t move to catch it. She only knew how to elegantly avoid flying objects, not to suddenly move and lose composure. Of course, picking up fallen items was not her job either.
The pouch flew fast and hit Eliano’s skirt. Inside, three ointment jars clattered. Eliano only glanced briefly and said nothing.
But she wondered, why was this hers? It belonged to her father.
“Maaster Daamiian!! I― didn’t steal― anything―!!! The head maid conspired with the second lady to frame me!”
Pamela’s loud voice echoed. Though protesting her innocence, she seemed to be scheming. She was not simply a nanny who had worked long at Rosana and dominated the mansion. Eliano sighed deeply. This kind must be removed quickly.
“You crazy thief! What nonsense are you talking about!! You damn bitch!!!”
Isabella shouted loudly. Their yelling made Damian’s expression grimace.
“Master Damian! I know everything about Miss Eliano and you!! I taught the truth to Master Damian!!!”
