The old lady’s expression softened.
It was understandable, given Rachel’s words, that she had also accepted Ariana being locked in a small room.
This moment was exactly what Ariana had been waiting for.
“No, Mother. I didn’t steal the necklace.”
“Ariana, that’s enough now. Just rest and take care of yourself. You’re quite ill.”
“Really, Mother. I wouldn’t hide such a precious necklace anywhere. I truly didn’t steal it. Why don’t you believe me?”
“Oh, Ariana.”
Rachel called Ariana’s name sharply and looked at her intently.
In her previous life, Ariana would have bowed her head in fear of Rachel’s tone, acting as she wished to avoid provoking her mother’s anger.
Rachel also thought Ariana would act that way.
But Ariana ignored her mother’s gaze and spoke to the old lady.
“Grandmother, please believe me. There’s nowhere in my room or on my body to hide a necklace. Why doesn’t everyone believe me? Is it because I’m not the Duchess of Bronte’s biological daughter?”
Rachel clenched her teeth.
She glared at Ariana with eyes full of hatred, noting how much Ariana looked like her own father, then quickly straightened her expression upon sensing the old lady’s gaze.
“Is there any proof that she stole it?”
“The necklace is probably hidden outside the estate. She’s lied so many times before, and now she even stole a necklace that was a wedding gift from my husband…”
“You mean the diamond-studded necklace that was given as a wedding present?”
“Yes, Mother.”
The old lady looked at Ariana with suspicion.
Ariana, seemingly troubled, looked at her and then suddenly remembered something.
“Oh! If it’s a diamond… Luigi… No, never mind. It’s nothing. I’ll just admit I stole it, Grandmother.”
As Ariana bowed her head in fear, the old lady urged her.
“Don’t do that. Tell me what you were about to say.”
“Well…”
Ariana glanced at Luigi, pretending to be cautious.
“Ariana. Are you more afraid of this old lady than of that servant?”
“That’s not quite right… I’m not entirely sure myself. But Luigi once told me he’s a rich man with dozens of diamonds.”
“When did he say that?”
Luigi blurted out.
The old lady shot him a sharp look, and Luigi quickly knelt.
“Madam Noma. That girl… no, the young lady is lying. How dare I steal the lady’s necklace?”
“Yes, Mother. Maybe I raised her poorly, but Ariana keeps lying… Don’t blame Luigi just because you trust her words.”
Rachel stepped in to defend him, and Luigi, puffed up with pride, looked at Ariana with a triumphant expression—but then he was startled.
Because a mocking smile was lingering at Ariana’s lips.
But that smile disappeared quickly, and Luigi thought he must have been mistaken.
“If we search Luigi’s room, we’ll know whether Ariana’s words are true or not.”
Hearing the old lady, Luigi slightly lifted his chin.
The diamond necklace Luigi had stolen from Lady Helena was hidden in a drawer of Ariana’s desk two days ago.
Now Ariana would be punished even more, accused of lying along with the theft.
The old lady sent the maids to Luigi’s room.
After a long while, the maids returned and reported they found nothing.
When Rachel and Luigi’s lips curled into faint smiles and the old lady’s brow furrowed deeply, one maid whispered into her ear.
“Duchess, the diamond necklace is a precious item, so he wouldn’t have carried it around everywhere. If Luigi really stole it, he would have kept it somewhere safe.”
Since the maid’s words made sense, the old lady ordered her maids to search Luigi’s body.
Luigi, confident that nothing would be found, allowed the search without resistance.
“But!”
However, things did not go as Luigi expected.
One maid found the diamond necklace inside Luigi’s skirt pocket.
The necklace, densely set with large and small diamonds, was obviously a very expensive item that no one could own easily.
Luigi’s eyes nearly popped out, and Rachel’s face contorted in shock.
The old lady took the necklace from the maid and glared coldly at Luigi.
“Is this yours?”
Luigi only moved his lips but didn’t answer.
“Didn’t I ask you? Is this your necklace?”
Luigi’s pupils darted toward Rachel as if asking for help.
But Rachel, still unable to comprehend what was happening, couldn’t protect Luigi.
She suspected that Helena, who despised Ariana, had taken the necklace to frame her.
Although it was an expensive item, Ariana wouldn’t have any way to sell it, so Rachel believed the necklace would soon return to her hands.
She had left Helena to do as she pleased, never imagining such an incident would occur.
Rachel looked at Ariana, the root of all these problems, but Ariana just lay silently on the bed, expressionless.
Realizing that Ariana had no intention of helping, Luigi sank to his knees before the old lady.
“It’s a false accusation, Lady Noma. I swear it.”
“False accusation?”
“Yes, I’ve never seen or touched that necklace. Ariana is falsely accusing me.”
When the old lady glanced at Ariana, Ariana struggled to sit up.
“Are you saying I stole your necklace and falsely accused you?”
“Otherwise, there’s no way it would be in my pocket!”
“Why would I falsely accuse you? What could I possibly gain from that?”
“Because you’ve always disliked me.”
“I dislike you? Why? Is there any reason I should dislike you?”
“Well… that’s…”
There were countless reasons. But she couldn’t say them in front of the old lady.
That brief hesitation touched the old lady’s heart.
The situation was obvious—Luigi had fed Ariana spoiled food and behaved rudely toward her. It was clear.
“You dare to steal the owner’s belongings and try to frame others. I cannot forgive this.”
“Lady Noma! No, it’s not true. I swear I’ve been falsely accused. Please, believe me!”
Tears welled up in Luigi’s eyes as he shouted, but the old lady remained unmoved.
“Beat him and send him out of the estate.”
“Oh, no! Mistress! You know—I didn’t do anything. I only did what Helena told me to…”
“Luigi!”
When Helena’s name was mentioned, Rachel looked surprised and cried out.
Luigi hadn’t intentionally said Helena’s name.
Helena, who cherished Luigi more than anyone, had used him for her own wicked deeds. If Luigi survived and left this estate, Helena would suffer greatly.
“Mother, this girl was just in a bad situation at home and was tempted for a moment, but she had no real intention of selling that necklace.”
Since everyone had seen Luigi with the necklace, it couldn’t be dismissed as nothing.
Rachel, aiming to at least prevent Luigi from being expelled, continued.
“I’ll beat him and make him write a remorseful letter. Please don’t be too angry and stay calm.”
“To keep a thief maid in the estate? That’s quite generous of you.”
“Helena has been with us since she was young. If we send her away now, she’ll be heartbroken. You know how tender-hearted Helena is.”
“Can she not control herself? She should learn how to manage people first, rather than buying her dresses.”
The old lady’s sarcasm made Rachel’s face flush.
They’d been on good terms until recently, but due to Ariana, their relationship had soured.
Since the Duke of Bronte was a dutiful man, Rachel wanted to maintain her good relationship with the old lady.
So she suppressed her anger and answered obediently.
“Yes, Mother. I was lacking. I’ll make sure Helena is well instructed.”
Seeing the old lady’s expression soften, Rachel felt a moment of relief. But then, a small voice from Ariana was heard.
“Mother, you believe what that maid says and protect her, but you’ve never once protected me.”
Her voice was so pitiful.
The maids, unfamiliar with Ariana’s circumstances, looked at her with sympathetic eyes.
Feeling the atmosphere almost turning cold again, Rachel shot a furious glare at Ariana with blazing eyes.
Unlike Rachel, who looked furious, Ariana showed a forlorn expression as if she was about to burst into tears.
“If only you had believed me just once, Mother, I wouldn’t have been locked up for days eating spoiled food.”
“Ariana!”
“I’m sorry, Mother. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have blamed you. That’s probably why you dislike me.”
“When… when did I ever dislike you? You’re my daughter too.”
Watching Rachel grit her teeth but speak kindly, Ariana secretly smiled.
‘Just as I wanted her approval, she’s desperate to gain the old lady’s approval too.’
Rachel had met Jacob at a very young age and fallen in love.
At that time, the Duchess of Bronte, Kiel Bronte, was not pleased about her son marrying the princess of Serin.
She was worried that if her son married a woman of too high a status, he wouldn’t be able to live freely.
Even if a woman’s status is supposed to follow her husband after marriage, in Serin, the power of the Duke of Serin was so great that Kiel, the Duchess, naturally worried.
Marriage was beyond Rachel’s control, and Jacob was not bold enough to run away with his lover.
So, in her anxiety to win Kiel’s favor, she was ordered to marry the duke.
‘Now that she remarried after divorce with her child, she can’t even boast of being a princess of Serin. But the old lady was also very worried. Anyway, that woman wanted to please the old lady, so she held back.’
As long as Jacob Bronte cared for the old lady, Rachel wouldn’t act recklessly in front of her.
Rachel still loved Jacob as she did when they first met, and she felt guilty for having once shared a bed with her lover.
Watching how much Rachel paid attention to Jacob, Ariana felt a twinge of pity.
Amidst all this, seeing her in front of the old lady, she was barely holding back her urge to lash out at Ariana.
If Ariana had been the Ariana of her past life, she would have been hurt by Rachel’s attitude. But now, Ariana’s heart was calm, like a lake on a windless day.
Rachel’s eyes were wide with anger, while Ariana calmly endured her gaze.
The old lady, watching the two, spoke disapprovingly.
“Let’s all go out now, Ariana needs to rest too. And it seems her clothes don’t suit her at all. It would be better to have some good clothes made for her.”
~·~·* . *^.^* . *·~·~
Hey there, It’s Green Rose 😉
Since I human I might have make some mistakes while translating so please if you find them let me know here in the comments or in the Discord group so I can correct them and be careful in the future so they do not repeat.
Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
~~~Next Chapter~~~
Next chapter will be released Tomorrow.
See you then!!
