episode_0019

“I saw Lillis working in the kitchen. Yesterday… and even this morning.”

The atmosphere, which was about to determine the level of discipline due to Ethan’s testimony that started just before Katarina and I were disciplined, suddenly began to make a 180-degree turn.

“Ethan, sir? What do you mean by that?”

“Isn’t Lillis being punished for not working this morning?”

“That’s true, but…”

“Lillis was in the kitchen this morning. I saw her.”

“…What?”

What’s going on?

Why the sudden change?

Although Ethan’s testimony had unexpectedly shifted the mood of the disciplinary committee in a strange direction, rather than relief, a sense of unease began to grow larger in my heart.

Why is Ethan testifying like this to me?

And could he be demanding something from me in return for his testimony, causing this uneasy feeling to rise within me?

“Ethan, sir, I’m sorry, but this disciplinary committee is a place to determine the punishment level for the servants. If you make false testimonies as a joke…”

“It’s not a lie. I really saw it. I talked with Lillis and although it wasn’t cooking, she ate something resembling food.”

“…”

As details were added to Ethan’s testimony, Maid Chief Melissa changed her expression and began to listen intently.

Seemingly digesting Ethan’s testimony properly, Melissa turned towards me to cross-verify his statement.

“Is what you just said true, Lillis Rosewood?”

“Yes, it is.”

As soon as my response came back, the etiquette classroom suddenly buzzed with noise.

And immediately, Aeria, looking frantic, began to interrupt the conversation between me and the Maid Chief.

“Just a moment, Maid Chief! Hasn’t the level of discipline already been decided?! Adding new witnesses at this point is unfair…”

“Aeria Lawrence. This place is not just for following procedures to issue discipline but to reveal the truth about what happened among you. The more information we have about what happened during those early mornings over the past three days, the better.”

“…”

Aeria’s demeanor suddenly changed to that of a deer caught in headlights after Maid Chief Melissa’s statement.

In fact, I had vaguely sensed it before.

For some reason, Melissa seemed to be more protective of me than Aeria, who had worked for over a year. I honestly didn’t know why she was siding with me more than Aeria.

“Lillis Rosewood.”

“Yes, Maid Chief.”

“If it is true that you were talking with Sir during the early hours in the kitchen, why didn’t you request him as a witness?”

“…How can I put this?”

I couldn’t say that I had hoped Ethan would testify and didn’t call him as a witness out of fear of getting caught off guard.

Moreover, if I made a mistake, it could lead to discussions about the incident where I had held a kitchen knife against Ethan in the pantry.

As I pondered how to navigate this situation, a story I had shared with Ethan on the first day we met suddenly came to mind.

A plausible excuse that could be useful in the current situation.

“It was our secret…”

“What do you mean by ‘our secret’?”

“I was concerned that if it became known that Sir had invaded the kitchen in the middle of the night due to hunger and had eaten the dish I prepared before leaving, it might tarnish Sir’s honor. Therefore, I promised Sir not to tell anyone about him entering the kitchen, eating the meal I made, and leaving.”

“Ah, that’s right! I remember now! I shouldn’t have said that!”

It seemed that Edan had completely forgotten about the promise they had made with Boa.

Thanks to that, I felt like I was narrowly saved from falling into the abyss.

“So, Lillis Rosewood.”

“Yes.”

“…Are you saying that even if you were to receive punishment alone to protect the honor of the young master, Edan, you did not summon him as a witness?”

Is that really how it is?

I wasn’t particularly concerned about Edan’s honor other than whether it would be tarnished.

However, fueled by the maid manager’s confident voice, various murmurs began to grow louder, and suddenly I found myself dedicated to protecting Edan’s honor.

Honestly, I wasn’t too bothered by the misunderstanding between Edan and me.

But at this moment, I thought I could definitely make use of it.

As everyone’s gaze focused on me, I quietly nodded my head, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible.

“Yes.”

As I answered, people around us started discussing things excitedly.

I couldn’t catch every single conversation, but judging by the positive remarks circulating about me, the atmosphere didn’t seem too hostile.

Isabel also sent me an intense look from the crowd.

Next to me, Katarina almost clung to my body, leaning against me.

…Meanwhile, only Aeria seemed to start raising her voice, seemingly unable to accept the situation.

“I-It’s a lie!”

“What?”

“I-If Master Edan really visited the kitchen at dawn, th-then… L-Lillis wouldn’t have hesitated to call him as a witness from the beginning! She just lied to protect Master Edan out of pity, and Lillis simply… improvised on the spot…”

Uh-oh. That’s a sticky situation.

Pointing out that I lied to Edan right here, especially with Harold watching with keen eyes?

“You.”

“M-Master…?”

“Are you suggesting that my son is a liar right now?”

“….”

What did I say?

The moment Harold’s cold voice and gaze met Aeria, she froze, realizing her mistake.

Harold was a nobleman with a generous heart, even forgiving insults directed at him, but these two topics were off-limits.

In the battle for Lillis during the Rosewood succession episode, facing Harold was tenser than facing Edan by far.

To openly insult Edan in front of Harold or…

…

…

The other option was to insult Harold’s estranged wife, Tanashia.

“N-No, Master…. That’s not what I meant…”

Harold was tolerant enough to overlook personal insults, but these two subjects were touchy areas.

In the Lillis succession episode, facing Harold head-on was much more challenging than dealing with Edan.

To openly insult Edan in front of Harold required immense courage.

Seeing that the cunning woman couldn’t even handle this basic social maneuver, it was clear she was in a tight spot.

“No need to get angry, Master.”

“…Maid Manager.”

“If we cross-examine Edan and Lillis’s statements, the truth will come to light soon. There’s no need for you to blush, Master.”

Melissa calmed Harold down, her confident expression shifting between me and Edan.

With her mouth opening, she directed a question to both Edan and Lillis.

“Edan, and Lillis Rosewood.”

“Yeah.”

“Yes.”

“On the day Edan visited the kitchen, Lillis Rosewood mentioned that she cooked for him, correct?”

“Not cooking! Just preparing food!”

“…That’s correct.”

“…Then, Lord Ethan, please whisper in my ear right now. What was the dish that Lilith Rosewood served you?”

“Well, that is…”

Ethan began to murmur something into Melissa’s ear as she leaned in towards him.

It seemed like he was providing testimony about the meals I had served over the past two days for further verification.

…To be honest, even I couldn’t consider those dishes as actual food.

As the rather lengthy whisper came to an end, Maid Chief Melissa straightened up and turned her gaze towards me, then asked,

“Lilith Rosewood.”

“Yes.”

“Please tell us here what the two dishes were that Lord Ethan was served.”

“One was a tomato radish salad dressed with honey made from tomatoes and radishes, and the other was a radish roll with thinly sliced radishes wrapped around radishes, onions, and carrots drizzled with olive oil.”

“I see, noted.”

With a faint smile, Melissa acknowledged my words and responded.

And this time, she immediately began to recount what Ethan had whispered in her ear.

“Lord Ethan said to me like this.”

“……”

“He mentioned a dish with a sweet taste of tomatoes and radishes on a plate, and another strange dish with thinly sliced radishes and various vegetables rolled up.”

‘A strange dish….’

“When looking at the description and ingredients used in the dishes, they exactly matched what Lilith Rosewood had mentioned.”

Although I felt a bit irritated by the fact that the dishes I painstakingly prepared during odd hours were treated as strange, seeing that she remembered even the meals I made properly for testimony, in many ways, it relieved some of my worries.

Now, it was completely proven that I had worked the night shift, and soon it would be evident that none of the lower-ranking maids had shown up for work either.

I almost ended up being disciplined with a month-long punishment of cleaning the stables alone.

It was quite ironic that I, who had despised Ethan so much in my past life, was now saved by him in a way.

“Now, wait a moment…”

“Do you still have something to say, Aeria Lawrence?”

“W-well, that is… um…”

In the current situation, there was practically no way for her to overturn the disciplinary action.

To refute this testimony, she would need to bring a witness with far more power than Ethan or present irrefutable evidence compelling enough to push even Ethan aside.

If such evidence could easily come forward, things wouldn’t have escalated to this point in the first place.

However, Aeria, who never gives up, tried to survive by shifting her gaze here and there.

Her eyes shifted towards Katarina, who was trembling next to me.

“K-Katarina is suspicious!”

“Eek?!”

Startled by Aeria’s sudden accusation, Katarina hid behind me.

Even I became curious about what she would bring up with such an unexpected accusation, and Aeria continued her desperate defense by pointing out Katarina as a last resort.

“K-Katarina is the culprit who stole Tannasia’s necklace from Lord Ethan’s room a year ago!”

“E-ewk?!”

“The fact that Katarina is circling around Lilith itself is suspicious! Surely Lilith must be hiding something just like Katarina!”

“N-no… I really didn’t steal Tannasia’s necklace….”

“You did steal it, you wench!”

“E-ewk…!”

“……”

Since there was no way to win this argument through messages, is she planning to attack the messenger now?

However, Eiria, your recent words have only dug your grave even deeper, a fact you seem unaware of.

Tanashia’s necklace?

The moment she mentioned an item that anyone involved with the “Luminor Academy” would recognize, I almost burst out laughing involuntarily.

By mentioning that necklace in front of me, Eiria was practically confessing to stealing it herself.

Thinking that I could just send her away for good, I subtly raised my hand and interjected between Eiria and Katarina’s conversation.

“…Um, just out of curiosity.”

“Yeah?”

“What about the Lilith Rosewood?”

“Are you referring to Tanashia’s heirloom necklace, the one with a blue gem set in gold…?”

“….”

“How do you know about that…?”

Facing Harold’s somewhat suspicious gaze, I continued to feign innocence by mentioning “Lilith Rosewood.”

This was a chance not only to clear Katarina’s unjust suspicion but also to completely discredit that annoying Eiria.

“I think I’ve seen it before.”

“….”

“I believe I saw a flashy and expensive-looking necklace in Eiria’s senior room once…”

With my statement, the room fell silent once again.

As everyone’s attention turned towards me, uncertain of where this was heading.

“Uh… Uh…”

One thing is certain: Eiria, you’re as good as dead now.