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nTheor became quite close after a day or two with Vellian.

nIt seemed to be because of the white and innocent appearance of the young count.

nVellian asked Astelle again, watching Theor running with the doll.

n“The child is young, but he is polite. Has Lady Astelle continued to take care of him by yourself?”

n“Since the mansion disappeared 5 years ago, I took care of him. My grandfather helped me a lot.”

n“You two have a good child. He will grow up wonderfully.”

nVellian truly admired.

nIt was said that the old man who had lived as a high-ranking noble for a lifetime and young lady, a 20-year-old nobleman who was the empress, raised the newborn baby without a penny.

nIt was a miracle that she did not starve the child and raised him as much.

nIn the meantime, it was amazing to see that she even taught the child at home on her own.

n“Excuse me, but the mother of the child…”

n“She gave birth and left. She lives elsewhere.”

nVellian convinced.

nOriginally, when a child born by a lowly woman in a noble family is taken as a successor, the mother is separated.

nIn that case, most of the birth mother was a maid or a prostitute.

nHe is the child who will be the successor, but if he keeps such a woman by his side, it will have a bad effect on him, giving money and sending his birth mother away was the best choice.

nIt was heartbreaking, but in this case, any family member treated the birth mother in that way.

nPerhaps the old marquis was very stubborn in that part.

nOlder nobles are originally followed the conservative laws.

nThanks to that, only this poor granddaughter seems to be suffering tremendously.

nLike Kaizen, Vellian condemned Astelle’s maternal grandfather, Marquis Carlenberg, and kicked his tongue.

n“Oh, yes, His Majesty has ordered the return of the Marquis’ pension, so I contacted the capital, and it will be paid normally from this month.”

n“Ah… thank you very much.”

nAstelle was really happy.

nWhen she first went to her maternal grandfather’s mansion, her maternal grandfather was also wealthy in his own way.

nHer maternal grandfather had already lost his estate when Astelle was very young, but had not lost his pension.

nBut he was good enough to live comfortably with a servant in a small mansion located in a scenic spot in the east.

nHowever, as the rebellion in the north was suppressed and the pension of her maternal grandfather was cut off, his life quickly became impoverished.

nHe hid and looked after the pregnant Astelle, and he fell even further into the hell.

nBy the time Theor was born, they eventually had to move to an old house on the edge of the east.

n“It was wrong that the Marquis’ pension was deprived. His grandson died while fighting for His Majesty in that civil war. There must have been an error in the administration.”

nIn fact, it is more likely that the old man was disadvantaged by the emperor’s administrative officials for being the related of Duke Reston.

nVellian can’t be honest, he just accidentally dismissed it.

n“Yes, I’m glad he got it back even now.”

nThe manor is unreasonable, but her life will be much better if her maternal grandfather get his pension back.

nAstelle glanced at Theor near the flowerbed and said,

n‘Of course if we can all go back safely.’

n* * *

nThe rain continued to fall until the afternoon.

nAstelle left Theor in the greenhouse for a while and went back to the room to check the dressing table.

nThen she went to find Sir Lyndon.

n“Sir Lyndon, could you please help me for a moment?”

n“What’s going on, Lady? “

nAstelle explained the situation to him and came to the room with him.

nThen she summoned three new maids.

n“Could everyone come this way for a while?”

nThe maids stood side by side with a strange face.

nAstelle pulled out the medicine box from the vanity table.

n“Has anyone ever opened this box today?”

nThe maids looked at each other and shook their heads. One of them said as a representative.

n“No, Lady. We are not allowed to open the items our owner’s belonging.”

n“Okay. Originally it is.”

nThe maid must not open the items the owner put in the drawer unless the order to clean it has been given.

nIt was a natural rule.

nAstelle said calmly, tying the gold ornaments on the medicine box.

n“But it looks like someone has opened this.”

nThe maids who looked at it with confused faces were amazed at the words.

nThe maids glanced at Lyndon standing on one side.

nIt seemed that only now they felt the problem was serious.

n“Actually, someone has opened this since yesterday, but I can’t figure out who the culprit is, so I opened a little drawer today. I wanted the culprit to know that I had seen this out. Then I wondered what was different so I thought the culprit might try to open it again.”

nAs she thought, while she was in the greenhouse, someone opened the box.

nThe stitches was the same as before, but again this time, the thread attached to the hinge of the box was separated.

nThe maids were hardened.

nAstelle asked, watching their expressions.

n“Who ever visited this room when I wasn’t here?”

n“No, I’m not.”

n“So who of your guesses?”

n“Lady… we all entered this room today.”

nThis room was splendid, and several rooms were connected to the bedroom, the living room, and the bathroom.

nEach of the maids went here and there to clean and organize, so it was difficult to specify what they were doing.

nAstelle looked down with the box’s butterfly clasp.

nThe clasps with small hooks hanging on either side were so thin and sophisticated that they couldn’t be opened quite a bit with gloves on.

nAnd the maid cannot wear the gloves.

n“I just wondering…”

nAstelle pulled out the handkerchief and cleaned the clasp.

nThe polished metal came out with powder that was indistinguishable from the color of the butterfly.

n“I applied the juice of lagenin here.”

nThe moment Astelle realized that someone was opening the box, she picked up the lagenin she had found in the corner of the greenhouse, squeezed out the juice, and applied it to the clasp.

n“Lagenin is just a rare weed in the forest, but when its juice touches the skin, it causes a red rash. Particularly sensitive areas like fingers have a rash quickly. It’s not great, it’s not curable, but it doesn’t go away easily. It will also itch.”

nAstelle ordered the maids, who stood side by side with hardened faces.

n“Show your hands.”

nAt Astelle’s command, there was a heavy silence in the room for a moment.

nThere was tension in Lyndon’s face standing on one side as well.

nThe maids who were slowly extended their hands forward.

nThe first maid’s hand was fine.

nThe second maid’s hand was also white and neat in every corner.

nHowever, while the two showed their hands without hesitation, the last remaining maid couldn’t easily show her hands.

nThe third maid trembled as she looked into her own palms.

n“Ah… I, I…”

nEveryone’s eyes were concentrated in the hand of the maid.

nThe middle part of her little white palm had no problem.

nHowever, there was a bright red rash sprouted on her forefinger and the connecting part as if sprinkled with red powder.

nThe tip of the upper index finger and the inside of her thumb were completely red.

nShe would have used her thumb and index finger to open the fastener.

nAnd before washing her hands, her fists were clenched, and a rash would have appeared in the area where her fingertips touched.

nThe maid who looked into her hand, stared at Astelle with her desperate and fruitful expression.

n“La, Lady, I…”

n“Tell me who ordered it.”

nThe maid was surprised and stiffened with Astelle’s coldly subdued voice.

nThe maid’s eyes trembled anxiously, but she didn’t open her mouth easily.

nWell, to get her to do something like this, she would have been threatened and convicted.

nAstelle looked straight at the maid and declared her calm.

n“If you don’t tell me who ordered it, I have to say that you were trying to steal, or in severe cases, poison me.”

n“Oh, no… I never did that…!”

nAstelle intimidating her, the maid became trembled on her whole body.

nShe doesn’t know if this has changed these days, but in the past, the maid was caught stealing at the imperial palace, her wrist will be cut.

nThis is not the imperial palace, but since it is where the emperor stays, similar punishment could be applied.

nAny attempted poisoning was of course the death penalty.

nAstelle looked at the maid, trembling in a deep blue, and asked Lyndon to give a brief request.

n“Sir Lyndon, please bring out this maid.”

nAs Lyndon opened the door, the maid fell down on the floor and begged.

n“Oh, no… let me tell you, let me tell you…!”

nThe maid who begged on her knees belatedly raised her head and confessed.

nAstelle had already guessed the name that came out of the maid’s mouth.

n“…Lady Marianne ordered it.”

nAll that Astelle had to do was there.

nLyndon summoned other knight and dragged the maid.

nThey will find out the details of the situation on their own.

nAstelle took Theor, which she had left in the greenhouse, thet washed him and changed his clothes.

nBefore entering the warm water, Theor came with a teddy bear.

n“Can Levin take a bath too?”

nShe tried to say no, but Astelle just nodded at seeing the kinky brown bear doll.

n“Yes, let’s wash it… for this time.”

nTheor, who knows nothing about what happened, played with the old teddy bear in the bathtub.

nAfter the bath was finished, she took the child to the bedroom and put the potion in his eyes.

nThe emperor’s servant came to pick up Astelle.

n“Lady Astelle, His Majesty is looking for you.”

nAstelle left Theor to the rest of the maids and went outside.

nAs she closed the warm visit and exited the hallway, the chilly chill of the late afternoon touched her.

nThis castle was old-fashioned, but it was antique and beautiful.

nIn the corridor, a wall made of gray bricks continued for a long time, and tapestry woven with gold thread was hung in several places.

nAstelle walked the hallway of the castle leading to the emperor’s office.

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