# 95
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* * *
It was a night when everyone couldn't sleep.
The Elad Palace staff thought they were going to end up in big trouble when the Duchess, who had not been able to actually wake up, suddenly started wandering about on the verge of death early in the morning.
But when dawn broke and morning came.
“Your wife has had a critical moment,” Viscountess Bardot, the duke’s physician, told the staff who prepared their hearts.
At the same time, the knights who had been completely isolated and guarding the Duchess's room and office returned to their places.
The tense atmosphere in the palace, which seemed to be walking on thin ice, began to relax little by little.
“I'm very happy, yes?”
“Of course. Honestly, I really… Ah, the head maid.”
The maids, who were whispering as they swept and mopped the central hall to do the general cleaning that had not been done for several days, trembled when they saw the head maid entering the hall.
But naturally, the head maid, who they expected to scold them harshly by shouting “Stern!”, looked at them coldly and said nothing.
Of course, it was even more terrifying to see her standing still with her arms crossed.
However, the maids, who thought it was fortunate that they did not receive penalty points or be punished, tilted their heads.
This was because the head maid's appearance was a little different from usual.
The maid, who was usually meticulous and showed no faults, was biting her nails as if lost in other thoughts.
Like a nervous and anxious person.
Come to think of it, it seemed like the head maid had been in a bad mood ever since the Duchess collapsed.
At that time, she naturally thought that it was because of the bad luck that happened to the hostess, but now, for some reason, her expression seemed even darker.
The maids, who had been looking at the maid in confusion, soon gained some insight when they saw the little girl coming down the stairs.
The little maid, who had monopolized the princess's service since the duchy, showed an unexpected side when this incident happened.
Of course, everyone thought she would stay close to the worried girl and console her, but she went ahead and took care of the lady while she was ill.
Not only that, she was busy running all kinds of errands for his doctor, Viscountess Bardot.
Thanks to this, Leia was able to freely enter and exit the Duchess's room, where even the butler and the maid were denied access to her under the strict guard of the Rexion Knights.
Of course, the fact that the child had to even handle the task of carrying a cup of water on her own was not a privilege but an abuse, but it was clear that the child was gaining the Duke's trust.
Although most of the Duchy's employees who witnessed the scene felt sorry for the child or cherished her, the head maid's situation might have been different.
I thought I might be upset because I was denied the job of serving the person closest to me.
“The head maid.”
At that time, Leia walked down the hall and stood in front of the head maid.
As expected, the head maid's gaze was cold as she looked at the child, as if her guess was correct.
However, the child, who met the head maid's gaze that would make even adults feel intimidated, spoke without averting her eyes.
“Master is looking for you now.”
". … I?"
Leah nodded to the puzzled Helen and stepped aside.
This means that the head maid must take the initiative.
The head maid seemed to be shaken for a moment, but then she took a step forward.
The maids tilted their heads as they watched Leia quietly follow them.
The little girl's back, which usually looks cute and innocent, seems to be very strict.
* * *
“This is the head maid, I will go in now.”
I held my breath, which was getting ragged, and watched the head maid enter the Duchess's room.
The Duke's family, the Viscountess of Bardot, and Tice gathered in the bedroom which was entered through the wide-open drawing-room door.
But the room was eerily quiet, as if no one was there.
The head maid had the same blank expression as usual, as if she did not feel the heavy atmosphere.
But even for a moment.
That was when she opened her eyes wide in surprise when she saw the Duchess leaning against the head of the bed with a normal face.
“Mom, are you okay now?”
Allen, whose eyes were red from his tearful encounter with the Duchess moments before, sniffed and asked.
The Duchess smiled weakly and stroked Aline's pat.
“Okay baby, I'm fine now.”
Then I turned my attention to the head maid.
“Helen, I'm thirsty, can you give me some water?”
“…yes ma’am.”
There was a silence that made you feel like you were hearing a needle drop again.
Helen slowly poured water from the kettle into a cup.
You must be very embarrassed and anxious.
When I saw his position, which did not waver even an inch, I stuck my tongue inside.
Meanwhile, anger rose.
then.
“Allen, you should go out with Diana.”
Lucio said to Allen.
"You, too ."
And me too.
Although Allen was confused, he must have sensed that the atmosphere was strange and stood up to console Diana, who was trying not to be separated from the Duchess.
‘… …And I also wanted to see the ending of the Head Maid.’
I actually kind of expected it wouldn't happen, but I'm still disappointed.
I slowly walked out of the room with Allen and Diana, letting go of my remorse.
As soon as the door closes, it knocks!
The sound of glass shattering was heard behind the door.
Diana shrugged in surprise.
She quickly hugged Diana and stroked her head several times.
That was when she took a quick step to walk away from the room.
“...Leah, did you know?”
Allen suddenly asked with a heavy expression.
I paused, but blinked and tilted my head.
"Yes? What?"
“No...it's okay.”
Allen, who was pouting his lips, looked a little confused and agitated.
For some reason, seeing the simple Allen always make that kind of expression made me cringe.
"my lord ."
“…What’s going on?”
“I don't know anything else, but I know one thing for sure.”
Impulsively, I grabbed Allen and spoke slowly, hoping that my feelings would be conveyed to him.
“Whatever happened, it wasn't your fault.”
Allen, who was silent for a moment, then nodded briefly.
Relieved, she looked forward and nodded.
Jack, who seemed to have grown taller without looking, was standing in the middle of the hallway leading to the stairs.
“Boss, you've been neglecting your sword training for a while recently, haven't you? Even though you're not studying, you're still cultivating...”
Even though I knew that was not the case, I deliberately shook my head and said, “Okay, this is it!” He blushed.
Before he could speak, I smiled broadly and said:
“So you have to go ahead and work hard, I will have to show it to you later, you are a wonderful knight who will protect you.”
Allen, paused at my words, clenched his fists and nodded.
I waved lightly to Allen, who was running towards me, and to Jack, who I hadn't seen in a while, and smiled as the two people disappeared.
Then I turned and looked at the closed door behind me.
* * *
"Say something! Are you a human?"
When the children left, the Duchess exploded with anger that she could barely suppress.
Even though she was hit by a falling cup and water, the head maid made no excuses.
I was even more shocked to see that she didn't even deny it.
The head maid, who had trusted and entrusted the Duke's residence for nearly twenty years and who had never doubted her loyalty to the Duchy of Elade, was the culprit who had tried to poison her.
When the Duchess first learned of this, she was deeply shocked and fell into a state of panic.
However, she quickly regained her senses after hearing the reason that made her wander between life and death again after she barely succeeded in deciphering it.
“No, if you are truly human, then how...”
Could poison be put on the hands of children who say they will clean their mothers with fern-like hands?
I shuddered at Helen's evil.
Perhaps she thought the Duchess would last longer than expected?
The head maid decided to use poison again and used Allen and Diana to avoid the eyes of the knights who were tightly guarding the palace.
Knowing that the two children carefully monitored their mother by massaging her and stroking her face every night, she took advantage of it.
The maid prepared the poisoned water and towels and waited for the children when they went out of sight of the knights.
The Duchess's room also had a bathroom, but Allen, who had difficulty getting water every time due to his height, was happy and accepted the water from Helen without question.
Tice, who saw two children moaning and holding the towel from afar, took a step closer and carried it to them.
Coincidentally, all this happened while Lea, who was relieved to see the Duchess in good health, was asleep.
The Duke and Lucio also thought that all they had to do was catch the culprit, so they made the mistake of moving from one place to another to exchange reports.
The Duchess, who barely showed signs of recovery, faced difficulties again due to poison mixed in the water brought by the children.
Thanks to Leah's healing magic and the antidote prepared in advance, she was able to come back to her senses.
The culprit was then quickly identified by identifying the people who were coming in and out of the Duchess's room and the surrounding circumstances.
Fortunately, Allen and Diana, who encountered the poison for the first time, were not exposed to the poison during the Duchess's lifetime and were able to avoid contracting the poison by simply washing them off with water.
However, the Duchess's anger did not subside despite Viscountess Bardot's explanation.
“How could you do such a thing! How could children...!”
It was that moment.