Arasila gently caressed Audrey’s cheek and spoke again.

“Tell me immediately who dared to touch my maid, Audrey.”

Tears fell from Audrey’s eyes. It felt as if all the scary and sad moments she had endured alone were compensated by those words “my maid”.

She sobbed as she revealed what had happened earlier that day. The blue eyes listening quietly sank coldly.

Not only did they conspire to frame Audrey as a thief in an instant, but they also beat and confined her without even hearing a proper explanation.

This clearly crossed the line.

Arasila, who became calmer as she got angrier, quietly opened her mouth.

“So, you think Rosalyn was behind this?”

“Yes, my lady.”

Audrey nodded with her tear-stained face. Rosalyn, who had been caught by her snooping in the mistress’s dressing room, had a motive.

It was even more suspicious since the maid who had her necklace stolen was Rosalyn’s roommate.

“Alright. Listen carefully, Audrey. Do exactly as I tell you from now on.”

Arasila removed the necklace hidden behind her collar and handed it to Audrey.

“While I gather the maids, you go put this necklace in Rosalyn’s room. As if she stole it.”

She planned to create the same situation to show that finding the stolen necklace in a room wasn’t enough to be certain of the culprit.

I’ll corner them the same way, to make them feel how absurd and unfair it is for you right now.

“Then I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Yes.”

Audrey nodded and stood up bravely.

After safely sending her out of the barn, Arasila called the maids who were still restlessly lingering by the door.

“Keep your mouths shut and follow me quietly. Understand? Don’t say a word until I allow it.”

At the tone bordering on a threat, the maids had no choice but to keep their mouths tightly shut and follow behind Arasila.

Upon returning to the main building, Arasila immediately called for the head maid.

“Gather all the maids on the first floor. Not a single one should be missing.”

“May I ask why, my lady?”

The head maid asked calmly. However, she was also internally flustered.

‘She always comes back late, so why is she back so early today?!’

Since only Audrey knew about Arasila’s early return plans, it was understandable for the head maid to be perplexed.

‘At times like this, I need to keep my wits about me. I can’t let this slide easily!’

However, her resolve crumbled as soon as she met Arasila’s fierce gaze.

“Head maid, have I ever asked you to question my words?”

“……”

The monotone voice was intimidating without any need for flowery words. The head maid’s knees weakened at the pressure emanating from that slender body. Her head bowed involuntarily.

In the end, she gathered the maids as Arasila wished.

The maids who gathered on the first floor at the sudden call from their mistress stood quietly without expressing any doubts. This irritated Arasila even more.

It meant they all knew what had happened to Audrey but remained silent.

‘Ah, so this is why Paula said those things.’

If they had truly acknowledged and respected her as their mistress, they would not have dared to do such a thing to Audrey, her personal maid.

Feeling once again how right her friend’s advice had been, Arasila stood before the maids with her arms crossed and an elegant gait.

Though her face had soft eyes and delicate features that didn’t look scary, strangely, a sense of pressure arose when one got close.

Arasila, who had calmly looked around at the maids, slowly opened her plump lips.

“You all seem to know why I called you here.”

The maids said nothing. Mixed among them, Rosalyn stood with her head held high.

She had nothing to fear from Arasila, as she hadn’t touched Audrey without reason.

‘What could the mistress say about Audrey committing theft? Even if she defends Audrey, it’ll only add to the rumors of her favoritism.’

She only regretted that Arasila had returned before they could drive Audrey out.

As Rosalyn was secretly licking her lips, Arasila’s voice rang out again.

“Whoever framed Audrey as a thief, come forward.”

At those words, the maids stirred. They were all bewildered by Arasila’s words since they thought Audrey had really committed theft.

“Those who accused Audrey of being a thief and locked her in the barn. All of you come forward.”

At the firm order, the maids who had been eyeing each other sheepishly came forward one by one. Among them were Rosalyn and the head maid.

“So it was you?”

“…My lady, it’s not a false accusation that Audrey stole my necklace, it’s true.”

Amy stepped forward and spoke. From her perspective, she had no choice but to believe so since her missing necklace had been found in Audrey’s room.

“My necklace really was found in Audrey’s room. The others can testify to this!”

“Who found it?”

“Pardon?”

“I asked who found the necklace in Audrey’s room. Was it you, Amy?”

Amy shook her head. It was Rosalyn who had discovered the necklace in Audrey’s room.

“I found it, my lady.”

Before anyone could say her name, Rosalyn confessed on her own. Arasila’s gaze shifted to her.

“Since there are people who saw me bring out the necklace from Audrey’s room, it’s not a lie…”

“Exactly where did you find it?”

“Behind the wardrobe, my lady.”

“Oh? You managed to find it quickly in such a hidden spot, Rosalyn. As if you knew the necklace was there?”

Rosalyn was taken aback by the unexpected jab. Arasila looked down at Rosalyn with her lips curled up crookedly.

“Did you enter Audrey’s room alone?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

“Then it’s possible that you stole Amy’s necklace and pretended to find it in Audrey’s room, isn’t it?”

“That’s absurd!”

Rosalyn flared up. However, it was true that she had stolen Amy’s necklace and placed it in Audrey’s room.

Her mouth went dry and her palms became sweaty. But unable to back down, Rosalyn stiffened her neck.

“Why is it absurd? Come to think of it, wouldn’t you, as her roommate, have the easiest access to steal it?”

“Why would I do such a thing!”

“Then why would Audrey do it?”

Arasila approached Rosalyn menacingly. Rosalyn’s eyes wavered.

The head maid, who was watching this, also felt uneasy. If Rosalyn crumbled here, she would be in trouble too.

After all, it was the head maid herself who had lent her support to this matter. So she quickly intervened.

“My lady, we had originally planned to report this to the master and let him judge. I understand you’re angry that your favored maid has been mistreated, but please don’t emotionally corner the other maids.”

As soon as the head maid finished speaking, a scornful laugh escaped Arasila’s lips.

Her skill in cornering people was exquisite. To transform a just interrogation into an emotional attack.

Arasila, her expression hardening coldly, turned to the head maid and asked.

“Who is the maid you trust and cherish the most?”

“Pardon? Why suddenly…”

“Tell me quickly.”

The head maid hesitated before pointing to a maid named Anna. She was someone she had built a rapport with over years of working together.

“Anna, go to Audrey’s room and bring back every piece of jewelry you can see.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Anna left with the order. When she returned shortly after, her hands were full of expensive jeweled earrings and necklaces.

Arasila proudly displayed them in front of the maids and said.

“Do you know what these are? These are things I gifted to Audrey. Voluntarily, at that. Why would someone who could get even more expensive things from me if she wanted, steal from others?”

Usually, shrewd maids who were favored by their masters like Audrey would try to get more things. But Audrey was without greed and frugal, so unless Arasila provided for her, she never sought any compensation or gifts beyond her salary.

Such an Audrey would never covet others’ belongings. If she had such bad habits, she would have stolen from Arasila long ago.

“Audrey’s theft is impossible unless someone framed her.”

Arasila’s hand holding the jewelry tightened. She was furious that someone had framed a person who had lived honestly until now.

“I never forgive those who touch my people.”

The stern voice pierced the maids’ ears like a blade.

If they had touched her instead, she might have been more lenient considering the difference in status.

“If this turns out to be a false accusation, know that all those involved will be punished. At least half of you will be fired without a letter of recommendation.”

At that threat, the maids’ faces turned pale. Being driven out without a letter of recommendation makes it difficult to work as a maid again.

Usually, a maid without a recommendation letter is seen as having been driven out for causing problems.

The head maid and Rosalyn desperately racked their brains to escape the current situation.

Just then.

“What’s all this about?”

The central door opened and Demian appeared. It was already time for his return.

In an instant, everyone’s attention turned to him. The head maid, thinking a lifeline had arrived, rushed to him breathlessly.

“Master, please help us!”

“Help?”

“Yes! The maid the mistress brought in committed theft, but the mistress, upset by this, doesn’t believe a word we say and only defends that maid, saying she’ll fire us!”

The head maid appealed to Demian with tears in her eyes. It was a remarkably clever explanation of the situation that only favored herself.

As she clung to Demian, the other maids also rushed to him.

“Please save us, master!”

“We are maids who have worked for you, master. Don’t abandon us!”

“Please make a fair judgment, master!”

Like baby birds searching for their mother bird, the maids sought their master.

However, apart from the different titles of ‘mistress’ and ‘master’, Arasila was also their master. But from the way they were acting, it seemed they only considered Demian as their master.

It was absurd how those who had been glancing at her with fearful eyes just moments ago suddenly changed their attitude.

Dumbfounded by the situation unfolding before her, Arasila looked at Demian with an incredulous expression.

Demian’s gaze, after calmly scanning those who had gathered in front of him like a marketplace, soon turned to Arasila.

Meanwhile, Audrey secretly snuck into Rosalyn and Amy’s room as her mistress had ordered.

‘Let’s see, where should I hide this?’

It would be troublesome if Rosalyn found it first because it was hidden carelessly. Audrey looked around the room as thoroughly as possible, searching for a hiding place.

As she was looking here and there, she suddenly noticed a slightly open gap between the bed and the bedside table.

‘If I put it in this gap, no one would know?’

Audrey pushed the bedside table to the side with some force. She was about to insert just the necklace into the gap and put the table back, when…

Thud. Something fell from behind the bedside table.

‘Huh? What’s this?’

She moved the bedside table completely away with a puzzled look to check what had fallen. It was two sealed envelopes.