“This is unbelievable. How did this happen?”
“……”
‘Yeah, I mean, I should be the one to say that.’
Lania, who was the first to rush over upon hearing Rebecca’s screams, shook her head in disbelief as if she couldn’t believe it. Even the ladies who followed her joined forces, and before they knew it, the second-floor study was bustling with people. She could dare say that this was the first time so many people have entered this place since it was established.
“Rebecca, what’s going on? Why are you acting like this?”
“Sister! Ugh!” Rebecca, who was standing by the window, quickly found solace in her sister’s embrace. With a bewildered expression, Lania patted Rebecca’s shoulder, maintaining her composure. Her eyes, which were examining her sister as if she couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation, moved to the empty fingers, and then finally settled on them, looking perplexed.
“Re-Rebecca! What about your ring?”
“Well…” Finally, the girl who had her forehead against Lania’s shoulder looked up at her, her eyes full of despair. “That woman! That woman did it!”
“That woman? How can you say such things to Mother?”
“Mother? You, of all people, take her side without even knowing what that woman did?”
“……”
It felt real. Expressing their internal thought process rather than blindly attacking her together gave them even more credibility. As evidence, the glares of those looking at her became fiercer.
“Mother?” Especially Lania, who pointed out that she was different from those people, had an incredible expression. If it weren’t for the fact that she was targeting Catherine, she could have applauded her acting skills with much more joy.
“I can’t believe it at all, but what does Rebecca’s statement mean?”
“It’s like I’m asking a question.” She tried to open her mouth as calmly as possible, without being shaken, but this wasn’t a situation where she could just endure it. Rebecca’s voice, mixed with tears, became anguished as she pulled out a handkerchief. “What are you saying? That woman took my ring and threw it out of the window!”
“Rebecca, calm down for a moment.”
“That was our late mother’s heirloom! If it was our current mother, then naturally she should have given it to herself first. But since she couldn’t have it her way, she threw it away!”
“This is absurd! How could she do such a thing?” Several ladies, who were the noblewoman’s attendants, covered their mouths at Rebecca’s outburst. The mention of ‘our mother’s heirloom’ stirred emotions. No matter how much presence she displayed today, in their eyes, she was nothing more and nothing less than an ignorant outsider.
“Mother, is that true?”
“……”
Nevertheless, Lania’s calm demeanor in calming her younger sister without getting agitated shone even brighter. “Please explain. Did Mother touch Rebecca’s ring?”
“No. Such a thing never happened.”
“Lies!” The ladies surrounded Rebecca, who stared at her with tears streaming down her face. Lania, who entrusted the agitated Rebecca to them, finally approached Catherine slowly. “This is truly perplexing, Your Highness.”
“……”
“It was the first request I made as a member of this family. Didn’t you see how happy Rebecca was when Mother took the time to do that?” Her actions, looking back at her sister with a pained expression, were smooth as if they were withdrawn. “That ring is none other than our late mother’s heirloom. Couldn’t you bear to let that child have it completely? No matter how much you dislike it, how can you simply throw it away?”
“What are you even talking about?”
“Your Highness.”
All the gazes that were fixed on her turned towards the entrance. The one man who could settle things wherever and whenever. The movements of those who quickly made way for the owner of this place were flawless. It was the same in the hall, but even stepping into the study, everyone’s attention was captivated.
“What nonsense is this?” He asked. “Just… which lady… did something to someone’s ring?”
“……” His icy gaze first fell upon Catherine, but he remained calm, even more so than Lania. The deep voice sank to its lowest point, about to press down.
“I’ll ask again.”
“Your Highness, I apologize, but there has been an unfortunate incident in our household. Allow me to apologize on behalf of everyone.” Lania, bowing her knees, raised her head, implying that everything was her responsibility. That way, when she looked up at her with resignation, it would be even more dramatic. “As a member of the Duke’s family, I thought it would be best for Mother to participate as well. If it was my mistake to trust people too easily, then it’s my mistake. You were never one to be like this.”
“I didn’t ask you.”
“……”
What was he doing? Rashid, who had never properly looked down at Lania, turned towards her. She felt confident because she had done nothing wrong, but when she saw his indifferent gaze, her heart trembled. “There was a misunderstanding regarding Lady Rebecca’s engagement ring. The lady claimed that I threw the ring into the lake, but I have never done such a thing.”
“Your Highness! She’s lying! That woman! She’s lying!”
“……”
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