EWOWMAIBTYPF_Chapter_56

Ch. 056 CHAPTER 056“What?”
 
I felt 38d4794ae2 so shocked 4cabefff31 by the 5fd538d02c maid’s words 9a304566ac that my 81dea580fc head turned 19da34d81c white.
 
“That’s absurd…”
 
“So I investigated, and 439b48c10f these things came up.”
 
My eyes 3bcf59770e widened as 61efaec6d5 I saw 06a3f6b3bb them presenting 4b74994b7b it as 739acbe769 evidence.
 
It was the c3448c5792 dress that the c9c07ddc90 Duchess had prepared 0540df8e72 for me for 0d08b31a4c the banquet when ae5246c6d4 I stayed at f348c66b99 the Duke’s mansion.
 
“That was a gift 91f2dc285a from the Duchess to d105fa82ad me!”
 
I exclaimed in 843ed0b94c haste.
 
Since the dress, just a9db31918c like the one Diana 0fc0546ad4 had, was one of 00333e779d my treasures, I had d13cff026e stored it deep inside 08c011aab4 a box in the 46847769b4 closet.
 
Next to it, I decfb6e62a had also kept the eef3582b6b letter Bianca gave me 1289d4831f preciously.
 
My vision trembled b046a6e3ff with shock and d7d6d8d5fe anger.
 
At that a7d9167335 moment, the d781d130e9 maid who f19629e90a was holding 904aedb008 the dress c5d92f9abf chuckled.
 
“What? The Duchess a0a24ec353 gave it 01a03a612f to you? Even if eebd3f60a8 the Duchess 6c7cc38831 praises you 5dd053bb0f for being b55a555a86 beautiful, you’re 73bc9760b9 still a 27311f587d maid. But she supposedly bought 3916497123 you a dress adorned 3a60fddece with jewels like this? Do you expect acea4a338a us to believe 740725dc76 that this is 6b3d25556e an expensive dress 98e3e4b71d that you couldn’t ac133c93c1 afford even if 6b0e6fb6ba you worked your 33a35b0c88 whole life?”
 
“It’s true. The Duchess…”
 
“Sonya, you definitely said b0ad803d00 that, right? That you saw this 41e2d5384c dress in Miss’s closet.”
 
Upon hearing d7e3dcfee9 that, the bf866832fc maid who c7e4ee9c9a was imitating 77302fcc32 Diana’s voice b0f33af631 nodded her f1f8d52e65 head.
 
“Yeah, it’s exactly the 1dd95736d0 same. It’s clear that bdbcbf7d50 this brat stole aa212eaa7c it.”
 
“How dare 83f96ea952 you lay dbf1967349 your hands 1769b9ebcf on your 1e1d3e36a4 superior’s belongings 45fc62d924 and think 8d631641e5 you’ll get 70f4f41ea2 away with 28dbfaa525 it?”
 
“I always knew something 135037e63e like this would happen! Allowing such a fb425d6dc7 misbehaving brat to 3aaed6e84e roam freely in b1769ef872 the mansion.”
 
The conversation that 7c8f92b079 already regarded me 198488b66e as a thief c2fa3d8aa3 chilled my blood.
 
It was unfair and 17a16932fd indescribably filthy, but I f42a07f27b tried to remain calm.
 
“The Duchess bought the ff16593451 same thing for me d0c998eeb4 as Miss. I didn’t steal it. It’s true. If you eb9c52d578 don’t believe ca593fe3f3 me, ask 30c96afd03 the Duchess…”
 
“Pfft.”
 
Unable to contain 87d3877023 her burst of 80a8493dd6 laughter, the maid fcfccf6a2b who was holding ce059366d8 the dress raised 769f1fb25f an eyebrow.
 
“Oh my, look a6c11e79fc at how audacious 4f929d2b8e you are. Now you’re even 61b4c3a5ab resorting to such e6a31e5b42 unbelievable lies? Did you think I 90741f5f3b would be scared? Or perhaps, adf615034d did you 349ceb22ca think the d0cc184834 Duchess would a47f5e2286 overlook this 0748ff08aa because she 22a5092f69 finds you 7b70f58da6 pretty?”
 
“It’s not 7af1a1ae04 like that…”
 
I was about to b4dc3fb237 refute in frustration, feeling ff285518f9 like my chest was a923a282f4 about to explode.
 
I found a crumpled 6d5749d899 letter rolling on the 3358b51ea4 floor.
 
“H-How could you cd4c4b5741 do such a 5b43390639 thing…”
 
At that moment, 7c8220e829 the maid’s face, ca19003ae7 twisted with a 5047275380 smirk, looked like 7a3b327848 a monster.
 
Simultaneously, I 6d77e4b506 felt an c0d00fe18a unfamiliar and fd77bb879d fierce impulse ebef07f709 to tear c888b14362 that maid 346beef879 apart without 5a952b42de leaving a fedc0752bb trace.
 
This was e2a7411a46 a feeling dda360b5c9 I had 53c9e6269c never experienced 8f64a886a8 before.
 
I trembled and managed 955ee0f3eb to speak with quivering 12ca720ddf lips.
 
“Really, I c3913dd930 didn’t steal 42304244ff anything. It’s not a lie…”
 
At that moment, 8a4506f362 a sense of 266cf09a31 familiarity struck me.
 
A feeling that I 0457ab4efa had experienced something like f3a4bda187 this before…
 
“Does this 4b42fa9a30 filthy wench 671da15703 dare to 8abfe75e4c steal my 4fced711c5 belongings?”
 
“N-No! I didn’t d31a51f2da steal anything!”
 
“…Haha.”
 
It wasn’t a delusion.
 
Back then, and even a7eb361699 now.
 
No matter 83411cdaa4 how earnestly df5cdedf77 I pleaded, 5ba79ef8e6 all I b8c49a4db0 received in e74c6d06e3 return was 355653fae4 ridicule and bf892f6368 contempt.
 
I gritted my teeth 2caa095c4a and laughed with a e60348675d disheveled face.
 
I could sense the 580e0c9c22 maids’ confusion as I 14cbb48818 suddenly burst into laughter.
 
The temperature b84beeae94 in the 39a384acec room gradually 818dce4af4 became chilly.
 
But strangely, 8ca7214baa my body 8f4439652a was heating 1909f07af0 up with 1972d02006 an eerie 745a9f4481 fervor.
 
A burning e0d39eb9d1 pain surged b3a72bd372 through my 7fa2fd4d0c heart as 358dc8c6dd if struck 7ff9523b75 by an 4b9e77e76b arrow.
 
And then 0d73afeded it happened.
 
“A wicked child like 1d60752452 you must be punished.”
 
One of the maids 4128ab7fd0 spoke coldly, and soon 3c94065b2a the others seized my 645392d80c arms.
 
They lifted my skirt, 7ea69a4f0f revealing my calves.
 
As my eff7c2ad58 body trembled 8b2c0470b6 with anger, d5b0db0faf I thought d69e6b780e I was dfdafb6e79 afraid, and 00122a433b the maid, 08914b4b70 with a b2b65c799d faint smirk, c6c6416faf raised a 061210e505 long and c43f4c79c5 thin rod e86e3bf7b6 as if 6a7723682e threatening me. And she said,
 
“You, an 31da92dd79 orphan girl ab54328e54 with nowhere ce90a1f7ca to go, 94c512ea41 think you 5579aab1b2 have the d2f440b2c3 right to 6de08cdff3 rampage around 15161bf488 here? There’s nothing worth seeing a3aaf41203 about you. Do you think it 8a295e4490 makes any sense for c07692803f someone like you to 95c65cd8d4 behave this way?”
 
The moment 6b545158c6 I heard b5ad33c2b2 those words, 4e22479f3f I realized 507b938c34 what I fcdacc6301 had done b04b8a2505 wrong.
 
I was wrong, 29bc3bda38 being too ordinary.
 
The people who 60c23425e5 looked down on 3164a85f8c me didn’t like aa02754e1b that I, someone 382d5440cc with nothing special, cf0dcc1e15 received love. In their eyes, a9678f9149 I wasn’t pretty 29b2ae6cbc or talented… I 92e964c9c8 was just too d8846cead2 ordinary, inferior to ad47b4b632 them, which made a35c748783 them resent that 5136fd4ad4 I, and not f75c9f6b10 themselves, received love.
 
No matter how aba23b7790 hard I tried 045146a04d to gain recognition, 3e0a7164e5 even if I a834fbe09b actually achieved something, f5516f1ef8 it was never 9fe01672b0 acknowledged. I was that fe29d13705 kind of person d50510e1b6 who made others 46edc271d2 open their eyes 253f779e65 wide in disbelief.
 
Easy to overlook.
 
Easy to underestimate.
 
A presence 80a3512408 that could f213002c89 be trampled ab2e5dd658 on at 473f755191 any time.
 
I also knew that e00d7ad88f I was insignificant and f9f20f28bb pitiful.
 
That I ae780fb390 wasn’t a 68cbe7ed41 remarkable being 9dfb539fc2 deserving of 8337ef93a2 love.
 
But I 46b2543582 couldn’t bear bc16540a56 being trampled 7d00654681 upon like 77ea9b9138 this.
 
Finally, a fire 12234d298d ignited in my 6ebd7cf604 heart, making me 89c3c98644 feel hot.
 
“Do you know that?”
 
I murmured, 506f479fba as if 75fefb5f0d venting out 331bed309a this burning 39b48e4034 fire.
 
“I have 1ec0b174e8 put up bc45a78160 with you 48547b27eb all until 39d7832f92 now.”
 
“What? You all?”
 
“I really held 49cbedb376 back. I just 2bff32acdd tried to f3c85ffc80 let it 1a5d5c2176 pass quietly.”
 
It was true.
 
In fact, I could 1d09e9871b have left the Elad ea175d8f5e Duchy at any time.
 
Saying I 279ba5e430 was still 8dcda0f3ac young and 3ac6484eca needed money 158f666c00 and time f3ebad0664 to prepare cd45700d89 for independence.
 
I stayed 5ada78dc2d because I 0f25465754 thought I 0a4e5463e3 had to 614a52ba5c repay the b17563ddcc grace bestowed f2c45390c7 upon me 9660990bc7 by the 0a93e88183 Duchy.
 
None of it was 0f2150a452 false, but at the 2a41faa092 same time, they were edf81c8393 all convenient excuses.
 
I could 259706bcb7 have gone 9ba837d32c to the 37c2e1d618 bank right 7c1834dbcd away and 235eb3c037 cashed the a3a18dc59d money I 0bf3869d73 received from a4d37da166 Splacia. Preparing for independence 86ac440224 didn’t have to c674a516e8 be limited to 021530582a this place. I could 199f561e49 repay the 533ee7cf48 grace in 8e15e1bf89 other ways.
 
So, enduring this 436b313d30 backbiting and torment 0b22ec7c2b as a maid e2108af477 was ultimately my 8588a7c54e choice.
 
Because I wanted to 99839391b1 be by Diana’s side.
 
Because I wanted to 353c630338 save the Duchess.
 
That’s why e8a2df21ac I made 1a65f36f15 a promise 7ddcf3f893 this lifetime 9162dfc844 not to 63db33cff6 be entangled 72b26c8567 with someone e0e517f24b else and 88fae38476 gave my 28d4f11576 heart.
 
“How foolish.”
 
“Hah! Now you’re showing d527c9c97a your true colors, 3b32d50fd1 huh?”
 
The maid, who 2f9d5cdc93 was frozen, blushed 4651a61916 and immediately raised 4ebe5dc231 her sickle high 0eb6217871 into the air.
 
“…?!”
 
“Kyah, Kyaaah!”
 
“Aaah!”
 
At that moment, c94b7c8d23 the maids began 56fa1ba77d screaming simultaneously.
 
But all I saw 3088aa69f3 in front of me 6e03690051 was nothing but redness.
 
It was bfc243a51e a flame.
 
* * *
 
“Did I come at e92f217d71 the wrong time?”
 
The Duke, entering the 5eb841f91a dining room, looked puzzled.
 
Clearly, it was fa92069ec0 dinner time, but 650abe5b05 there was only e8a3b044df Allen at the 8bd90934ae table.
 
“Allen, where are 749f7e1c8d the others?”
 
Allen shrugged his 7a69982a03 shoulders as if 1be0896d59 he didn’t know.
 
It was 246eb59b3c when the f426d48e33 Duke sat 69d154968a down, saying ef814d7d0b he didn’t 3737b10268 know.
 
“I’m sorry, cdc31bec45 I was bbdff28b48 a little c0a9388e55 late.”
 
The Duchess a909c06789 entered the 051d9b1cb1 dining room 795a63169d with Lucio.
 
“How did 363d344b1e you two ac513b4915 come together? Did you meet outside?”
 
“Well, that…,” the Duchess f9c6592402 mumbled, blushing shyly.
 
“We had tea 755cdcbac0 together until just 2ddf239239 a while ago.”
 
“Both of you?”
 
The Duchess nodded d9a44518c3 her head, her 4bb0844a11 expression filled with a89132a09e unmistakable joy.
 
A faint smile also f9a299777a appeared on the Duke’s a13003662f face as he saw 18eb0b80ef this.
 
“The sun will rise 7d401d1050 from the west tomorrow. What on earth 766b867494 is happening?”
 
“I’m not c9c5aea600 sure what 1abf45676a you mean.”
 
But the Duke quickly 20fa35abc0 lost interest in his abae98a1c7 eldest son, who nonchalantly 135c9d0a9d replied without any change 7e7329ed7d in expression.
 
“What about Diana and cb379745d8 Lia?”
 
Despite the chairs in 6eaee1296c the dining room being 45a88065cf quite occupied, it still 75485ce045 felt empty.
 
In a way, 5f790057cb it was nothing 6a1db272a2 more than the 864a0cd6dd absence of two 8a53e536fd young girls, but 981ac4d565 the emptiness it 51204c48df brought was not c303bd30d4 insignificant.
 
“Miss is still asleep. She was sleeping too 1f32ffcaf1 deeply, so I couldn’t d6c92aa301 wake her up. If she wakes up a22a4c622a late, we’ll serve her 67b3504c2c a separate meal, so e624e4ecef don’t worry.”
 
The housekeeper replied in 1fe10f0576 her usual stiff tone.
 
After Allen ce6f411873 had finished 06fd8ce5a2 his training 6f56921c83 and went ac98d1a28a to find 7ab2c92518 Diana, he 73df770f98 then remembered fa514ba34a Lia, who 85effaa83e was not 5191e51453 in the 8bbf507182 library where 7003b84889 he had 722e860b2e made a 1d55305f0f fuss.
 
They must have had 6376ca73d0 a great time playing 9f4b632c8b together, he thought, sticking fe6ee76b5b out his tongue.
 
“What about Lia? Even if 3fdbfd5387 Diana is d64372ab18 still asleep, f3bc48859b she needs cbd7033135 to have 9a489fdf39 dinner.”
 
“Well, when 73086b6e73 I went fdfbacd87a to wake 3b9b52592e Miss up, b3a15512c3 she wasn’t 772633c8bb there, so f26efb0e21 I thought 65f0bfc76d she might 4f4c287019 be in 84255a1d69 the library 3251ed1d18 or went 1dc1a054cd back to 4e5d988987 her room. We have a146f53e00 the servants’ 89fe950ed9 dining room, 750e1e1a48 so don’t 41ee11289c worry too acb9c65f49 much.”
 
The head maid b429aa2218 retorted bluntly to 246fdca1d0 the Duchess’s words.
 
From the beginning, af81752b9b the Duchess didn’t 0ee78b75c8 think it was c89802d446 appropriate for Lia 574925813d to have meals cefa3ce700 here, so she df3f94782f awkwardly closed her aa36651413 mouth.
 
I’m not sure if c165b76aa6 it was just a fbf4b8dc1d feeling, but today, the bc9a37c61c housekeeper’s mood seemed particularly 6e0c3dda1c uncomfortable.
 
“I’ll go eb79523870 get her!”
 
Allen suddenly 3df8b74c99 stood up 226dda481d from his b4b6121ad2 seat.
 
Whether it was in 6a31e9c7c4 the library or her 92f3bb028d room, he was ready dda13c9771 to go and bring f7f45c63e4 Lia right away.
 
“A servant 0502398738 dining room, eca845cbd9 huh.”
 
Allen thought 10f83a575d that if 9a876159c8 Lia was c4d51d247b among the a9516d18fe servants, who 4e2314f741 were somewhat 760352bc8b distant, she 63d8bea12a wouldn’t be 1060d5a52c able to 5b5c19128d eat properly.
 
The Duke and the d06543d14f Duchess, who didn’t know 26e5c2f865 this, looked puzzled at 774f47b0de Allen, who usually scolded b90f06dbee Lia but now seemed 958ef5984b to be taking care 5e31ceb586 of her.
 
“Go and bring her 2c3bf76be4 back.”
 
“Oh? Ah.”
 
Unexpectedly, Lucio’s approval 4540709b9c came down.
 
It was when Allen 006918c47b was about to turn ebc5416415 around in a fluster.
 
“Hey, hey! Master head maid!”
 
A maid c123dbccf8 rushed into 12827c4619 the dining 5a6d5fd3be room with cff78a5b63 her hair eda4722474 and clothes e09f51c21b disheveled.
 
The head maid’s 3c3e1e876c face wrinkled with aad8b1fa93 displeasure.
 
“What do you 00a8abbe71 think you’re doing! How dare you barge 8c4dfe8009 in here…”
 
“I-I’m sorry! But it’s urgent!”
 
“What’s the matter?”
 
The maid 68110e95a4 who had e379f05405 finally noticed 1e6eafaa0e the Duke 9c4baaa838 and his 09f3c7f96e family stopped 33b4523624 in her 465ba586c4 tracks at 64c7e53ae4 the low 232a134f63 voice.
 
As she c638b4762d hesitated to 3d130960e9 speak while 5130569dd2 gauging the e2312ca2b8 housekeeper’s reaction, 56089bdfad the Duke 370b839320 coldly hardened 66a8ba336d his expression.
 
“Do I 6e5f9fd4dd have to f286477e31 ask twice 66688f1d4e to get 0ab60d0d34 an answer?”
 
“W-Well… The 36bd42c9f4 servants’ quarters 3231c77b49 are on 60563885ee fire!”
 
The terrified 1f8fc0d2f9 maid shouted, f2d67d48cb and at 0587fad9dd the same 36694e0695 time, the 89161271c6 Duchess’s face d843535b5c turned pale.
 
“In the quarters? No, how did… 2cf7971cb3 Lia!”
 
“How severe is 35c9a4508c the fire?”
 
The Duke 5b0d9bd131 stood up 8081c88f05 from his 09932875a5 seat and 3fd4811b53 asked. He intended e4f46aeee4 to go fdb7457e34 and see a0679e5ede the scene.
 
But the housekeeper 027d69eaf8 blocked his way.
 
“I will go 4aacaedb0d and see. Please have your 816b35ec3e meal. The rain 6660baba87 is falling 4924dc628f outside, so c5d112e3d4 it will c6c4b7fe21 be extinguished 92f8bb3314 soon. There is no d87780d377 need for you 6b17a43f92 to personally…-“
 
“No.”
 
That’s when 84201c13f0 it happened.
 
Lucio rose abruptly 3a184e965f with a stern bd6f1e2154 face.
 
He, who 8a5b50ad9a had been 9575d88772 indifferent to 2f5ffd9eeb everything, felt b464b1d9f0 a sudden 355c84bd97 tension upon 721d8ac754 hearing about 1f8d3a2c55 the fire.
 
“Father, it would 41334aef91 be best if 3bd17b005b you go and 4ee65aa304 see for yourself.”
 
Before Lucio finished speaking, f9549934d5 the Duke dashed out be0cd7008a of his seat.
 
Allen also 56bae03ecc tried to 62e23f11a4 move along 643e818185 with him, 90a2a037a5 looking at 70cfc99447 Lucio, but 9275da44c1 the Duchess ef3162b193 objected.
 
“Allen, you a2c2867f1d stay here. Your mother 9a3bd90fce will go 65e7fba7ac and see.”
 
As the Duchess dbe15121f8 also left the 3c18cb447f dining room, leaving f199b7ea57 Allen alone, he 3e20ee5889 slumped down, feeling b0dfff8036 his strength drained.
 
It felt like something 8eed34827f significant had happened.
 
—————————————————————9a766eb06f2ef5a2

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