"Misunderstandings can't really be avoided, especially since someone got hurt. I'm simply grateful that the princess is also willing to help," Divya said.
'Huh? This woman is obviously a sycophant pleasing the princess. That's what these untitled women are here for,' Vanery thought bitterly.
"Lady Kissell, is it really true that you didn't talk to your maid about that kitten?" Divya asked.
"I swear I did no such thing," Vanery said. "My maid and I weren't together when I came outside."
Liona sniffed. "Oh? And why is your maid negligent? Shouldn't she always be with you, especially at another manor? Or is it because you were truly instructing her?"
Vanery's maid suddenly knelt, her hands trembling against the cold ground, in front of Mrs. Nox. "I—it was me. I acted alone! Please don't blame my lady. I simply don't like Lady Venche, because I heard her criticize my lady, who has done nothing wrong!"
"A maid who dares plot against a noble lady?" Liona said, smirking. "Lady Kissell, where does this behavior come from?"
Nyasia watched the maid's tears. 'She's idiot and loyal. The type ready to kill herself for her mistress.' She remembered Fay. In her past life, Fay had died because she—her mistress—was weak. But even now, much stronger in this life, she would never sacrifice Fay for some cheap scheming.
"Rin, how could you do this to me?" Vanery cried out, her eyes on her maid. "Haven't I always said to rise above petty gossip and keep to our own path? The Kissells have survived this long because we honour our duty—to the emperor, and to the people in our service."
Nyasia fought the urge to roll her eyes. 'So we've gone from "save the kitten" to "lecture on duty and empire."This woman is good.' She muttered under her breath, 'That monster should've proposed to her. They deserve each other.'
Pak!
The princess's maid slapped Rin. But the ladies just stood there, watching. Some even smirked
Pak!
Pak!
Watching her maid getting slapped several times, Vanery clenched her jaw. 'Wait until you'll cry later!' she thought. She glanced sharply at Mrs. Nox. 'Just wait. You think you've won? I made sure I'd be treated like this, so all of you will suffer later!'
At the corner of her eye, Vanery saw a group of men coming forward. She rushed to her maid and slouched as if to hug her.
"P—please, Your Highness, if you want to punish her, then punish me as well," she said, lifting her eyes, her voice tearful. "After all, it is I who didn't teach her well. It is I who failed to educate her."
"Lady Kissell, you're complicating matters—" Divya stopped, her mouth opening in shock when she saw Levon, the Third Prince, and the Grand Duke.
...
LEVON FROWNED.
"Mrs. Nox, could you explain?"
"I—uh—" But Divya couldn't speak further. She truly didn't know how to start, taking a sideways glance at the duke's unreadable face. Lady Kissell was his childhood sweetheart. Of course, he'd be angry.
"Young Master Rashet," Charys said, turning, trying to avoid looking at the man next to Levon. "Mrs. Nox is simply trying to figure out what happened to Lady Venche, who got hurt."
"Mrs. Nox, you punished the Finance Minister's daughter's maid?" Levon scoffed, with a mixture of amusement and disdain. "Even if you're the hostess, you still cannot do something like this."
"L-levon, I didn't—"
Yet again, Mrs. Nox couldn't speak.
Nyasia almost smiled.
There was no way Mrs. Nox could confess that a young niece had put her up to it. That would only make her look worse, a woman so easily pressured.
"But Young Master, Mrs. Nox is simply asking Lady Kissell what truly happened," Charys pressed. "And a lady testified that she did something wrong. And Lady Kissell's maid has already confessed."
"Isn't there already a proper investigation going for that?" Derrik said finally, with an incredulous face. It was mind-boggling to him that she couldn't see—as a princess—that she was embarrassing herself. 'Conducting an investigation led by an untitled woman with an imperial member standing right there? Who would believe that? And over a kitten?'
"There's no need for concern, Your Highness," Levon told Charys. "As the Third Prince stated, we are looking into the matter. For now, our priority is to see that Lady Venche and Lady Kissell both get home safely."
He was truly irritated that such a trivial matter had escalated into a scandal involving the princess.
"I'm s-sorry for causing everyone's trouble," Lady Kissell said, her tears about to fall again. "Your Highness, Young Master Rashet, I failed my duty as Rin's mistress. But I—I cannot leave her here. Rin is still my handmaid who's been taking care of me. I cannot just abandon her."
"Really? You're so concerned now, yet you allowed your maid to be slapped multiple times," Liona said sharply.
Just then, a guard entered the hall and announced that the Kissells' men would be delayed in fetching Lady Kissell. Most of them were not at the Kissel Manor at the moment because it was harvest season.
"Never mind," Dorian said, his voice unreadable, though it bordered on cold indifference. "She will leave here tonight with me."
The hall fell deathly silent.
*