Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Betty's Reckoning
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Betty took a step toward the butler and Yasmin, her face twisted in fury like a swarm of angry hornets.
"Are you threatening the young lady right now?"
"Threatening? I merely advised her to be a good child. What's the problem with that?"
"What's the problem? Have you forgotten? The young lady is the mistress of this house!"
"You really are consistently rude."
Something was off.
Yasmin's attitude was far too composed.
Last time Betty had pushed back with a few words, she'd been much sharper—far more biting, even over trivial remarks.
Yet now, even with Betty charging in openly, Yasmin seemed utterly relaxed, almost leisurely, like she was deliberately provoking her.
"Even if you two are retainers from the main estate...!"
"Betty!"
Betty charged ahead without thinking when she got angry.
Especially if it involved me, Dietrich, or our mother.
I had a hunch why the butler and Yasmin had deliberately brought up their usual taunts about me in this situation, so I hurriedly covered Betty's mouth.
"Evwybody shh. Lea, go to Nuwse and get punished. Nuwse decides."
"Young lady, personnel matters in this household are my responsibility."
The butler retorted in a brazen tone, and Betty surged forward again in outrage, but I gripped her sleeve tightly to hold her back.
Charging in now would just get her caught up with the butler.
They're provoking her on purpose.
To bait words of insult against the main house from Betty's mouth.
Why had I never told anyone about the multiple times Yasmin had targeted me?
Because all our household servants are commoners.
Even a single complaint against the main house could be twisted into noble insult and used for punishment.
Something neither I nor Dietrich could shield her from, no matter how we tried.
"The mistress of this mansion is the young lady right now. So listen to her and get out."
As I insisted, Betty spoke in a deflated voice, though her eyes still glared fiercely at the butler and Yasmin, enunciating each word like she was squeezing them out.
Confirming her spirit broken, the butler and Yasmin scoffed once before leaving without even a bow to me.
One moment she was boldly stepping forward to shield me against the butler; the next, her legs gave out, and Betty slowly sank to the floor.
Lea, beside her, sniffled her thanks for the help...
What a mess.
Is Betty okay?
After all my efforts to prevent this, the butler and Betty had clashed head-on today.
Realizing they weren't content with purging our long-time servants but were now targeting my personal maid, I sighed.
"Betty."
"Yes, young lady."
"Don't fight with main house people. Okay?"
"But the butler was rude to you first!"
"Still, don't. Pwomise?"
"I'm not sure I can..."
I pondered how to convince her, then found the perfect angle.
"Wait a wittle, Daddy come back. Then tell Daddy."
Even they wouldn't dare try that with Father.
Betty finally nodded, unable to argue with that.
With this plea, she'd hold back for a while.
If I kept her close and out of the butler's sight, he'd have no choice but to leave her alone.
Ha, so much for that...
I squeezed my eyes shut then opened them, staring at Betty dumped before me on her knees.
My gaze met the butler's triumphant expression.
"Young lady, this time we caught her red-handed, with plenty of witnesses. Surely you won't side with the criminal?"
Behind the butler stood a line of guards and servants.
Just the sight of those burly figures arrayed there created an intimidating pressure.
If I were a normal three-year-old, the horde of scary-faced adults invading the room might have made me burst into tears.
Let's hear what crime Betty, head bowed low, had supposedly committed.
"Betty, why you hewe?"
"Betty, your personal maid, committed a grave sin in the servants' dining hall, slandering the duke."
"I towd you not to say bad about Duke?"
"She said he sent the madam to her death, then pretends to care now just to torment the young master and young lady."
Betty, you fool!
I'd begged her to watch her words!
At my gesture, Betty lifted her face—revealing reddish marks like she'd been in a scuffle.
"I'm sorry, young lady."
"Betty, anything to say?"
"They insulted the late madam first. That's why I spoke up. Please believe me."
Before Betty finished, the butler sneered.
What gave her such brazen confidence?
"Servants insulting the madam? Fine, what exactly did the main house servants say to insult her? Say it in front of the young lady."
"That's...!"
Betty started to snap back, then glanced at me with a panicked look.
She clamped her mouth shut.
"I'm fine, Betty."
"Even the young lady says it's fine. Speak up. What did the servants say to insult the late madam?"
No, really, I'm fine!
But Betty kept her lips sealed tight.
Even as the servants behind the butler smirked mockingly.
They must've said something I shouldn't hear.
But even to protect me, her silence left me no way to defend her.
A commoner maid insulting a duke—who bowed to no one but the emperor...
That's a capital offense, executable on the spot without complaint.
The butler smirked openly down at me.
"Decide her punishment, young lady."
...You bastard.
With all those behind him from the main house, they'd probably orchestrated this to drag down the hot-tempered Betty.
Knowing she adored our mother, they'd baited her with insults about her.
"A common maid insulted the duke—she must be killed at once."
"I decide punishment, wight?"
"Yes, of course. But there's no guarantee this won't reach the duke's ears?"
You real bastard!
"If it does... well. Rumors might spread that the master resents his deployment and plots a coup."
You absolute bastard!
Dragging our father into this—after he'd fought on grandfather's orders and barely returned victorious?
"It was my decision alone—the master, young master, and young lady are blameless!"
"Not for me to say. The duke must believe you."
As I bit my lip with no retort, the nurse pushed through the wall of people encircling me.
Seeing her nearly brought tears, so I bit harder to hold back.
"Gathering like this... are you threatening the young lady?"
Why now, Nurse!
She hugged me tight to reassure me, then whipped her head to glare sharply at the butler.
Faintly, she smelled of the outdoors—like she'd rushed back.
"Of course not. They're just witnesses to Betty's crime."
"Betty's already confessed—no more witnesses needed."
The butler glared at the nurse briefly before reluctantly shaking his head; the servants ebbed out like the tide.
Even as butler, he couldn't be rude to the nurse?
She controlled the household funds, after all.
Only after the intimidating servants dispersed did the nurse relax her gaze.
Her eyes fell on Betty, kneeling on the floor, then away.
"Mr. Gerard, please let this incident pass without punishment."
The ever-confident nurse bowed deeply before the butler.