Diane’s Urgent Warning
Idel repeated Diane’s words in her usual habit, as if the information had been familiar to her all along.
“…a laxative?”
“Yes! When I asked if it was okay, Lady Veronica just shrugged and said she didn’t mind. She even said the laxative came from her!”
“Ah… Veronica…”
“Honestly… I kept thinking this was all just Veronica trying to cover up her own mistakes, and it made my blood boil from head to toe!”
Diane’s voice, which had finally begun to calm, now swelled with excitement again.
She stamped her foot, then looked up at Idel with a fierce expression.
“I understand what you’re saying, Lady Idel, but it would be better if I told the Duchess myself. I’ll speak for her!”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“What? I’m not afraid of them at all!”
“That’s not the point.”
“Then what is—?”
Following Idel’s lead, Diane stared at her with wide eyes, as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“H-Have what the maids said… actually happened…?”
“T-Then does that mean the Duchess has already given up on you…? So what do we do?”
“We don’t do anything. We just have to play along with her plan.”
“E-Erm…?”
Idel stretched her arms wide, as if she couldn’t be more relieved.
‘She wants me to look ridiculous at the banquet… but I have to make sure it looks like a deliberate act.’
Her blue eyes narrowed slightly.
No matter how she thought about it, Veronica didn’t seem like the type to be satisfied with some silly prank.
She didn’t know how strong the laxative was, but whatever it was, it couldn’t be strong enough to silence her.
‘That means there must be something else involved. Diane can figure it out.’
After all, they needed to follow Veronica for a while anyway.
Only then could Sylvia see the secret meeting with her own eyes at the perfect moment.
Idel quickly weighed her options, then turned to face Diane again. She needed to calm her down and explain her real plan.
“Diane, calm down and think carefully. This is actually something we can celebrate. We get to expose their bad behavior right in front of the Duke and Duchess.”
“Ah!”
“There’s no reason to stop them when they’re walking straight into the trap. Right?”
“That’s true! It is!”
Diane’s eyes sparkled with excitement the moment she heard Idel’s words.
It was completely different from the hurried, panicked face she had shown earlier when Idel woke her up.
“Then shall we send a letter to Lady Sylvia first and follow Lady Veronica to find out exactly when she’ll meet Vice-Consul Demaric?”
“Yes, that’s right. Sylvia isn’t the type to rush, so take this ring with you.”
“Yes! B-But will it be okay if I tell Lady Sylvia the truth and our plan?”
“Yes. She’s smart. Once she understands the situation, she’ll act perfectly. The laxative will be taken care of by her.”
Diane, clutching the ring tightly, nodded with a determined expression.
“If she’s the head maid, she can definitely expose the crime without hurting you! What if she… intercepts the laxative…?”
“That’s fine.”
“Phew… I finally feel at ease knowing you won’t get hurt, Lady Idel. Of course, I’ll do my best!”
Idel watched Diane’s relieved expression and shrugged her shoulders silently.
It was unfair to Diane, but her “true plan” was different.
She was only pretending to fall for the maids’ pranks to deceive Melissa and destroy her plan.
‘That means at the banquet, I have to make Melissa believe I’m still hesitating.’
For example, I might hesitate until the very end, only to collapse dramatically at the banquet and reach out for help afterward.
‘After that, Sylvia will be furious because she thinks she’s been excluded from this incident…’
Even in her rage, Sylvia wouldn’t be able to blame herself for the failure. That thought alone made Idel feel strangely satisfied.
Idel hadn’t exposed Veronica and Demaric’s affair for Sylvia’s sake alone.
‘No, it’s because Melissa doesn’t know about their relationship.’
She wanted Melissa to blame the scandal on her—Idel—for failing to see this “shameful affair” coming.
‘I know I shouldn’t be playing Melissa like this.’
It was morally right to condemn the three of them for adultery, but using someone else’s secrets for personal gain was a completely different matter.
‘Well, even if I wanted to use her, Veronica could have chosen another way.’
Idel briefly recalled the anonymous letter she had sent to Veronica.
The one that said, “If you confess, I’ll stop.”
‘In the end, Veronica didn’t choose that path.’
Right now, it was just a pointless thought.
Idel swallowed her reflection along with the water Diane had handed her.
Even if it wasn’t the right time, there were far more important things she had to think about.
‘For example, how can I show Melissa that I’m hesitating in the most effective way?’
Idel quickly began walking, carefully listing the things she absolutely must not fail at.
The first thing was…
‘I need to find out what the banquet menu will be. That way I can figure out where to slip in the laxative.’
First, she should head to Jiana.
* * *
While Idel and Veronica were busy with their separate plans, Sylvia unexpectedly received a request for a private audience.
Diane, who had been quietly attending Idel ever since she had caught her eye, cautiously approached her.
“Head Maid, I have something I must discuss with you privately. Would it be possible for me to come visit you at bedtime?”
“You want to talk to me about something?”
“Y-Yes!”
Sylvia quietly observed Diane, whose eyes were still tightly clenched with tension.
Diane had always been a quiet, timid maid.
‘Whether it was because of her status or the position of head maid, she clearly looked afraid of me.’
Yet she was the one asking for advice?
Sylvia decided to play along, opening her mouth again.
“Is this related to your work? Did something difficult happen while you were serving Lady Idel?”
“N-No, it’s not difficult, but it is related… um… it’s a bit personal.”
“Is it something that can’t be discussed in the office?”
“I-Indeed…”
As the questions continued, Sylvia watched Diane shrinking further and gave a light nod.
“Understood. Then come find me after your duties are done. I’ll prepare some tea for you.”
“Ah…! Y-Yes! Thank you, Lady Sylvia!”
She still didn’t know what Diane wanted to discuss, but it wasn’t worth worrying about.
At the very least, the way Diane had greeted her showed she wasn’t bluffing.
‘A maid suddenly taking on the role of head maid must be stressful.’
Perhaps she could guess what Idel had wanted to say to her the other day.
She briefly thought back to the incident from a moment ago, then shook her head lightly.
‘That’s not important right now. There must be some report about the Duchy of Walters somewhere in the office…’
While flipping through the stack of papers piled on one side of the office, Sylvia completely erased the odd feeling she had just felt.
Up until now, Diane’s request for a meeting had seemed trivial.
She had agreed, but as head maid, she had been too busy with her duties to remember the small promise.
So when she finally sat down with Diane for their meeting…
“I’m so sorry to suddenly ask you this, Lady Sylvia! I-I debated with myself for a long time whether I should tell you or not… but it seems Lady Veronica and Vice-Consul Demaric, who is her fiancé, have been secretly meeting.”
Sylvia had never imagined she would hear something like this.