Kapitel 164: [Chapter 164] Thelma being Driven Out
"The ruby came out of Thelma's vase."
Nelucian nodded as he heard Joseph's report.
"And?"
"The chief maid of the Countess and several servants, including the butler, witnessed it. The voices calling for Thelma to be driven out are getting louder."
"She must be driven out."
It was matter-of-fact considering the words about someone who had cared for and nurtured his precious younger sister since she was a newborn. However, Joseph admired Nelucian's demeanor.
The gentle exterior itself did not hold much power. It required a brain that could take advantage of others' complacency to achieve what was desired.
As far as Joseph knew, Nelucian was the person who best harmonized those two aspects in the world. That's why he didn't like Neris.
Neris Trued had always been a somewhat unsettling child. He sometimes reflected on the fact that she had unexpectedly emerged from a very cunning place on the night she missed the chance to kill Cladwin Mainland.
He wondered if she had really been there for the lesson, even though it was never revealed that she hadn't attended the class right after.
However, at that time, she was still a twelve-year-old child. There was no reason for the little girl, who had never left her rural village before, to naturally lie to the knights she didn't know. She wouldn't have had the courage for that.
Joseph had told himself that many times. However, the unease didn't disappear.
The unease grew stronger as she, who had been falsely accused of murder, entered the house. Joseph had performed several tasks related to Neris on Nelucian's orders. However, Neris had a peculiar way of staring intently at his hand.
While such stares had not lasted long, Joseph, as the one being avoided, couldn't help but feel a bit awkward. That gaze... it seemed almost... wary. As if he had committed some violence against her...
Moreover, Nelucian seemed somehow weakened when it came to matters related to Neris. Upon hearing about the abilities of the gem, Joseph had been wary of the possibility of her using that ability in a detrimental way for the family, but Nelucian didn't seem to share that concern.
The Marquis seemed to trust his son's judgment. However, Joseph, who had been with Nelucian since childhood and knew him better than his father in some ways, paid special attention to Neris during his school days and beyond.
So Joseph actually thought it would be good if Neris were revealed as the culprit in this case. To eliminate the turmoil within the noble family and to distance Neris from Nelucian.
After all, didn't the conflict between the Countess's maids and Valentine's maids explode after Neris arrived?
Nelucian glanced at Joseph's complex expression and gave a soft smile. If there was a conflict, it could be cut off, but Joseph, with a soft heart, always tried to protect everyone.
"Well done, Joseph. Go to the butler and inform him that Thelma is dismissed from this house as of now. Don't delay for a moment, just drive her out. And also, drive out all the maids who were close to Thelma."
"Yes."
Joseph's long-term plan was not to think. He left to carry out Nelucian's orders.
After a while, the sound of crying, cursing, and things being thrown outside the window could be heard. Nelucian heard it and smiled to himself in satisfaction.
Thelma had crossed the line. If asked who was more helpful to this family between Thelma and Neris, anyone would say it was Neris. Even if Joseph, who didn't particularly like Neris, was asked, the answer would be the same.
Originally, Nelucian had no particular thoughts about Thelma's actions. As long as she could keep Valentine happy, he didn't mind. Whether she sold Valentine's clothes or acted aggressively towards other servants beyond her authority, as long as it didn't come to his attention, he would turn a blind eye.
However.
"I have to intervene."
The commotion outside the window soon subsided. From the sound of the crying moving away, it seemed like the footmen were escorting the expelled individuals out of the mansion.
Soon after, loud noises were heard from the corridor outside Nelucian's room. It was the sound of someone running hastily. Then, with a loud bang, the door swung open.
"Brother!"
Valentine entered the room with a heavily distorted face. Nelucian set aside the documents he was looking at and welcomed his sister warmly.
"Welcome, Valen. What's the matter?"
"What's the matter! Brother, you expelled Thelma! What's that about? Why did you chase my Thelma away as you pleased!"
"Oh, Valen."
Nelucian sighed.
"You're old enough now. You should use a bit more calm and polite language. How will others see you if you keep acting like a child?"
"When I talk, you listen!"
Valentine walked briskly to Nelucian's desk and shouted. Nelucian's sky-blue eyes momentarily turned cold behind the glasses he was wearing.
"Valen. Didn't you hear what I said?"
Both siblings had sky-blue eyes, but Nelucian's eyes sometimes felt as cold as a winter dawn. Valentine swallowed her saliva under his chilly gaze.
Her excited expression slightly faded. Valentine rolled her eyes for a moment and awkwardly changed her tone. She had always received love from her brother overall. She didn't like it when her brother showed such an attitude for even a slightly longer time.
"Thelma is my nursemaid, brother. I've always been with her since I was young, so if Thelma is gone, there's no one to care for me. This time... there was a misunderstanding."
"What misunderstanding?"
Fortunately, Nelucian smiled again. Valentine tried to speak despite sweating profusely. Thelma was truly important to her. She couldn't let her be driven out like this.
"I thought the ruby was missing, but it came from Thelma's room. I gave it to Thelma... But then I forgot, and it disappeared. I was wrong... Thelma did nothing wrong."
"Is that so? Then why did Thelma search Neris's room first? If what you say is true, Thelma should have immediately said she had it when she heard the ruby was missing, right?"
Valentine's forced excuse was immediately shut down.
Nelucian looked at his sister intently. This time, his gaze was gentle and affectionate as usual, but Valentine felt tense. She swallowed her saliva several times.
"T-That... It's all a misunderstanding. Anyway, brother, if you bring Thelma back, we'll explain everything..."
"Usually, Valentine didn't have to think for herself. If she wanted to bother someone, Thelma had always come up with tailored tricks. So, even if Valentine tried to give a coherent answer to Nelucian's question, Thelma had to be there.
Knowing this well, Nelucian kindly said, "No, Valen. You should have been honest. You and Thelma conspired to drive Neris out of this house. At least your words would have made some sense then."
He knew everything. Valentine had suspected it, but she was completely taken aback.
Nelucian had warned long ago, 'Never touch Neris again.' Since then, Valentine had only confronted Neris discreetly, making sure there was no evidence left for Nelucian to see.
If it hadn't been for the shocking incident of Thelma being slapped, Valentine would have stayed quiet for a while. Since even Nelucian didn't say much about expressing dislike towards Neris.
With that face, her brother never changed his words. A deep sense of despair filled Valentine's heart.
The presence that had always stood by her suddenly disappeared. Even partially because of her.
"Ugh!"
She had to go to the Countess, or even the Marquis. Her parents rarely objected to Nelucian's decisions, but she had to try to persuade them somehow.
With that decision in mind, Valentine ran out in tears.
Watching her disappear, Nelucian sighed. Coming in without knocking, leaving without closing the door, crying and running around. Valentine needed to calm down a bit more.
Yes... like Neris.
Nelucian didn't truly believe that Thelma had stolen. He had guessed roughly as Valentine had told him.
However, because he didn't know about the presence of the elite maids from the secret service, he reasoned differently about why the ruby was found in Thelma's room.
One of Valentine's maids had attached herself to Neris. The reason could have been money, or perhaps the future position Neris would hold in this family.
In any case, for some reason, someone had decided to expose Valentine's plans to Neris. Or perhaps Neris couldn't respond calmly as Joseph had mentioned.
Surprisingly, Thelma had entrusted the ruby to the maid who had attached herself to Neris. And she was beautifully betrayed.
Thanks to this, Nelucian didn't have to listen to the arguments demanding that the Countess drive out Neris. And he eliminated the person most likely to plot against Neris in this mansion.
But at the same time, he didn't like the fact that someone had secretly turned against Neris. Her every move had to be reported to him. That's why he had assigned Alice to Neris.
Now that Thelma, as well as anyone who might have been entrusted with the ruby, had been driven out, the problem was resolved.
Nelucian thought this way and felt satisfied.
***
"Have our people arrived?"
Dora reported to Neris with a face that couldn't hide his admiration.
"Yes, Miss. Captain Talfryn has brought news. A maid from Yayon and a footman have arrived. The Ellandria family was pleased with the significant achievement as they are very particular about the origins of their servants."
"It's good that they're pleased."
With Thelma being driven out, and all the maids who were close to her being expelled, the Ellandria Marquis made significant personnel changes.
The relatively long-standing people in this house were called out because Valentine couldn't entrust her maids to the newcomers. The vacancies left by them were filled by relatively recent arrivals, and then those vacancies were quickly filled by newly hired individuals.
Since replacing people is not as straightforward as changing a sword handle, the distribution of maids in the entire mansion was readjusted. Several male maids were also newly hired.
Among the newly hired staff were some Yayon individuals who had been prearranged by Neris to serve as assistants to the footmen.
This made it easier to communicate with Cladwin and ensured a bit more security. Neris thought about this and smiled satisfactorily.
The Ellandria Marquis had been with the imperial family since the founding of the empire. They were the second most noble family after the imperial family, overflowing with power, money, and connections.
Dealing with such a family required stepping up gradually. Now that they had successfully planted eyes in various places.
"Shall we make a big move?"
The Wells family was wealthy and close to the Marquis, so a significant portion of the Marquis's connections were economically linked to them.
If the Wells family faltered, the Marquis's connections would also be affected. No matter how important history and tradition were, immediate practical matters took precedence.
"Pass this on to Morie at the top, Dora. According to your judgment, you can either destroy the paper and memorize the contents, but since it's a complex matter, it's better to deliver the paper."
Neris handed Dora a long letter she had written in advance, and Dora blinked faithfully.
"Yes! I will deliver the paper as it is. Just to clarify, what type of document is this?"
"Instructions. Half of the content is about protecting those who are innocent but at risk of being killed, and the other half is about going all out in business in a specific area. By now, there are probably people hesitating on whether to act upon hearing news of someone's release."
"Very excellent content, Miss. You truly are remarkable."
"Thank you."
Excellent. Neris knew better than anyone that such expressions didn't suit her, so a wry smile appeared on her face, but she kindly responded to Dora.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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Rangliste 
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Stein