Kapitel 163: [Chapter 163] Naturally, We Must Cooperate
Delma had never been slapped in her life.
Well, perhaps when she was young. She grew up in a poor neighborhood, often quarreling with other children her age. However, her life changed when she lost her husband and young son at eighteen and became the nursemaid for baby Valentine.
Originally, like Valentine, noble ladies would choose nursemaids from somewhat higher-class relatives. They couldn't casually place commoners in the seat of a noble family's nourisher.
However, Delma had the advantage of being young and not having children to return home to breastfeed. With a bit of luck, she successfully entered the Ellandria Marquis's household.
The newborn baby Valentine lived a completely different life from Delma. A piece attached to the cradle corner cost more than Delma's house. Despite the fact that the bright red baby cried incessantly without needing that piece, it was there.
Delma witnessed such a luxurious life for the first time in her life. Was she jealous? Or did she fall into resentment? She had long forgotten the feeling she had when she first started her life as a nursemaid.
She believed that baby Valentine could make her life as valuable as that piece. And her judgment was correct.
Baby Valentine relied entirely on the nursemaid who looked after her and fed her every day. Delma poured all her energy into the baby as well.
To make the child like her more than her own mother. To make the child listen to her words even if she didn't listen to her father's.
Valentine grew up quickly. Delma was happy. She gave Valentine the utmost power she could offer to the nursemaid who never once said 'no.'
By the time the young Marquis heir became a little tyrant in the mansion, Delma had become someone not to be ignored even by the nobility's young heirs.
Delma had been treated with respect for a long time. It had been a long time since she had heard words of dismissal rather than being slapped.
She was furious when she was treated poorly by Neris. To make matters worse, she was even slapped by the Countess's maid, whom she had secretly disregarded. That was a greater humiliation.
Feeling humiliated, Delma was determined to drive Neris out of the house. Valentine also reacted strongly to Delma's hostility. However, when the trusted Countess suggested waiting a bit longer, Delma became anxious.
The Countess didn't particularly like Delma. She knew about the conflicts Delma had with her maids. But what did maids matter? If her beloved daughter Valentine wanted it, the Countess would bring a beggar from the street and seat them in the room.
Seeing the lukewarm stance of the Countess, Valentine felt betrayed. Delma was also upset, feeling once again that she was being ignored.
Today, after returning from shopping and complaining about meeting Megara, Valentine gave Delma an idea.
It occurred to Delma that there were rumors about Neris when Valentine first entered the academy. Wasn't there a rumor about theft? It was concluded that someone else was the culprit.
If someone else was the culprit, so be it. It could be turned around. Even if it meant using somewhat questionable methods to quickly drive out Neris, Delma didn't mind. So, she decided to consult with Valentine and bring out some clothes that Valentine didn't wear.
Valentine's clothes were more expensive than even the most modest ones worn by ordinary noble heirs for royal dances. Delma had been making a considerable profit by stealing and selling the clothes that Valentine didn't wear, so she hesitated to give them to the bothersome Neris.
But would it be worth it if Neris disappeared this way?
Deliberately calling Neris under the pretext of 'giving clothes' was to publicly show Valentine's favor. If she thought her daughter's kindness had turned into betrayal, the Countess wouldn't back down this time.
"Neris smiled and replied. Joseph seemed a bit more regretful at that smile, but he had no more excuses to stay in the room.
He politely bowed to Neris and was about to leave the room when she stopped him.
"Mr. Caron, are you going to search the other rooms now?"
In fact, Joseph had simply been called by Delma to search Neris's room. If anything happened to Neris in this house, it had to be reported to Nelucian immediately. Catching thieves in the mansion was not his usual task.
So when he hesitated, Delma's face twisted. She had a burning urge to tell him to search more thoroughly.
The maids listening to Neris were from this mansion. Neris herself had gone straight from Valentine's room to here and hadn't left. So where could the missing ruby have gone?
...Wait.
Delma's mind suddenly brightened. She took a step forward with an excited expression.
"Just a moment. Miss Neris, I'm sorry, but we might need to check if you hid the ruby in the clothes. Since you said to tear up every floorboard, this should be fine, right?"
Noble body searches were certainly not fine. It was the most certain evidence that even questioned one's integrity. However, Neris simply nodded.
"Let's do that. Mr. Caron, you don't have to go that far, right?"
Joseph's face turned red. He gestured to the footmen.
"Leave the room."
And he himself tried to leave. But Neris called him back.
"Just a moment, Mr. Caron. You don't need to leave. You should stay to ensure the search is conducted properly before reporting to Lord Nelucian, shouldn't you?"
Neris's tone, which naturally assumed that everything had to be reported to Nelucian, made Joseph uncomfortable. However, since Neris was not wrong in her words, he reluctantly agreed.
A while later, a fancy partition adorned with foreign silk entered the room. With Joseph at the door and the maids, including Delma, close by, Neris undressed behind the partition.
Out of a sense of caution, Delma frantically rummaged through Neris's clothes. She was hoping to find a hidden pocket or something. However, while the clothes looked unnecessarily nice, there were no hidden pockets.
'How? How on earth?'
Delma's mind was in disarray. She glared at Neris, who stood there wearing only minimal undergarments.
Despite never having stood in front of so many people in her undergarments, the blonde girl seemed incredibly calm. It was as if it was natural for a noblewoman to be accompanied by dozens of maids.
Neris had been smiling lightly all along. Delma felt like she was going crazy, as that inscrutable smile felt like a thorough mockery.
As Neris put her clothes back on, Delma eyed a maid to bring the ruby. The maid looked unjustly accused. Glancing towards the table, it seemed like the ruby had originally been hidden there.
After Neris returned to her proper attire, she left the partition. She then approached Joseph in a friendly manner.
"Since things have come to this, why don't you take charge of the footmen and find the culprit altogether? Since I've been suspected to this extent, I also feel wronged and need to know who the culprit is. Do you agree with my sense of injustice?"
Regardless of personal preferences, Joseph was a knight and somewhat principled. He nodded.
"Yes, understood."
"Then let's go."
Neris opened the door as Joseph unlocked it. She naturally walked out of the room as if she were a servant.
There weren't many rooms nearby. Besides the rooms used by the noble family, there were small lounges, resting libraries, or the maids' chambers for those who served the noble family closely.
Among them, Neris approached the room used by the Countess's chief maid. As she knocked on the door, the chief maid, who happened to be in her own room, peeked out.
"Oh, Miss Neris."
The chief maid hesitated slightly at the sight of Neris but blinked as she saw the crowd following her. Delma, who had been trying to quickly finish this matter as an elite few, was irritated by the appearance of the chief maid with a pitiful face.
"It seems Valentine's ruby is missing. It's so expensive that they're searching every room thoroughly. I've almost torn apart my room, even the fireplace, but sorry, could I have a look at your room as well? Of course, the adjacent rooms too, and the ones next to them."
Before Delma could narrow down the search, Neris straightforwardly sought permission. The chief maid, after glancing at Delma in response to Neris's words, nodded.
"Of course. If it's such an important matter, we must cooperate."
Joseph, looking perplexed at having to search the women's rooms, reluctantly agreed, as it was already too late to back out. Otherwise, it might be said that they unfairly searched only Neris's room.
He searched the chief maid's room with the footmen. Since this room contained more personal items, the maids of the mansion also joined in.
All the mansion's staff gathered. After thoroughly searching the chief maid's room, the group moved to the next room.
The next room belonged to Delma. Standing in front of her own door, Delma suddenly realized that all eyes in the mansion were on her, including some unfriendly gazes behind her.
A shiver ran down her spine. Cold sweat trickled down her back. She felt like she knew where the ruby was hidden.
"Why aren't you opening the door? Delma. We can search our room, but not yours?"
Neris whispered kindly to Delma. Delma closed her eyes tightly and opened her door.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein