Translator and Editor: Effe and Nabi

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Chapter 28

Anriche turned the topic softly without asking any more.

“Now, we’re going to have lunch. What was the first thing I said you should do before eating?”

“You said we had to wash our hands!”

“Yes, I did. Our Liliana, you’re smart.” She smiled and stroked Liliana’s hair tenderly.

With a complicated gaze, Elliot alternately glanced at Anriche and Liliana smiling brightly.

***

Throughout the lunch break, Anriche gently attended to the children. Even though she was feeling unsettled inside.

‘At first, when Meg was stealing the brooch…’ To be honest, it would have been better to catch Meg at the scene where she was stealing. Since the butler was monitoring her, it wouldn’t have been impossible.

‘Still, I was hoping that Meg would change her mind later.’

However, contrary to her wish, Meg eventually did it.

Anriche, recalling the empty spot in her jewelry box, shook her head on the inside.

‘No, it’s not too late.’

Once the children’s meal is over, she will quietly bring Meg in and tell her to put the brooch back since she already knew everything she had done. And for her to not bother Liliana in the future…

‘What if I offered to pretend that I didn’t know about it this time?’

Wouldn’t that be better?

At least, to avoid hurting Elliot’s heart…

But just then.

“Mother, what’s wrong?”

“Huh?”

The child’s anxious voice broke Anriche’s thoughts. She lifted her head and saw Liliana, who was already staring at her.

“The expression on your face is dark.”

“Liliana is right.”

Elliot nodded his head to agree with Liliana. In his line of gaze towards Anriche, she was full of anxiety.

She smiled hastily. “No, it’s nothing.”

Yes, because children are the most important.

First of all, we caught circumstantial evidence that Meg was stealing, so if we talk again based on this. That was what Anriche pondered vigorously in her mind.

Regardless, things didn’t go as she wanted.

“What the hell is this about?!”

The shouting of the maids shook the townhouse.

“Oh my God, Madam! Madam!!”

“What happened?”

Two of the maids ran into the dining room in a hurry.

“Chief maid Meg found something, but I think the Madam needs to check…!”

“What are you talking about?”

“That-that’s…”

One of the maids glanced towards Liliana, bowed her head towards Anriche, and whispered in a low voice. “It looks like the Madam’s stuff was found in the room of Miss Liliana.”

“…Really?”

Anriche narrowed her eyes.

The two children peered confusingly at Anriche as they were unaware of the situation. She narrowed her forehead and raised her body.

“Okay, let’s go.”

So, the three began to follow the maid’s lead.

Liliana, who was following the maid without thinking, felt a faint sense of incongruity.

‘…What?’

Somehow the direction of the maid’s movement was familiar to her eyes. After a while, Liliana was astonished. ‘Hey, this is my room, isn’t it?!’

Beyond the wide open door, Meg was seen giving strength to her shoulders and looked up.

“Madam, look at this!”

She raised her hand as if wanting to show it eagerly. The amber brooch in her hand sparkled with a reflection of the light.

“Isn’t this brooch, the one used by the madam?”

Instead of answering, Anriche barely swallowed a sigh that was about to explode. ‘Ah, I knew it would be like this, but…’ Even though she wanted to somehow soothe her and tried to settle the matter quietly, Meg couldn’t stand it and caused an incident like this.

On the other hand, Meg was literally spirited.

“I found this brooch while cleaning the room.”

Meg glared at Liliana.

“…Is it possible that Miss Liliana even stole Madam’s stuff?”

As soon as they heard the question, people’s eyes turned towards Liliana. In particular, the maids who participated in this work seemed to be absolutely enjoying this.

Liliana’s face turned white.

“Well, I don’t know. Really…”

“Of course, that’s the case.”

At that time, Anriche glanced at her and lightly shrugged her shoulders. “That’s because I secretly left it in her room to give Liliana a surprise.”

“…Yes?”

Liliana peered up at Anriche with tears filling her eyes. She continued with a friendly voice.

“This amber brooch, isn’t it a very pretty yellow color?”

“Mo, mother…”

“So I thought it would suit you well. I’m sorry if I surprised you.”

‘What?’

In response to the surprising answer, the maids hurriedly exchanged glances with each other.

‘How the hell did it become like this?’

‘I-I don’t know! Obviously, Meg took it…?!’

At the same time, Anriche stared back at the maids. Unlike when she treated Liliana, her face was ice cold.

“Rather, I’m curious about your thoughts.”

“Ma, madam?”

“As if it were quite obvious, you’re telling me that Liliana stole the brooch.”

Seemingly as though she was genuinely curious, Anriche questioned the maids again. “Why are you saying that?”

“Well, that’s…”

“It almost seems like you want me to doubt Liliana?”

Anriche tilted her head with a groan.

“That Liliana stole the brooch.”

“No, that brooch… it wasn’t a gift from mother.”

At that moment, Elliot denied Anriche’s words head-on.

There was anticipation in Meg’s eyes. ‘Yes, I have the young master! Young Master Elliot will somehow cover me!’

Meanwhile, Anriche faced him with a stunned face.

‘…Elliot?’

No matter how much Elliot hates her, Anriche is now on Liliana’s side. Still, he denies her word directly like this…

‘Does Elliot hate me so much? That he denies my words in front of so many people?’

Elliot was gazing at Anriche with an unknown expression on his face.

‘But, he seemed to be quite happy with Liliana?’

From the back of Anriche’s hand, grasping the hem of her dress, new white lines raised between her bones. ‘No matter how bad Liliana could be framed, I can’t believe he took it up and refuted my words like this…’

Anriche bit her lips in a terrible mood.

“That brooch, Meg stole it and hid it in Liliana’s room.”

Unexpectedly, Elliot concluded in a cold voice.

Meg’s face was shocked.

“Yo-young master!!”

“Meg.”

He turned, staring at Meg. Seeing so, she started running desperately towards Elliot. “Young Master, what are you talking about? You know how much I have cared for you so far…”

‘You know well that I did it for you…’

Anriche paused, as she had a subtle feeling. Even in the midst of this, Meg was telling him that she had ‘cherished’ Elliot. It was a scene that showed the superiority that she had over him.

Elliott felt that, too. The boy’s face became even more distant.

“That’s right, Meg.”

“Young master…!”

At Elliot’s affirmation, Meg’s face turned a bright color.

However, his words weren’t over.

“You’ve been good to me so far, so I’ve been trying to wait until you tell the truth.”

“What?! But…!”

“If you honestly confess all your mistakes, I would have tried to cover up your faults in some way.”

With that calm tone, Meg’s face was distorted.

Meanwhile, Anriche glanced at her son with a slightly surprised look.

‘…I see.’

As for Meg’s incident, she thought he couldn’t have guessed about it. Elliot’s mature mind was both admirable yet depressing. Even though he was outwardly calm, she couldn’t even imagine how bitter he must have felt.

“But…it’s really disappointing.”

“Young Master, Disappointing?”

“Meg, you can’t even remember what you did?” He continued to stare straight at her with a cold gaze.

“The act of stealing my mother’s things, trying to deceive everyone, and attempting to frame Liliana.”

“Yo, young master… Why do you say that? Why are you so hard on me?”

Meg begins to complain in a trembling voice.

All of a sudden, tears were piled up in her eyes.

“It’s me. It’s Meg. The person who loves you the most in the world…!”

“Yes, I once believed that you loved me the most in the world.” He spoke, shooking his head firmly.

“Even so, Meg, if I truly love someone…”

“…Yes?”

“I don’t think I would try to avoid my own faults by using someone I love as a shield.”

———

T/N: Preach, Elliot!!

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