Chapter 25

# 25

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When Nabiya was lying on the floor, Charlotte, who had brought snacks, entered the room.

"Oh, Miss!"

Wood quickly cast a spell to knock Charlotte unconscious.

Thud!

If it weren't for Nabiya, who could steal magic, this would have been nothing.

Among the four servants waiting in Nabiya's room, Tom started trembling in fear when he saw two people already lying on the floor.

Wood barked at Tom.

"Didn't you close the door?"

"S-Sorry, Master…."

Tom inwardly cursed himself for getting involved in such a dangerous situation just because he was picked by Wood.

But as he had just seen, Wood was a mage and could easily put him, an adult male, in danger.

Even though he was trembling, he didn't let go of the blunt weapon in his hand.

"Damn, I didn't think about the dedicated maid…."

Wood glared at Charlotte irritably and said.

"Take the two to the annex where they won't be used. The remaining one, take the lower-ranked servant to the warehouse."

The Agnes Manor had numerous external facilities besides the main building.

There was even a small cabin that most of the servants didn't know about.

He planned to take Nabiya to the external warehouse, wake her up, and use violence to show her who was really in 'control.'

'For that, I searched the entire house all day yesterday.'

"But… can we do this without being caught?"

When Tom asked with a worried expression, Wood snapped.

"What's the problem? I'm going to go down through the balcony anyway!"

Wood's magical abilities were far from lacking. As someone of superior blood, he was among the very best.

It was no big deal for him to lower an adult woman and a girl using his magic.

"It won't take long anyway."

Showing Nabiya who was in control wouldn't take more than half a day.

Even if Nikan cared about Nabiya, he could just give her bruises in places that wouldn't be noticed.

Wood chuckled as he imagined Nabiya begging for her life.

"Go down and wait there."

"Understood."

He hummed a tune and used magic to lower the two people.

The movement was surprisingly delicate.

"Hehe, she can't get hurt now."

It would be a disaster if she were damaged before he could vent his anger.

Wood quietly went down to the first floor. The servants didn't find it strange that Wood was leaving the manor.

When he arrived at the backyard, the other two servants who had moved Charlotte were already gone, leaving Tom alone, carrying Nabiya on his back.

"Let's go."

Tom inwardly sighed deeply, regretting that he had to carry Nabiya.

He just hoped no one would catch them in the act.

* * *

Wood moved to a place far from the main building.

Following the path into the forest behind the manor, a place decorated like a cabin appeared.

There was also an old, abandoned warehouse that had been unused for at least 100 years.

"Put the lower-ranked servant there."

"H-Huff, huff, yes… Master."

Tom was out of breath from carrying the limp Nabiya for a long time.

He placed Nabiya inside the old wooden warehouse, wrinkling his nose at the musty, damp smell of mold.

"Now, let's wake up the lower-ranked servant."

Just then, the servants who had moved Charlotte rushed in.

"Master! You need to return to your room quickly!"

Wood, who was about to splash water on Nabiya to wake her, glared at them irritably.

"What?"

"Lord has assigned a knight to monitor you. They asked where you are, and we lied, saying you were taking a walk in the garden…."

Wood gritted his teeth at the servant's words. Monitoring him now?

"Why did Father suddenly assign a monitor?"

"Perhaps because he left for the capital…."

Wood's eyes lit up at this.

"He left for the capital? Hmm, then it's even better."

'I'll lie and say I'm in my room, get rid of the knight, and come back here to beat the lower-ranked servant.'

It was a perfect plan, he thought.

"Let's go back. Lock the warehouse."

Wood returned to his room on the third floor. As the servant had said, a knight was standing in front of his room.

He chuckled and entered the room.

But the knight, who was supposed to be guarding the door, followed him inside.

"…What are you doing? Why are you following me in?"

"Lord ordered me to guard you closely."

"Ugh… Get out now! I want you to stay outside!"

"I'm sorry."

The knight said nothing more and showed no intention of leaving.

Wood, his anger rising to the top of his head, almost threw something at the knight but managed to suppress his rage.

If he got angrier and demanded the knight leave, the knight might suspect something.

'I still have time to deal with the lower-ranked servant.'

If Nikan had gone to the capital, he wouldn't return to the manor until late afternoon. There would be a way to get rid of the knight in the meantime.

He needed someone to help him.

Wood gruffly ordered the servant.

"Hey, you. Go fetch the governess."

Philippa would surely do anything he asked, as if she would die if he didn't.

A considerable amount of time passed after the servant left to fetch the governess.

Just as he was getting irritated, the servant returned. But he was alone.

"Master, I can't find Philippa."

Wood's anger finally exploded at the servant's words.

"Where the hell did the governess go!"

* * *

Philippa returned to her room with a face that seemed to have aged ten years after being humiliated in Vivian's room.

She felt so wronged and angry that she could go mad.

Despite her loyalty, Nikan had finally drawn his sword against her.

"How could you do this to me? How…!"

Thump! Thump!

Philippa pounded her chest with her fists. If she didn't, she felt like she would suffocate.

"It's all because of that girl."

Her anger naturally turned towards Nabiya.

Nikan had just been deceived by that wicked girl.

Everything would return to normal once she set things right.

But for now, she had no other choice but to suppress her anger.

Knock knock.

One of Philippa's confidants arrived with a ledger in hand.

"The item you asked for has arrived."

"What took you so long?"

Philippa snatched the ledger with a firm hand and checked its contents.

As she read through the ledger, which detailed the corruption of the cook she had bribed, a sinister smile appeared on her lips.

She had inserted Charlotte's name intermittently among the cook's embezzlements.

'Perfect! It's flawless!'

Philippa quickly placed the incriminating item in the wardrobe of Charlotte's room and left.

The setup for the frame-up was complete.

She rushed to the study, pretending to be in a hurry, with the ledger in hand.

"Lord!"

But there was no sign of Nikan.

Instead, Linden, who was organizing receipts related to household affairs, looked at Philippa with a puzzled expression.

"Butler, where is Lord?"

"Lord has left for the capital. What's the matter?"

At such an important time, the capital! Philippa furrowed her brow, then composed herself and looked at Linden.

Linden had the authority to handle household affairs when Nikan was away.

Therefore, he also had the authority to arrest those who committed corruption.

Philippa spoke solemnly.

"Butler, I have something important to tell you. Do you remember when I mentioned a conflict with Miss Nabiya earlier?"

"Yes."

"Actually, it's because of this."

Philippa handed over a ledger that detailed the cook's embezzlement from the merchant supplying goods to Agnes.

"The cook was committing corruption."

"How dare he!"

Linden unfolded the ledger with an indignant expression. It contained detailed records of the cook's corruption.

"But the cook wasn't alone in this. Do you know a maid named Charlotte?"

"Charlotte… Miss Nabiya's dedicated maid?"

"Yes. Charlotte is also an accomplice. Those shameless people even tried to frame me."

One truth and one lie.

Philippa, showing that she wasn't just a favored servant, devised a scheme.

"Even Miss Nabiya was involved, trying to frame me for embezzlement! Of course, it didn't work because it was a lie."

She implicated not only Charlotte but also Nabiya with the corruption evidence.

It didn't matter if the evidence was insufficient to immediately expel Nabiya with this ledger.

What mattered was public opinion.

'As long as everyone knows there's a problem with Nabiya.'

Then, a pretext would easily arise, and thus, an opportunity for revenge would surely come!

Philippa continued sharply, her voice filled with a sense of victory.

"Butler, you must arrest them immediately!"