“Pardon? Marquess Gabuel?”
“They said someone left it in front of the Sorpel residence.”
“Left what?”
“.......”
Watching him smile without a word, Camilla pressed her brow hard with her fingertips.
She had no idea what was going on. And now someone else had killed Marquess Gabuel?
The sheer viciousness of this world hit her anew, and a chill ran down her spine.
“Take it.”
“What is it?”
“Second order sheet.”
As Camilla’s complexion darkened, Duke Escra handed her the documents like he was tossing them off. It was far thicker than the first one.
No, giving her the order sheet was fine, but still—
How can this man be so incapable of reading the room?
Did he really have to give her this kind of thing at a time like this?
“What you need to worry about is this. Don’t waste your head on pointless things.”
Duke Escra tapped the order sheet with his fingers.
...Well, she agreed with that. What was the point of agonizing over Marquess Gabuel’s death now?
The important part was that the mastermind had been identified, and that mastermind was dead. She picked up the papers.
“Understood. I’ll tell my father right away.”
“.......”
“What is it?”
“What is what?”
“No, just now, your expression—”
“My expression was what?”
“You looked like you’d bitten into something.”
“Me? When? Don’t go accusing people for no reason.”
Fine, then.
Why is he reacting so sharply to that?
He really was foul-tempered, she’d give him that.
“Tell your father. Properly.”
“Khup!”
At the sudden sound of laughter, Camilla turned her head and saw Count Alton hastily look away and pretend nothing happened.
What? What was so funny?
“Then I’ll be going.”
“Do that.”
After staring at Count Alton for a moment, Duke Escra gave a quick nod.
Still wearing a puzzled expression, Camilla shrugged once and left the office.
The moment she disappeared, the objects around Duke Escra flew straight at Count Alton.
“He has no awareness at all.”
Catching every flying object lightly with magic, Count Alton shook his head as if it were pathetic.
“To call someone else ‘Father’ so naturally in front of her biological father. That means she doesn’t recognize you as her father at all, doesn’t it?”
“Who said anything?”
“Then do better.”
“And how, exactly, do I do ‘better’ here?”
“If someone heard you, they’d think you’ve treated Miss Camilla wonderfully all this time. You’re the one who made her eat alone from the first day.”
“Aren’t you going home?”
Duke Escra threw the papers he was holding at him as well.
*****
“Dive?”
“......!”
As Camilla approached the child seated in the library, she paused. At her call, his body had stiffened.
“You’re working hard again today.”
“Yes.......”
As she sat in the seat across from him, the child quickly averted his eyes.
What is it?
Yesterday, she’d thought they’d gotten a little closer—was that just her own delusion?
It wasn’t the cold air of the first day, but the way he seemed uncomfortable with her getting close left Camilla with no choice but to feel doubtful.
[It’s because he got scolded yesterday.]
Sharua slid into view and made excuses for him.
Scolded? By who?
[Sebinne is a bit strict.]
Sebinne? That wet nurse?
[It’s all because she wants what’s best for him, but... his arm must have hurt a lot.]
Hurt? His arm?
Don’t tell me—!
SPRING.
Camilla rose at once and stepped to the child. Then she rolled up the sleeve that hung long over his arm.
“W-What are you doing!”
Dive tried desperately to pull his arm away, but Camilla wasn’t so weak she couldn’t handle the strength of a ten-year-old.
“.......”
A bruise on the child’s arm. And what was even more outrageous—there were scars here and there that looked old.
“Let go!”
Panicked, the child shoved Camilla away and bolted out of the library.
Instead of chasing him, Camilla turned her gaze to Sharua. She needed an explanation.
[...Sebinne sometimes uses the switch.]
“You’re saying she hits him?”
[When the child makes a mistake.......]
“What mistake?”
[Uh, he was late to class yesterday.]
“You’re telling me you scolded him to that extent just because a ten-year-old was a little late to class?”
[I-I swear it’s not out of malice. It’s all because she wants what’s best for him—]
“What are you even saying right now?”
After seeing the child’s change since yesterday, how could she say that?
The child who had smiled so brightly in front of them had shown up today like a completely different person.
Did she really not know what caused that change?
[Sebinne... Sebinne says it’s all for the child.......]
At Camilla’s dumbfounded expression, Sharua’s eyes shook without stopping.
Leaving her behind, Camilla hurried out of the library to chase Dive.
*****
“Young Master Dive, you got two wrong on the exam you took yesterday.”
“I mistook the answers.......”
“I always tell you. You must never make such foolish mistakes.”
Seated in her chair, the wet nurse Sebinne tossed the exam paper down as if throwing it away, then stood.
“Who did I tell you your mother died because of?”
“...Me.”
The child clenched his lips hard, barely holding back the tears threatening to spill.
“That’s right. And that’s why the duke dislikes you. You killed his beloved wife.”
Sebinne gently took the child’s slumped shoulder.
“So you must do everything well. If you want the duke to look at you even a little, you have to be better than anyone else—how many times have I told you that?”
“Yeah.”
“If the duke were to find out about today’s mistake.......”
“I was wrong! Don’t tell Father!”
The child jerked his head up and cried out desperately, eyes shimmering with tears. A deep smile spread across Sebinne’s lips at that sight.
“Yes. I love you so very much, so I won’t tell him. Never forget that I’m the only person in this house who cherishes you, Young Master.”
“...Yeah.”
“But you made a mistake, so you must be punished.”
The moment the wet nurse finished speaking, the child, as if very used to it, slowly rolled up his sleeve. She immediately picked up the switch.
WHOOSH!
The child bit down hard on his lips.
“......?”
But something was strange. Even as time passed, there was no sensation on his arm. When the child lifted his head with puzzled eyes, his eyes widened fast.
“You’re completely insane.”
It was Camilla. She had seized Sebinne’s wrist with the switch and was gripping it tight.
“W-What......!”
At Camilla’s sudden appearance, confusion rose on Sebinne’s face.
“L-Let go this instant!”
But she quickly recovered her expression. Instead, she shouted at Camilla in a loud voice.
“This is none of your business—”
CRACK!
In an instant, Sebinne’s eyes went blank. Her head was turned to the side, her cheek burning hot, but she couldn’t immediately process what had just happened.
Just now... was I hit? Me?
“W-What is this.......”
CRACK!
Camilla didn’t stop there. She struck Sebinne’s cheek hard again.
“Do you even know who I am!”
CRACK!
“You’ve lost your mind! How dare you—!”
CRACK!
“Stop—!”
CRACK!
Every time Sebinne opened her mouth, Camilla struck her cheek. Realizing it, Sebinne could no longer open her mouth.
Before she knew it, the room was packed with people drawn by the commotion. All of them were those who cared for Dive here.
Every one of them watched with bated breath, witnessing the situation.
Camilla swept them with a cold gaze. It was absurd—out of all those people, not a single one had ever stopped this woman.
When a child did wrong, the proper thing was to inform the parent and leave all authority over discipline to the parent. No matter how much she was a wet nurse, corporal punishment was not permissible.
Especially in a public place like this, it was even more so.
And besides—
“Say what you just said to him again. Say it in front of me.”
The words Camilla had heard clearly as she stepped inside a moment ago were enough to blow away her reason.
“The duke what, and what?”
If she’d been spouting that kind of ridiculous garbage so many times that the child couldn’t even refute it—
“Now I get it.”
Why the child had been so rigid in front of Duke Escra, his own father. Why his eyes had been so anxious.
“How dare you turn a child into a criminal.”
Camilla grabbed Sebinne by the collar.
“H-How is that any of your business!”
Sebinne snapped again. She was the one who couldn’t believe it. A mere guest—what right did she have to behave like this?
“I’ll tell the duke at once! That you interfered with discipline!”
Everyone here was on her side. Do they know how much money they took from her every month?
There wasn’t a single person in this room who would take the side of that woman she’d never seen before. Even Young Master Dive couldn’t refuse her words.
Look, even now. Those eyes filled with fear as he looked at her. He would never say he’d been hit.
That was why education from a young age was important. She had raised him so he couldn’t rebel even a little.
The wounds on his wrist? She could just say he got hurt while playing.
Or she could pin it on another servant or maid and end it just as easily. Did she think she would have laid hands without thinking that far?
“I’m telling you again, this is not something a guest should interfere with!”
Having organized her thoughts, her voice grew even more brazen. She would never let what this woman had done to her today go.
CRACK!
“AAH!”
This time, an even stronger blow than before landed. Sebinne staggered from how hard she’d been hit.
“Y-You! Are you insane?”
“The insane one is you. Being told I’m insane by an insane bitch is weirdly irritating.”
“You—what right do you have!”
“Me?”
Camilla yanked the collar she was gripping even tighter.
“Someone very close to that child.”
“What?”
Camilla brought her face close, whispering even more quietly.
“Think carefully. About who I might be.”
Meeting Camilla’s red eyes, Sebinne’s face slowly colored with horror.
Only then did Camilla let go of her collar with a tap, take Dive with her, and leave the place at her leisure.
