---------------
Brought to you by ‌‌Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------

Chapter 27
That night, Margaret received a summons from ‌‌‌‌the Duke and made her way to his Study.
"You called for me, Your Grace?"
"I summoned you at this late hour because I wished to discuss yesterday's ‌‌‌events."
"Yesterday's events, you say...?"
"Vivian. That child."
Margaret flinched.
Yesterday, Sally had accused Vivian of theft.
Rachel had shielded Vivian, and the Duke had taken Vivian to Isella's Tomb today.
It was clear that a narrative unfavorable to both me and Sally would emerge.
"I should have spoken of ‌‌‌this sooner yesterday, but the memorial day delayed the conversation. Has Sally apologized to Vivian?"
"Well..."
"Did that child not accuse Vivian of theft? If there was a mistake, an apology is only proper."
The Duke had always viewed Sally ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌favorably.
Sally treated the servants with little courtesy, as she felt no obligation to do so, but she had always been obsequious toward the Duke.
Yet ‌‌now he was defending Vivian.
In other words, ‌‌he was doubting Sally's claim that she had witnessed Vivian stealing. ‌‌‌
"Sally insisted she was certain the child had stolen and refused to apologize."
Margaret, sensing danger, subtly defended Sally.
"I cannot claim to have witnessed it myself, but as Your Grace well knows, Sally is not a child prone to ‌‌fabricating stories."
"Are you suggesting that Rachel lied to shield Vivian?"
"Of course, I would not wish to suspect the young ‌‌‌lady, but I merely thought ‌‌it prudent to consider various 'possibilities' from multiple angles."
"Possibilities, you say..."
The Duke's eyes narrowed at Margaret's words.
"Indeed, I should consider multiple possibilities, as you suggest."
His tone seemed to agree with Margaret's opinion at first glance.
"Including the possibility ‌‌‌‌that Sally, who disliked Vivian, orchestrated this entire fabrication to drive the child away."
"...!"
"Would that not be fair?"
His words and gaze struck directly at Margaret's vulnerability.
As if he could see through the truth that Margaret and Sally had concealed. ‌
"However, possibilities remain merely possibilities. Without clear evidence, I cannot wound ‌‌a child based on mere suspicion."
His next words were not merely a defense of Vivian, but rather a signal that he would cover up Sally's lie.
Margaret swallowed ‌‌‌hard. ‌‌‌
Perspiration seeped into her clasped ‌‌‌hands.
"And you, as her Nanny, would understand this better than anyone."
Only then did Margaret sense that the ‌‌Duke's trust in her was ‌‌‌‌wavering.
If she defended Sally even once more, Sally's grievance would be the least of her concerns—her own position could be jeopardized.
She composed her expression carefully and replied.
"A ‌‌wise judgment, Your Grace. It seems I ‌momentarily lost my objectivity, swept up in personal sentiment."
"Then I trust you'll explain this matter well to your daughter."
"I will counsel Sally to ‌apologize to Vivian and make amends with her."
At that moment, the faint chime of the grandfather clock drifted through the air.
Having obtained the answer and obedience he desired, Kaltz nodded graciously.
"It's grown late. You may go now."
Margaret bowed respectfully and left ‌‌‌the Study.
Click.
The moment the door closed, her eyes turned cold and sharp as ice.
'How ‌did I earn the Duke's trust in the first place?'
Margaret's appointment as Rachel's Nanny ‌‌‌‌had been pure chance.
When Isella returned to the Duke's Residence with Rachel, there happened to be only one Maid among the household staff with a child of similar age.
While prestigious noble families selected Nannies exclusively from fallen aristocratic ‌‌‌‌lineages, Kaltz had chosen his Nanny from among those already within the Estate.
He needed a ‌‌'trustworthy caregiver' who could ‌‌keep Rachel's secret, rather than merely an 'excellent one.'
Yet Margaret's ‌‌trust from both Kaltz and Rachel was never mere fortune.
Rachel had arrived at the Duke's Residence just before turning five, and winning the ‌heart of a child already deeply bonded to his mother was no simple task. ‌‌
How many ‌‌‌‌long years had she invested in earning Rachel's affection?
'And yet, all of that undone by that one girl...!'
Margaret's teeth ground together involuntarily.
But there was one saving grace—Vivian still did not know that Rachel was a boy.
This secret, known only to her, would serve as an excellent excuse that Kaltz could not cast her out over.
'There is still opportunity.'
Of course, ‌‌her previous methods would no longer work on such an opponent, so she would ‌‌need to devise a different ‌‌strategy.
'I will wait patiently for my chance.'
Margaret walked with unhurried steps and vanished ‌‌into the darkness of ‌‌the corridor.
3. Awakening
"Then we shall conclude today's lesson here."
My tutor finished the final lesson of the day and departed, leaving only Rachel and me in the Room.
Now ‌‌‌the remaining time was ours to do as we pleased.
Ordinarily, we would take tea in the shade of the Garden Tree, but with the rain falling today, that seemed impossible.
As I pondered what to do in this dreary weather, something suddenly occurred to me, and I asked Rachel.
"Say, Rachel. Is it alright if ‌‌we go play in the Underground Chamber? I want to watch you practice magic."
"Sure. Let's go."
We left the Room side by side.
The sound of rain striking the windows echoed loudly through the corridor, and ‌‌beyond the glass, a ‌‌‌dense Forest thick with summer greenery was visible.
It was the ‌‌unmistakable landscape of full summer.
'Two months have already passed since Rachel's mother's death anniversary.'
So much had happened between ‌‌us in that time.
One of those things was ‌precisely the Underground Chamber I had ‌‌‌‌‌just mentioned!
A few days after the anniversary, Rachel brought me to the Underground Chamber.
Unlike an ordinary cellar, it was accessed by descending hidden stairs concealed in Rachel's Room, and it was so vast it could be called a Training Ground.
Rachel revealed the magical ability he had been hiding there.
Not only that, but he ‌also told me about his unique constitution that absorbed the ‌mana around him.
Of course, knowing the original story as I did, I already knew Rachel could use magic and about his unique constitution, so I wasn't particularly surprised.
'Still, I was ‌‌‌happy.'
The fact that Rachel was sharing his secret with me meant he ‌‌‌‌‌‌was beginning to trust me more.
And there was another change as well.
[Do you... really dislike boys?]
Even while we played well together, Rachel would occasionally ‌‌‌ask such questions ‌with a rather serious expression.
[Yes. I dislike boys. Rachel, I'll only play with you.]
When I answered that way, Rachel's expression darkened.
'Hmm? Isn't this the answer Rachel wanted to hear?'
As I pondered this briefly, ‌‌‌‌‌I deduced the reason.
'Is Rachel afraid that I might leave him someday by marrying a boy?'
Rachel seemed ‌both endearing and pitiful to me.
On the other hand, I felt proud that ‌I ‌‌‌‌‌had become such a precious friend to Rachel.
To ease Rachel's anxiety, I made my life philosophy(?) abundantly clear.
[I won't play with boys, and I won't hold their hands. Of course, I might greet them occasionally.]
[....]
[So don't worry, Rachel!]
Rachel's expression after hearing my promise seemed somehow confused.
But in any case, after that, he stopped bringing ‌‌‌‌up topics like marriage or boys.
'It seems Rachel ‌‌‌‌is reassured now.'
And so, our bond grew even stronger.
Ah, and there was one greatest change that occurred after that day....
"Miss."
The ‌moment I recalled the greatest change while gazing at the verdant landscape beyond the window.
The Butler appeared right on cue.
"The Duke asked if you would enjoy having tea time. Of course, Vivian, you as well."

---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, ‌‌please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------