Chapter 18
“How should I deal with her?”
Ariel and Davina. It wasn’t enough to have gaslighted them; now there was an attempt on Ariel’s life.
This wasn’t a matter that could be solved by simply killing someone. There were too many lingering issues to just wipe everything clean.
As I tapped my head thoughtfully, Davina tugged at her hair and said with a bright expression,
“Unnie, that potion! Let’s give it to the nanny!”
“…?”
“Then we hand her over to Mikhail as experimental material!”
“…?!!”
The villainous line from the young lady of the black-masked family literally made my breath catch. Her innocent delivery made it even more chilling.
“Davina, that’s not a good idea.”
“Why?”
“Because then she dies peacefully. It’s proper to give her pain three times what her sins deserve.”
I learned that in the land of refined etiquette.
“Ah! I see! Unnie, you’re not only pretty but also smart!”
I offered my sister a cookie, letting out an awkward smile. I could never get fully used to Davina’s flood of praise.
Pressing my forehead again, I contemplated an effective way to dispose of the nanny.
The fastest method would be to hand her over to the Duke directly, but that wasn’t necessarily the best approach.
“Mikhail, how would Father react if I told him about this?”
Mikhail’s crimson eyes lifted toward the ceiling. It looked like his AI-level brain was running simulations.
“He would decapitate Baroness Caitlin at a single stroke, annihilate her entire family, and then wipe out half of his retainers along with several noble families to find accomplices and the mastermind.”
“…What? Isn’t he normally someone who acts rationally rather than emotionally?”
I expected the immediate disposal of the nanny, but there would be far too many innocents caught in the crossfire.
“Duke Meterio is usually cold and rational, but when it comes to family matters, he shows extreme emotional behavior.”
…Ah, that’s true.
I recalled Father’s past deeds—he would almost fetch stars for me if I asked—and nodded in understanding.
“That aside, you also think there’s an accomplice or mastermind involved?”
“Of course. Raphas’s drugs aren’t something a mere baron could obtain. And to use them to harm the direct line of Ballienor? That’s a scale of crime no single perpetrator could pull off.”
“I agree. The baron’s usual recklessness contrasts sharply with the meticulousness of this plan. Better to assume someone else is pulling the strings.”
“You are indeed perceptive.”
Mikhail’s eyes flashed eerily. Hidden anger beneath his impassive face was now clearly manifesting.
Though he wouldn’t openly express it, he was undoubtedly furious over this incident.
“Hmmm. Telling the Duke everything outright doesn’t seem like the best approach. Let’s think a bit more.”
Somewhere in the world, there had to be a way to torment the nanny for a long, painful time while also uncovering the mastermind neatly.
…Ah!
Suddenly, a suitable strategy flashed through my mind. A sly smile curled on my lips.
“I have a good idea. Davina, do you happen to know if the nanny had a few more bottles of that potion?”
“Yes! There were two more bottles!”
“Of course. I suspected there’d be extras. In that case…”
With an expression that screamed villain, I carefully outlined a plan to bury someone alive. Upon hearing the meticulous plan, both Mikhail and Davina brightened.
“Davina, you can do it, right?”
“Yes, Unnie! I’m good at that!”
“No need to overact. Just do it like you normally would.”
“Okay! I think I can do it!”
The director was Ariel, the lead actress was Davina, and there was a special appearance by Duke Meterio.
The curtain rose on a farce that could rival a K-morning drama. The Duke didn’t know he was participating, but he’d play an important role nonetheless.
“Mikhail, fetch him.”
“Yes, Miss.”
“Let’s go, Davina.”
“Kyaaaa!!”
Late lunch was shattered by a scream reverberating through Ballienor Manor’s annex. The nanny’s voice was loud enough to shatter eardrums.
Clutching the Ballienor pendant nervously, I opened Davina’s door.
The nanny’s eyes widened as she spotted me. She hadn’t expected me at all.
“Baron, what’s the matter? I could hear screams from the next room.”
“Miss, why are you here…”
What a scene. Simply breathtaking.
Davina’s room looked like a thief gang had rampaged through it: curtains torn to shreds, shattered glass, and an overturned dresser. Even a casual observer would be stunned.
As I had instructed, the gray potion was scattered across the floor. Broken bottles lay in fragments—two or three shattered, impossible to count.
Davina, nice work. You’re really good at this.
Entering the room, I feigned a natural expression and looked for Davina.
She had been hiding in a corner, blinking nervously. Spotting me, she dashed out and hid behind my skirt.
“What happened here?”
“P-please, don’t concern yourself. It’s just that Miss Davina tends to cause accidents like this.”
“Davina, what happened?”
“Well… um… Miss Davina sometimes behaves in ways one can’t understand. Miss Ariel, please return to your room. Davina’s discipline is my responsibility.”
The baron scrambled to eject me, acting flustered—a normal reaction when guilty.
Ignoring the nanny, I stepped deeper into the room. A shard of glass caught my shoe. I pressed down on it with my heel as if crushing the nanny’s head beneath it.
Crunch.
“Oh my, look at the glass shards on the floor. Davina, are you okay? You didn’t get hurt?”
“…U-Unnie.”
Davina’s sharp eyes drooped pitifully. The expression was a bit forced, but her acting wasn’t bad.
“Want to tell Unnie why you did this?”
“W-well… the nanny said she had a potion that turns hair silver…”
My sister stopped mid-sentence, staring at me, blinking. She had forgotten her line.
Suppressing my laughter, I subtly mouthed a hint: ‘Unnie.’
“Oh! I thought it would be good if Unnie took it.”
“What? Such a potion exists?!!”
I widened my eyes and fixed my gaze on the nanny. She turned pale, glancing between Davina and me, then quickly backpedaled.
“Miss, whatever are you saying? There’s no such potion in the world.”
Her voice sounded casual, but her trembling eyes betrayed her. She hadn’t expected Davina to go this far.
“Davina, see? The nanny doesn’t know anything.”
“No, she showed me! She said if someone drinks it, their hair could turn silver!”
“Really? But why would you want Unnie to have silver hair?”
“The nanny said pink hair isn’t suitable for Ballienor!”
“What? She actually said that?”
“Yes! She said Unnie is half-witted and should be locked in the annex forever!”
We delivered our pre-rehearsed lines perfectly. Davina’s acting was exceptional—100% convincing and expressive.
Are you listening, Meterio?
By now, Duke Meterio would have been lured to the hallway by Mikhail saying, “Miss Ariel invites you to lunch.”
I’d instructed Mikhail to keep him from entering until the climax, so he’d be pacing back and forth, powerless.
“Miss! When did I ever say such a thing?!!”
“You said it to me yesterday!”
“Don’t lie! You’re always lying!!”
The nanny’s oblivious, thunderous yelling reverberated. It almost felt like applause celebrating my victory.
Be grateful. She was acting like a lousy villain, just as planned. The mastermind accomplice was clearly someone else.
Lowering my voice to signal the climax, I said sternly:
“How rude. How dare you doubt the intentions of your superior? Even as a mere servant, you have no right to slander your master.”
The nanny’s eyes widened. But her mouth, already in motion, kept accumulating her karma.
“You speak harshly, Miss. A mere servant? My family has raised Ballienor heirs for generations. Have you forgotten that I even changed your diapers?”
“I haven’t forgotten. Since you take pride in changing diapers, it seems your role will be limited to waste management from now on.”
Taking a deep breath, I drew the pendant hidden in my skirt.
“You are now the new mistress of Ballienor. From now on, Baron, you will cease all involvement in Davina’s upbringing and remain confined at home, awaiting your punishment for your insolence.”
