CHAPTER 39…
At those words, Ivy giggled.
“When you have more than you deserve, you don’t even notice when it’s gone.”
“Right, there are so many things it’s a waste for a half-baked person to have in the first place,” Matilda chimed in.
It hadn’t been long since they started meddling with Claire’s jewelry box.
As the number of accessories Claire owned increased, the number of jewelry boxes increased as well.
Because of that, she didn’t manage them carefully—some days she would drop little trinkets, other days she would leave the jewelry box wide open and unattended.
Forgetting where each thing was kept was an everyday occurrence.
Her closest maid, Becca, was in charge of the dressing table, but since the mistress herself didn’t care much, she was careless too.
So, naturally, these two began helping themselves.
At first, Ivy had nervously stolen a small pearl earring. When Claire didn’t notice at all, Matilda joined in.
Gradually, the two became bolder, pilfering more from the jewelry box.
Claire’s constant splurging on new accessories meant the missing ones went unnoticed.
“Hmm… what should we take today?”
They rifled through Claire’s jewelry box as though they were shopping.
Ivy’s greedy eyes fell upon a necklace and earrings with the largest gemstones—ones Claire had worn often recently.
“I’ll take these.”
Even to an untrained eye, the gems were clearly top-quality.
Every tiny detail was adorned with diamonds—no doubt extremely expensive.
“Huh…? Are you sure you can take that? She wore that all the time.”
“Didn’t you hear earlier? She seems sick of it now. Worked out well—it was one of my favorites from the start.”
“Then I guess it’s fine. I’ll take this one.”
Ivy and Matilda each pocketed the jewelry they wanted and left the room.
As they walked away, footsteps light with excitement, a shadow behind a hallway pillar quietly watched them.
The Marchioness of Lavello’s gardens were filled with colorful, splendid flowers—arranged to match the mistress’s taste.
The flowers were packed densely for the size of the grounds, creating a somewhat overwhelming feeling, but Phoebe Lavello loved the sight.
Sitting under a pergola, gazing at the garden, Claire thought to herself:
I’ll need to change the layout before the party.
As she considered how to reorganize the garden in her head, Becca quietly approached.
“Today, Ivy and Matilda took the daffodil necklace and earrings, the sapphire bracelet, and the diamond hairpin.”
Hearing her report, Claire tapped the armrest of her chair.
“They finally touched even the gift from His Highness the Crown Prince. Well, I was hoping they would.”
“So far they’ve sold six of your pieces of jewelry. What they took today is buried behind the food storage building.”
That was enough. Claire had decided the moment they touched Theodore’s gift—that would be both the end and the beginning.
Pulling out a key she had secretly obtained through Teddy, she whispered:
“Becca, move only the Crown Prince’s gifts somewhere special.”
The next afternoon—
“Maggie, gather the maids on the first floor.”
The head maid, Maggie, looked puzzled at Claire’s sudden order.
“May I ask why?”
“I’ll explain in a moment.”
Though uneasy, Maggie obeyed the firm command.
The maids scattered throughout the mansion gathered on the first floor. Standing at the top of the stairs, Claire looked down at them and spoke slowly:
“There’s only one reason I’ve called you all here today.”
“……”
“Whoever touched my jewelry box—step forward.”
Confusion rippled through the maids. Only two faces turned deathly pale—
Ivy and Matilda.
The two exchanged panicked glances, unsure what to do.
What the hell? How does she know? What do we do?
I have no idea!
Claire had shown no hint of suspicion before, so the sudden confrontation caught them completely off guard.
They had no contingency plan prepared.
“What are you talking about, my lady?”
The head maid frowned and stepped forward to ask.
Still calm, Claire explained:
“Recently, quite a few pieces have gone missing from my jewelry box. Becca, read them out exactly.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Becca stepped forward and read from the ledger the list of missing items.
“…emerald earrings, a pure gold bracelet… in total, ten pieces of jewelry have disappeared.”
“I know someone among you took them. I’ll give you a chance to confess.”
The maids began murmuring.
“Is she saying someone here stole her things?”
“No way, that’s impossible.”
“Who would dare do something that bold?”
When no one confessed and only the noise grew, Claire clapped lightly to draw their attention.
“For reference, among the stolen items is a daffodil-shaped necklace and earrings that were a gift from His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Her voice was calm but chilling as it rang out clearly.
“That’s no different from stealing royal property. The culprit will be severely punished.”
Ivy and Matilda’s faces turned even paler.
They had assumed all the jewelry came from Claire’s own purchases, given how often she summoned jewelers—never imagining the Crown Prince’s gift was among them.
Their legs trembled and cold sweat trickled down their backs.
Stealing from their mistress was already a grave crime—but involving the Crown Prince meant ruin.
“If you don’t confess soon, all of you may be punished.”
This threw the maids into greater turmoil. What had been cautious silence now turned into suspicion among themselves.
“Who stole it? Don’t drag innocent people down—own up now!”
“I work in the kitchen; I’ve never even had reason to go to her room.”
“I’ve never attended the lady personally—how could I steal from her?”
“It has to be someone who could approach her room and stay near her.”
Naturally, all eyes turned to Ivy and Matilda—
They fit every condition.
“Honestly, you two seem suspicious.”
“Especially you, Ivy—you’ve always had sticky fingers.”
Someone spoke sharply. Ivy shook her head frantically, almost in convulsions.
“N-no! It’s not me!”
“Really? Because no one else could have taken the jewelry except you two.”
“Yeah! Stop lying and just admit it!”
“I said it’s not me!”
Backing away defensively, Ivy bumped into someone.
Turning, she saw Claire had descended the stairs and was now standing right behind her.
“Ivy.”
The gentle voice felt more chilling than ever today. Instinctively, Ivy dropped to her knees at her feet, pleading.
“M-my lady, it’s really not me! Please don’t misunderstand!”
“It’s really not you?”
Bending slightly, Claire gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
“My personal maids are you, Matilda, and Becca—only three. I believe the culprit is among you.”
“…T-then it could be Becca! It could be her! She badmouthed you so much before you came here.”
Desperate for a way out, Ivy shamelessly pointed at Becca.
“Before you arrived, she said all sorts of unspeakable things. She must have betrayed you!”
While Ivy clung to Claire, Matilda sent a desperate, pleading look toward her aunt—the head maid.
Catching the signal, Maggie let out a silent sigh.
She had more or less figured it out from the start of this meeting.
Those brats have done it…
As the others said, Ivy had a habit of stealing, and Matilda had more than enough motive with her family’s debts.
To protect her foolish niece, Maggie had no choice but to intervene.
“My lady, I will question Ivy, Matilda, and Becca myself.”
“Maggie.”
Claire turned to her brightly.
Despite her soft smile, an inexplicable pressure made Maggie flinch.
“Who do you think the culprit is among the three?”
“I… will find out after interrogating them—”
“No. Tell me who you think is the most likely suspect right now.”
Her authoritative tone clashed with her youthful face. Maggie’s lips twitched.
Claire resembled the late Priscilla Mewton—and beyond that, reminded her of the long-deceased Marchioness Caitlin Lavello.
Somehow, it pricked her pride, yet she couldn’t defy her.
“I… think Becca is the most suspicious.”
In truth, Maggie didn’t want to point to Becca—she was clearly Claire’s favorite of the three.
She would have preferred to push suspicion onto Ivy, but it was obvious she and Matilda had done it together.
Ivy wouldn’t go down alone.
The only way is to buy time and ask the Madam for help.
If the current Marchioness intervened, Claire would surely back down.
Whether or not she knew this, Claire nodded slightly.
“I see. So Maggie suspects Becca, not Ivy or Matilda.”
“My lady, I’ll lock them in the basement and question them. I’ll make sure the missing jewelry is recovered, so please, go rest—”
“No need.”
Claire cut her off sweetly. Maggie stared at her in confusion.
“…Pardon?”
“Someone else has agreed to return them for me.”
“What do you—”
Just then, the door burst open, and a smooth voice reached their ears.
“I’m here, Claire.”
All the maids turned to look. Standing there was Franz.
“I’ve brought your jewelry back.”
In his hands were the very pieces Ivy and Matilda had sold.
