Chapter 67
“A theft? How could this happen in the royal palace…?”
“But don’t worry. In case something like this happened, all of Her Highness’s jewelry has been enchanted with tracking magic,” came the voices of Marisol and Angelina from outside the dress room.
Helene, growing frantic, searched for Liliana’s bag, and just as she expected, inside it was the sapphire hairpin.
At that moment, Marisol’s voice chanting a spell echoed:
“Cheisera! Cheisera!”
As Marisol chanted, the sapphire hair ornament began ringing loudly, like a vibrating bell.
Everyone realized immediately that the sound was coming from inside the dress room.
“It seems the sapphire hair ornament is inside there.”
‘…I’m doomed.’
Helene froze on the spot.
She looked for an exit, but the only door in the dress room was the one in front of her.
With nowhere to run, she heard the creak of the door opening.
Helene raised both hands as soldiers came flying in, spears aimed to surround the culprit.
“…Countess Emeldia?!!”
“Ste-stepmother?”
So this was what they called an on-the-spot arrest.
Helene held the sapphire hairpin firmly in her raised hands, leaving no room for doubt.
‘…How do I get out of this?’
Seeing the sharp spear tips pointed at her, she thought helplessly.
Even the most eloquent person in the world would have no way out of this situation.
“There! The sapphire hairpin is in her hands!”
Marisol pointed at Helene.
Although she tried to appear calm, her mind was in complete chaos.
According to her plan, the tracking magic should have led the sapphire hairpin directly to Liliana’s bag.
Why was the hairpin in that woman’s hands instead?
Marisol’s irritation flared at the failed plan, but she quickly regained her composure.
Even if it was Helene, not Liliana, being accused as the thief, it didn’t mean the plan had failed.
Helene was Liliana’s stepmother, so her theft would inevitably implicate Liliana as well.
“…Oh my, was this Her Highness Angelina’s hairpin?”
Helene asked with feigned innocence.
If this continued, the hard-earned reputation of the Emeldia family would be ruined.
She had to think of a way to get out of this!
But her brain, overloaded like a malfunctioning computer, could come up with nothing.
“Catch her! Countess Emeldia is the one who stole Her Highness Angelina’s sapphire hairpin!!”
Marisol gave the order to the soldiers in place of a stunned Angelina, who couldn’t utter a word.
Such variables had always existed when protecting Her Highness Angelina.
This was not a particularly big complication.
The stepmother’s theft was enough reason to remove Liliana from her position as chief maid.
Despite the command coming from a maid, the royal soldiers moved into formation.
They bound Helene’s hands.
“N-no, that’s impossible… Stepmother wouldn’t do such a thing!”
When Helene tried to rush at the soldiers tying her up, other royal soldiers blocked her with their spears.
“Countess Emeldia was caught red-handed trying to steal Her Highness Angelina’s sapphire hairpin. How can you say she’s not the culprit? Anyone can see she’s guilty!”
Marisol had a plan.
The sapphire hairpin had been a gift from Duke Zighart for Her Highness Angelina’s birthday last year.
To frame Liliana as a thief, she had subtly hinted to the other maids that ‘Liliana seems to like the Duke’ and placed the hairpin in her bag.
But now it was Helene, not Liliana, holding the sapphire hairpin!
Though she knew there was no way Helene could escape being caught at the scene, Marisol did not want any more variables.
Whenever Marisol devised a scheme, she tried to remain inconspicuous, but this time she resolved to see it through even if it meant taking a risk.
“Countess Emeldia… how could you do such a thing…”
Tears welled up in Angelina’s blue eyes.
Even the soldiers watching were moved by Angelina’s trembling expression.
“I thought we could be good friends… If you had just told me, I would’ve given you this hairpin as a gift!”
Angelina finally broke down in tears.
The royal attendants witnessing her crying became furious.
“Countess, this is exactly why commoners are unsuitable.”
“How could someone do this to Her Highness Angelina?”
“People never change… she’s a disgrace to the Empire!”
Criticism and insults rained down on Helene.
Once again, Helene was on the brink of becoming the Empire’s shame, the Red Witch.
“O-oh, it’s a misunderstanding, Your Highness.”
How could she get out of this situation?
Helene knew that this was all Marisol, Angelina’s loyal maid, setting her up, but she couldn’t speak the truth.
She could only deduce Marisol’s intentions because she had read The Perfect Plan in her previous life.
Thus, there was no evidence that Marisol had acted; pointing fingers carelessly could make things worse.
If she even mentioned that she had gone to fetch Liliana’s bag, Liliana might once again be accused.
She had to prevent Liliana from being blamed.
Helene had reformed, but her past was notorious, while Liliana was a devout follower of the Sun Church and the chief maid of Her Highness Angelina.
If harm were to come to Liliana, it was better that Helene took the fall.
“…I-I was so captivated by the sapphire hairpin’s beauty that I must have absentmindedly put it in my pocket… I am truly sorry. I have committed a grave sin.”
Helene bowed her head and knelt.
“Countess, I heard that you were previously notorious for your misdeeds, but I truly believed you had changed… all your repentance was an act!”
Angelina’s words were met with nods of agreement from the maids and the royal attendants.
Amid the consensus, a voice full of restrained anger rang out.
“Ah, even so, Your Highness, your words are excessive.”
Ignoring the spears blocking her, Liliana stepped in front of Helene.
“Stepmother clearly said it was a mistake. Yet to say her faith is false seems harsh, does it not?”
“Liliana, you, chief maid of Her Highness, are siding with a thief, your stepmother?”
Marisol was shocked that Liliana dared to speak back so boldly in front of Angelina.
But this was good.
To defy Her Highness Angelina, she was disqualified as chief maid.
“If a chief maid cannot point out wrongdoing or protect her family, then I resign from being chief maid!”
Liliana’s determination did not waver, and her words grew more assertive.
Helene was bewildered.
Why was Liliana acting this way?
‘All this is to protect your position as chief maid!’
Helene stood again, cutting between Marisol and Liliana.
“Y-Your Highness is right. Though she claimed to repent, she could not resist a momentary temptation. Liliana was only flustered and misjudged the situation. Please, ignore what Liliana just said.”
“To say one can resign from being chief maid so easily before Her Highness… clearly, you are unfit.”
Marisol’s words were met with murmurs of agreement from the entire royal assembly.
At this rate, Liliana could lose everything.
Desperate, Helene considered clasping her hands and begging.
“Miss Liliana also has a point. Declaring it a theft without investigation is a hasty judgment.”
From the ranks of soldiers, Andre stepped forward.
As the most senior Knight Commander of the Royal Order and head of the Royal Inspection Corps, Andre had rushed to Her Highness Angelina’s room upon hearing the news.
To him, this case seemed strange, despite its apparent simplicity.
Most thefts were premeditated crimes.
Helene had only entered the Lepia Palace twice before.
The first time had been by accident; she had broken into the royal residence and almost died.
Would such a person then enter the palace a second time and steal a sapphire hair ornament from a princess she was seeing for the first time?
Only a fool would do such a thing.
Andre could not believe Helene was that type of person.
Yet he could not excuse her for holding the stolen item so brazenly in front of witnesses.
And the victim was none other than Her Highness Angelina, the palace’s most esteemed guest.
No matter how suspicious, he could not act recklessly.
“…For now, Countess Emeldia will be placed in the royal dungeon.”
Andre decided it was best to end the situation immediately.
He had to prevent the argument between Marisol and Liliana from continuing.
Marisol seemed intent on removing Liliana from her position as chief maid.
Andre added that it would be wise for Liliana to find a competent lawyer.
In the royal palace, theft was a serious crime; one could be executed or imprisoned for decades in the underground dungeon.
Even if a good lawyer succeeded in proving it was a mistake, Helene would almost certainly never set foot in the palace again.
