CHAPTER 09……………………………….
I barely managed to cover my mouth with my hand before a gasp escaped.
What… what did I just hear? Kneel on the floor?
I must have misheard.
Who in their right mind would tell the third son of Duke Kereis to kneel on the floor?
“Hold out your arm.”
“…Okay.”
Then came a shocking sound.
Smack. Smack.
I couldn’t believe my ears.
That sound — it was unmistakable.
The sound of a switch striking skin, like when a teacher punished students at school.
And then came the boy’s small, pained whimpers.
No way…
I forced down the surge of anger threatening to explode and focused all my senses beyond the curtain.
“Now wipe the table.”
The nanny’s behavior was revolting.
Always wearing a mask of kindness in public, only to turn into a monster when no one was watching.
But why? Why on earth—
Rage gave way to hatred.
How could no one in this house know what was happening?
Soon, I found out why.
“If you don’t listen to me, I’ll leave you in the Forest of Shadows. The Duke gave me permission. That’s what happened to Second Young Master Ron — the Duke sent him there himself.”
“Huh…”
“Enough crying. Do you want to be thrown out of this mansion too?”
“Hhic…”
I nearly screamed.
Threatening a four-year-old with abandonment?
And judging from the boy’s reaction — how quickly he stopped crying — this clearly wasn’t the first time she’d said it.
But the next thing out of her mouth made my blood boil.
“Tsk. I can’t find a single thing worth stealing in this room. I thought a duke’s house would have more to take, but the Duke hardly pays attention to his own child, so… tch.”
You vile woman!
My nails dug into my palms as I clenched my fists tight enough to draw blood.
So that was it — she was planning to run away with the man I’d seen in the storage room.
And judging by her words, this wasn’t her first time pulling such a trick.
You’re done for.
***
The next morning, breakfast came as usual.
As always, the Duke sat across from me with his expressionless face.
His miniature version, Shevart, was still away on training.
The silence at the table was heavier than usual.
My eyes drifted to the small boy sitting opposite me.
He’s barely eating anything.
He wasn’t a big eater to begin with, but today he seemed particularly uninterested in food.
How could he grow properly like this?
My heart ached seeing him slump forward, head nearly buried in his bowl.
Then I glanced at the Duke.
That man… how can he eat so calmly?
While his own son sat there looking like that?
He was flipping through documents between bites of salad.
Why even bother having family meals if he wasn’t going to pay attention?
I wanted to grab him by the collar and shake some sense into him.
After finishing his meal, the Duke stood and left without a word.
Silence fell even heavier over the table.
“My lady, shall I bring you a warm bowl of soup instead?”
“Huh?”
I turned to the maid beside me — only then realizing I hadn’t eaten a single spoonful.
The soup that had been steaming moments ago was now cold.
“No, it’s fine.”
I set the spoon down and looked back at Krimu.
He had just lifted his head slightly at the sound of our voices.
I heard the sound of hitting last night…
If the blows had been on the inside of his arm, no one would notice.
That soft skin must have stung for hours.
Seeing him sit there silently made my chest tighten.
“…Krimu, did you sleep well last night?”
As soon as the words left my mouth, every gaze in the room turned toward me.
Of course.
The rumor that I had bullied and made Krimu cry hadn’t died down yet.
Murmurs rippled among the maids behind me.
Krimu’s red eyes widened beneath his blue fringe.
“How’s the dessert? Is it tasty?”
I pressed on, pretending not to notice.
This was the only way to reach him — to talk to him, even if it was small talk.
If he were older, I could’ve asked directly if the nanny was hurting him.
But he was only four.
I had to start slow. Build trust.
Please… let this work.
I forced a smile.
“…Not tasty.”
He scratched his blue hair with a tiny hand — the first words he’d spoken all morning.
“…!”
My heart swelled.
Finally — a proper conversation!
Yes. Step by step.
Suppressing my excitement, I mimicked him, taking a bite of cake.
“How can this not be tasty? It’s so good!”
I exaggerated the expression, child-style, waving my fork dramatically.
Maybe it was just me, but Krimu’s tense face seemed to ease a little.
“I have a cherry on mine. What fruit do you have on yours?”
“…Cherry.”
Got him.
Krimu clutched his little cherry tightly as he answered.
We were actually chatting now — it was small, but it was progress.
Just then—
“Young Master, it’s time for your studies.”
The nanny appeared in the dining room doorway.
I shot her a glare sharp enough to cut glass, but turned away immediately.
Not yet. The time isn’t right.
***
Right after breakfast, I went to see Debuye, the Kereis family’s butler.
We’d only ever exchanged polite greetings before — this was our first real conversation.
He adjusted his monocle with one elegant hand, giving me a mildly curious look.
“What brings you here, my lady?”
“There isn’t much time, so I’ll get straight to the point.”
His refined brows furrowed slightly — understandably so.
A thirteen-year-old girl showing up out of nowhere, speaking with that kind of seriousness, would confuse anyone.
But I wasn’t here for small talk.
“Show me the Kereis family ledger.”
“…Pardon?”
“The ledger. You heard me.”
Before he could ask again, I repeated it firmly.
Debuye knew I was smarter than the average girl my age.
Still, his expression said, What on earth is she talking about?
“I know this is unusual,” I said, “but there’s no time for long explanations.”
“My lady, surely you don’t think I’m so idle—”
Before he could finish, I cut in.
“There’s been missing money in the ledger these past few weeks, hasn’t there? Small amounts at first, easy to overlook — but more and more each time.”
For a moment, his monocle slipped.
He stared at me, completely stunned.
“How do you—”
“‘Kunu Trading Company.’ When’s the next payment due? It’s a larger amount than usual, isn’t it?”
“My lady… what exactly are you implying—”
“I’m telling you something very important for the Kereis household. Please, don’t waste time asking for explanations.”
“…Yes, my lady.”
He answered politely, but the shock in his eyes was unmistakable.
Everything I’d said was true — but how could I possibly know?
This information was strictly internal.
Debuye adjusted his crooked monocle, trying to regain composure, and studied me closely.
He’d always thought me a bit unusual for my age, but perhaps this was the first time he realized — this might be my real self.
“The payment to Kunu Trading is due today,” he said at last.
“What?”
Recognizing the urgency, Debuye immediately retrieved the ledger and showed it to me.
Letting an outsider see it was unheard of, but he trusted his instincts.
“As you can see, the date is today. The total — including last month’s carryover — comes to…”
“Ten… ten thousand kro?”
That was over ten million won in modern terms.
He explained that payments to Kunu were made quarterly due to the large orders.
“Who went to deliver it?”
“A servant named Weil. He’s good with numbers, reliable… surely you don’t mean—”
He trailed off when he saw my expression darken.
He understood immediately.
The next thing I knew, we were standing in the Duke’s study.
Debuye relayed everything I’d told him, word for word.
If I had come alone, the Duke wouldn’t have taken me seriously — but coming from his trusted butler, he had to listen.
“Is this true?”
“We’ll need to confirm it, Your Grace.”
The Duke’s cold voice rumbled like thunder.
He ordered men to go to Kunu Trading immediately.
“If it’s true,” he growled, “then I’ll have that rat torn to pieces.”
Even though his tone barely rose above normal, the fury behind it made the air heavy.
I could feel my own breath trembling in my chest.
“Wait,” the Duke said suddenly. “What’s that girl doing here?”
Debuye froze for half a second before replying.
“…It was the young lady who discovered everything, Your Grace.”
“Mary Ann?”
