"Why… Why isn't it here?"
"I'm pretty sure this is the right place…"
"Dig some more over there."
Their hands became increasingly obstinate as they searched the rose garden.
The maids and servants who had come to retrieve the ring they had hidden at Camilla's command shuffled about.
"Why isn't it there?"
"Damn it!"
They've been searching for over two hours now, and they haven't found a single piece of wire, let alone a ring.
'It hurts…'
Their hands were already full of scratches and puncture wounds from the rose thorns.
"What are you doing!? Keep digging!"
"…Okay."
But they didn't have time to worry about the wounds on their hands.
If they don't find the ring by the end of the day, they might get in trouble.
If it were the Camilla whom they had just met, she could've easily removed them from the duchy without another word.
Or, as she said, if there were a commotion about her suicide…!
"…Nothing."
"Not here either."
Time flew by again; it was already dusk.
"Oh, my god!"
"Surely it's here!"
Exhausted, they all slumped to the floor.
Where the hell did the ring go? Did one of them secretly dig it up and sell it?
For a moment, they doubted each other, but soon shook their heads.
They weren't all so stupid as to sell the jewelry of a noble family on the street.
When it comes to jewelry, the craftsmanship is often enough to tell you where it came from.
Who would dare do such a thing when they would be accused of being a thief?
"Get up."
"Let's look some more."
"Oh my god!"
The maids and servants rose from their position.
They have to find the ring somehow. They have to find it and bring it to Camilla to beg over and over again.
"What are you guys doing here?"
Then, there was a person that slowly approached them.
"B-Butler."
It was the butler Rube.
"I asked you what are you guys doing?"
"W-We—!"
Rube's usually smiling face had turned cold, and it was difficult for anyone to talk.
They couldn't just tell him that they stole Camilla's ring and hid it, and now they can't find it.
"Follow me."
The faces of the employees went white as Rube turned away with those words.
Realizing that something was completely amiss, they followed the butler with bated breaths and clenched jaws.
But unlike them, who were frightened, the faintest hint of a smile had crept onto Rube's lips as he walked ahead.
'You've definitely changed.'
In fact, he had already gotten a sense of the situation.
Yesterday, he happened to walk by as Camilla was digging out a ring here.
It was only then did he understand why Camilla had been digging around in this place all those months ago.
And so he could guess as to what they were doing.
Just as Chef Jellard can't even raise his head in front of Camilla, she must have done something to the maids and servants as well.
Butler Rube chuckled lightly, as if he were amused.
Crack!
"They stole it?"
"…"
That's a desk that took the craftsman five years to make.
Rube sighed softly as he looked at the desk, which had been cracked in the corner by the Duke of Sorpel's grip. Can it be repaired?
"Then, the reason why Camilla made a mess of the rose garden the last time…"
"Yes, it was probably to find the ring."
Crunch!
As he watched the desk fall apart, Rube quickly pulled together a quote to order a new one.
In the meantime, the Duke of Sorpel's thoughts were becoming increasingly complex.
"I don't understand."
Why the hell didn't she tell him?
"I wish she had told the truth that it—"
Sure enough, when he called Camilla, who had made a mess in the rose garden, and asked her why, she remained tight-lipped and made no excuses.
In the end, he sent her away, telling her that if she made a scene again, there would be consequences.
"Why on earth…?"
It's the same with what happened at dinner the other day, and this time too. Unable to find an answer for a while, the Duke of Sorpel turned his gaze back to Rube.
"Get Camilla."
"Understood."
Duke Sorpel let out a small sigh as he watched his butler, Rube, walk out the door.
He remembered the first time he met Camilla. She was a child who couldn't even look him in the eye.
He let her be. He thought it was natural to feel awkward and uncomfortable as a strange man suddenly took on the role of being her father.
'It was the same for me.'
He didn't bother approaching the child who didn't open up to him. It was just as awkward for him, too.
He thought he was doing his duty by making sure she had everything she could possibly want as a lady.
'But—'
How was his daughter being treated in the duchy?
Knock, knock.
A moment later, the door opened and Camilla stepped inside.
* * *
"Father, I heard you were looking for me?"
Contrary to her bright smile, she was not at ease on the inside. Feeling uneasy, Camilla gave her clasped hands a squeeze.
Things don't turn out so well when the Duke summons Camilla.
Had something else happened without her realizing it? Has Ravi already done something?
'Ugh, what the hell is going on?'
Camilla grew even more anxious as she watched the Duke of Sorpel's expression harden.
"I heard you lost your ring."
"…Huh?"
But then the Duke of Sorpel said something unexpected.
'What?'
Did the Duke of Sorpel find out about it already?
'That's weird.'
If they were in their right minds, they would've never admitted to stealing the ring, right?
It was a crime. She thought that if they got caught, they'd at least make up a story about why they were scouring through the rose garden.
'You have such good skills.'
Unaware that they had been caught by the butler, Rube, Camilla briefly marveled at the skill of the man who had caught and interrogated them.
'So it's not like something happened that I don't know about, right?'
Hearing the Duke of Sorpel's voice, it didn't sound like he was calling to chastise her.
'Though…'
The mood was a little off. She didn't think he was angry, but something about the mood just felt off?
She is the one who lost the ring, so why is the mood over there so down?
"Why didn't you tell me?"
A moment later, the Duke of Sorpel's voice was heard again.
"Why didn't you tell me right then?"
He is probably referring to when Camilla lost her ring and searched through the rose garden.
Knowing what was going on at the time, he was stunned.
'Would you believe me if I had told you?'
She still remembered the look on Duke Sorpel's face that day, as if he were asking her what kind of trouble she had gotten into this time.
What could she have said as she looked into his eyes, which were full of patheticness, irritation, and resignation?
'It would have been as they said.'
Even if she told him the truth, he wouldn't have believed her.
He would have been more likely to listen to their tearful words, and in the end, Camilla would have been branded as a child who spoke lies again.
Who was to blame? The pitiful person who clams up?
Well…
She still didn't understand.
'Why is he so serious?'
As always, it was a simple matter of giving orders to the subordinates and letting them handle it. It's always been that way with Camilla.
She didn't know what the Duke of Sorpel's intentions were in summoning her to ask what happened.
"You should have told me the truth."
The Duke of Sorpel kept clicking his tongue. It seemed as if he felt sorry…
'Do you feel sorry for me?'
Him? For Camilla?
She watched him kill her for over 20 years. She's seen him turn his back on Camilla countless times, always cold and distant.
Although she's felt that things have been getting a little, very little, better in their relationship lately…
'I know very well that we don't have that kind of relationship.'
Camilla, who convinced herself that she shouldn't let her guard down, bows her head in apology.
"I didn't want you to worry about unnecessary things."
"It's not a waste of time."
Camilla smiled sheepishly at the Duke of Sorpel, whose voice was rising slightly.
"You're already busy with work, and I didn't want to make you even more tired."
"…"
"I'm sorry, I wasn't good enough… I tried to figure it out on my own somehow—"
"Why are you apologizing!?"
The Duke of Sorpel, who had raised his voice for a moment, was stunned. Seeing Camilla's sullen face, he spoke hastily.
"Camilla."
"Yes?"
"In the future, whatever happens, you have to tell me first."
The Duke of Sorpel's voice was unusually soft.
'What's this?'
It's the same for his eyes.
Camilla looked at the Duke of Sorpel more warily than she had ever before.
Chapter. Similarities
[What are you doing?]
"I'm looking at a map."
[Why are you looking at a map all of a sudden?]
Ferrol, the chef ghost, gave Camilla a puzzled look as she sat in the study looking at a map.
He came in to discuss the snacks to be served for tonight's dinner, but she hasn't let go of the map since earlier.
"I was just wondering where a good place would be if I had to run away."
Where the furthest and safest place from here is.
[What? What do you mean?]
"You know…"
Camilla answered without looking up.
'Hopefully things will work out and I won't have to run away, but------'
People don't always get to do what they want.
'You'll never know when Ravi will get into trouble.'
The last time she was summoned by the Duke, she realized for sure that she needed to prepare other options in advance.
She remembers the anxiety… and how she broke into a cold sweat when the Duke called for her.
Fortunately, it wasn't a big deal, but she desperately felt the need to create something else to relieve that anxiety.
It's too unnerving to try to save her life by holding on to the Duke's heart for dear life.
But the thing is…
"…"
She has no idea what she's looking at.
She couldn't quite figure out such a crude and complicated map. She couldn't even get a sense of it.
[Donna is coming.]
Ferrol's words made her look up, and she saw Donna enter the study.
She spotted her right away and quickly approached.