"Lady Cathleen needs two weeks of rest if she wants to attend the victory banquet." That's what the doctor told me yesterday.
Two weeks confined to bed, forbidden from walking for long—what a hassle. It's only been a day, yet I already feel like I'm dying of boredom. All I can do is lie down or sit.
"Why do you look so grumpy?" Cedric asked. Since yesterday, he'd been keeping me company in my room, even going so far as to move his work desk and important documents here. Truly the ideal husband.
"I want to go outside."
"Do you not see your injured leg?"
I huffed in frustration. "Yes, my husband. Your wife has indeed noticed her injured leg, and now she'd like to go outside because she's bored."
Cedric smiled faintly, his focus still on the stack of papers he was reviewing. I observed him closely. The sunlight streaming through the window made him almost dazzling. His blonde hair practically glowed under the light, and the intense focus in his eyes was utterly captivating. Where else could I find someone like him besides Cedric? Nowhere, except in the world of fiction.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Cedric asked, surprising me. He'd noticed my gaze all along.
"N-nothing," I stammered, quickly turning away, embarrassed at being caught.
Silence filled the room. The only sounds were the scratching of his pen and the rustling of papers. Yet, the silence wasn't awkward—I found it comforting.
In this tranquility, an idea suddenly struck me. I turned back to face Cedric. "Hey, could you get my sapphire blue necklace from the drawer of my vanity?"
Cedric glanced at me briefly before heading to the vanity. He opened the top drawer and searched carefully, then moved to the second drawer, but still didn't find the necklace.
"Where exactly did you put it?"
"I always keep it there. I couldn't have forgotten."
"But there's no sapphire necklace here."
I immediately sat up from my lying position. The sudden movement made me instinctively shift my injured leg, causing a sharp pain. I winced, clutching my right leg.
Cedric rushed to my side. "Don't move too much. Your leg is still hurt."
"Yes, I know. But that necklace is more important right now."
"What's so important about it?" Cedric furrowed his brow, clearly puzzled by my behavior.
Putting on a panicked expression, I said, "It was a gift from my mother. That necklace is more valuable than my life." I tried to stand. "Help me up. I'll check it myself."
Without a word, Cedric helped me to my feet. However, instead of just assisting me to stand, he carried me over to the vanity.
Once there, I began pulling everything out of the two drawers, but it was all in vain. The sapphire necklace wasn't there. "Where is it?" I repeated over and over, enough to make Cedric start to panic.
"Hey, calm down." Cedric gently patted my shoulder, attempting to soothe me as he picked up the scattered items I had thrown out.
When the search yielded nothing, all I could do was bury my face in my hands and cry. Cedric, realizing the necklace couldn't have disappeared on its own, called several servants into the room.
He helped me back to the bed. With tear-streaked cheeks, I watched as a small group entered—head maid Eleanor and Cedric's aide, Dion, both awaiting his orders.
"Search every corner of this place for a sapphire blue necklace. Look everywhere, in every nook and cranny of this house. Mobilize all the knights to aid in the search," Cedric commanded firmly. "As for the servants, gather them all without exception, NOW!"
"Yes, my lord."
"Be patient," Cedric said softly, wiping away the traces of tears on my face. "I'll find your necklace, no matter what."
***
The gathered household staff stood bewildered. Zoya and Ellie were among those lost in confusion. Meanwhile, the knights moved briskly back and forth, as if in search of something.
"What's going on?" Zoya, equally perplexed, tried to ask another servant, but like her, they knew nothing.
Ellie glanced briefly at Zoya's puzzled expression before refocusing her attention on the head maid, who seemed about to address the group.
"Attention, everyone," the head maid called out, clapping her hands to capture the room's focus. "Lady Cathleen's sapphire necklace is missing."
The room erupted in chatter, with speculations flying about the necklace's disappearance. Some dismissed it as trivial, reasoning that Cathleen was wealthy enough to buy more necklaces instead of disrupting the staff's busy routines over one missing piece.
Anticipating these thoughts, the head maid added firmly, "Lady Cathleen wouldn't make a fuss if it were a necklace she could easily replace. However, the one that's missing is a gift from her mother, irreplaceable and unique."
The murmurs died down, replaced by uneasy silence as the head maid continued. "Now, whoever took the necklace, step forward. You will still be punished, but the consequences will be far less severe than if the knights find it in your quarters."
The Orion estate provided separate living quarters for the staff and knights, each with individual rooms marked by nameplates on the doors. This arrangement made identifying and searching rooms straightforward.
Yet no one confessed. All stood silently, heads bowed, while the head maid scrutinized each face, her piercing gaze making even the innocent feel uneasy.
"Confess before you're caught," she warned. "I'm still kind enough to offer leniency."
The oppressive silence stretched, broken only by footsteps as Dion entered the room, holding the sapphire necklace aloft.
"I've found it," he declared, presenting the necklace to Eleanor. "Is this the one?"
"Yes, that's it," Eleanor confirmed, taking the necklace. "Where did you find it?"
"In a servant's room."
"And whose room was it?" The gathered servants collectively tensed, fearing their name might be called.
Dion's eyes scanned the rows of servants lined up neatly. His deliberate silence and searching gaze made everyone too afraid to move, let alone speak.
Zoya and Ellie, standing nearby, were equally curious about the culprit.
"Who do you think dared to take Lady Cathleen's necklace?" Ellie whispered to Zoya.
Zoya shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't care who it is."
"Is that so?" Ellie replied with a satisfied nod. Zoya cast her a brief, disinterested glance before returning her gaze ahead. In this household, aside from Cedric, Zoya cared for no one.
Then Dion pointed directly at Zoya. "The thief is Zoya, the servant."