After having lunch with Anastasia, Miss Magdalene followed Rosa to her room. When she entered, she noticed that Rosa had also brought the wedding gift sent by the king into her room.
"Those are for your lady," Miss Magdalene said, pointing at the gift boxes.
"Oh," Rosa was dumbfounded. Although she had not opened the boxes, she could tell from their appearance that their contents must be very valuable.
"I'm sorry. I'll go get some help so we can move them," Rosa said as she excused herself from the room. The other two maids in the courtyard had only arrived that day. She did not know if they were trustworthy, so she needed to keep a close eye on them.
After Rosa left, Miss Magdalene's eyes fell on the boxes. She had no idea why, but she felt compelled to check if their contents were still inside. From Rosa's behavior, she could tell that she hadn't checked. After witnessing a few things in the duke's residence, Miss Magdalene could already guess what was happening.
The kitchen had sent lunch to Anastasia, but the food was no different from what a palace maid would receive.
Although the duke's residence could not be compared to the royal palace, it should not be so poor that a noble daughter would eat like a maid.
Miss Magdalene checked each box. There were six in total. Three contained jewelry, two contained clothes, while the sixth contained coins.
The lowest-ranking member of the royal family received a monthly allowance of one hundred silver coins. Looking at the half-empty box, Miss Magdalene immediately realized that someone had stolen from it. Running her hands through the coins, she was sure that at least sixty silver pieces were missing.
Just as she was about to count to verify her suspicion, she heard a knock on the door.
"Come in," Miss Magdalene said, shutting the box and stepping away.
Rosa entered with two other maids.
"Has someone been watching over my things?" Miss Magdalene asked casually.
"Miss Magdalene, I was the one who received these boxes, but just as I moved them to the hall, Leah, the duchess's maid, came by. She ordered us to leave the courtyard," Rosa answered. At the time, Rosa thought Leah would take the boxes away, but she was surprised when Leah left empty-handed and later returned with more decorations. Although Rosa had her doubts, she had not voiced them.
"Oh," Miss Magdalene nodded. "Thank you for helping me settle in," she said with a smile.
Rosa smiled as they moved the boxes away, while Miss Magdalene's frown deepened. She had only just arrived at the duke's residence and could not start questioning people. However, it was a fact that the silver was missing.
While Miss Magdalene was worrying about how to find the thief, she suddenly remembered that the queen had specially sent those silver coins. They served two purposes: first, as Anastasia's allowance as a potential member of the royal family, and second, to monitor her spending habits. The Queen had specially marked the silver coins.
Every merchant in Nexit knew to report if such silver was spent at their establishment.
Now that someone had stolen the silver, catching the thief would be easy. As soon as they spent the money, they would be exposed.
---
In the Duke's Study
"Are you really going to allow that girl to marry the crown prince?" Steward Murman asked. He had been thinking about it since the duke's discussion with the king.
"Do I have a choice?" Duke Thompson replied. He and Steward Murman had known each other for many years, so their relationship was more than just master and servant.
"But what if she finds out later?" Steward Murman asked with concern.
"They are both my daughters. Even if I have made some mistakes in the past, that doesn't change anything," Duke Thompson said after a short pause.
If he had a choice, he would have given such an opportunity to Elisabeth, but the king had chosen Anastasia. He had no say in the bride selection.
"Do you think the king found out the truth from back then?" Steward Murman asked. He was not in a position to speak to the king, but he found it strange that the crown prince's legal wife would be the daughter of a mistress. If it were the son of a mistress, the arrangement would make sense, but for the crown prince, it was unusual.
"No," the duke shook his head. He recalled his meeting with the king the previous day.
The king had informed him of the plan to marry his eldest daughter to the crown prince without asking for his opinion. By law, that should have been Elisabeth, but the emperor corrected him.
"Her mother was a virtuous woman. I am sure she will be, too," the king had said. He reminded Duke Thompson that Lady Maureen was of noble birth and had once been legally married to him. Moreover, both Elisabeth and Anastasia were his daughters. If he questioned the king's decision too much, he might reveal something. In the end, he could not understand the king's reasoning, but he was convinced it had nothing to do with what happened years ago.
"It's been so many years. If he had investigated back then, he might have found the truth. It has been over eighteen years. Even if he suspects something, there aren't many clues left," the duke reasoned.
"If he didn't find out the truth, then why would he make this decision?" Steward Murman asked. He believed there was a chance the king knew something.
"I don't know. But whatever clues he has are just that 'clues.' If I play my cards right, he might give up on them," Duke Thompson said. He was not one to take chances.
"Do you think she knows?" Steward Murman asked. Fooling the king was one thing, but what if Lady Maureen had told her daughter the truth?
"She doesn't know," Duke Thompson replied firmly. He was certain because he knew Lady Maureen well. She was never one to hide in the shadows. Moreover, her greatest wish was for her daughter to live a carefree life. She would never burden her with such information.
Also after Lady Maureen's death, he had tested Anastasia on three occasions, and each time, he realized she was clueless.
"At the end of the day, they are both my daughters. Whoever becomes the prince's wife will still benefit the family," Duke Thompson said.
"Yes, but you were never there for her. Do you think she will hold a grudge against you? One can be humble without power," Steward Murman pointed out.
Duke Thompson paused. "As long as I make her understand that her marriage to the prince is only possible because of the duke's household, and that her stability depends on our power, she will support us," he said.
He knew that once Anastasia left the household, she would have nothing to holding her back.
There was a chance she would not want to help the duke's residence gain more power in the royal court, especially since Duchess Anita, who had never treated her well, would benefit. The only way to secure her loyalty was to tie her future to the family's success.
The stud fell quite for a short moment.
"But, her Grace will fight against you. There is really no room for peace," Steward Murman said. He felt the need to remind the duke that as long as his wife continued to oppose Anastasia, his plans might remain nothing more than a dream.
"Let her try. It would be good if she succeeds, but if she fails, she will pay the price," Duke Thompson said with a smirk.
Steward Murman lowered his gaze. For a moment, he had thought the duke was finally going to do the right thing. However, he was disappointed to realize that, as always, the duke had chosen to do nothing. He wanted to reap the benefits if things went well and find a scapegoat if they didn't.
"Your Grace is wise," Steward Murman praised, though it went against his conscience.