"Uh, how...!"
Startled by the mention of embezzlement, Philippa flinched slightly.
The alimony assigned to Navia wasn't abundant, but it wasn't meager enough to justify such absurdly poor-quality food.
'The cost of food shouldn't be much, really.'
How much must she have embezzled for the meals to turn out like this?
Philippa bit her lip nervously.
'How did she find out? Surely, that young girl couldn't have figured it out on her own!'
Had she overheard someone talking about it?
Philippa, composing her expression, arrogantly lifted her chin.
'After all, she's just a child.'
In such times, one must appear more confident.
"Ha! To accuse me, who has been loyal to Agnes all my life, with such baseless and absurd accusations!"
She tried to pressure Navia by asserting her long-standing loyalty to Agnes.
This wasn't just that; she also included the threats she often used against Navia.
"If you carelessly spread such rumors, you'll have your tongue cut out!"
Now Navia would surely be scared into submission.
But to Navia, all these words sounded like nothing but sophistry and nonsense.
A child's tantrum would be more convincing.
'The nanny has always been like this.'
Wasn't there a saying about a fox borrowing the tiger's might?
Philippa considered the duke's authority as her own.
Navia, unshaken by such ridiculous threats, tilted her head and responded naturally.
"But won't the duke soon realize something's odd? Why didn't you do anything about the hole in the door?"
"Th-that, that's..."
Nikan would surely question why the fire spread so much because of 'that one hole.'
And then he would wonder, 'Why didn't Philippa take any action despite knowing there was something wrong with the door?'
However, Philippa had an excuse for her negligence.
'Ha! I've been busy taking care of three children, and even Vivian, who is terminally ill.'
Then Navia, with a sly smile, saw right through her thoughts.
"Oh, of course. You'll claim you were too preoccupied with caring for the sick Vivian and three children."
Startled!
"I have no idea what you're talking about!"
Philippa was utterly shocked.
Could Navia be a sorceress who could read minds?
Otherwise, how could she speak exactly what Philippa was thinking!
'Something's wrong. Very wrong...'
It seemed like everything was going awry.
The more she spoke, the more she cornered herself, not Navia.
The cold threat that couldn't be dismissed as a child's babble choked her.
‘It's like…’
She almost felt a terrifying illusion that a demon had possessed the child in front of her, coming to devour her.
"If you continue to slander me, it won't be good for you!"
Then Navia burst into laughter.
"Ahaha! Slander? That's funny, nanny."
"How dare, how dare you...!"
Philippa was so enraged that she was out of breath.
But honestly, she was afraid to hear Navia prattle on with more words.
'Right. I need to shut her up first!'
"I didn't want to do this, but it seems I must take up a cane to make you stop!"
A misbehaving child must be disciplined with a rod.
How could such a scrawny child stand against her, an adult hardened by labor?
Then Navia, with a serious expression, said,
"I know very well how loyal a servant you are to nanny."
More accurately, she considered herself as Agnes.
"But you see, this isn't quite the loyalty father would think of, is it, nanny?"
Mentioning Nikan made Philippa tremble like an aspen tree.
Reading her fear, Navia intensified her stance.
"Aren't you curious how father will react when he sees my meals?"
"Stop it, miss! If you keep this up, you'll end up getting twenty, no, thirty lashes with a cane...!"
Philippa's threat couldn't continue.
"Father hates losing face. How heartbroken he'd be to be betrayed by a trusted servant. You of all people should know that, Philippa, having served him closely all your life."
How merciless Nikan could be.
Philippa's face turned pale as she unknowingly stepped back.
Even amidst this, she couldn't turn her gaze away from Navia.
She wanted to avoid those dreadfully quiet red eyes, but they were too terrifying to look away from.
What was this woman seeing now?
Philippa felt that Navia's eyes were not looking at her current self but somewhere further away.
Perhaps at her own body, beheaded for embezzlement.
"Why are you doing this to me?"
Philippa yelled almost like a scream.
"Who told you to do this? Who falsely accused me, Agnes's loyal servant, without any evidence!"
"Evidence?"
Philippa had always been caught embezzling by Nikan.
Due to her careless nature, evidence of her embezzlement was soon exposed.
Navia smiled softly as if she had received a new toy.
"Then let's go to father right away. Like the nanny said, I'll kneel before the duke and tell him the truth."
Navia looked as if she were really going to find Nikan, stepping down from the bed and walking towards the door.
"No!"
Philippa grabbed Navia's arm and threw her back in a panic.
Click.
At that moment, Councilor Hans entered.
Hans exclaimed in surprise.
"What is this!"
Charlotte, who had been quietly observing the situation, rushed to Navia with a shocked expression.
"Miss, are you alright?"
Philippa's face turned even paler upon realizing Charlotte, whom she had forgotten was there.
'Why is Charlotte still here?'
Charlotte would have thought that the terrible meal was just a way to bully the fake lady.
But now, she might suspect her of embezzlement, as Navia had revealed.
No, she definitely would.
'Charlotte always flattered me, but...'
Philippa looked at Charlotte helping Navia up with confused eyes.
Meanwhile, Navia, curled up like a kitten, drew Philippa's attention with her tearful eyes.
"It's too much, nanny. Even if you hate me being on the third floor, how can you do this to me...?"
Philippa felt like she was going to faint.
"What nonsense all of a sudden!"
"I know I shouldn't have come to the third floor. But I couldn't disobey father's orders..."
Councilor Hans's wrinkled face turned cold.
He realized why Philippa was acting violently towards Navia.
"How dare you disobey the lord's orders, Philippa?"
"Councilor, it's nonsense! It's a lie!"
"Then what did I just witness? Why did you push the lady?"
Philippa was silent.
She couldn't say she had stopped Navia from reporting her embezzlement to Nikan.
Hans shouted as she remained silent.
"Have you nothing else to say!"
"That, that's..."
"Are you unaware that harming a noble is a grave crime?"
A commoner who injured a noble would be whipped until their back was torn and they died, or they would be branded as a slave.
Though Navia was a fake noble, she was still a noble, and this fact would definitely be detrimental to Philippa.
Philippa grabbed Hans in desperation.
"It was just an accident!"
"Enough, get out!"
Philippa looked helplessly between the councilor and Navia.
If the duke heard she had thrown Navia, the whole context and her embezzlement would be revealed.
She couldn't escape the death penalty for embezzlement!
'I can't let that happen!'
What to do? What to do? What...!
"Nanny."
Then, a calm voice, inappropriate for the situation, was heard.
