Just as he was wondering, another shout was heard.
"Master! Here is a servant who assisted the young master."
The fact that a servant was involved made the situation of Navia's kidnapping even more evident.
"First, take Navia to the physician for examination."
"Understood."
Nikan then turned to approach a servant of Wood.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, the servant was conscious, but he was shivering on the ground with his head buried in his hands.
"Please save me, oh divine one...! Please, spare my life..."
The servant was in shock, as if he had witnessed a disaster like the end of the world right before his eyes.
Nikan frowned and then gestured to the knights to point at the servant.
The knights restrained the servant from both sides, forcibly lifting his upper body.
Slap!
Nikan slapped the servant's cheek.
The servant, struck unexpectedly, raised his head with a dazed expression.
"Ma, Master?"
Nikan looked at the servant's foolish face and quickly chose him as a scapegoat.
"How dare you kidnap the lady to this place!"
The surrounding servants realized that this kidnapping was Wood's doing.
But Nikan pinned the blame on the servant present at the scene.
His word was law. The servants remained silent.
"What...? No, it wasn't me! It was Master Wood..."
Slap!
As soon as Wood's name was mentioned, Nikan slapped the servant again.
"How dare you slander my son?"
Nikan had already scripted this incident.
A presumptuous servant kidnapped and imprisoned Navia, and Wood discovered and rescued his sister.
"Lock him up in the dungeon immediately!"
"As you command!"
"I'm innocent! I was just following orders! Master!"
Nikan looked down coldly at the servant.
"Do you know why you call me 'master'?"
"..."
"Why do you, a mere servant who is not even a retainer, dare to call me 'Master'?"
Unless they annulled their lifelong contract by paying their own value, the servants had to call Nikan their master.
They were essentially no different from slaves.
The servant was at a loss for words, overwhelmed by despair.
Nikan mounted his horse again without looking back.
He needed to check on Wood's condition.
'This is not just the work of one servant. There must be accomplices.'
There were more matters for him to handle.
The embezzlement involving the chef and the decision regarding a maid named Charlotte were still pending.
Upon arriving at the main building of the Duke's estate, Nikan commanded Lyndon who was waiting outside.
"Send a message to the Royal Palace that the heir's condition is precarious due to a surge in magical power, so the audience should be delayed."
As Lyndon left to carry out the order, the administrator who had been investigating the embezzlement since yesterday approached Nikan.
"Master, I report the results of the investigation."
"Let's hear it on the way."
Nikan began to listen to the administrator's report as he headed towards Wood's room.
There was nothing unusual in the investigation. The ledger and the embezzlement Philippa showed were almost entirely accurate.
"But there's a strange part. The part concerning a maid named Charlotte doesn't match with other ledgers of the upper management."
"Why is that?"
"We're reviewing that part."
Nikan clicked his tongue.
It was just one maid, after all. He didn't have time to waste on such trivial matters now.
He intended to simply transfer Charlotte to the laundry room.
"Master."
Nikan was just about to enter Wood's room.
There were several servants waiting for him there, all with solemn expressions.
"What is it?"
Nikan asked, puzzled, as a servant stepped forward.
It was the servant who had been slapped by Philippa for not immediately attending to Wood when he came in wet the other day.
"I accuse Philippa of corruption."
A new struggle began.
* * *
Imperial law prohibits slavery.
However, treating people as property is forbidden, not a system akin to it.
That was lifelong contracts.
A life contract that paid a fairly large down payment, as well as a monthly salary, for commoners, but it also meant being bound to a noble family.
If one couldn't afford to pay their own value, they had to live a life akin to slavery, but it was different if they had the money.
Charlotte wanted to pay her value and free herself from the lifelong contract.
Initially, she hadn't come here of her own will.
Her family had sold her off and ran away with the contract fee.
Many servants were bound to noble families in this manner.
Even if she saved her meager wages as a maid diligently, it would take a lifetime to leave this place.
Charlotte was not incompetent, but it was hard for her to earn more in a legitimate way.
That's why she was looking for an opportunity to make some extra money.
'If I get out of here, I'll open a small café’
Charlotte was confident that if she ever opened a café, the jams she would make to serve with tea and desserts would be extraordinary.
She planned to buy frozen strawberries, unsold to the fruit merchant and stored away, at a slightly cheaper price.
Making jam from frozen fruits was tastier, killing two birds with one stone.
As the strawberries boiled fragrantly, she would squeeze lemon juice into the pot.
This would prevent the strawberry jam from browning and retain its beautiful red color.
Ah, and adding a few cherries, given as a bonus when buying strawberries, would greatly enhance the flavor.
The sweetly finished jam would be bottled and sold separately, but also served with coffee and scones to customers.
Yes. She was dreaming of such a sweet and peaceful life.
"What do we do now? All the servants involved with you are doomed at the hands of Philippa!"
Charlotte was confined to her room on embezzlement charges. Suddenly, the place emptied.
A dragon-like phenomenon appeared at the mansion?
Charlotte frowned at this incomprehensible news.
Then, seizing the moment of lax surveillance, the servants who had conspired with her rushed in.
'Foolish people.'
As a group grows, so does its number.
The mansion had more than five supply companies visiting daily for groceries.
Meaning, there were plenty of such fools.
These were the people who had been persuaded by Charlotte long ago, waiting for Philippa's downfall.
She wasn't exceptionally smart, but looking at these idiots made her blood boil every now and then.
But Charlotte soon calmed down.
Their stupidity was an opportunity for her to seize amidst this crisis.
'Miss Navia used to manipulate such fools like toys.'
Charlotte, who hadn't heard of Navia's return, suddenly looked very worried.
Then, smiling at the servants looking at her anxiously, just like Navia.
"What are you worried about? This is an opportunity."
"Opportunity?"
"The chef was betrayed by Philippa and exposed her corruption. They were already colluding in another embezzlement."
The servants hesitated.
"But how do you know that?"
At their demand for proof, Charlotte almost sighed.
"Just go to the dungeon where the chef is held and tell him. He'll reveal that Philippa betrayed him."
"Why would he do that...?"
"Because he might expose Philippa's other weaknesses in retaliation."
Explaining almost spoon-feedingly, the servants' eyes lit up.
They immediately followed Charlotte's advice.
They informed the chef that Philippa was behind this predicament.
"I knew it!"
The chef, already warned by Charlotte about Philippa's odd behavior, instantly believed them.
"I won't go down alone!"
The chef, who didn't entirely trust Philippa, had his own evidence against her.
Taking down Philippa and the chef, both powerful figures in the household, was crucial.
Even these fools understood that removing these two major figures would open a new chapter.
The servants, firmly believing themselves to be the new protagonists, exposed the embezzlement to Nikan.
They laid it all out, including Charlotte's innocence.
"The evidence found in Charlotte's room was a bribe received by Philippa."
Nikan, grasping his forehead, chewed over his words.
"Investigate Philippa based on their testimonies."
"As you command."
The administrator left, and Nikan surveyed the servants.
Their enmity with Philippa was now clear from their accusations.
'Charlotte, a maid, was protected.'
He had thought of her as just a competent maid with neat work, but today's events suggested something more.
There were many eager to serve Agnis. Why keep someone with unclear intentions?
Nikan coldly announced.
"Transfer the maid Charlotte to the laundry room and assign a new personal maid to Navia."
"Understood."
