Wood had been resting in his room, advised to recuperate for a few days to ensure his magical powers flowed smoothly.
"Master! Miss Vivian's incurable disease has been cured!"
He ignored the news brought by the servants.
He kept trying to recall a memory he had forgotten.
Strangely, his animal instincts sharply alerted him that he must remember something important.
'I remember grabbing a subordinate by the collar.'
But trying to remember more sent shivers down his spine and made his heart race.
And though he nearly died due to a magic surge, he heard that Navia was perfectly fine.
"Ah! This is so annoying!"
Frustrated, he threw objects around the room.
Then, someone knocked and entered.
"Master, a lady named Charlotte, who was once Navia's maid, requests to see you urgently. What should I do?"
"Navia’s maid?"
Wood was about to shout her off but hesitated, sensing something odd.
"Let her in."
Charlotte, demoted from a maid serving the noble lady to one in the laundry, entered looking less than presentable.
She immediately knelt and prostrated herself upon seeing Wood.
"Thank you for granting me an audience, Master."
Wood's heart softened at her abject posture.
"Well. What do you want to say?"
Charlotte spoke earnestly.
"There's something I must tell you about Miss Navia. Please, clear the room."
Wood, sensing she intended to speak against Navia, quickly dismissed the servants.
"Everyone, leave for a while."
"Understood, Master."
As the room emptied and quieted, Charlotte began.
"Miss Navia is actually a commoner."
Her words struck Wood with a heavy blow.
'A commoner, not even a low noble? That vile creature deceived me all this time!'
'I'll kill that vermin!'
Then Charlotte, as if reading his thoughts, warned him.
"This is a highly confidential matter of the Lord. It would be problematic if it became public, Master."
"…Hmm, I already knew that."
"Indeed, you are astute."
Wood controlled his anger. Defying his father again could lead to serious trouble.
"The important thing is, if things continue, Miss Navia will be sent to the Duke of Eseled as his adopted daughter."
"What? That's impossible!"
"If Miss Navia becomes his heir, she will be equal to you…"
"That's nonsense!"
Such a catastrophe must never happen!
"Moreover, they might even arrange a marriage between you and Miss Navia."
Wood was stunned as if struck repeatedly.
The most horrifying part was marrying a commoner. He already loved someone else.
"Is my father really planning this? Are you sure?"
Wood was incredulous.
"There's a way to confirm. Just ask the Duke when he returns."
Charlotte's attitude was resolute.
"But by then, Miss Navia would already be appointed the Duke's heir."
That meant a marriage would naturally follow.
Wood wasn't naive about political marriages.
Charlotte, with a mournful tone, tried to persuade Wood.
"Wouldn't it be better if you married someone you love?"
But as long as Nikan ruled the family, it was impossible.
The woman he loved, Lady Lucia, was beyond his reach as a spouse.
"How could my father do this to me…"
Wood, lost in despair, was observed silently by Charlotte, who then spoke with a cold gaze but a gentle smile.
"I have a good solution."
Wood looked up quickly.
"What is it?"
"That is…"
Suddenly, the door burst open without a knock.
Both turned in surprise.
It was Philippa who entered.
"Master!"
She looked disheveled and ominous, having been imprisoned.
"Master! Please help me, I am wronged...!"
Philippa, trying to plead her innocence, caught sight of Charlotte. Her voice broke off, dripping with a murderous rage.
"Why is this, this lowly woman, here?"
Wood furrowed his brows deeply.
It was because he had been interrupted while trying to listen to an important conversation.
Moreover, he had heard that the nanny was imprisoned for committing a crime, so how could she possibly be in his room?
Charlotte looked at her with cold eyes and said.
"How dare you enter the room without the Master's permission, Philippa? Don't you know this is a great impertinence?"
Philippa's eyes spun with rage at Charlotte's audacity to criticize her without even using honorifics.
"This damned woman...! Who is to blame for all this!"
Philippa violently grabbed Charlotte by the hair.
"Ah! Let me go!"
"This pest of a woman! Everything will be fine if you just disappear!"
Wood used magic to strike Philippa, knocking her backward.
"Aah!"
Philippa crumpled to the ground, then propped herself up on her elbows.
Her expression was frozen in disbelief.
"Master...?"
Wood looked down at Philippa with the same disgust as one would at a repulsive bug.
"If you've committed a crime, you should stay quietly in prison. What are you doing?"
It was a look Philippa knew all too well.
The same look Wood gave to Navia!
Realizing this, Philippa's eyelids trembled violently.
"How could I, who raised you, Master, how could you do this to your nanny..."
"Ah, be quiet."
"…!"
"How did the nanny even get out? Father went to the royal palace."
He then remembered another person who had the authority to pull off such a stunt.
"That stupid Vivian..."
As Wood clicked his tongue in displeasure, Lyndon and the knights rushed into the bedroom.
They had come to check, fearing the deranged Philippa might do something.
Wood said irritably.
"Lock the nanny up again. Don't ever release her, no matter what Vivian says!"
"Your orders will be obeyed."
Philippa was dragged out by the knights, her expression empty.
Wood glanced at Philippa with the same disdain as one would at something filthy, then coldly shifted his gaze.
The now useless nanny was no longer of his concern.
He turned to Charlotte.
"So? Let's finish the conversation we were having."
* * *
Navia returned to her room while Charlotte was handling the tasks she had assigned.
She called the accountant, instructing him to sell everything from the Ansier Boutique and asking for an advance from the family funds.
The accountant looked at her curiously, asking what she planned to do.
Navia said she wanted to exchange them for money to buy gifts for her family to celebrate Vivian's recovery and go out, something she had never done before.
It wasn't explicitly forbidden, but it was an unspoken rule.
But Navia had a good excuse.
"Today is the day Vivian recovers from her illness. Surely there will be a banquet. I want to give gifts for the health and happiness of the family..."
The accountant agreed, though doubting what an impressive gift a child could choose.
Navia smiled and thanked him.
The accountant reluctantly handed over the money, shaking his head at her shy smile.
He had a soft spot for children.
After securing the money, Navia waited for Charlotte to come out of Wood's room.
And Charlotte came out.
"I did as you instructed, Miss."
Charlotte had listened to, understood, and executed Navia's instructions, feeling chills run down her spine the whole time.
Because she had finally clearly seen the picture Navia was painting.
'The successor of the Eseled...'
Moving from one family's adopted daughter to another's? Who could come up with such a radical idea!
'But the Eseled family is known as a garbage dump.'
What was she planning to do there?
"Here."
Navia handed Charlotte the money she had received from the accountant.
"Pay off your breach of contract today and escape from here. Opening a coffee house at the harbor will be safe and profitable."
"…Thank you."
"Go now."
Charlotte hesitated for a moment before taking the money and leaving the room.
Navia was left alone in the room, looking out the window.
Swoosh-!
Finally, the ash-colored clouds began to pour down rain.
