The situation turned tense within the next 24 hours, and everyone looked at each other with suspicious glances. But the one being looked at with the most suspicion was Kael.
So he knew it would not take long for someone to come after him and try to pin the blame on him.
He had just returned from delivering breakfast to Gladion when he saw people gathering around his room, and Kael’s well-honed instincts told him it was about him.
"That shameless bastard is here!"
"How dare he show his face here as if nothing is wrong? Does he have no idea what he has done?"
"Or maybe he thinks he’ll be protected because he’s so young? He needs to learn to take accountability."
People gossiped as Kael walked past them toward his bed. The chef who had accused him looked victorious as he displayed Kael’s belongings and placed them on the table.
"Tsk, I knew you were trouble the moment I first saw you. All this fancy, well-made stuff—where did you steal it from? There is no way a commoner, much less a servant like you, could possess things like these. You had better hurry up and open your mouth, or else—!"
The chef tried to force Kael to confess that he had stolen the items. But everything laid out before them belonged to Kael.
"Please do not touch my belongings so carelessly. Everything you see in front of you is mine. Just because you are too poor to save up and buy luxurious things does not mean we are all the same."
Kael pointed out, and the chef’s face turned red.
"Tsk, you’re still trying to hide the fact that you steal even while I’m presenting the evidence? It seems like you want to spend a night being disciplined. Butler Anjou, please do something about this obvious thief!"
Kael looked toward the door, where Anjou had just arrived. It looked like a perfectly timed entrance, which meant someone had called him here.
His presence sparked even more rumors, and people began discussing what would happen to Kael now.
Anjou looked caught between a rock and a hard place. He did not seem to know whose side he should take, leaving him awkwardly stuck in the middle...or so he made it seem.
"Chef, I told you not to jump to conclusions. I am sure this young man has his own reasons for possessing these items. If you look closely, you can tell they are not in the style our master prefers."
Anjou took Kael’s side, causing the chef to become red-faced.
The argument that should have ended there flared up once again. And this time, Anjou was dragged into the fire as well.
"Hey, did this kid bribe you or something? You’re awfully quick to take his side. What would our master say if he saw your current conduct?"
The chef asked, clearly trying to stir up trouble for the butler. But it was futile because the butler simply smiled, making the chef grow uneasy.
"My master would be pleased to see that I am carrying out my duties diligently, but I cannot say the same for you, Chef. Remember, I have remained in this household for thirty years because I know how to distinguish right from wrong. Now please, return to your post before it is too late."
The butler smiled, and the chef looked both worried and annoyed by what had just happened. But he was not willing to lose his job over this.
He was one of the few original staff members who had managed to keep his position after everyone else was fired, and he intended to protect it at all costs.
"Tsk, I will take my leave now. But I will be keeping my eye on you from now on."
The chef told Kael before leaving the room.
Anjou shook his head regretfully before turning to Kael.
"Please don’t take his words to heart. The chef is simply worried and confused. And now that he has humiliated himself, I have a feeling he won’t last much longer here."
And true to Anjou’s words, the chef resigned within the next few hours, leaving the mansion short-staffed.
...
Within two days, a lot had happened in the mansion.
The master of the estate discovered that his belongings were missing, he dismissed nearly all of his staff, Kael met Gladion, the chef directed his anger and accusations toward him...and now, a new rumor had begun to spread.
"Hey, did you hear? They say the people who were dismissed from this mansion never made it back home. Apparently, they disappeared somewhere between leaving the mansion and returning to their families."
"I heard. The master received a lot of letters about it, but Anjou told him to ignore them. He promised he would handle everything."
"Anjou is an amazing man. Sometimes, I feel like no one could ever compare to him. Lady Marsha will have a hard time finding a man worthy of her."
"She should just marry Anjou. He’s only in his forties, and he’s still unmarried. It might be a large age gap, but don’t nobles marry for profit without caring about age anyway?"
The servants continued to gossip, and it was difficult to separate truth from rumor. But the news of people disappearing was concerning.
Especially since it matched what Gladion had warned him about.
"Looks like Gladion’s words carried some weight after all. I should speak with Lady Marsha and discuss what to do next."
Kael headed toward Lady Marsha’s room, only to feel a strange sensation in the air. Someone...was using magic nearby.
It made Kael quicken his pace. He followed the trail of magic until he arrived at Lady Marsha’s room.
He pushed the door open, only to see Lady Marsha sitting on her bed with a blank expression on her face. She stood up the moment the door opened, and before Kael could react, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.
Lady Marsha had lost her mind to powerful magic and no longer seemed to understand what she was doing.
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