A contract (2)

"Your Grace, how should we solve this?"

Alfred did not push her forward, nor did his gaze land on her when he said those words. He sounded like he was asking what they were having for lunch. However, it was obvious that all the attention turned to her.

As if given the signal, Adelaide immediately tried her best to look hurt and frail, even though all her wounds only stung a little. It created quite an effective visual effect because of the blood, glass dust, and torn dress, but they weren't deep at all. Adelaide was sure she would heal fast.

Though her dress was torn, her attire overall did not look too revealing for a young lady. If anything, the red scratches looked even clearer and more vivid on her white porcelain skin.

'Yesss, the long-awaited spotlight!'

At times like this, Adelaide was an attention seeker. If not for the fact that she wanted to become a rich businesswoman who retires at forty but still generates passive income, a career in acting would be suitable for her.

Adelaide took a quick glance at the knights and the maids before talking like how a vulnerable but brave child would.

"I…I'm sorry, b…but…" she deliberately uttered incomplete sentences with a tear-stained face, her right hand still held firmly onto Alfred's pants. Adelaide was no psychologist, but she knew children cling onto their most reliable ally when facing scary situations, like how a chick hides behind its mother's wings.

Therefore, she must be meticulous even in these small details. Despite his incompetence, Duke Charles was no fool. He had been rolling around and about for decades, so a poorly done act would definitely catch his eye.

Luckily, she still had the appearance of a child. People tend to overlook certain details when it comes to children.

"It's okay, Adelaide. No one's blaming you." Alfred's reassuring voice could be heard from above her head. She did not know if he knew she was acting, but he was indeed cooperating, and that's enough.

"As I said, how should we solve this, father?"

The heir's casual but determined tone made Duke Charles' eyebrows frown.

"Do we have to do this right now, Alfred?" there was pressure being put deliberately into his reply. What the duke meant was simple. The inner, real message behind his question was,

[We'll solve this later when there aren't so many eyes watching.]

Not all the people present were his trusted people. New faces were included within the crowd, too. Duke Charles did not expect something as complicated as this would happen on his way here. All he thought about was that his beloved wife was in this room, without any guards accompanying her; the noises were loud, what if she was harmed?

Never in his wildest dream would the thought of Elicia being the culprit of his daughter's wounds had surfaced in his mind. He knew his wife had never liked his children, but he did not care what she did, as long as no words get out.

In fact, Elicia was also smart enough not to let rumors spread. That was why the duke went to the closet room with all on-duty guards.

However, the mess before him was complicated, and the best way was to settle things internally to reduce its impact as much as possible. If words get out publicly, the story would be exaggerated for sure. Through people's gossips, small wounds would become big, then terrible abuse.

Duke Charles refused to have his reputation tainted. He was working hard to avoid the nobles' suspicious eyes regarding Adelaide's kidnapping by saying she took a trip to the Northern Mansion. It was a shallow initial excuse, but the lie was coming together with the ongoing preparations and explanations.

If the kidnap was revealed, headaches upon headaches would come after him. The opposing parties would bite on this excuse like glue, resulting in the Emperor's attention.

Worse come to worst, even a joint investigation between the Elven Kingdom and the Empire could take place.

The duke was full of jealousy towards his eldest, but he was sure Alfred knew about all the potential threats. As the heir, his reputation and future were tied to Winford's.

Contrary to Duke Charles' thoughts of Alfred making a small mistake due to emotions, his son seemed to have another ulterior motive.

Alfred did not look discouraged at his father's answer, and his gaze turned serious.

"I understand you do not want family matters to be taken advantage of, Father. Forgive me for the outrageous words, but right now, I believe even the walls have ears."

"…"

"Some of us really need to know where the boundaries are." As Alfred glanced towards the scared maids, his words sounded like they were directed towards them.

"Am I right, mother?"

[You better know your place.] was what he meant.

Elicia's expression turned ugly when her stepson's gaze stopped at her. She was angry, terrified, and humiliated. Alfred's clear blue eyes looked like they were mocking her.

Forget the dreamy phrase 'as blue as the sky, as deep as the ocean'; this kid's gaze sent chills down her spine.

"Alfred!"

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, Your Grace. I forgot that even Mother received quite a shock."

The meaning behind his words was obvious. [She received quite a shock, but whether it was a shock due to being caught at the scene or due to the atrocious servants is still questionable.]

The duke knew he could not delay the inevitable. He wanted to solve this later and call it a night, but his son would not let him.

Didn't he know it himself that the longer they stand at a stalemate like this, the more consequences they would face? As the future lord, he should have known that business and political standings were all tightly linked to reputation!

"Um…"

Just when he was lost in his own anger, Duke Charles saw his daughter trying to build up courage and spoke.

"It…It was not m…mother's fault. She's innocent."

In truth, all Adelaide thought was how to push this incident towards the finish line a little. She did not know what would happen between Alfred and the duke after this, but she had gained herself some benefits, so it was time.

"It was the maids. I…I was a little agitated when they tried to touch me. That g-gave me horrible thoughts, so I tried to resist and said I could put on the clothes myself."

"…"

"Th…They didn't let go. Even when mother ordered them too, they j-just said she was too lenient towards me and that's not good for education. Even…even Susan couldn't do anything."

While Duchess Elicia received another shock, the duke felt like he had finally found a way. However, his expression turned firm towards a possibility.

'I knew Eli wouldn't go that far, so it's reasonable if it were these new maids who have their eyes way above their heads. But then, no matter how arrogant a maid is, they have common sense. They wouldn't dare hit the young lady of the house. They'll do that only if someone commanded that it the past to other maids.'

'Who taught her how to talk like that? Alfred? In that short amount of time? Impossible!'

It was interesting to see Duke Charles' stone-cold expression turn grim even when he was given a way. Adelaide was happy with the current development.

'Rather than being shocked about how his daughter was actually beaten before, he was uncomfortable about the matter being exposed to him this way.'

'Yes, no matter how dumb you are, maids never dare to hit their masters. He'll decipher this situation as the maids went overboard to curry favor despite the duchess telling them to do things moderately. Then there's me and my words, too. A kid's instinct is to tell the truth when they were being mistreated when they have the chance.'

'The best explanation would be Alfred. But how could he roam in, point a gun at them, teach me what to say, kill that big-mouth maid, then threaten those people that fast?'

Adelaide watched in amusement as Duke Charles remained silent. She then decided she should deliver another small blow.

"T-Then I got a little angry. I'm sorry for yelling at the maids, but b-brother once told me maids aren't supposed to have that attitude. M-mother used to say even if the maids seemed a little harsh, they were just doing what's best for me as I'm still a child."

"…"

"B-but they didn't even listen to m-mother this time either, and she's an adult. So, i-it wasn't Adelaide that was in the wrong, but them. S-so…I'm sorry, I really am…"

"It's not your fault, I already said that. Don't you trust your older brother?"

"Yes…"

'That's pretty much did something, right?'

Adelaide resisted the urge to smile when her brother patted her head and gave her a proud look. It was similar to how parents behaved when their child received a gold medal.

'I'm glad Adelaide used to be a little mischievous, but she was a kid and her personality was suppressed by that Eli bitch. I guess I could blend in and grow up well without raising this brother's suspicion.'

'I'm somehow the same as the original one, but different. Let's just say kids change day by day, and I'm the upgrade version. You know, Adelaide 2.0.'

"Yes, it wasn't your fault, Adelaide." Duke Charles finally spoke after a minute of pondering.

"F…father…"

"Though I may look strict, I would never mistreat my own blood and flesh. Your brother was right. Remember, Adelaide, no one in this castle has the audacity to put a finger on you. The same goes for the knights, understood?"

"Yes, Your Grace." The knights, who stood in line awkwardly since earlier, finally had their presence heard. With deep and powerful voices, they all answered in unison.

'Ugh, such hypocrisy. Why didn't you play the justice role sooner then?'

"Then, the maids who were directly involved will be sent to the Northern Mines for five years."

Contrary to Elicia's and the maid's completely white expression, Adelaide's eyes widened a little in surprise. She did not expect for the duke to go to such extents.