The Military Doctor Excels at Being a Contracted Duchess - Chapter 33
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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【Chapter 33】
“Damian. If you want to tell me why you spilled the water from the bucket, you can do so anytime. You can even draw it and show me. You’re not a child who would do that without reason.”
Yes, a reason.
She kept thinking about it.
At first glance, the children seemed to be receiving decent treatment.
When examining them, there were no bruises on their chest or back.
So maybe they just disliked ‘strangers’.
Or perhaps it was revenge against the person who ‘brought the stranger’.
‘To find out, I’ll have to call Angelm to the punishment ceremony.’
After pondering deeply, she turned to look at Banya.
“Bring Angelm. And ask Victor to come down for a moment as well, though he must be busy.”
“Understood.”
This matter had to be handled without damaging the family’s reputation.
Fortunately, Ebel knew how to do that.
* * *
The manor was thrown into chaos as numerous servants faced the crisis of being dismissed.
The servants gathered anxiously at the sudden summons, witnessing those who came out carrying their packed belongings.
Since most knew these were people who had sided with Genevieve, they felt relieved, while a few began to tremble.
‘Oh my, what is happening?’
Cecily Bettel, who had bathed cleanly and changed clothes, watched the scene with a curious expression.
Something interesting enough to evaporate her displeasure at being suddenly drenched was unfolding.
Soon, Ebel emerged with the Grand Duke along with the twins, her demeanor so cold that not even a needle could pierce through it.
Ebel nodded to Cecily and slowly looked around at everyone.
“The reason they are being dismissed today is because they failed to fulfill their duties.”
This wasn’t her usual gentle tone. Everyone felt unsettled and flinched at the difference.
The person who had been like a gracefully painted noblewoman now had the appearance of a soldier overlaid upon her.
Cecily watched this transformation with great fascination.
“Though young in age, as long as they were born into Bayern, they are the masters you must serve.”
“….”
“Yet despite serving your masters for so long, you know nothing about them. On top of that, you even dared to lay hands on them carelessly. Do you have any excuse for this?”
Crying broke out from somewhere. It was from the direction of the maids who had been in charge of the twins.
“Angelm. Is there anyone among them you’d like to keep?”
Ignoring whether they cried or not, Ebel turned her head toward Angelm.
For them, this was their last chance.
“No. There isn’t.”
But Angelm answered clearly.
To dismiss them all.
“I see. As you witnessed, even though they’ve been close since he was very young, Angelm has no attachment to any of you. This can only be a problem.”
Usually, noble family children cherished their attending maids or servants.
They would even take them along when marrying into other houses, which says it all.
Drawing such a clear line like this was a very exceptional case.
“Besides what I witnessed and heard today, were there other incidents?”
Angelm is a smart child. Even in a sudden situation like this, he wouldn’t miss the opportunity.
Sparks flew in the blue eyes of the angelically beautiful boy.
As if he had been waiting for such a moment for a very long time, his small finger pointed to three or four people.
“Those people also bullied Damian. They deliberately tripped him, and said my mother gave birth to a beast.”
“N-no! We didn’t do that!”
Immediate rebuttals came, but that only made Angelm angrier.
“Right. If you had any sense, you couldn’t have done it in front of me.”
One step.
Angelm stepped forward.
Though still young and shouldn’t have any intimidating presence, somehow his small back seemed to carry the weight of a mountain.
“But when you were chattering like that, the person who was actually listening wasn’t Damian—it was me.”
At that moment, Ebel realized something.
‘The reason the twins pretended to be each other was…’
This was it.
By occasionally switching roles, they shared and endured the abuse and contempt.
Damian too, in those moments, suppressed his true nature as much as possible according to Angelm’s will.
These twins were close enough to communicate and agree on such things… extremely intimate.
As if they were originally one being that had been split in half at birth.
“You couldn’t even distinguish between me and Damian. You’d smile and fawn in front of me, but when only Damian was left, you’d run your mouths freely.”
Even though this was a situation where accumulated grievances were bursting out, Angelm remained calm. That appearance was exactly like Victor when he got angry.
Soon, Ebel opened her mouth toward those who had become as quiet as mice.
“You must feel wronged to be driven out like this. If anyone wants to make additional accusations, do so now. If you cooperate, I’ll give you generous travel money.”
Losing their jobs was already decided.
Then they should at least get more money.
A few exchanged glances, then screamed as if having a fit.
“Emma! That Emma should be kicked out too!”
They were maids who usually had friction with Emma.
They accused her without the slightest hesitation.
“She secretly stole food meant for the young masters! She bragged about eating different dishes from us more than once or twice!”
“R-right! I heard it too!”
“Besides, Emma was negligent in her work too!”
Ebel raised her eyebrows.
Emma was definitely Genevieve’s closest confidant.
It was a name she had been watching because while Emma received more salary than others, she did strangely little work.
“What nonsense! Those are all false accusations!”
“False accusations! We already heard it!”
Naturally, Emma jumped up and denied it. If left alone, this would become a war of words. Ebel immediately passed the key to Angelm.
“Angelm. Were there times when food was insufficient?”
“Yes. When chicken legs were missing, or strawberries were missing. That happened often. Every day that maid brought our food.”
This time too, Angelm didn’t seem to be lying.
And Victor, who had come out to this place at Ebel’s request… slowly clenched his fists.
Victor now learned for the first time what kind of treatment Damian had received during his absence.
When he was briefly at the estate, Damian was quite well-behaved and Genevieve was also careful in her actions.
Everyone must have hushed up and watched his mood.
But Victor’s stays at the manor estate lasted at most two weeks.
After that, he would leave again.
‘Such incidents must have repeated every time I was away. The butler didn’t report it, using the excuse that I was busy and they didn’t know where I was staying.’
Letters in this era weren’t very reliable.
What if a letter was sent while he was abroad?
Domestic affairs could accidentally spread everywhere.
Then they should have spoken when he came to the estate.
‘…No, that’s not right. This is my oversight.’
Even at the estate, Victor was busy without a moment to breathe.
It was none other than him who entrusted the children’s upbringing to Genevieve and showed no interest in them.
‘If I had paid just a little more attention… such things could never have happened.’
He was only interested in other matters, and the butler didn’t want to disturb him. At the same time, they were gradually stained by Genevieve’s violence like clothes getting wet in drizzling rain.
Damian caused increasingly severe trouble and was eventually sent to a psychiatric hospital.
In the past, that is.
“….”
He was looking at the children.
His face showed both anger and regret at the same time.
Even so, he still hadn’t spoken.
Because this was Ebel’s place.
Wasn’t she accomplishing what he had failed to do?
Ebel looked up at Victor, who seemed to have lost his words.
He would know too that this was the one and only opportunity to change everything.
“No! Lady Genevieve! Lady Genevieve, please help me…!”
“Gag her.”
When Victor gave the order while suppressing his anger, the servants loyal to the head of the house quickly stepped forward to subdue Emma and threw her toward ‘the side being expelled.’
He was holding back right now.
As much as possible, to avoid showing his rough side in front of the children.
“Butler. Give some travel money to those who just participated in the accusation.”
“Yes, Madam.”
The surroundings fell quiet for a moment at that title.
For the butler to address a woman who hadn’t even held a wedding ceremony yet in that way meant the conclusion had already been reached in this household.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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