The next to step forward was El’s personal maid.
Due to her congenital blindness, El was always attended by maids in shifts, spending nearly all her time with them. But since Lai arrived at the Pison estate, El had been inseparable from her. They ate, studied, and snacked together, like twins. The only time they were apart was when El slept.
“Before El’s nap, then. And after?”
“I didn’t see her after that. I tended to the young lady’s bedtime and was immediately assigned to the annex.”
“The annex?”
“A few days ago, a pillar in the eastern annex collapsed. We’re repairing it with estate staff, but progress is slow due to limited manpower.”
“So, you needed even the main house’s staff?”
“Yes.”
The butler bowed, his face apologetic.
Unlike House Eliant and most noble families, Count Pison never hired outsiders. For a trading family, they were exceptionally insular. For generations, they meticulously vetted staff, requiring at least two generations of service to work in the main house.
Currently, most of Pison Trading Company’s personnel are tracking the First Prince’s killer. Between that and monitoring Duke Daysha, they were stretched thin. Given their policy against outsiders, they had no way to supplement staff.
Was this what they planned?
Normally, the estate wouldn’t be this empty. But now, most personnel were out on my orders.
This is my fault.
“Bee!”
As realization hit, my vision darkened. Sys’s strong arms caught me as I swayed. His pale face looked down at me. Gripping his arm, I steadied myself.
Regret can wait. Finding El comes first.
I clenched my jaw, straightening. Sys’s worried gaze lingered, but I couldn’t meet his eyes—I’d lean on him and weaken. I stiffened my spine.
“Has anyone seen Lai after that?”
No one responded to my question.
“No one knows where Lai is?”
My sharp tone stirred murmurs.
“Could that child have kidnapped Lady Aerial?”
“Yeah, her creepy eyes, unknown origins—she always gave bad vibes.”
“I noticed she often left the estate.”
Once someone broke the silence, accusations against Lai poured out.
“Are you saying Lai is suspected of kidnapping El?”
The murmurs stopped, lips sealed tight. Though no one answered aloud, the atmosphere suggested most suspected Lai.
These were long-time staff, trusting each other deeply. To them, Lai, a recent arrival, was an outsider. Their suspicion was perhaps natural.
“You all suspect Lai. What do you think, Evan?”
“She might have been kidnapped with El.”
Evan’s face was grim, but he seemed to trust Lai. Though I hadn’t known her long, I trusted her, too. Her sworn vow to protect El wasn’t a lie. I trusted my instincts.
“Sys, I have a request.”
“Anything you ask, I’ll do.”
“Call the imperial knights to search the estate thoroughly—every speck of dust.”
“…Alright.”
He nodded.
“No, that’s unacceptable! This is Count Pison’s estate. Even if you’re the count’s kin, you can’t search it so recklessly!”
The butler, pale, blocked my path. The gathered crowd gaped in shock.
Calling in the imperial knights meant allowing imperial interference in Pison affairs—a dangerous move. But finding El was my priority.
“Is El more important, or the estate’s pride?”
“Pison Trading Company can find Lady Aerial!”
The elderly butler shouted, veins bulging. He’d guarded the estate in my grandfather’s frequent absences. His white hair and wrinkled face spoke of his decades of service.
“I won’t allow imperial knights to set foot here! Even for Lady Aerial, the estate’s dignity comes first!”
He was rigid, inflexible, unyielding. As a butler, his mindset was too stiff, but his loyalty to House Pison was boundless. His family had served for generations, and he took pride in that.
But blind loyalty can be poison.
His devotion made him disdain Anasha, whose qualifications as countess he found lacking. El, born with a disability, was even less acceptable to him.
The next Count Pison would be El’s spouse. The butler had shown irritation at El’s closeness with Lai. He might even prefer a relative I’d expelled to inherit. Others likely felt the same.
Resentful glares, cold wariness.
Why did I only notice this now?
I felt their strong resistance. Lai’s outsider status was a trigger, but the root issue ran deeper.
These people had served House Pison for ages, but their long tenure bred a fatal flaw.
Their loyalty was so ingrained, so familiar, that I only recognized it now. Stagnant water festers.
“Do you think a mere butler can stop me?”
I stepped toward him. The crowd parted, their faces stiff.
His loyal gaze met mine unflinchingly.
“You are not the master of House Pison!”
“Then who is, in your eyes?”
“The count, of course—!”
He stopped, mouth shutting. I smirked.
“Why can’t you say it? It’s not a hard question.”
He remained silent. I turned from him, scanning the crowd.
“Then you tell me. Who is the master of this house?”
Most avoided my gaze, their faces somber. A few glared resentfully, but I met them with a sneer.
“No one can answer? Evan, you try. Who is the master of House Pison now?”
“My lady…”
Pain flashed across Evan’s face. It was clear now. Even he was an outsider here.
Pison Trading Company and House Pison seemed one under the same master, but they were distinct. The estate’s staff saw the company as mere appendages.
I didn’t know what Anasha thought, guarding this house. Or rather, I could guess but didn’t want to understand.
She genuinely loved my grandfather, wanting to preserve everything he left behind.
“My grandfather is no longer the master here.”
“My lady!”
The butler’s face reddened as he shouted.
“How can you say that?”
“Is it wrong? He passed long ago. How can he still be the master?”
Anasha’s love for him wasn’t wrong. But for El’s sake, these people couldn’t be left as they were.
The next Count Pison would be El’s chosen partner. No one could dictate her choice. Only the one she loved should be her spouse, whoever that might be.
But these people seemed to dismiss El’s choice, even El herself, entrenched in their sense of ownership over the house.
Or perhaps my grandfather was too ideal a master. To them, he’s the only true master.
Pride in their house was good, but it didn’t justify overstepping. They needed to know who their master was.
“You claim my grandfather’s honor, yet you dishonor him!”
My voice rang through the hall. Standing tall, I spoke firmly.
“El is his blood, the sole heir to this house!”
“I cannot accept that!”
Shing!
“Bee!”
“My lady!”
“Gasp!”
“Eek!”
I drew the sword from Sys’s waist. Its weight staggered me, but I braced my legs to stay upright.
