My Husband Thought I Was Dead And Became A Tyrant! - Chapter 16

Mary attended to me throughout my entire bath.

I honestly would’ve been more comfortable if I were slowly enjoying it by myself, but I would make an exception just this once.

If my guess was correct, I couldn’t give Mary any more time alone.

“Miss Silver Lily, here are the books you were looking for.”

Madame Chunet, who had gone to the palace library, had returned.

“Okay, thanks, Madame Chunet. Leave them on top of the table.”

“Understood, but why are you suddenly taking a bath?”

“I just wanted to. Do I need a reason?”

“…I see. Bathing for too long is actually bad for your body, so enjoy it adequately and then get out.”

It seemed she didn’t like that I was comfortably enjoying my time inside of the hot water.

I waved my hand, telling her not to worry, but Mary paled from beside me.

“H-Head Maid!”

Although she quickly tried calling Madame Chunet’s name, the woman—who had no knowledge of the past and present circumstances—made a suspicious expression.

“What is it, Mary?”

“Uh… D-Don’t you have something to order me separately?”

Madame Chunet’s expression clouded over with an air of mysteriousness.

I intentionally interrupted with a taken aback tone, as if I was worried she might find out about something.

“Mary, what are you suddenly saying while in the middle of attending to me?”

“Ah, t-that’s not what I meant. I was too eager to better aid you, so I…”

“Then just help me conclude things here. Like Madame Chunet said, it’s not good to bathe for too long, so I’m going to stop now.”

“Y-Yes…”

I struggled hard to prevent the corner of my lips from rising as I watched Mary reply with a weak voice.

It wasn’t time yet.

If I smiled now, the quick-witted Madame Chunet might get suspicious.

I got up while maintaining a stone face.

“I’ll take my leave to prepare for your meal, then.”

Madame Chunet briefly glanced back and forth between Mary and I before leaving the bathroom with an expressionless face.

“Okay, thanks.”

Now Mary was the only one left. She nervously watched Madame Chunet’s shadow until it completely disappeared.

Looking at her idiotic face made it clear that things were going according to plan.

“Mary.”

“Y-Yes?”

“What are you doing? Towel.”

“Ah, y-yes!”

Mary had lost her wits and kept making mistakes as she continuously glanced outside.

I, who completed my bath despite receiving such poor help, nonchalantly went and stood in front of the dressing table.

I could hear Mary swallowing as she followed me.

Just how nervous was she for me to be able to hear that sound from all the way over here?

“M-Miss Silver Lily.”

“Yeah?”

“I… will follow the Head Maid to go prepare for the meal.”

“What? What are you saying, Mary?”

She must’ve been really nervous.

She was so consumed with the thought of getting away from me and finding Madame Chunet that she was unable to see what was at hand.

“Don’t you need to brush my hair and help me put on my clothes? You’re the one who said you wanted to closely attend to me.”

“Ah…”

Mary’s expression was amusing to see.

Her face was painted red as she bowed her head and went to pick up the hairbrush.

“Y-Yes. I was thoughtless. I apologize, Miss Silver Lily.”

“Mary. Did something happen?”

“Pardon? W-W-W-What do you mean? N-Nothing happened.”

“Why are you so taken aback? How suspicious.”

“No! I was just too flustered. I mean—I was flustered because I got to closely attend to Your Majesty the Queen…”

Mary, who was babbling on, now looked pitiful.

How little nerve you have.

She seemed scared that I’d open the dressing table drawer and see what was inside.

But what will you do? I can’t not open it.

“Okay. I understand, so hurry and brush my hair.”

Leaving my hair to Mary, I slowly reached for the drawer.

I could feel Mary’s hand trembling as it brushed my hair. 

Pretending to be clueless, I opened the top drawer.

“Phew…”

A sigh of relief—from Mary’s mouth, of course, not mine—was heard since the drawer containing the necklace was the bottom-most one.

I was starting to feel sorry for her.

What am I supposed to do if your reactions are this honest?

Mary was the sheltered daughter of a noble family, so she had probably never had the experience of touching someone else’s possessions.

That must have been why she was trembling like this, but… oh well.

What you’d already done had already happened.

I tilted my head like I was confused while rummaging through the open drawer. 

“Hm? That’s strange.”

“W-W-What is?”

“My necklace disappeared.”

“P-Pardon?”

Mary started to panic, quickly checking the drawer.

Her eyes were filled with confusion.

“W-What are you talking about?”

“There. I have a necklace that’s precious to me, and I left it there.”

Mary’s gaze followed my finger.

The first drawer of the dressing table was where you normally kept a variety of accessories.

On top of the velvet cloth, there were several necklaces, earrings, and rings adorned with fancy gemstones.

In the corner, there was a sunken and empty space where something had once been.

“I definitely checked that it was here before I went to bathe. Where did it go?”

The important thing here was making sure it seemed like I was genuinely confused.

As expected, Mary questioned me with a trembling voice, still unsure.

“W-What kind of necklace?”

“It’s purple. An amethyst necklace. It’s the one I treasure the most.”

“Heuk!”

When I spoke, Mary let out a strange sound before dropping the comb.

I whipped around to stare at Mary as if she’d surprised me.

“What is it, Mary? Do you know something?”

“N-No! I-I’ve never even seen the necklace before!”

There was a reason for the saying “strong denials are strong affirmations.”

Although I didn’t open the lowest drawer, I was sure that Mary had taken the necklace.

“Just where did it go? It’s not like necklaces have feet—don’t you think, Mary?”

Mary’s face was white with fear.

Why would you do something you’d act so guilty about?

* * *

I quickly summoned all the maids, including Madame Chunet, once I was certain that Mary had stolen the necklace.

“Miss Silver Lily. Why are you suddenly calling for all of the maids?”

Madame Chunet must not have liked that it was I, and not her, who was calling for the maids as I pleased. She voiced her dissatisfaction with an annoyed voice.

“They all have their own tasks to do. They can’t just leisurely play with you, Miss Silver Lily.”

The other maids weakly nodded their heads like they agreed with what Madame Chunet was saying.

To think there were so many who wanted to be looked upon favorably by Madame Chunet.

Although Mary—the only one who knew the entire context of the situation—was shaking her leg and sending signals to Madame Chunet asking for help, Madame Chunet just maintained a questioning and dissatisfied expression while she waited for me to speak.

I quickly spoke nothing more and nothing less than the truth.

“My necklace disappeared. I need to confirm whether anyone knows about its whereabouts.”

Madame Chunet had been about to scold me some more, but her expression suddenly changed. Her head started tilting slightly as if asking what I was talking about.

Considering that it was very rare for her to show any emotion, this was an extremely dramatic change.

“It’s an amethyst necklace with a big gemstone. Has anyone seen it?”

I slowly looked down one by one at the line of maids standing in front of me.

Obviously, they all looked clueless.

“Um… Miss Silver Lily.”

One of them shyly raised her hand.

It was the maid that Mary had ordered to clean my room—she was usually quiet.

“Yes, speak.”

“The last time I saw it was this morning. It was in the dressing table’s first drawer.”

As I expected, the maid in charge of cleaning spoke the truth.

It was at that moment.

“Lies!”

Everyone turned their gaze to Mary, who roughly shouted out.

Madame Chunet stepped closer toward Mary with a suspicious expression on her face, but I couldn’t let her talk yet.

I quickly grabbed Mary’s arm and started asking an onslaught of questions.

“What do you mean, Mary? Why did you say she was lying? Do you know anything? If so, hurry and speak up! It’s a truly precious necklace of mine.”

“T-That…! W-When I looked, it wasn’t in the first drawer…”

“Then where was it?”

“T-That… I don’t remember. But I think… it wasn’t in the first drawer.”

In response to Mary’s words, which were withering with uncertainty, Madame Chunet and the other maids were lost in thought.

No matter who you were, it was clear that Mary was suspicious.

I spoke to the maids with an anxious look on my face.

“I think I’ll have to check your possessions. Something that was in its place this morning has disappeared. It was definitely there before I went to take a bath, yet it was gone when I came out. I’m sorry for suspecting you, but it’s a situation nothing can be done about, so please take out everything you have.”

“…Yes. Take out everything you have.”

Once Madame Chunet joined forces with me in ordering them, the maids started taking off their outer garments one by one and removing their possessions.

Amidst this, only Mary was trembling, unable to take off her outer garments.

“Mary, it’s not that I’m suspecting you. You were waiting on me as I bathed, and have constantly been with me, right?”

“Ah… T-Thank you. Then…!”

“But for sake of fairness, don’t you think you should take off your clothes anyway? Come on, hurry up and do it, then put your possessions here.”

Mary’s expression completely sank.

The others naturally began to look at her the longer she hesitated.

“What are you doing, Mary? Hurry up.”

“B-But…”

“Hm, it seems it’s difficult for you to remove by yourself. Can someone help Mary?”

After I said that, the maid who’d confessed earlier that she’d seen my necklace approached.

Mary’s stubborn refusal just made her look more suspicious. Even Madame Chunet, who’d removed her clothing, was watching Mary with an absurd expression.

A dull sound came alongside something that fell through the clothes that Mary finally took off.

“…My goodness!”

“How could this be?”

“Did Mary…?”

It was a brilliant and shiny purple amethyst necklace.