Can We Become Family?

Chapter 6

“Wh-what are you saying?” Phillipa stammered, visibly taken aback by the accusation.

Despite the ample funds set aside for Naviah’s upbringing, her meals were of shockingly poor quality. The actual cost of the ingredients should have been relatively low, making it clear that Phillipa had been embezzling a considerable portion of these funds and leaving Naviah to subsist on scraps.

Phillipa bit her lip, grappling with the revelation of her crime. How did she find out? She certainly couldn’t have figured it out on her own! Her mind raced, speculating over whether Naviah had overheard someone discussing the matter. She lifted her chin in the air with feigned arrogance as she attempted to regain her composure. There’s no need for alarm. She’s just a child. In such situations, Phillipa knew she had to assert her dominance.

She scoffed. “How dare you accuse me! And with such baseless claims... I’ve devoted my life to serving the Agnus family, you know!” Having employed her long-standing service as leverage, she carried on with her usual threats. “I don’t know where you heard such nonsense, but know that the careless spreading of rumors will cost you your tongue!” She expected the girl to cower and be intimidated into silence. But Naviah found her threats empty—nothing more than enraged howls.

A child’s tantrum would be more persuasive. But I expected no different. Like a weakling shouting insults while hiding behind a much stronger bully, Phillipa often borrowed the duke’s authority to keep Naviah in her place. But Naviah seemed unfazed by the ridiculous threat. She tilted her head innocently. “Won’t my father soon notice that something is amiss? Especially once he learns that his children’s nanny knew about the hole in the door but did nothing.”

“Th-that was simply because...” When Nikan began to investigate the accident, his thoughts would inevitably turn to the crucial abnormality of the hole. Naturally, he’d identify that it played a key role in starting the fire. Then he’d question Phillipa’s apparent negligence: If she knew about the hole, why didn’t she act? She was already preparing an excuse: Well, I have three children to look after, including the ailing Lady Vivian.

Naviah smirked, sensing the thoughts running through the nanny’s mind. “Ah, you could always claim that you were too preoccupied with caring for three children. And one of them ill, at that.”

Startled by her unnerving accuracy, Phillipa stuttered, “Wh-whatever do you mean?” Had the girl gained some magical ability to read minds? How else could she have known precisely what Phillipa was thinking?

This is strange... Something’s not right... The sensation of being trapped made the nanny uneasy. The more she spoke, the further she felt backed into a corner. Naviah’s words had an ominous undertone, far too intentional to be dismissed as a child’s thoughtless babbling. It was as though a sinister force had taken hold of the girl and was poised to turn her against Phillipa. “If you keep making these false accusations, you’ll regret it!” she shouted.

Naviah laughed heartily. “False accusations? Your jokes are always so amusing, Phillipa!”

How dare she! That little brat! Phillipa seethed with rage, but deep down she was fearful of what the girl might reveal next. I must silence her! “I didn’t want to resort to this, but perhaps a whipping will convince you to rethink your behavior!” It was customary for disobedient children to be punished with a lashing. And Phillipa, toughened by years of labor, was determined not to be humiliated by such a small and frail child.

Naviah’s laughter suddenly chilled into silence. “I’m well aware of how faithful you’ve been to House Agnus.” Phillipa’s loyalty went beyond that of a mere servant—she saw herself as part of the family. “But I’m not sure Father would appreciate this particular demonstration of loyalty, would he?” The nanny’s hands began to tremble at the mention of Nikan. Naviah eyed her evident fear. “And aren’t you curious about how he’ll react when he sees the food you’ve been serving me?”

Phillipa’s panic only added fuel to her threats. “Enough! If you keep this up, you will be whipped twenty, no, thirty—”

Naviah cut the nanny’s words short. “Father despises it when others make a fool of him. Imagine how heartbroken he’d be if he found out one of his trusted servants had betrayed him.”

Phillipa, well aware of the extent of Nikan’s ruthlessness from her years of close service, paled and staggered back. In that tense moment, she could not bring herself to tear her gaze from Naviah’s. She desperately wished to look away, to no longer meet those hauntingly tranquil scarlet eyes, but her fear kept her locked in place. What could she be looking at? Phillipa felt that the girl’s eyes were not fixed on her, but rather on something far more distant and ominous—perhaps a vision of the nanny being dragged in on charges of embezzlement and her life ending in disgrace.

“Why are you doing this to me?!” Phillipa shrieked. “Are you behaving on someone’s orders? Who was it? Who told you to slander me, a loyal servant of the Agnuses, without presenting even a shred of evidence!?”

“Evidence?” Naviah reflected on her previous regressions. She had borne witness each time Phillipa’s theft was discovered and seen the dire consequences. The nanny’s carelessness had consistently left a trail of clues, making it easy for her misdeeds to be uncovered. Naviah chuckled softly, like a child presented with a new toy. “Fine, I’ll report to Father straight away. I’ll kneel before him and tell the truth—as you wished.” She confidently rose from the bed and strode toward the door, ready to head to the duke’s chambers.

“No! You can’t!” Seized with panic, Phillipa snatched Naviah’s arm and threw her back onto the bed.

At that moment, the door snapped open. Hans, the physician, entered the room with a gasp. “What is happening here?”

Charlotte, who had been silently watching the scene unfold, hurried over to Naviah. Her face was etched with concern. “My lady! Are you all right?”

Phillipa’s face grew even paler, realizing that Charlotte had witnessed everything. Why is she still here? Under normal circumstances, Charlotte would have thought of the meager meal as nothing more than a servant’s bullying of a phony noblewoman. But now, she might be swayed by Naviah’s bold accusations and really begin to suspect Phillipa of embezzlement. The situation was quickly unraveling. Charlotte always licked my boots, but now... Phillipa’s bewildered gaze was first drawn to the maid as she assisted Naviah, then to Naviah herself, curled on the floor, eyes brimming with tears.

“You’re being mean, Phillipa! I know you dislike that I’m on the third floor, but how could you treat me this way?” Naviah whimpered.

Phillipa felt as if she were about to faint. “What rubbish is this all of a sudden?”

“I know I don’t belong here, but I had to obey Father’s command.”

Hans frowned as he realized why the nanny was displaying such aggression. “You dare to defy the duke’s orders, Phillipa?”

“No, it’s all nonsense! She’s lying!” Phillipa shouted.

“Then what, pray tell, did I just witness? Why did you lay your hands on the lady?”

Phillipa fell silent, unable to confess that she was trying to stop the girl from revealing the truth about her crime. Her silence only served to amplify Hans’ suspicions.

“It seems you have nothing further to say!”

“I-I just...”

“Do you not understand the grave consequences that come with causing harm to a noble?” Any commoner who dared to harm a noble was subject to severe punishment, including enslavement or whipping to the point of death. Naviah was only a stand-in for a true noblewoman, but her rank still held. If this incident were to become public knowledge, it would be disastrous for Phillipa.

In a state of desperation, Phillipa clawed at the doctor’s arm. “It was an accident!”

“Enough! Leave this room at once!” Hans commanded. Philippa’s head whipped to and fro, gaping in astonishment at Hans and then at Naviah. If the duke caught wind of her physically assaulting the girl, the entire context surrounding her actions would come to light. There would be no escape from severe punishment. This can’t be happening! What must I do? What can I do?

As her mind raced with fear, a steady voice broke the silence. “Phillipa...”