Chapter 168: Ch 167: Are you blaming me?

Being accused of being a thief was the last thing Kael expected, especially when he had not even been in the mansion for a full day.

"Excuse me, but am I being accused right now? It is only my second day here."

Kael pointed out, but the head chef’s expression only worsened after hearing his explanation.

"And guess what? Our lord’s precious item decided to go missing the day you came here. Don’t you think this is too much of a coincidence?"

The head chef asked, and honestly, he did have a point.

As much as Kael wanted to say that it was all a coincidence, the circumstances were not in his favor. Not only was he an outsider, but the others also had a close bond. Even if he was not the thief, he made a perfect scapegoat.

Kael also had no intention of defending himself.

After all, the one who had asked for his help was Lady Marsha, so she would also be responsible for clearing his name.

Knowing her cunning butler, Kael had a feeling he already knew what was going on. And just as Kael expected, Anjou entered the kitchen, and everyone went quiet.

"Ah! Is there something going on here? Chef, were you bullying the new heir? You should be more careful about how you act, especially toward someone against whom you have no evidence."

The butler stopped the chef, but he spoke in a way that left room for interpretation. Moreover, he had not declared Kael completely blameless either.

Any other inexperienced person might have fallen for the butler’s trick and thought that he was helping Kael, when in reality, he was planting even more doubt in the chef’s mind.

"Ah, I see. I did not consider that, Anjou. Thank you for looking out for all of us. Then, I will refrain from making any judgment until solid evidence is found."

The chef backed down for now, but his suspicious eyes remained fixed on Kael the whole time.

Anjou took him out of the room for the time being, but he did not look at Kael. Instead, he decided to lighten the mood by speaking to him.

"Well, it seems like you got lucky today, Grand Master Kael. You should be more careful about standing out. Most of the servants here are rather observant and can cause you unnecessary trouble if you are not careful."

The warning came a little late, but it was not unnecessary after what had just happened. What was more concerning was how the butler was trying to manipulate the situation.

Anjou was trying to frame himself as the "good" guy who had helped Kael in a difficult situation. But wasn’t his act a little too sloppy? Did he think Kael would not notice how suspicious he was acting?

"That box and the artifact that was stolen—has there been any progress regarding it?"

Kael asked, watching the butler’s reaction. But the older man did not even flinch at the question.

"We are still looking into it. As far as we can tell, it was stolen recently, but before you came here. So rest assured. Even if you do get blamed, most people won’t believe you had anything to do with it."

Anjou reassured Kael, causing him to rethink what to ask next.

There was one more thing Kael needed to ask the butler.

"You said that you have been working in this mansion for the past thirty years? Then you should know a lot about this place. Is there anything you can tell me that could help me?"

Kael asked, and Anjou paused before turning around with a grim expression.

"I have a feeling you are trying to test me about something. May I ask what it is that you need to hear from me?"

Anjou asked with a smile on his face, but it looked much sharper than before. He was not an easy opponent to underestimate. He hid his feelings well, never letting his true emotions show on his face.

Even for Kael, he was a difficult opponent to read.

But he was not impossible to see through. His slight hesitation and the way he had suddenly become serious were enough of an answer.

"Why are you accusing me? I just wanted to confirm a few facts, and that is why I questioned you. However, your reaction tells me this is not a topic you want me to ask about?"

Kael pressed further, but Anjou did not break.

"It is...a topic I am sensitive about. People say I look too young to have worked for this household for thirty years, and they often try to take advantage of me because of it. I am afraid all that has made me rather guarded whenever anyone asks about this subject."

"Is that so? I feel like I should apologize for making you recall unpleasant memories. I won’t ask about this topic again."

Kael assured Anjou, mainly because he already had his answer.

Anjou looked relieved after Kael dropped the subject, and he led him back to his room.

Before leaving, he turned to look at Kael with another grave expression.

"My lady is trusting you to help her regarding this matter. Please, do not disappoint her."

Anjou left after saying those words, not even waiting for Kael to respond.

"What a skilled liar. He even managed to fool Gladion. But the truth cannot be hidden forever. I am sure he has something to do with the stolen artifact."

It no longer mattered whether Gladion was telling the truth or Anjou was. The only thing that mattered was that Kael was being framed by the mastermind.

And Kael did not like this feeling.

"Why did I agree to dip my toes into this mess? I am suddenly starting to regret my decision. Should I run away and leave this place to its fate?"

Kael wanted to do exactly that.

But unfortunately, this place was too close to Mikailia’s territory. His family would learn about his involvement, and then...

He had no idea what would happen, and he had no intention of finding out either.