Lizzy struggled to suppress the smile that was about to bloom on her lips and continued speaking with a sad expression.
“Are you really going to say you lost it and didn’t know? The gift from my father, and the one given by the royal family?”
“I said it’s not mine.”
“Oh my, Arrie. Is this really your doing? Is that why you’re pretending it’s not? I can’t believe it, I trusted you…”
A single tear rolled down Lizzy’s cheek. As a result, more eyes turned toward her.
Ariella raised an eyebrow and glanced around.
Among the gathered servants, some young butlers were missing. They must have gone to fetch the Duke of Abercorn. The Duke, who would arrive just in time to punish her once the situation was nearly resolved.
‘Is this the climax Lizzy prepared?’
If so, Ariella, as the lead in this play, had to show an appropriate reaction.
“Pfft.”
A refreshing laugh burst out. It was a small sound, but since the surroundings were quiet, it reached everyone’s ears.
Not stopping there, Ariella let out another loud, hearty laugh.
“Hahaha! Lizzy, you’re really cute.”
The servants, unable to comprehend the situation, exchanged glances in confusion, while Lizzy, having stopped her tears, stared blankly at Ariella.
“Thank you, Lizzy. For being the real one in my place.”
Suddenly, the laughter from that day echoed in her ears. The memory of being slapped hard followed naturally. Because of that, Lizzy’s face instinctively twisted.
“Let me see it.”
Thwack! Ariella roughly snatched the earrings from Lizzy’s hand, which was frozen like a statue. A sharp sensation brushed against her fingertips.
“Hm… it does look quite similar to mine. But, no.”
Ariella, staring intently at the earrings, reached a clear conclusion.
“Look, the luster of the gems is different.”
“What are you suddenly talking about? Don’t try to wriggle out of this-.”
“Oh dear, Lizzy. What are you going to do without an eye for detail? Surely, the royal family wouldn’t gift earrings with fake gems. This is a counterfeit, not real gems.”
The gazes of the people focused on the earrings.
The surface of the transparent diamond sparkled with blue and yellow hues.
After hearing Ariella’s explanation, it seemed a bit less shiny. However, whether that was just a feeling or if it was truly a counterfeit, there was no way to know.
“What’s going on?”
“They say it’s a counterfeit?”
“Are you really saying it’s not Lady Arrie’s? Then did Lady Lizzy cause this uproar with a fake earring all by herself?”
“Then why is a counterfeit in Lady Lizzy’s jewelry box?”
“Why, Baylor said Lady Lizzy really wanted those earrings. Who knows? Maybe she made a copy and forgot about it.”
“Shh, shh! They’ll hear you!”
Unfortunately, this conversation reached Lizzy’s ears. Her once lovely gaze turned into a fierce glare.
It was time for a judgment. A quick decision had to be made.
Did Ariella really predict her actions and prepare a counterfeit in advance?
Or was this just a bluff to get out of the situation?
Lizzy, biting her teeth hard, glared at Ariella with fierce eyes. Ariella smiled as if she were relaxed, but the upward curve of her lips looked subtly awkward.
Lizzy didn’t miss that small difference.
“Then let’s call a gem appraiser.”
It was a bold suggestion. If they did that, one of them, either Lizzy or Ariella, would surely find themselves in trouble.
If the earrings were genuine, it would reveal that Ariella had lied, severely damaging her reputation, and if they were fake, Lizzy, who had summoned all the servants over a mere counterfeit earring, would be scorned.
Even David, who stood by Lizzy’s side, was terrified and nervously bit his lips. What if it turned out to be a real counterfeit? Their father would be furious for causing unnecessary trouble. His anxious expression was evident on his face.
However, Lizzy was confident.
Ariella couldn’t have predicted all her plans and prepared a counterfeit in advance.
‘If she had, she wouldn’t have hidden the jewelry box so well!’
If she truly wanted it to be stolen, she would have placed the earrings in the large jewelry box that had already been stolen once, not in a small box hidden between the shelves.
That was the reason Lizzy felt so confident.
“…Do you really have to go that far?”
Seeing Ariella take a step back, both Lizzy and David gained confidence.
“I want to be sure. If the gift from the royal family is missing and you’re trying to hide it, which I don’t believe you would do, but just in case, this is something we need to clarify.”
“Of course. It’s always best to be sure to avoid any repercussions.”
Lizzy and David raised their spirits once again.
As Ariella bit her lip, the watching servants grew more excited and raised their murmuring voices.
