Chapter 79
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Sitting in his office chair with a tired hand pressed to his forehead, Kallion indifferently looked over the people standing before him.
The head maid and the head butler.
They had come to his office for their regular report.
“As you know, I’ve been extremely busy lately. Keep it brief and tell me only what’s necessary.”
At Kallion’s indifferent words, the head maid hesitated before suddenly raising her head as though she had made up her mind.
“I’m not sure if it’s appropriate for me to say this.”
Kallion looked curious at the unusual sight of the head maid, who normally obeyed without complaint, suddenly offering an opinion.
“What is it?”
At Kallion’s question, the head maid swallowed once and cautiously spoke while watching his expression.
“It concerns the Madam managing the estate. With the things the servants have been saying lately…”
The head butler shot the head maid a warning look.
It was a gaze reprimanding her carelessness in speaking about something that hadn’t even been confirmed.
But the head maid ignored him and continued firmly.
“As the head maid, I’m somewhat concerned about whether we should continue leaving the management of the estate to Madam when she may have leaked Baldomer’s confidential information to Silverstel.”
The head butler finally lost patience and intervened.
“Vanessa, hasn’t that rumor already been proven false?”
“Would there really be smoke without fire?”
At that moment, Layla, who had been silently seated at the auxiliary desk beside Kallion, spoke.
“The head maid does have a point. The rumor has been proven false, but the rumor alone has unsettled the servants. Things outside are already chaotic because of this incident, so if we allow the inside of the estate to become unsettled as well, problems may arise. Until everything is resolved, perhaps it would be better to temporarily entrust management of the estate to the head maid instead of Vanessa the Madam.”
The head maid’s expression brightened at Layla’s words.
Normally, Kallion would have accepted Layla’s advice without objection and simply told them to proceed.
Instead, he merely stared at Layla.
Then he spoke indifferently.
“I think the greater problem is where that false rumor came from in the first place.”
At the words pointing out her rash actions, Layla pressed her lips tightly together and lowered her head.
The head maid and head butler also looked startled by Kallion’s cold response.
They hadn’t expected Layla’s opinion to be rejected so immediately.
That was how much Kallion had trusted Layla until now.
Flustered, Layla tightly curled her fingers.
Kallion silently watched her.
“I didn’t think it through.”
At her dejected appearance, Kallion let out a deep sigh.
He was disappointed by Layla’s rash actions, but he knew very well how deeply she cared for Baldomer.
She probably still had doubts about serving a daughter of Heister as the lady of the house.
After all, Kallion himself had seen the half-burned letter and immediately suspected Juliana.
Layla’s mistake was something he could overlook.
Everyone made mistakes.
He had spent far too many years with Layla to cut off one of his own limbs over only a few mistakes.
Beyond being his secretary, she was practically family to him.
Kallion sighed and rubbed his face, his thoughts complicated.
“Pretend you never heard what was just said. Things are already chaotic enough, so all of you should refrain from acting rashly.”
At Kallion’s decisive words, the head butler and head maid, who had been cautiously watching the atmosphere between him and Layla, hurriedly bowed.
After confirming that they had left, Kallion waved a hand at Layla with a tired expression.
“You should leave too.”
“What? But…”
“I want to be alone.”
At Kallion’s firm words, Layla turned away with a stiff expression.
Only after Layla finally left the room with a lingering look did Kallion tiredly lean back in his chair.
Truthfully, even in a situation like this, his mind was completely filled with the Juliana from his dreams.
‘I love you, Kallion…’
Damn it.
‘I love you…’
There it was again.
Now, he could hear her voice echoing even while awake.
Kallion let out a low groan as he glared down at the tension gathering below again despite his exhausted body.
There was clearly something wrong with his head.
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