infodatos Chapter 357: How Did You Know
Chapter 357: How Did You Know
Chapter 357: How Did You Know"Yes, I hope that’s the case.
I am saddened that you won’t be by my side anymore in the future.
But I won’t hold you back since you have already made up your mind.
There’s nothing I can do, so I’ll set you free," Arabella continued, and Renee sighed in relief.
[WHAT?!]
She cannot see Alwin, but she could tell he was gawking at her with furrowed brows.
But Arabella wasn’t done speaking yet.
"I mean, I wanted to do so.
However, I wasn’t the one who hired you.
It was my husband’s ministers.
They are the ones whom you have to give your resignation to.
You also need to go home first and say goodbye to your family, right?"
Renee’s adoptive family was quite powerful. This was why she was able to enter as Arabella’s maid.
Thus, her resignation cannot simply be discussed between Arabella and her.
Arabella would have to talk about it with Ferdinand or Raymond first.
After all, Renee leaving her post could be interpreted in all sorts of ways.
Such as, her family not liking Arabella. And thus, would no longer support her, so Renee was quitting.
It could also be interpreted as Arabella not being a good superior so Renee decided to leave.
There was a lot of politics involved in the mere hiring of maids so firing or hiring them wasn’t as easy as people thought.
It was a lot more complicated than just saying, ’I’m the Empress. I don’t like you, so you’re fired.’
Even as the Empress of Valeria, Arabella could not do something like that.
Perhaps, among the lowest class of maids who do menial tasks. Yet, even among them, it could also mean a risk of her reputation getting marred.
But to handmaidens like Renee who had higher rank compared to other maids, it wasn’t a simple matter of yes and no.
Arabella reasoned with Renee that she didn’t have the authority to accept Renee’s resignation now since even her pay wasn’t coming from her but from the palace budget.
She told her about the repercussions of letting a high-ranked maid leave too.
Since she lived as Evelyn for years in the past, Renee understood since she was once the Queen of Zygos.
Of course, if she truly wanted to let Renee leave, Arabella could simply tell Ferdinand.
He would surely instruct Raymond to prepare the necessary documents and have them signed by all the people involved as soon as possible.
But Arabella intentionally let it be so Renee would not be able to leave today.
Likewise, letting Renee leave so suddenly could shake the trust of Valerians in Arabella when she was just beginning to build it.
There needs to be a valid reason they can present to the nobility and the common people since rumors would surely circulate all over the empire.
After all, no matter what they say as the excuse for Renee quitting, the people would still likely think something was probably wrong with Arabella which was why a handmaiden was leaving in a matter of months.
Moreover, Renee leaving meant a new maid would get hired too.
The nobles would compete over it.
But they already have Blanca though. They can put Blanca as Renee’s replacement.
The nobles wouldn’t be able to complain openly since Blanca was announced as Alwin’s fiancée.
Alwin himself, all alone was more powerful than any ducal house in Valeria so they wouldn’t be able to bully Blanca either.
That was how much power he held as the master of the Magic Tower.
Moreover, Renee herself would have to make excuses to her family as well.
"I don’t know how to face my family in Valeria. I don’t know what to tell them either," Renee bit her lip. Her adoptive parents in Valeria had been so much kinder to her than her former family in Zygos ever were so she actually preferred them.
"You can tell them something like you merely wanted to study, or you wanted to go on a journey.
You need to think of a reason that they can accept.
If you thought of a good excuse, the ministers would accept it too and allow you to resign."
[But I already poisoned Fatima. I need to leave soon.]
Renee kept fidgeting since she did something she shouldn’t have done yet.
[Ah! I was merely a shadow when I poisoned her.
How would they even find proof against me when I was in my room the whole night until this morning?
I can simply deny any allegation.]
That was unless the one who helped her intentionally did so she could get caught.
[But news about it would circulate soon.
Her Majesty would know it was me.
Should I just tell her before she heard it from others?]
Renee concluded it would probably be better for Arabella to hear it directly from her. Thus, she decided to tell her.
"Uhm, Your Majesty..."
Renee hesitated for several seconds.
"I-I already did something.
My deepest apologies!
I got so furious after what I learned that I ended up committing a crime."
Renee told her about what she had done, and Arabella finally got the chance to scold her.
She reiterated to Renee what her actions could have brought about.
Renee repeatedly apologized and promised not to do anything again without telling Arabella first.
"Alright. You may return to your room first and begin pondering about what to tell the ministers and your family."
Arabella dismissed Renee since she wanted to know what happened to Fatima.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Renee bowed and quickly left Arabella’s study before she decides to scold her more.
And now, it was Arabella and Alwin’s turn to speak.
Alwin reported that the tea party was just about to begin when he arrived.
Pressed for time, he made it rain and used the commotion to retrieve the pastries with magic.
Thus, Fatima nor Lucinda was not able to eat any.
Arabella sighed in relief yet again.
She didn’t realize that she was about to get fried by Alwin’s questions next.
"Your Majesty, how did you know what Renee did?
I was able to listen to your conversation before this.
But I don’t recall her telling you about it."
Alwin’s eyes glinted and Arabella had a bad feeling about it.