She cautiously stepped into the Duke’s bedroom—a room she had entered a few times before and was familiar with.

She hadn’t thought of a clear plan or believed she could accomplish anything. Nor was she entirely convinced of Catherine’s innocence.

It was simply that her body had moved faster than her mind.

“Maybe it’s fallen behind the nightstand. Or perhaps it rolled under the bed.”

Hailey slowly scanned the room as she approached the nightstand. Nothing stood out. She meticulously searched behind the nightstand, under the bed, and across the floor, but the pocket watch was nowhere to be found.

“Nothing here. Did Catherine really steal it?”

Disappointed, Hailey turned to leave when—

“Huh?”

Her eyes widened. She moved closer to the nightstand and plucked a tiny tuft of white fluff from its surface with her fingers.

“Hmm.”

The soft, white feather was so light it seemed as though it might drift away with the faintest breath. Hailey’s eyes shifted back to the spotless nightstand.

The maple wood nightstand was impeccably clean—unsurprising given the maids dusted and polished it daily, leaving no room for even a speck of dust.

Hailey’s pale green eyes returned to the feather in her hand.

“Could it be…?”

Her gaze turned toward the half-open window, left ajar for ventilation. Suspicion flickered in her eyes as she pieced something together.

Finally, she muttered under her breath in a hesitant tone, “Brutus?”

***

“Bill!”

Hailey’s sudden call for Bill as she descended from the upper floor left the maids exchanging puzzled glances. When she dashed out through the front door, they quickly lost interest, sighing heavily.

Nothing had been found in Catherine’s room. Some were disappointed, while others suspected the stolen item had been hidden elsewhere.

Catherine, who had returned after being summoned by the Duke, held back tears with great effort. Crying in front of the other maids would wound her pride, though her reddened eyes betrayed her suppressed emotions.

The mansion was deathly quiet, and an inexplicable tension hung in the air, like the eerie calm before a storm.

“Huh?”

Jessie broke the silence with a startled voice.

Everyone’s gaze snapped toward her, only to follow her line of sight out the window.

“What? What’s going on?”

“Why is Miss Hailey climbing a tree?”

“Whaaat?! Why is she up there?”

The maids scrambled to the window, their faces lighting up in shock as they saw Hailey climbing a ladder propped against one of the garden trees.

“What on earth is going—”

Madam Mastis, ready to reprimand the maids for gawking instead of working, fell silent mid-sentence. Her expression froze, and after a moment of stunned stillness, she brought her hand to her forehead with a deep sigh.

“Miss Hailey,” she muttered through gritted teeth, stepping out of the mansion.

Meanwhile, Hailey was rummaging through a nest perched in the branches. Sometimes she had to stand on tiptoe to reach. Below her, Bill held the ladder steady, looking surprisingly uneasy for his usually stoic demeanor.

“I should go up instead, Miss Hailey,” he said, his voice calm but tinged with urgency.

Hailey, who had been rifling through the nest for a while, slumped her shoulders in disappointment. Descending the ladder, she scanned the area and pointed to another tree with a nest.

“Let’s try that one next, Bill.”

It was their third failure, but Hailey remained undeterred, urging him on. Bill sighed but hoisted the ladder onto his broad shoulders, following her lead.

“If you’d tell me what you’re looking for, I could—”

“I’m not entirely sure myself,” Hailey admitted, cutting him off. “And if you climb the ladder, I’d have to hold it steady. Knowing me, we’d both end up falling.”

Bill heaved another sigh but secured the ladder against the next tree. Hailey climbed it with a swiftness born of practice.

“Miss Hailey!” Peter’s voice rang out as he came running from a distance. Hailey paused midway up the ladder and looked back at him.

“Ahhh! Miss Hailey, watch where you’re going!”

Peter, his hat flying off as he ran in a panic, arrived at the base of the tree, his face ashen. “I’ll climb instead—just come down, now!”

“Miss Hailey!”

Madam Mastis’s stern voice followed shortly behind. Hailey’s shoulders slumped as she cast a sidelong glance downward. Once again, she had meddled in someone else’s business, only to face scolding.

I knew this would happen. Never again will I get involved in someone else’s affairs.

With a resigned expression, Hailey reached into the nest. This would likely be her final attempt at such a reckless endeavor. But just then—

“Huh?”

Hailey’s eyes widened in surprise.

Madam Mastis had already reached the foot of the ladder, her hands on her hips and her brow furrowed deeply. The look on her face promised a lecture the moment Hailey climbed down.

“Come down this instant, Miss Hailey.”

“Alright, Marty.”

Hailey descended the ladder one step at a time. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Madam Mastis began speaking in her usual strict tone.

“Miss Hailey, Baron Salmon will—”

At that moment, Hailey held up what was in her hand. The golden pocket watch gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight.

“…”

Madam Mastis fell silent. Bill and Peter exchanged puzzled looks, while the maids who had followed to witness Hailey getting scolded let out suppressed gasps.

Flicking the dust off her clothes, Hailey flashed a sly grin.

“Catherine isn’t the culprit, Marty. It was Brutus.”

“Brutus?”

Peter tilted his head in confusion, but no one answered him. A few steps away, Catherine stood frozen, staring wide-eyed at Hailey.

Hailey met Catherine’s gaze for a moment before handing the Duke’s pocket watch to Madam Mastis.

“While the window was open for ventilation, a sparrow must have flown in and taken it. I found a feather on the nightstand. It must’ve been heavy, but somehow, it managed to carry it all the way to its nest. I don’t understand why it would take something it can’t even eat.”

Her smile shone more brightly than the autumn sunlight. The servants, wide-eyed, simply stared at her in awe.

Chirp, chirp.

A sparrow fluttered overhead, disappearing into the nest as it moved about busily, as though searching for something. Hailey instinctively glanced toward the Duke’s study.

The shadow flickering by the window had vanished.

***

“Miss Hailey Salmon.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Hailey stood straight, her posture flawless, and maintained a gentle smile as though to avoid any fault. The Duke’s eyes, visible through the mask he wore, darkened with displeasure.

“What’s with that triumphant look? Surely, you don’t expect me to praise you.”

“Of course not, but…”

“If that’s the case, you’d best discard such expectations entirely.”

Before she could finish, Tayton sneered coldly. Hailey hadn’t been expecting praise, but she hadn’t anticipated such harsh sarcasm either. Her bottom lip stuck out slightly in protest.

“A baron’s daughter boldly climbs a ladder and rummages through a nest with her bare hands. Such a tale is unheard of.”

“…Yes, Your Grace.”

Hailey had already endured an earful from Madam Mastis. The repeated lectures, delivered with no creativity, were tiresome. She knew exactly what was coming next.

“As a noblewoman, your behavior was utterly improper, Miss Hailey. Had anyone else seen you, it wouldn’t have tarnished only Baron Salmon’s name but mine as well.”

Of course. As expected. Everyone seemed to think a woman’s sole purpose was to learn etiquette, marry well, and uphold societal decorum.

What exactly did I do wrong?

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t find an answer. Even Catherine, who Hailey had helped, glared at her and warned in a low, icy tone:

“Don’t think you’ve earned any debt from me over this.”

Her demeanor was as cold as a biting winter wind. Hailey watched Catherine’s retreating back, a little stunned.

Is there some unwritten law in Aislin that prohibits saying ‘thank you’? I’ll have to check the law books later.

“Sure, sure,” Hailey muttered dismissively, nodding as she let the Duke’s words drift in one ear and out the other. Her gaze wandered, tracing the grain patterns on his desk.

That looks like a cat. No, maybe a dog? Oh, that one’s definitely shaped like a tulip.

“And if you had injured yourself, who do you think would bear the responsibility?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Miss Hailey Salmon, are you listening to me?”

“Of course, Your Grace.”

Hailey quickly lifted her head, meeting his gaze. Her light green eyes sparkled with a look of unwavering attentiveness, as though she hadn’t missed a single word.

“Good. Then tell me, who gave you permission to meddle in my affairs? I don’t recall granting you any.”

Honestly, wouldn’t it have been reasonable for him to at least say thank you for recovering his lost pocket watch? Was it so hard to acknowledge his own mistake?

“Miss Hailey Salmon.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“What’s with that expression?”

“Expression…?”