He stood at the bedroom entrance, looking at me with indifferent eyes.

Instead of answering, I nodded my head.

“……”

I struck a naturally casual pose in case of another status ailment like before, but no notification appeared.

Well, this is awkward.

Whether I’ve developed immunity, or the shock from his unexpected visit is greater.

‘Pull yourself together. This is your chance!’

Now is not the time to feel embarrassed.

I planned to immediately report all the lies the embezzler had told.

But I couldn’t do that.

Because Duke Cromwell’s gaze, which had been scanning the room, landed on the notebook I hadn’t put away.

“This is……”

His eyes still lingered on the doodle.

My face burned hot.

“Ah, it’s nothing!”

I quickly removed the notebook from his sight.

I know it’s rude and there are more urgent matters.

But shame came first.

What if he thinks I neglect the young lady and just doodle all day?

“Did you see it……?”

I asked while gauging Duke Cromwell’s reaction.

If he says he saw it, I’ll make it absolutely clear that I drew it in my spare time.

That I fulfilled my duties as a nanny, and only drew during my free time…….

“……No.”

Duke Cromwell answered after a slight pause.

I stuffed the notebook into my bag, inwardly sighing with relief.

I could feel his gaze boring into the back of my head.

“……tiful though.”

Perhaps because I was lost in thought, I didn’t catch what he said.

‘I should have put this away first.’

I opened my mouth, swallowing my regret.

“Um, about what the head maid said in the hallway earlier……”

The fact that Duke Cromwell came looking for me must mean he’s willing to hear my side of the story.

A small hope surfaced.

“I heard you were fired?”

“……”

Did he just come to confirm that I was fired……?

Seeing him cut me off so abruptly, the brief hope I had felt vanished.

“……Yes, I was fired.”

“Follow me.”

Instead of an expected dismissal like ‘then get out immediately,’ came this unexpected request.

I don’t know why I should follow him, but whether in a hierarchical society or an equal one, a superior’s word is law.

I shouldn’t give the impression of being presumptuous by questioning his reasons.

I need to get rehired.

I followed Duke Cromwell without protest.

And soon realized we were heading to his office.

‘But I can’t enter there……’

Frustratingly, I lack the required level.

The Duke’s office is only accessible to those level 3 and above…….

Level: 2

I’m still at the pitiful level 2.

“Do you have something to say?”

Duke Cromwell glanced at me, perhaps noticing concern in my expression.

“Are we going to your office?”

“Yes.”

Is there a problem?

He asked with an indifferent attitude.

“Ah……, I…… um.”

The system has determined which areas of the mansion I can and cannot access. The office is a restricted area.

“……The head maid told me to leave the mansion within an hour.”

Unable to tell the truth, I answered like this.

“……”

Am I imagining it, or did Duke Cromwell’s eyes darken?

“I never fired you.”

“……”

“That is, if you didn’t embezzle anything.”

“I really didn’t embezzle anything!”

The indignation I felt 30 minutes ago resurfaced. Even if I get fired, I should assert my innocence before leaving.

“The head maid really told me to raise the young lady on a weekly wage of 25 gold.”

I asked because the wage was too low. It might have been careless to immediately accuse her of embezzlement, but……!

My lengthy appeal ended before it properly began.

♡SYSTEM♡ Level restriction temporarily lifted.

Ding!

This notification appeared as the office door opened.

The office was filled with all kinds of intricate furniture and decorations that pixel art couldn’t properly render.

But the feeling of visiting a film set didn’t last long.

“Waah—! Waah—!”

Because a familiar crying sound reached my ears.

The habit ingrained over the past week moved me to comfort the baby.

“Young lady, don’t cry. I’m here.”

I immediately took the young lady from someone’s arms.

It might be impolite, but stopping her crying comes first.

I can apologize later.

“Oh my, young lady. Did you miss me a lot?”

After patting her for a while, the loud crying in my ear gradually quieted.

Only then did I belatedly realize that besides Duke Cromwell, his daughter, and me, there were two more people in the office.

“Your Grace, here are the documents you requested.”

The person holding the baby had been the chief butler.

With both hands free, the chief butler handed the documents to Duke Cromwell.

And the other person was Miriam Lynch.

Miriam Lynch sat with a dark expression.

The authority she held as head maid had disappeared without a trace,

“……”

And in its place was only a cringing embezzler.

As Duke Cromwell opened the documents, her shoulders trembled slightly.

A suffocating silence followed.

The only sound was the slow turning of pages.

Thud.

Duke Cromwell finally put down the documents.

“Your spending has increased tremendously since the young lady arrived at the mansion.”

His cold voice conveyed neither reproach nor disappointment.

His voice, like addressing a complete stranger, made my heart sink even though he wasn’t speaking to me.

“Were you planning to continue if you hadn’t been caught?”

Duke Cromwell asked.

‘Is that even a question.’

I answered inwardly on her behalf.

“I’m sorry! When I saw such a large sum, I couldn’t help myself……!”

Whether she judged an apology better than an excuse, or simply couldn’t find a suitable excuse, she prostrated herself.

‘I didn’t even expect her to apologize to me.’

In situations like this, people typically apologize to their superiors.

“……”

Crimson eyes lingered on me briefly.

He seems concerned.

‘I must be imagining things.’

Feeling awkward, I avoided his gaze.

Miriam Lynch’s pleas continued endlessly.

This content isn’t good for a baby’s emotional development.

I quietly raised my hands to cover the young lady’s ears.

“You’re fired.”

“Your Grace!”

Miriam Lynch looked ready to cling to his legs and beg.

For her, this meant leaving the place she had lived her entire life.

“I’ve devoted my whole life to the Cromwell family! Don’t you feel any pity for me?”

What’s pitiful is that I’ll be trapped here for three years.

“Lorelai, if it weren’t for you! I hired you out of pity for your circumstances…… How dare you…… betray me like this?!”

After feeling sorry for herself, Miriam Lynch blamed me—from her perspective—the root cause of the incident.

No, if you wanted to keep your lifelong job, you should have lived honestly.

“If you had any conscience, you wouldn’t do this! You cursed thing! You’ll be ruined!”

Seeing that she might rush at me any moment, I quietly hid behind Duke Cromwell.

No matter how enraged she is, she wouldn’t attack Duke Cromwell.

But I seemed to have underestimated the anger of someone who had instantly become unemployed.

“Lorelai!”

Miriam Lynch approached me threateningly with wide strides.

Before I could openly hide behind the body right in front of me, Duke Cromwell stepped between me and Miriam Lynch.

“What do you think you’re doing in front of me?”

Duke Cromwell asked coldly.

Miriam Lynch, who had been walking confidently, hesitated.

“Let go! I have more to say!”

As she faltered, the chief butler called a young servant at the appropriate moment to drag her away.

The Duke’s office finally became quiet.

I watched Duke Cromwell’s reaction while soothing the young lady who was about to whimper again.

“……”

Why did he bother bringing me here to show me this scene?

Is it a warning that this is what happens if I try anything?

Having just escaped from one storm, Duke Cromwell frowned.

His expression was unmistakably grim.

‘This isn’t good for the child’s emotions either.’

Even I was startled, so imagine what the young lady must feel seeing this.

A child who doesn’t know what death is will instinctively learn about it.

“Hah……”

Even if she doesn’t learn about death, she’ll certainly burst into tears. I thought this as I watched him sigh.

I adjusted my angle so the young lady could see the wall over my shoulder.

“The baby follows you well.”

“……Pardon?”

Not expecting him to suddenly start a conversation, I stupidly asked him to repeat himself.

“I’m trying my best.”

Realizing my mistake, I extended my sentence.

Duke Cromwell shouldn’t maintain distance from his daughter.

“I regret that you experienced unnecessary injustice.”

While I was connecting my thoughts, Duke Cromwell spoke.

“Oh, no. It’s fine since it’s been resolved. Thank you.”

“Erase any thought that the Cromwell family would be stingy with such support.”

He spoke as if wanting to make this absolutely clear.

“Hasson.”

When Duke Cromwell called the chief butler, he took over the conversation.

“First, I apologize for the inconvenience.”

The chief butler apologized repeatedly.

“Oh, no. Nobody knew……”

It would be more serious if they knew and still let it happen.

And I want something more than an apology.

“Your weekly wage has been increased to match your title as the young lady’s nanny. Your overdue wages have also been paid.”

The young lady’s child support. Future education funds for the young lady. Weekly wage. Money.

Call it whatever you want.

In this crazy capitalist game, insincere money is a hundred times better than a sincere apology.

♡SYSTEM♡ Your stolen wages have been returned!

Ding!

I was surprised when I saw the number.

‘Holy crap.’

How much is all this?

‘That’s more like it. A nanny is premium personnel, 220 gold per month was too little.’

It should have been like this from the start.

“The young lady’s child support will be paid separately.”

The chief butler’s explanation continued.

I nodded while trying to suppress my rising cheeks.

♡SYSTEM♡

[Young Lady’s Child Support] has been unlocked.

Make the young lady into an imperial princess through wise spending!

[Available Gold: 99,999,999……]

“Speak up promptly if you experience any injustice.”

Duke Cromwell said while I was trying to contain my smile.

“Don’t make matters complicated.”

I wondered what he meant, then realized he was referring to when I couldn’t speak due to the status ailment.

Indeed, if I had spoken up earlier, he wouldn’t have had to go through the trouble of finding me…….

‘I was frustrated too.’

I nodded in agreement.

‘Come to think of it, this guy can say things other than evaluations.’

During gameplay, Duke Cromwell only had three lines.

♡Duke Cromwell: Another season passes. I look forward to seeing how much the young lady has grown.

First, the line announcing the end of a season.

♡Duke Cromwell: Intelligence 31, dignity 22……

Second, the young lady’s evaluation that follows immediately after the first line.

♡Duke Cromwell: She’s growing well.

Lastly, the line that says don’t even think about seeing me until the next season ends.

It’s quite refreshing to see him speak normally, unlike his terrible father dialogue.

While vaguely agreeing with what he was saying, I turned my attention to his profile window that I had wanted to see for the past week.

♡PROFILE♡

Name: Jeremiah Cromwell

‘Why is there only a name?’

I finally saw his profile window, but except for his name, there was no information.

In Bling Bling ♡ Raising A Noble Lady, there was no profile window either…….

‘But other NPCs didn’t have one either?’

By that logic, Mary and Jane didn’t have one either.

They wrote such detailed information for insignificant supporting NPCs……!

Not being able to see [Favorability with the Young Lady] is most regrettable.

“If there’s nothing else—”

Duke Cromwell was about to end the conversation.

I was too desperate to leave with just a polite thank you.

I quickly interjected.

“Ah! Could you possibly give the young lady a name?”

“……”

I can feel his look that seems to ask what I’ve been doing all this time without naming her.

What have I been doing?

You’re the one who should name her if you brought the child.