The Emperor’s knights and inspectors barged in at once.
“Everyone, stop what you’re doing and step away from your desks!”
The commanding presence of knights who had fought alongside the Emperor on the battlefield was overwhelming for us desk-bound workers. Startled, we stood hesitantly, casting anxious glances around before retreating to the walls.
The knights positioned themselves at a distance, effectively watching us. An implicit threat lingered—any suspicious moves would only draw further scrutiny.
Terrified, my colleagues exchanged silent pleas with Donovan, urging him to do something.
‘We should at least know why we’re being targeted.’
Unable to withstand the intense stares, Donovan, sweating profusely, addressed one of the knights.
“Um, what seems to be the matter?”
Initially attempting a loud voice, Donovan’s tone diminished as the knight turned his gaze on him, making his attempt seem rather pitiful.
“Are you Donovan Schroeder, the person in charge here?” the knight inquired, sizing Donovan up with a glance.
“Yes, that’s correct,” Donovan confirmed reluctantly.
The knight called over an inspector.
“Here’s Donovan Schroeder,” he announced.
The inspector approached and began interrogating Donovan.
“We have found indications in the reports from this office that suggest the manipulation of documents to facilitate tax evasion and the creation of slush funds for Duke Camelot and his subordinate families.”
Donovan’s face turned from white to a sickly greenish hue.
“Wh-what? Th-there must be some mistake,” he stammered, repeating his denial while looking dazed, much to the inspector’s disdain.
“If it were a mistake, we wouldn’t be investigating,” the inspector retorted mockingly.
Having no more to say, the inspector handed Donovan over to the knight and turned his attention to Andrew, who had been trying to blend into the background.
“Andrew Nopen, the person in charge of Duke Camelot’s territory and its surroundings, step forward.”
Dragged out from his hiding spot by knights, Andrew tried to look back repeatedly, as if considering escape.
The inspector showed him a section of the document he was holding.
“Did you write this report, Andrew Nopen?”
The document in question was a copy of the strategic material transaction report for the western territories—one that I had helped Connie complete.
Andrew’s face turned pale green, similar to Donovan’s, as he realized the significance of the document.
“N-no, I didn’t do it! Constance did. Most of the people here saw Donovan instruct Constance to handle it,” Andrew shouted, pointing towards Connie to ensure the inspector knew who he was referring to.
“The red-haired woman over there, she’s Constance.”
Suddenly singled out, Connie almost turned to look at me but stopped herself just in time.
“Well, it does seem like something I might have done,” she said ambiguously, managing a weak smile.
Before I could correct anything, the knights acted.
“We are arresting Constance for aiding in Duke Camelot’s bribery and slush fund creation!”
Connie’s hesitant acknowledgment was enough to get her taken away immediately. Andrew was also detained for further questioning.
The rest of us were herded out of the building, which was then entirely occupied by the knights and inspectors.
They swiftly collected any potential evidence, leaving with arms full of documents. We stood outside, silent and disheartened by the sudden upheaval.
I was particularly shaken. Those aware of my close friendship with Connie kept their distance, fearful of being associated as co-conspirators. Some even shot suspicious glances my way.
Others, noticing my pale and shocked expression, offered comforting words.
I thanked them politely while my mind raced.
‘What’s going on? Why Connie?’
They took three people under suspicion of aiding Duke Camelot in bribery and slush fund creation, using the western territories’ strategic material transaction report as evidence.
‘I haven’t done anything for Duke Camelot. I just compiled the report based on Andrew’s records.’
Somewhere along the line, something must have gone wrong.
‘Most of the transactions in that report were related to iron ore.’
I recalled the complexities of tracking the intertwined debts among vassal families.
‘Let’s assume Duke Camelot used these transactions for bribery and slush funds. The Emperor likely has some evidence and is using the report to trace the responsible parties.’
The Emperor, known for his ruthless efficiency, wouldn’t punish the innocent.
‘I wasn’t involved in any crime. If I explain this calmly, I should be able to clear my name.’
However, revealing that I was the real author of the report at this point wasn’t wise.
‘They’d just detain both of us.’
I suppressed my guilt and hoped for Connie’s swift release, while mentally preparing for the worst.
Hours later, rumors spread that Donovan and Andrew were throwing Connie under the bus, claiming ignorance and blaming her for everything.
“Those bastards.”
I cursed them vehemently, feeling a rare surge of anger.
Seeing my usually calm demeanor break, my colleagues quickly returned to their workspaces, sensing the tension.
I felt a cold clarity amidst my anger.
Donovan’s behavior seemed suspiciously calculated, as if following a predetermined script.
‘Why didn’t he claim he was innocent or didn’t know?’
His repeated claim of “This can’t be happening” felt rehearsed.
‘I have more reasons to suspect Donovan.’
Assigning the task to Connie instead of Andrew was suspicious from the start.
‘I should have questioned this more.’
I regretted not paying closer attention to my instincts.
‘If Donovan is guilty, then Connie’s in danger.’
Reflecting on the past few days, I realized I had ignored warning signs.
‘I should have been more cautious.’
But now wasn’t the time for regrets.
I needed to revisit the reports and identify any irregularities.
‘Numbers don’t lie.’
I mentally organized my next steps, preparing to uncover the truth and clear Connie’s name.
