Some employees were Donovan’s lackeys, catering to his whims in exchange for favors. I had to be discreet.
Fortunately, the office was a mess, and my desk was in disarray. The Treasury Minister had returned briefly, ordered us to tidy up, and then quickly left.
‘He’s probably off to ask influential people to help him escape unscathed.’
If the accusations were proven, the minister would also be in trouble. The Emperor wouldn’t hesitate to punish him for incompetence if he claimed ignorance.
The minister’s trembling voice suggested the situation was more severe than we thought. The atmosphere was tense, with employees whispering as they pretended to clean up.
“Why would Constance take such a huge risk?”
“Yeah, was it really a solo act?”
“Shh, she might hear us.”
I sighed inwardly, overhearing my colleagues gossiping openly about me. Heather had mentioned that several employees had been called in to corroborate Donovan’s transfer of work to Connie. Their testimonies made things worse for her.
‘How could Connie have predicted Donovan would pin this on her? If only I knew who was involved and to what extent.’
It was unclear whether those who testified against Connie were enemies or simply covering their backs.
‘I need to do what I can.’
I blended in with the others, pretending to clean while secretly pocketing some of the western region documents. These documents were restricted and usually off-limits to me.
‘Luckily, the original ledgers from the western region are still here.’
It seemed they only took the documents processed by the administrators. I had a rough memory of the documents Andrew had prepared. While I couldn’t replicate them exactly, I could compare the original documents with my recollections.
As the minister left, employees started to trickle out. I stayed back, pretending to be diligent. Once the office was mostly empty, I hid the collected documents around my desk.
‘Hiding them in plain sight.’
Even if someone looked for them, they might assume the inspectors had taken them.
‘I’ll slip them back when the unrelated documents are returned.’
* * *
Three days passed.
‘I heard Andrew and Donovan are under house arrest.’
I lost sleep worrying about Connie, who was still in the temporary detention center.
‘It’s understandable that they won’t allow visits during an investigation, but not even allowing delivery of essentials like blankets or clothes?’
Thanks to my efforts, there was some progress in the investigation.
‘I managed to sleep at least five hours during my final semester at the academy.’
Amid the chaos, I analyzed the western region documents and identified where Duke Camelot had manipulated the records.
‘He took quite a lot.’
The discrepancies were glaringly obvious once I laid out the documents step by step.
‘Now I see why Donovan split up the work.’
And why he pulled Andrew out at the last moment.
‘He must have feared a backlash from Andrew’s family.’
If Andrew got too involved, his family would intervene. This all but confirmed Donovan’s involvement in my mind.
‘He bragged about his ties to Duke Camelot.’
Just as he intended to use and discard Connie, Duke Camelot would likely do the same to Donovan.
‘The Duke’s cut-off will be much more ruthless.’
I carefully copied the key documents and returned the originals.
‘Now I need to present this evidence.’
Normally, I should report this to my superior first, but…
‘Will they help Connie?’
If they decided to sacrifice Connie to protect the department, it wouldn’t help her.
‘They might choose to pin the blame on her instead of Donovan.’
It would be easier for the Treasury Department to distance themselves from the scandal. But that wasn’t my goal.
‘My goal is to save Connie, not to protect corrupt officials.’
Donovan needed to face the consequences. I needed to get this evidence to someone with direct access to the Emperor.
‘This is far harder than finding the discrepancies in the documents.’
I considered my options. There were two people who might help.
Both had low odds, but one was harder to approach, while the other was less likely to cooperate.
‘Closer to the Emperor is better.’
After much deliberation, I made my choice.
* * *
I waited for the weekend and headed to a café with a striking glass interior. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door, soothed by the pleasant chime of the bell.
‘An information guild disguised as a café, huh?’
The aroma of coffee and the gentle music from an orrery made it feel authentic.
‘Did I get the right place?’
I took a seat at the furthest table, reassured by the emptiness of the café.
‘A café this size with no customers on a weekend? I’m in the right place.’
Despite being on the outskirts of the commercial district, its longevity suggested it was indeed the guild’s front.
‘It’s been here for a while, even though it looks deserted in the afternoons.’
Perhaps a perception-altering spell kept it hidden, or they spread rumors to keep people away.
I mused over my theories, watching the elegant interior. After a few minutes, a brown-haired man in an apron hurried over.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize a customer had arrived.”
He scratched his head and smiled, his eyes crinkling in a friendly manner.
“No problem, I haven’t been waiting long.”
I observed him, trying to act like a normal customer.
‘Is this the guild master?’
According to the novel, Count Kyle Seymour, the Emperor’s only friend and the head of the information guild, often spent time here.
‘He looks like a typical romance fantasy second male lead.’
His brown hair and green eyes fit the cliché of a heartbroken second lead. However, his personality was as cold and calculating as a mentalist’s.
“I’d like to order.”
I rehearsed the secret phrase in my mind and asked for a menu.
“Did you ask for a menu?” Kyle’s eyes lit up.
“Uh, yes.”
His reaction made me second-guess whether my request had hidden meaning.
“Not asking for merchandise or coming to the wrong place, right?”
Kyle confirmed before disappearing.
‘He’s supposed to be calm and intellectual.’
He seemed a bit too excitable. A few seconds later, Kyle returned with a menu.
“We haven’t had many customers lately.”
His eyes drooped sadly.
“Oh, I see.”
It was hard to tell if his sadness was genuine or part of his act.
‘So they aren’t deliberately avoiding customers?’
Or maybe he was just overly committed to his role.
As I pondered, Kyle regained his calm demeanor.
“Take your time. Ring the bell when you’re ready to order.”
“Wait, hold on.”
I wasn’t here for coffee. I pointed randomly at the first item on the menu.
“I’ll have this.”
Kyle took the menu and quickly returned with the drink.
I sipped the espresso-like beverage slowly.
“Ugh.”
I nearly spat it out.
‘What is this? Poison?’
Determined not to insult his business, I forced myself to swallow, regretting it instantly.
I looked at Kyle with trembling eyes.
