The hostility that the word “Emperor’s investigator” created in Lusenford was indescribably great.
It was obvious that there would be another bloodbath by digging up matters that had already been settled and punished. The Emperor had always been harsh on Lusenford.
“What are they coming to do again?”
“Your Highness’s affairs are always a good excuse! How much more will they poke around this time?”
“Oh my, there’s going to be a bloodbath…”
The Grand Duke had always loved Lusenford, and the Grand Duchess, who was the victim, had a kind heart, so the punishment ended appropriately severe. But now an investigator was coming to stir things up. Most people received this news negatively, while some secretly rejoiced.
The butler, who should have been one of those rejoicing, unfortunately couldn’t fully enjoy that joy.
In a situation where he had recently started to feel sick to his stomach due to the Grand Duke suddenly going around breaking furniture, he was short-handed because the Grand Duchess, who hadn’t fully settled in yet, hadn’t appointed a head maid. And now he had to prepare to welcome the Emperor’s investigator. Even though there was still some time left, it felt like the house was on fire.
“Would Your Highness please take care of this?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”
Still, being the Princess of Ostein, she had an unexpectedly better eye for things than the previous head maid, and she was also strictly frugal, so the butler hurriedly passed on some minor tasks for now.
Peon had said to pass most tasks to the Grand Duchess anyway, so this much should be fine. Of course, he had no intention of ever handing over the most crucial people and precious ledgers. Those were important household matters he would clutch tightly until his death.
The butler, who rightfully oversaw the entire Lusenford Castle, should manage it to the end. He had done so for 20 years without handing it over to anyone, and that wouldn’t change.
“Thank you, Your Highness. As you know, furniture purchases must be made within the allocated budget. If you look at this page, you see this number here?”
Kaela nodded vaguely while looking at the messy ledger full of hard-to-read writing and numbers from afar. There were multiple ledgers, and it was doubtful whether they were being managed properly.
Her goal before dying had been to thoroughly sort through those ledgers and documents and check the suspicious parts, but she died without daring to approach even one ledger.
Now, about three ledgers were placed in front of her, but she no longer had the motivation to organize them all.
“I don’t know much about it, but I’ll do my best.”
“Yes, please do. And you must appoint a head maid.”
The investigator was coming now. They wouldn’t arrive for a month, but since advance notice had been given, preparations had to be rushed.
The butler intended to pass on the head maid’s duties, which Doris Windgood had been doing in step with him, directly to the next head maid without going through the Grand Duchess. Of course, this was on the premise that the butler would manipulate whoever the next head maid was.
Anyway, wouldn’t a Lusenford noblewoman become the head maid? Then he could easily manipulate her with his influence.
“I understand.”
A head maid, huh. Even if I appoint one, I should choose someone less troublesome to make things easier later. But what’s the use of that?
After the butler closed the door and left, Kaela stared at the desk for a while without doing anything. Unlike last time when no information was given to the Grand Duchess and she couldn’t know anything, this time was a bit better.
‘They even gave me the ledgers, how unusual.’
Still, it was the same that there was no office for the Grand Duchess. She would only work for a short while before having all her authority taken away again.
‘Well, it’s not like I’ll be here for long anyway.’
In any case, the Emperor’s investigator coming was an opportunity for Kaela. Let’s finish everything before the investigator arrives. If this goes well, she might be able to quietly send the youngest, Marie, to Ostein. She had to somehow squeeze out that opportunity.
So, don’t overdo it, just do enough to get Marie out. Just that much.
Even after organizing her thoughts, Kaela still couldn’t move a finger, sprawled in her chair.
****
Everyone who visited the Grand Duke’s office gave a very peculiar look at the sofa that had been temporarily placed there.
“I’ll remove it soon.”
After so many people staring at it, Peon couldn’t help but say this. Then everyone visibly showed expressions of relief.
He thought the color was bad, but for every visitor to be so uniformly horrified, Peon felt terribly sorry for Kaela, who must have had to live with this dreadful furniture before his regression.
“Is it that terrible?”
“The color is just too…”
“It’s from the Grand Duchess’s bedroom.”
“Ah, women’s tastes are completely different from men’s. Yes. It must be beautiful to women’s eyes.”
“It was done by the criminal who was exiled.”
“Actually, the color is very hideous.”
“It seems the Grand Duchess doesn’t like it either.”
“It should be replaced immediately. Looking at it every day will strain your eyes.”
Peon stared at Sir Renard, who was quickly changing his words, and sincerely admired him.
“You’re quite quick to change your stance.”
“My goal is to please Your Highness.”
“I’d prefer it if you pleased me honestly.”
“I am a very sincere and honest person.”
He couldn’t say anything to that. He thought he’d like to make Kaela laugh like that brazen Renard did.
“By the way, is this why Your Highness has been going around breaking furniture? Poor old man Anderson has been clutching his stomach lately. Says he has heartburn.”
Sir Renard seemed to find the butler’s complaints of heartburn quite amusing.
“You went a bit too far.”
Sir Wilberk, who had been quiet, spoke up. Peon answered bitterly.
“It was intentional.”
It had been from the start. How could Doris Windgood, the head maid who was always frantic about not being able to get him better things, do such a thing? At first, Peon felt betrayed, and then he felt anger towards the subordinates who dared to consider him as their child.
“Personally, I couldn’t understand at all how they could ignore the diet related to Her Highness’s health, but now I understand to some extent. They were just evil people.”
Sir Wilberk concluded simply and coldly. Peon nodded. That was right. They were just evil people. But the problem was that there were too many “just evil people” for Kaela.
The most evil among them was Peon.
“Still, wouldn’t it be better to stop breaking things now, Your Highness?”
Regen, the secretary who had been receiving the documents Peon was signing one by one, cautiously said.
“Why?”
