The two men who burst into the mansion were auditors sent by the Crown Prince, and they immediately occupied Count Nova's office.
Of course, this was before Count Nova opened his eyes and before Ilya had even set foot inside the mansion.
“What is this...”
Count Nova, dressed in a gown, stared blankly at his office, which was in shambles. Of course, he had not even been able to enter his office.
“By order of His Highness the Crown Prince, I have come to audit Vester’s accounting.”
The auditor spoke thus politely, looking Count Nova in the face. Then as if chasing a guest away, he closed the door.
“...”
Count Nova opened his mouth without saying a word. In that awkward silence, a sad sobbing sound could be heard from the first floor. It was Ilya's whining.
“You, you, why are you here?”
As he hurriedly ran down the stairs, he came into sight of his daughter, Ilya. Count Nova asked urgently.
"Father..."
Ilya called Count Nova with tears in her eyes.
“Why are you here now?”
Count Nova shouted. He was anxious. The sudden occupancy of the office by those who had been sent by the Crown Prince, and Ilya's unexpected return. All the signs were not good.
“Oh, I got kicked out.”
Ilya stammered as she spoke at the fearsome demeanor of her father. She was a weak father to her, so she tried to swallow her tears and get over it, but it didn't seem that easy.
“What were you doing to get kicked out? Why?”
Countess Nova asked, lowering her voice. Being kicked out of the mansion where she worked as a maid was not a good thing in itself. It couldn't have been for a good reason.
“What is the invitation? The Archduchess keeps scratching and squeezing it...”
Ilya still complained as if she was being treated unfairly.
“I went into the Grand Duke’s bedroom, and Duke Lane was there...”
"What?"
Letter? Count Nova's face turned pale as he listened to Ilya's stammering excuses. It was because he remembered the contents of the letter he had sent to Ilya at the Grand Duke's residence.
“Did they find the letter?”
Count Nova grabbed Ilya's shoulder tightly and asked. Ilya nodded, trembling. Count Nova couldn't even scream and put his hand on his forehead. It felt like everything in his sight was turning white.
“Oh, no. It’s okay. It’ll be okay.”
But he soon pulled himself together. It was a common occurrence that accounting mismatches occurred. It was something that people did. He couldn't be punished for something like that.
The most powerful evidence of the manipulation of the books was hidden, and even the auditors sent by the Crown Prince would not have found it in the office.
Count Nova's gaze turned to Sally, Ilya's maid. As he looked, Ilya was caught by the soldiers and couldn't move. All the movements of his direct blood relatives, including himself, were in their sight. In that case, he had no choice but to move the servant.
“Behind the headboard. Burn it.”
“I feel cold because I’m anxious. Can you bring me a warm blanket?”
“Can’t we move the maid too?”
The expression on her face was completely innocent as if she had been making a lot of noise outside the mansion. If someone saw her, they would have thought she was already discouraged and had lost her will to rebel.
“You can go out.”
The soldier answered in a stiff voice. Sally met Ilya’s gaze, nodded, and hurried up the central stairs.
She tried to act calm, but every time someone looked at her, her arms and legs would tremble and she didn't know what to do.
“Here it is.”
Sally quietly slipped into Ilya's bedroom and rummaged around behind the headboard. A brown envelope poked out from between the gaps.
“How do I do this...”
It was nice to have it in her hand, but she had no idea what to do with it. Sally paced around the bed, holding the envelope.
Ilya had told her to light a fire, but because it was summer, the fireplace was out. There was no fire in Ilyaa's bedroom to light the candles. She couldn't go to the kitchen with a blanket to find a fire.
“...What should I do?”
But she couldn't just let time pass by. After thinking hard for a short while, Sally finally came up with a brilliant idea.
“Even if she’s a maid, they wouldn’t turn her skirt inside out.”
She wrapped the envelope around her thigh and tied it tightly with Ilyaa's favorite lace string. The envelope's characteristic rustling sound was heard every time she walked, but since the skirt itself made a lot of noise when she walked, she thought it would be buried.
Sally tapped the part of her skirt where the envelope was to make it look as awkward as possible, took a deep breath, and left the bedroom.
“Isn’t the room messy?”
Ilya, sitting on the sofa, reached out to Sally and asked her a question.
“It wasn’t organized well, so I cleaned it up.”
Sally answered with an awkward smile and lightly tapped her right thigh a couple of times. Ilya's face turned pale for a moment, but she soon tried to keep her expression as natural as possible.
“Yew, thanks.”
She thought it might be better to keep it near her body rather than in the bedroom.
“I am an investigator from the court. I have received a complaint addressed to Count Oliver Nova and am here to investigate.”
Investigators sent by the court arrived at the mansion guarded by imperial soldiers.
“An indictment?”
Count Nova shouted at his flagship.
“This is a complaint of tax evasion, embezzlement, and abuse of power as an agent. I have the authority to investigate the mansion and its employees.”
Of course, it was a mistake to think that it would be better to hide it under a skirt. It wasn't long before she realized that.
Of course, this was before Count Nova opened his eyes and before Ilya had even set foot inside the mansion.
“What is this...”
Count Nova, dressed in a gown, stared blankly at his office, which was in shambles. Of course, he had not even been able to enter his office.
“By order of His Highness the Crown Prince, I have come to audit Vester’s accounting.”
The auditor spoke thus politely, looking Count Nova in the face. Then as if chasing a guest away, he closed the door.
“...”
Count Nova opened his mouth without saying a word. In that awkward silence, a sad sobbing sound could be heard from the first floor. It was Ilya's whining.
“You, you, why are you here?”
As he hurriedly ran down the stairs, he came into sight of his daughter, Ilya. Count Nova asked urgently.
"Father..."
Ilya called Count Nova with tears in her eyes.
“Why are you here now?”
Count Nova shouted. He was anxious. The sudden occupancy of the office by those who had been sent by the Crown Prince, and Ilya's unexpected return. All the signs were not good.
“Oh, I got kicked out.”
Ilya stammered as she spoke at the fearsome demeanor of her father. She was a weak father to her, so she tried to swallow her tears and get over it, but it didn't seem that easy.
“What were you doing to get kicked out? Why?”
Countess Nova asked, lowering her voice. Being kicked out of the mansion where she worked as a maid was not a good thing in itself. It couldn't have been for a good reason.
“What is the invitation? The Archduchess keeps scratching and squeezing it...”
Ilya still complained as if she was being treated unfairly.
“I went into the Grand Duke’s bedroom, and Duke Lane was there...”
"What?"
“That was all the Grand Duke's doing, to provoke me and get rid of me, so I wrote you a letter...”
“Did they find the letter?”
Count Nova grabbed Ilya's shoulder tightly and asked. Ilya nodded, trembling. Count Nova couldn't even scream and put his hand on his forehead. It felt like everything in his sight was turning white.
“Oh, no. It’s okay. It’ll be okay.”
But he soon pulled himself together. It was a common occurrence that accounting mismatches occurred. It was something that people did. He couldn't be punished for something like that.
The most powerful evidence of the manipulation of the books was hidden, and even the auditors sent by the Crown Prince would not have found it in the office.
Count Nova's gaze turned to Sally, Ilya's maid. As he looked, Ilya was caught by the soldiers and couldn't move. All the movements of his direct blood relatives, including himself, were in their sight. In that case, he had no choice but to move the servant.
“Behind the headboard. Burn it.”
After Ilya sat Sally down next to her, she spoke almost ventriloquistically.
Then She swept her hand across her arms and gave her another command. The poor lady is trembling, so let the maid move according to chivalry.
The expression on her face was completely innocent as if she had been making a lot of noise outside the mansion. If someone saw her, they would have thought she was already discouraged and had lost her will to rebel.
“You can go out.”
The soldier answered in a stiff voice. Sally met Ilya’s gaze, nodded, and hurried up the central stairs.
She tried to act calm, but every time someone looked at her, her arms and legs would tremble and she didn't know what to do.
“Here it is.”
Sally quietly slipped into Ilya's bedroom and rummaged around behind the headboard. A brown envelope poked out from between the gaps.
“How do I do this...”
It was nice to have it in her hand, but she had no idea what to do with it. Sally paced around the bed, holding the envelope.
Ilya had told her to light a fire, but because it was summer, the fireplace was out. There was no fire in Ilyaa's bedroom to light the candles. She couldn't go to the kitchen with a blanket to find a fire.
“...What should I do?”
But she couldn't just let time pass by. After thinking hard for a short while, Sally finally came up with a brilliant idea.
“Even if she’s a maid, they wouldn’t turn her skirt inside out.”
She wrapped the envelope around her thigh and tied it tightly with Ilyaa's favorite lace string. The envelope's characteristic rustling sound was heard every time she walked, but since the skirt itself made a lot of noise when she walked, she thought it would be buried.
Sally tapped the part of her skirt where the envelope was to make it look as awkward as possible, took a deep breath, and left the bedroom.
“Isn’t the room messy?”
Ilya, sitting on the sofa, reached out to Sally and asked her a question.
“It wasn’t organized well, so I cleaned it up.”
Sally answered with an awkward smile and lightly tapped her right thigh a couple of times. Ilya's face turned pale for a moment, but she soon tried to keep her expression as natural as possible.
“Yew, thanks.”
She thought it might be better to keep it near her body rather than in the bedroom.
“I am an investigator from the court. I have received a complaint addressed to Count Oliver Nova and am here to investigate.”
Investigators sent by the court arrived at the mansion guarded by imperial soldiers.
“An indictment?”
Count Nova shouted at his flagship.
“This is a complaint of tax evasion, embezzlement, and abuse of power as an agent. I have the authority to investigate the mansion and its employees.”
Of course, it was a mistake to think that it would be better to hide it under a skirt. It wasn't long before she realized that.
***
“Your Highness, it’s Hugo.”
When Ilya left for Vester, he was the one who followed her. When Eden nodded, Enon opened the door.
“As you commanded, I have prevented her from arriving at Vester early.”
“So what’s the result?”
“Ilya Nova arrived later than the auditors sent by His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Hugo lowered his voice and reported the results Eden wanted.
“Since they even found the evidence hidden under the maid’s skirt, there is nothing that can turn the tables.”
“If you hear any strange noises.”
“I will pass it on to you right away.”
Eden nodded with a satisfied expression.
“Go out and look.”
Hugo left Eden's office immediately at Eden's command. Eden turned his gaze back to the paperwork he had been looking at. It was a report that Curtis had submitted to the investment bank for review.
“Tell them to proceed like this.”
Eden signed the investment permit without wasting any time.
“I hope it gets finished as quickly as possible.”
The report signed by Eden passed through the tips of his long, straight fingers and was passed to Enon.
“Why are you in such a hurry? It’s not urgent.”
Enon folded the paper so that the four corners were aligned and asked in a puzzled voice.
“Because Cecilia wants it.”
It was something that had already been discussed, and since it was something Cecilia had been looking forward to, he had a strong desire to hurry up. He liked the moment when Cecilia’s gaze met his. He thought it would be even more satisfying if that gaze was mixed with happiness.
“She said she wanted it to be finished within a year, so I’d like to meet that deadline.”
“Should we also proceed with what you wanted to ask Roy Dillon?”
Eden nodded. That was also one of the gifts he had prepared for Cecilia. Enon understood and understood Eden’s intention.
“I will first contact Roy Dillon. His Majesty the Emperor has already given his permission.”
Eden stood up from his seat, giving his permission. Enan looked at Eden with a puzzled face.
“Where are you going?”
“I wanted to tell you some news that would make Cecilia happy.”
Eden took his pocket watch out of his pocket and checked the time as he answered. There was no sign of wariness on Enon's face as if he were looking at a stranger.
“Stop tidying up and go in.”
Actually, by that time, Eden wasn't paying attention to Enon. He just went down the stairs and approached the carriage that was stopped in front of the building. The coachman who found him hurriedly opened the carriage door.
As Eden got into the carriage, he thought about Cecilia's reaction to the news he was going to deliver. Whether sad or happy, she would be as graceful and beautiful as usual. But just the thought of it made his heart beat with a slightly different beat than usual. After accepting everything, only one fact remained.
He liked that beautiful woman.
So much so that he wanted to grab hold of every little secret that she didn't reveal to him.
“Your Highness, we have arrived at the mansion.”
Even though he became more certain in his own mind, Cecilia's mind became less certain.
When Ilya left for Vester, he was the one who followed her. When Eden nodded, Enon opened the door.
“As you commanded, I have prevented her from arriving at Vester early.”
“So what’s the result?”
“Ilya Nova arrived later than the auditors sent by His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Hugo lowered his voice and reported the results Eden wanted.
“Since they even found the evidence hidden under the maid’s skirt, there is nothing that can turn the tables.”
“If you hear any strange noises.”
“I will pass it on to you right away.”
Eden nodded with a satisfied expression.
“Go out and look.”
Hugo left Eden's office immediately at Eden's command. Eden turned his gaze back to the paperwork he had been looking at. It was a report that Curtis had submitted to the investment bank for review.
“Tell them to proceed like this.”
Eden signed the investment permit without wasting any time.
“I hope it gets finished as quickly as possible.”
The report signed by Eden passed through the tips of his long, straight fingers and was passed to Enon.
“Why are you in such a hurry? It’s not urgent.”
Enon folded the paper so that the four corners were aligned and asked in a puzzled voice.
“Because Cecilia wants it.”
It was something that had already been discussed, and since it was something Cecilia had been looking forward to, he had a strong desire to hurry up. He liked the moment when Cecilia’s gaze met his. He thought it would be even more satisfying if that gaze was mixed with happiness.
“She said she wanted it to be finished within a year, so I’d like to meet that deadline.”
“Should we also proceed with what you wanted to ask Roy Dillon?”
Eden nodded. That was also one of the gifts he had prepared for Cecilia. Enon understood and understood Eden’s intention.
“I will first contact Roy Dillon. His Majesty the Emperor has already given his permission.”
Eden stood up from his seat, giving his permission. Enan looked at Eden with a puzzled face.
“Where are you going?”
“I wanted to tell you some news that would make Cecilia happy.”
Eden took his pocket watch out of his pocket and checked the time as he answered. There was no sign of wariness on Enon's face as if he were looking at a stranger.
“Stop tidying up and go in.”
Actually, by that time, Eden wasn't paying attention to Enon. He just went down the stairs and approached the carriage that was stopped in front of the building. The coachman who found him hurriedly opened the carriage door.
As Eden got into the carriage, he thought about Cecilia's reaction to the news he was going to deliver. Whether sad or happy, she would be as graceful and beautiful as usual. But just the thought of it made his heart beat with a slightly different beat than usual. After accepting everything, only one fact remained.
He liked that beautiful woman.
So much so that he wanted to grab hold of every little secret that she didn't reveal to him.
“Your Highness, we have arrived at the mansion.”
Even though he became more certain in his own mind, Cecilia's mind became less certain.
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