Episode 16. Spilled Water?
It was the morning after returning from the estate. Martha and Edward stood side by side in front of the door to Duke Claude's study. Martha was carrying a ledger under her arm. The one she had brought from the storehouse in the hills. A real ledger. It was a completely different object from the forged documents that had been neatly arranged in the office.
Edward knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Claude was sitting at his desk in the study. Isabella, who had been sitting on the sofa next to him, rose from her seat as the two entered. Claude put down his pen and looked back and forth between Martha and Edward. It was the look of a parent watching their children return from a trip, but mixed in with a sense of anticipation. Martha placed the ledger on the table.
"These are the real ledgers found in the estate's storehouse. All the documents in the office were forged."
Claude picked up the ledger. He turned the cover. He looked at the first page. And the second, the third. With each page he turned, Claude's eyebrows narrowed slightly. He remained silent. Duke Claude was just that kind of person. He never let his emotions show. However, Martha knew what kind of silence it was. It was the silence of shock. Edward said.
"If you add up the leaks for this entire year, it amounts to over five thousand gold."
Isabella took a small breath. Claude still did not lift his eyes from the ledger. He examined the numbers one by one with his finger. That sight was strangely familiar to Martha. Duke Claude used to do the same when looking at the family's financial statements. He had looked at them like this, line by line, back then too. It was an old memory. The Duke is always the same, then and now.
Martha said.
"And Father, this won't be just Valois."
Claude lifted his eyes from the ledger.
"What do you mean?"
"Felix Holm passed through two more families before coming to Valois. His name is listed in the documents Edward brought from the Imperial Palace. Income siphoned off in the exact same pattern in those two families as well. The leaks start within a few months of his appointment, become bolder, and he leaves before completing a year; the pattern is exactly the same."
Edward held out the documents. Claude took them and looked through them. Isabella approached her husband and examined them with him. The study was silent for a while. Claude asked.
"Where did the income of those two families go?"
Martha chose her words for a moment, then pointed to the documents and said.
"The income of all three families was gathered in one place. The Golden Lion Merchant Guild."
The study fell silent. Completely, entirely. Isabella gently grasped her husband's arm. Claude put down the ledger. His movement was slower than usual. Martha noticed it. He knows it. Claude said in a low voice.
"I have someone to contact."
Three days later. A carriage pulled into the front yard of the Valois estate. Even before the carriage stopped, Martha recognized the emblem. It was a symbol of two crossed swords atop a shield. It was the emblem the Valois family had encountered dozens of times at imperial court events. It was the House of Ashford. Edward spoke in a low voice beside Martha.
"I didn't know my father's childhood friend was the Duke of Ashford."
Martha knew that, too. But she did not say anything. The carriage door opened. The Duke of Ashford stepped out first. He was a man in his early fifties. He was quite tall. His features seemed as sharp as Leon's in his youth, but time had refined that sharpness into a face of gravitas. His hair was streaked with gray. He had the posture of a soldier. It was a posture possessed only by someone who had lived that way for decades. Not the slightest looseness, a taut posture even when relaxed. Even as he stood still, the air around him felt different. It was evident that this man was the de facto leader of the Imperial military.
And behind him, Leon stepped out. Martha looked at Leon, who stood behind the Duke. He was the same height as his father. He had the same posture. If his father had grown heavy with age, the son was still sharp. Black hair and gray eyes. He was expressionless. As he entered the mansion, his gaze scanning the surroundings was swift and sharp. He looked at Edward. Then he looked at Martha. Their eyes met. Receiving that gaze, Martha thought, "They came together". It was only natural. It would have been awkward to leave the son alone while his father was arriving. Moreover, at a gathering where the Golden Lion Merchant Guild was being discussed, it was more natural for the son of a powerful figure in the Imperial military to be present.
Duke Ashford shook hands with Claude and said.
"It's been a while, Claude. I was wondering what was going on when I received a sudden message."
Claude's expression softened for the first time in a long while. It was a look he only showed in front of a childhood friend.
"Thank you for coming. Something has come up that is difficult for me to decide on my own. Please come in."
Duke Ashford nodded to Edward in greeting. Then he looked at Martha. His gaze briefly scanned her. It was the look of a man looking at his son's former fiancée after their engagement was broken off, yet there was no hostility in it. It was simply a look of observation.
"Princess Serena, have you been well?"
Martha looked at Duke Ashford. Martha knew Duke Ashford as well. It was a face she had seen a few times at Imperial Palace events. Back then, she had seen him from behind. Behind Miss Serena. She had watched the Duke talking to Duke Claude from two steps away. In doing so, she realized that these two were old friends. There are people you can feel comfortable with even without saying much, and these two were that kind of people.
Martha spoke naturally.
"They say no news is good news. I'm still the same. I assumed you were still in good health, Duke."
The Duke of Ashford paused. Then he let out a chuckle. It was a brief laugh, but it was sincere. Leon froze behind him. Edward froze as well. Claude glanced at Martha for a moment, then averted his gaze without saying a word. The Duke of Ashford said to Claude.
"Your daughter feels very different from before."
Claude replied.
"Let's go in."
Five people gathered in the study. Duke Claude, Edward, and Martha. And the Duke of Ashford and Leon. The table wasn't small, but with five people seated, the space felt packed. Martha sat on the same side as Leon, not opposite him. Leon glanced at Martha. Martha paid no heed and placed the ledger on the table.
Claude said.
"We brought this from the estate. Look at it first."
The Duke of Ashford picked up the ledger. He opened the first page. The second. The third. His pace of turning the pages was steady. He neither hurried nor skipped. He was turning them while reading through everything. Yet, his expression remained unchanged. Beside him, Leon was following his father, looking at another ledger. Martha watched from the side. Leon read ledgers exactly like his father.
The Duke of Ashford looked at it and said.
"This."
"These are two years' worth of records. Things that left the estate of Valois."
The Duke of Ashford handed the ledger to Leon. Leon took it and looked through it. Martha watched from the side as Leon examined the ledger. He read quickly. He looked at it meticulously. He did not skip any numbers. Martha found it strangely impressive that a soldier knew how to read ledgers. 'He is more than just a soldier,' Edward said.
"I traced where this money went."
Leon looked up from the ledger. Edward spoke as he spread the documents on the table.
"There are two families Felix Holm passed through before Valois: the Viscount Strauss family and the Baron Werner family. Income flowed out from both places following the same pattern as in Valois, and all that money flowed into one place."
The Duke of Ashford raised his eyebrows slightly at the names Strauss and Werner. Martha saw it. They were familiar names. Pointing at the documents, Martha said.
"The income from all three families flowed into the Golden Lion Merchant Guild."
The study fell silent. Completely. The Duke of Ashford looked down at the documents on the table. Claude rested his fingers quietly on the desk. Leon tightened his grip on the ledger slightly. Watching their reactions, Martha thought, 'They know what this name means to these people.'
Martha asked.
"Do you know the Golden Lion Merchant Guild?"
The Duke of Ashford looked at Claude. Claude nodded. The Duke of Ashford said,
"The Golden Lion Merchant Guild..."
He paused for a moment. That was his way of speaking. It was a time to choose his words.
"It is a merchant guild run by the current Empress's family."
Edward fraze.
"The Empress's."
"Yes. It is the country's top merchant guild. A significant portion of the national treasury moves through that guild. To give you an idea of the scale, more than half of the supplies delivered to the Imperial Palace are connected to that guild, directly or indirectly. You could say they effectively hold a portion of the nation's purse strings."
As she listened, Martha thought. The Empress. His Majesty the Emperor's wife. Crown Prince Pierre's mother. Her family was running the country's top merchant guild. And the income from the territories of various families was flowing into that guild. Edward spoke.
"Then, the Empress right now..."
"It is difficult to speak rashly without direct evidence."
Duke Ashford interrupted.
"However, if movements of this magnitude are entering the merchant guild of the Empress's family, it is unlikely that the people at the top are unaware."
The study fell silent again. Martha spoke.
"And this is likely not limited to just the three families."
Duke Ashford looked at Martha.
"Why?"
"There is no way an estate manager like Felix Holm would be found only in these three families. This method is too sophisticated and too systematic. It is a method of bringing down families one by one, little by little. Undisclosed, slowly."
Martha said while organizing the documents.
"There are likely more families close to His Imperial Majesty showing similar movements."
Duke Ashford looked at Martha for a moment. His gaze had changed. It was a different look from when he first saw her earlier. It was a look of re-evaluating something. Duke Ashford said.
"I had already sensed similar signs in a few families. But it hadn't been confirmed."
Claude said.
"That is why I summoned you."
"Understood. I need to look into these documents myself. I have someone I can trust at the Imperial Palace. I will check quietly."
Claude nodded. Edward said.
"I will also look into it at the Imperial Palace. Be careful."
The Duke of Ashford looked at Edward.
"You must be careful. There are eyes inside the Imperial Palace, too. You shouldn't ask just anyone."
Edward nodded. Leon said.
"Come to think of it, I saw warriors with Imperial swords in the estate yesterday."
Everyone looked at Leon. Leon looked at Martha.
"Did you see them yourself?"
"Our security officer saw them. It was Karl."
"Is he someone who can definitely distinguish an Imperial sword?"
"He said so. He couldn't be wrong."
Leon looked at Martha for a moment, then lowered his gaze. A heavy silence fell over the study. Imperial sword. Those three letters floated in the air. The meeting ended. Claude spoke to the Duke of Ashford.
"Bring a drink today. Let's have a proper chat for the first time in a while."
The Duke of Ashford nodded.
"Alright. I hear rumors that your cooking skills have improved."
Claude looked at Martha. Martha nodded, meeting his gaze. Edward said.
"I'll be back from the Imperial Palace for a moment. I have something to check."
Claude gestured to Edward. It was a look wishing him well. Then Claude said to Martha.
"Let Leon rest. Just give him a tour of the garden."
Martha looked at Claude. His eyes were saying something. A silent look telling her to stay with him. It was a brief glance, but it was clear. Martha accepted it and nodded. Leon watched the scene. He saw his father. The Duke of Ashford remained in the study with Claude, reviewing more documents. It was a look that signaled they should leave. Leon looked at Martha. She was already walking toward the study door.
Martha and Leon stepped out into the garden. The afternoon sunlight filled the garden. The sunlight fell upon the flowerbed where lavender seedlings were planted. They were still small, but they were growing. In about a month, the scent would fill every corner of the Duke's estate.
Lucy followed behind, holding a cup of tea. Leon's subordinate, Siegfried, followed along as well. Being perceptive, he stepped back with Lucy, maintaining a safe distance. Tea was set on a table in one corner of the garden. Then, Martha and Leon sat facing each other. The afternoon sunlight was warm. As the wind passed through the garden, the seedlings in the lavender bed swayed slightly. The sound of birds could be heard from somewhere.
Martha began to pour the tea. To Leon's cup first. Leon scanned the garden and said.
"Have you completely forgotten me now?"
Martha looked at Leon. She was holding a teapot.
"Forgot what?"
"I mean, you have been too nonchalant with me since the broken engagement."
Martha said as she poured tea into her own cup.
"Is it wrong to be nonchalant?"
"Usually, people feel awkward or uncomfortable."
"I don't feel awkward. Do you feel uncomfortable when you see me?"
"It would be a lie to say I do."
"Then, young master, you must have something to hide. Is it because the engagement was broken off?"
Leon looked at Martha. Something flickered in his eyes. It was the look that appeared whenever this woman reacted unexpectedly. The look in your eyes when watching someone constantly stray from the game you've prepared.
Martha picked up her teacup, knowing exactly what she was seeing. Leon said.
"Or maybe you've changed your concept to try and win me over in a different way. You're so different from before that I wonder if there's some ulterior motive."
As she sipped her tea, Martha softly murmured the words she had unconsciously been repeating in her mind.
"You bastard, I do my job."
The two paused for a moment. Just as Leon was about to say something, Martha hurriedly spoke first. Woof woof! Martha began barking like a dog.
"Let's just each do our own thing and live our lives to the fullest."
Crazy. Does that even make sense? I don't know. Leon was speechless for a moment.
"I just it feels like you're treating me like a completely different person now."
In the brief silence, Martha looked around the garden. Once the lavender newly planted in that flowerbed grew a bit more, it could be used in the kitchen. It's good for herbal dishes, and it smells lovely when placed between linens.
While Martha was lost in thought, Leon spoke again.
"So much has changed since the broken engagement. It's not easy for a person to change that suddenly."
"Can't I change?"
"I'm curious why."
Martha looked at Leon. Those gray eyes were looking at her. His face was expressionless, but those eyes were not. They were eyes trying to tell her something. Martha accepted them and said.
"Things change as you live."
It seemed to take Leon a moment to accept those words. As you live. Leon raised his glass and said.
"You say that often."
"It's a phrase I find myself using frequently."
"How long have we lived?"
"Enough."
Leon looked at Martha, then turned his gaze to the garden. He looked at the flowerbeds. He looked at the well-tended lawn. He looked at the hydrangea seedlings planted at the base of the wall.
"The Valois family garden has changed."
Martha said, looking at the flowerbeds.
"I planted lavender. It serves as an herb and smells nice. And the hydrangeas at the base of the wall."
Leon looked at the flowerbed and said.
"It's practical."
"Isn't it?"
Leon looked at Martha. Martha was looking at the flowerbed. The afternoon sunlight fell on Martha's golden hair. As the wind passed, her hair swayed slightly. Leon looked at her profile for a moment before averting his gaze. He felt a slight flush in his ears. Wanting to erase that feeling immediately, he drank his tea. Then, silence fell. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence. It was just a quiet afternoon. Martha was fine with that quietness. Leon said.
"Earlier in the study."
Martha looked at Leon.
"How did you read the ledger? There are so many numbers."
"I just read it."
"Just."
"Checking it one by one to make sure it was correct."
"That isn't an easy task."
Martha said while drinking her tea.
"You have to look at the ledger when managing a household. If you don't look at it, you don't know where the money is leaking."
Leon looked at Martha for a moment.
"Housekeeping."
"Yes."
"A Princess managing a household?"
"I have to do it, but if I don't, the family will be ruined."
Leon seemed to be searching for something to say. Then he spoke.
"There's a rumor that the Valois family has changed because of the Princess."
"The rumor is exaggerated."
"It is difficult for the person involved to judge whether it is an exaggeration or not."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Martha thought as she sipped her tea. This man knows the story of the Valois family. Edward had mentioned that rumors of the creditor negotiations had reached the Imperial Palace. Those rumors must have reached the Ashford ducal household as well. Martha picked up the teapot and said.
"Would you like more?"
Leon held out a cup. Martha began to pour the tea. But... the angle at which Leon held out the cup was slightly off from the direction Martha was pouring. Or perhaps Martha had positioned herself incorrectly. The tea spilled beside the cup. Over the table. And from the edge of the table, it flowed down toward Leon's thigh. Martha quickly set the teapot down. Leon stopped. Martha stopped too. Ah.
"Oh my god, what a mess."
"What... mess?"
Martha looked at Leon's wet spot, then at the hem of her skirt. Then, reflexively, she grabbed the hem and reached out her hand toward Leon's thigh. Quickly, tap, tap. She began wiping the wet spot. I have to wipe it quickly.
'I hope he doesn't get too wet.' Martha wiped him, thinking that thought. But. Leon was frozen. Completely frozen. There was no movement. He seemed to be holding his breath. He seemed like a stone. Martha looked at Leon while wiping him. Leon's ears were red. It wasn't just his ears. His neck was red. His face was red. His face was expressionless, yet the color was rising from beneath it. Martha looked at it and thought for a moment. Why is he acting like this? Was it too hot?
Then she realized again that the hem of her skirt was wiping Leon's thigh. Ah. Martha let go of his hand. She pulled down her skirt. And she said casually.
"You don't get very wet."
"That's enough."
Leon said nothing. In one corner of the garden, behind a large tree, Lucy leaned against the tree and took out her notebook. Then she began to take notes. The Princess spilled tea on Young Master Leon's thigh. And she wiped it with her skirt. With her skirt. On Young Master Leon's thigh.
There was a sound nearby. Lucy looked up.
Siegfried was standing behind the same tree, taking out his notebook and taking notes. The Young Master's ears turned red. His face, too. His neck, too. This was the first time. I have served him for ten years, and this is the first time.
Lucy and Siegfried looked at each other. They remained silent for a while; Lucy spoke first.
"Excuse me."
Siegfried said, clutching his notebook to his chest.
"Yes."
"What is the situation over there?"
Siegfried asked.
"It is difficult to tell you."
Lucy nodded.
"Me neither."
They both looked at their notebooks again. And simultaneously, they began to write something intently.
[Lucy's Secret Shock Journal - Episode 16]
Today the Duke of Ashford and Prince Leon arrived.
Shock No. 1. The Princess greeted Duke Ashford in a lighthearted, joking tone. She used to be as stiff as a stone in front of the Duke, but today she greeted him so brightly and cheerfully that I was shocked.
Shock No. 2: There was a meeting in the study, and the topic of the Golden Lion Merchant Guild came up. They said it was the merchant guild of the Empress's family. As soon as that story was told, the study fell completely silent. Even I, listening from outside the door, felt my hands turn cold.
Shock No. 3. The Duke told the Princess to escort Prince Leon to the garden. The two of them had tea in the garden. I watched from behind a tree.
Shock No. 4. The Princess spilled tea on Prince Leon's thigh while pouring it. Then, saying, "What a mess," she wiped it with the hem of her skirt. With her skirt. On Prince Leon's thigh. Prince Leon turned to stone. His ears, face, and neck all turned red.
Shock No. 5. I was writing in my notebook with Mr. Siegfried behind the tree when our eyes met. "It is difficult to tell you," and "Me neither," we said to each other. We wrote it down together.
"My Lady, what is with this mood today? Weren't you two supposed to have broken off your engagement?"
I don't know why my heart was pounding as the two of you spoke.
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