Chapter 5

Today, I plan to post Chapter 3.

"......Well, now that we have Mr. Husband's (stick) permission, let's quickly get rid of the garbage, shall we? Andel, Maria... and Sir Isra, please come with me."

"「「「Yes」」」"

Accompanied by the three people I introduced to Avan, I head towards the vacant room where the embezzling butler, Haul, is being held.

I've also placed a knight inside and outside the room to prevent his escape. When the knight standing in front of the room noticed us, he bowed, and I nodded in response.

"Is everything in order? Please open it."

At my request, the knight unlocked the door, checked the room first, and then let us in.

"Wh-What, Lady Elizabeth, this is outrageous! Why are you treating me like this?"

Haul, who had been locked up in a simple shirt and black trousers, shouted at me as soon as he saw my face, having just been woken up and caught off guard by the arrival of the knight and Andel.

As I tried to approach, the knight inside and Sir Isra, who was next to me, restrained him and pulled him away.

"Oh, how surprising. Don't you know what you've been doing? Andel, please explain."

In my place, Andel, who had become the steward of this mansion, stepped forward and approached Haul.

"Yes, my lady. ...Haul, it's been a while since dawn. I apologize for the late greeting. I am Andel Fizlow, former second steward of the Roseville Margrave family, and now the steward of the Lottevalt Duke family. I am young, but please be kind... Ah, it seems our association will only last until today."

It's fine if you don't remember, he said in a cold voice, bowing deeply. This is what they mean by being polite but rude...

Perhaps overwhelmed by Andel's presence, Haul, who had been aggressive, now grunted and looked intimidated. Or perhaps he was still bitter about being passed over for the steward position by a young upstart, despite serving the family for over 100 years since his grandfather's time?

"Leaving the accounts to a mere butler without even checking them is also a questionable stance for a ducal family... Even without such a thorough review, a child could see the holes in these accounts. No matter how foolish the superiors may be, I would like you to use your head a bit more.

I have only looked at this year's accounts, but the amount of money that has disappeared through opaque transactions is 6.5 million reals (consider 1 real as 1 yen).

At this rate, over 15 million reals a year are being used and disappearing somewhere..."

The previous head of the family's ventures all ended in failure, and the vast lands were sold off, leaving the ducal family with only the barren fields and forested areas around the manor.

Apart from a meager tax revenue, the only income was the salary of a minor official at the palace, and the main source of income now is the profit-sharing from the new business venture with the Roseville family.

And that had already been siphoned off.

Andel, with a mocking voice, said, "You must have been living it up," and smiled while flipping through the accounts. In contrast, Haul's face turned increasingly pale.

"......Please forgive me! It was a momentary lapse. My loyalty to the ducal family has not changed! ...Please give me another chance, I will work my hardest under you! Even as a footman, please...!"

Haul, finally realizing that someone who could read the accounts had appeared, bowed hurriedly.

Well, if he were dismissed from the ducal family without a recommendation, no other family would hire him, right?

"You're apologizing to the wrong person. You've been hindering the person in charge of the household's internal affairs, and you don't seem to feel any remorse."

Haul, hearing Andel's words, looked at me with a startled expression. I covered my mouth with a fan to hide my expression and turned my gaze away from his pleading eyes, and Haul's face twisted in despair.

"R-Right! Avan-sama would never allow such a thing! Please let me see Avan-sama, he will understand...!"

"Unfortunately, he's with our important childhood friend. Besides, he said he would leave everything to me. Hiring and firing servants is my job, so I will be the one to decide the punishment for problematic servants."

"Then, my lady... please, please forgive me. I will return the money I took, and I will start over as a low-ranking servant, please keep me here."

"You only call me 'my lady' now that you're in a tight spot. I can't even keep someone who disrespects their master like this, not even as a stable hand.

Besides, don't worry, I won't exile you... You'll be going to the military police barracks. I will investigate your room and the house.

We will also review the accounts from before your time. I will have your entire family return the wealth they siphoned off, in unison."

"If you do that, my position...!"

"A position built on ill-gotten gains is worth less than a child's sandcastle. Your entire family will be heavily in debt and fall into slavery because of you and your father and grandfather. Don't forget, it's your choice that caused this."

As I looked down at Haul, who had collapsed to his knees, I received a message that the military police had arrived at the station. I asked the knights in the room to hand Haul over and moved on to the next room.

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