Chapter 15
Odelia was spending her days in the Separate Palace, living a simple life.
She strolled through the garden with Leona, read books in the old library, and chatted about the supplies arriving from the village during mealtimes.
On the surface, she appeared to be nothing more than a sincere and quiet guest.
"Princess, Wormbella Root arrived this morning. If you make tea with it, it will help with your cold hands and feet."
Leona said proudly.
Odelia's eyes went to the herb basket in her arms.
Wormbella Root, which helps with mana circulation and alleviates coldness in the extremities, was one of the more expensive herbs traded.
"You must have worked hard to get this."
"Hehe."
Odelia gently stroked the girl's head as she smiled shyly, as if asking for praise.
Then, she picked up the herb and examined it closely.
An excessively vivid purple color.
It was also strangely light.
And at the bottom of the basket, there was a clear mark where someone had cut off the end of the root.
"Was it delivered like this? Was there anything unusual? Like the packaging..."
"Packaging? Ah... It was wrapped in layers, maybe using recycled paper. I guess that sometimes happens depending on the store's circumstances."
Odelia said nothing.
Instead, she was convinced.
'So, he still has no intention of stopping his petty thievery.'
It was fortunate that he was so greedy.
If he had disappeared after selling the necklace, it would have been difficult to gather evidence and punish him.
But he was still active.
Thankfully.
"Go back to your room early and rest today, Leona."
"Yes? Why suddenly?"
Did I do something wrong?
She widened her eyes and looked flustered.
"What if you cough in the middle of the night, Princess? I need to bring you ginger tea right away..."
Odelia soothed Leona, placing a small candy in her hand.
It was something she always carried around to eat after taking bitter medicine.
"One day is fine. I took my medicine in advance, and I feel much better thanks to you."
"Still..."
"Go get some sleep. The weather is supposed to get better tomorrow, so we might have to go shopping."
Leona was reluctant to leave.
Perhaps it was because they had become close after spending the last few days together.
She didn't want to leave, and her expression was full of hesitation.
Odelia noticed Leona's feelings, but she spoke again in a kind but firm voice.
"You can't be here today."
Leona didn't understand the nuance in her words and dejectedly lowered her head.
"Could you give this to the Head Butler instead? It would be best to give it to him right before his work ends today."
Odelia picked up one of the Wormbella Roots, wrapped it in paper, and placed it in Leona's arms.
"This?"
"You'll understand when you see it."
Leona chewed on the candy she had been given and reluctantly moved her feet.
The door closed.
Odelia got up and tied the strings of the cloak she had prepared in advance.
That night.
Head Butler Theodore was walking down the hallway after finishing his work as usual.
His back ached from carrying heavy files and ledgers.
"I'm getting quite old."
He muttered to himself and was about to return to his quarters when a small figure standing at the end of the hallway, under the lamplight, stopped him in his tracks.
"Head Butler."
Theodore immediately recalled her name.
"...Leona?"
The management of lower-ranking servants was originally under the jurisdiction of the Head Maid, but he had remembered her separately because she was the maid in charge of Princess Cardel.
Leona cautiously approached and bowed deeply, holding out something in her hands.
"The Princess asked me to deliver this."
In her hands was something wrapped in thin paper.
When he unfolded it, he found a single Wormbella Root.
"This is... the herb you confirmed was delivered this morning."
"Yes, but now that I look at it, the condition is a bit strange. It's already starting to wilt..."
"Wait a moment."
Theodore held the herb in his hand and examined it carefully.
Then, he stopped moving.
"...This isn't Wormbella Root."
"It's not?"
"It's Lilfoa Root. It's only about one-fifth the price of Wormbella. They just dyed the outside with purple pigment to make it look convincing."
"What, what did you say?"
Leona's eyes widened.
She almost brewed tea with this and gave it to the Princess.
"No, how could they do such a thing!"
With a face mixed with anger and embarrassment, she stomped her feet, saying she would confront the merchant who sent the supplies tomorrow.
But Theodore's thoughts were different. It didn't seem like something a merchant would do...
Sensing something, he lowered his gaze for a moment, then immediately turned around.
He realized why the Princess had specifically sent this herb to him.
It wasn't just a simple complaint about a defective product.
It was a signal that something was happening in the Separate Palace.
"...I should call the Captain of the Guard."
"Yes...?"
While Leona was looking bewildered, Theodore hurried away into the darkness.
An alley where the moonlight barely reached.
A shadow hiding behind the fence moved very carefully.
It was Zeke, the servant who managed the warehouse.
For the past 10 years, he had been gradually embezzling various supplies from the castle, including grains, meat, herbs, and metal parts.
At first, it was with a light heart, thinking, 'What's the harm in taking what's left over?'
But the theft became a habit, the habit became a routine, and now it was an unstoppable corruption.
A full 10 years.
He had never been caught once.
That record made Zeke increasingly bold.
'...I should steal it now after all.'
Zeke decided to commit one more daring act.
It was because he could no longer be satisfied with petty embezzlement.
The reason was simple.
It was after the day he happened to get his hands on precious jewels when he visited the Separate Palace a while ago.
A necklace with a red jewel, a ring with intricate craftsmanship, and unknown luxury accessories...
He hadn't been able to sell them yet because he was still looking for a fence, but they would surely bring him a huge fortune.
He didn't know why such valuable things were stashed away in a corner of the Separate Palace, which was used as a warehouse.
He didn't even want to know.
The only important thing was that no one had noticed the fact that they were gone.
'I saw another one like that in the Separate Palace that day.'
Since that day, Zeke had been prowling around the Separate Palace, hoping for another big score.
But things didn't go easily.
It was at that exact moment that Princess Cardel appeared and began staying at the Separate Palace.
Did the well-bred, precious Princess want to experience being a beggar or something?
Anyway, it was impossible to know what those aristocrats were thinking.
Grumbling for a moment, Zeke realized that this situation could actually be an opportunity.
He had found the perfect person to shift the blame to.
'Wouldn't it be easy to pin everything on the Princess?'
