Ch#91
“On paper, the inventory has nearly doubled compared to last year. And right before the harsh winter season.”
The finance officer asked with a flustered expression.
“Are you saying it’s embezzlement?”
“Who knows. Could be some other scheme.”
“……Other scheme?”
Rudvil answered his question with a cold laugh.
“What else. It’s one of the tricks to pull me down. Planning to cause a food shortage, are they.”
If the reports showed sufficient inventory, they would judge preparations for this year’s harsh winter as complete and halt additional grain purchases from the central region as usual.
The staff would also believe there were ample reserves and take no further action.
But once winter set in, the falsehood would be exposed: the granaries would be empty by exactly the amount the figures had been inflated.
They’d plan distributions assuming grain remained in storage, only to open the doors and find less than half the recorded amount.
The bigger problem was that during the northern harsh winter, roads froze over and ports closed, making emergency purchases or transport virtually impossible.
In the end, depleted reserves would inevitably lead to a massive food crisis.
‘Just like the plague incident Gawin caused.’
Countless people would die.
“……Hm.”
Rudvil let out a dry laugh.
“They must look down on me quite a bit.”
Honestly, it felt like self-inflicted.
Before Odellie arrived at the castle, rumors of him being a tyrant and madman had already spread.
If she had arrived just a month later, Rudvil would have been inevitably headed for ruin, no escape.
And he himself would have eagerly rushed down that path, finding it to his liking.
‘Even now...’
His image had merely shifted from ‘the mad tyrant wandering in search of the Blue-Eyed Woman’ to ‘the mad tyrant obsessed with love for the Blue-Eyed Woman he found,’ hardly an improvement.
And he had no intention of clarifying the misunderstanding himself.
“If Your Highness neglects duties out of laziness and lets your reputation slide, of course schemers like this crawl out.”
“That does sound like a hassle……”
His face said managing his reputation or crushing climbers was equally bothersome.
Rudvil commanded Edwin.
“Assemble an inspection team immediately and investigate the warehouses directly.”
“Yes, sir.”
Odellie calmly added afterward.
“And make copies of these records. In case this leaks, we’ll need to track who’s trying to cover it up.”
“Understood.”
And every vassal present thought the same.
Thank goodness Grand Duchess Highness is here amid this chaos.
In the past, no one would have dared bring this up to Grand Duke Highness.
They’d either all perish buried under paperwork, or watch the entire territory collapse while only minding their lord’s mood.
‘Please stay forever…….’
They were finally filled with the sentiment that the Excepcion Grand Duchy was getting back on track.
* * *
A few days later.
Odellie held the same documents again.
This time, it was a ledger stamped with the finance officer’s signature.
“……A copy has already leaked.”
She examined the ledger with a cold expression.
Sure enough, some figures had been slyly altered.
Adjusted numbers that subtly suggested ‘it was an error from the start.’
At that moment, Rudvil, who had been skimming documents beside her, let out a low laugh.
“So brazen it’s almost admirable.”
His gaze lightly settled on the document.
“Rewriting the inventory records without permission…… is practically admitting guilt.”
Odellie merely glanced at him without further comment.
Rudvil and her eyes met briefly.
Though unspoken, they knew exactly what the other was thinking.
“We’ve caught them.”
Odellie stood from her seat and neatly folded the documents.
Then she summoned the vassals.
“Edwin.”
“Yes, Grand Duchess Highness.”
“The warehouse manager listed in yesterday’s records and the inspector whose name appears on this revised ledger. Detain them immediately.”
“……!”
“And inform Count Oswald, the overseer of the grain warehouses, to submit a written apology directly. Deadline…… by sunset today.”
Rudvil, who had been quietly listening to her orders, rose.
“I’ll go check on the warehouse guards myself.”
“Your Highness needn’t……”
“That count will soon make his last desperate struggle.”
His voice remained indifferent as always, but faintly laced with interest.
“You’ll tighten the noose with this document, and I’ll block every escape route.”
Odellie looked at Rudvil with a surprised expression, then suddenly smiled softly.
It was because seeing the usually hassle-averse man step up so proactively made her feel oddly proud.
“…….”
Rudvil halted for a moment upon seeing her smile.
Though it passed in a fleeting instant, it lingered in his mind like an afterimage.
“……Not going?”
“More……”
“Pardon?”
Odellie asked again, unable to hear Rudvil’s words.
His gaze wandered in the air for a while, like someone just woken from a brief dream.
Silent for a moment, he then shifted gears in an instant and strode out quickly.
“……I’ll be right back.”
* * *
That night.
Count Oswald, the warehouse overseer, ultimately never came to the castle.
Instead, the private soldiers he had hired two months prior were caught trying to set fire to the warehouses.
Rudvil, waiting near the warehouses, dragged them straight to the scene.
“Looks like they were trying to burn all the evidence.”
He said, forcing the private soldiers to their knees.
Odellie looked down at the charred bundle of documents.
They hadn’t burned completely; half-charred records remained intact.
And atop them, Count Oswald’s name was clearly written.
“This is enough.”
She nodded calmly.
“The count will flee soon. Strengthen the guards and send emergency notices to the border posts. Don’t let him escape.”
“Yes, Grand Duchess Highness.”
Now, they just needed to capture the count, and it was over.
As the incident wrapped up, Rudvil glanced at her again.
His usual cold, bored gaze now held a strangely lingering intensity.
The moment Odellie turned to issue further orders.
Rudvil’s low voice echoed from behind.
“Could you smile for me once?”
She turned to look at him.
