Chapter 18
I'm a Homebody, But I Possessed a Dark Captivity Story
Chapter 18
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the Salt royal castle was darker than ever.
"How dare you make such a mistake?"
The furious roar of Salt's monarch, King Verga, echoed throughout the entire Sapphire Hall.
Summoned to the Sapphire Hall since early morning by the king's order, the administrators bowed their heads low, as if ashamed.
Rumeia, standing beside her angry father, also couldn't hide her dejected expression.
"It seems your heads are merely for decoration, aren't they? To not even be able to properly distinguish the shape of a seal!"
Rustle!
The document, crumpled messily in Verga's hand and falling to the floor, was the trade certificate Grand Duke Bleil had shown April.
He, who rarely got angry even when criticizing with dignity, seemed unable to control his particularly surging anger.
It was understandable, as this incident was a prime example of suffering irreparable damage due to a very basic yet fatal mistake.
The root of all the trouble lay with the administrators, who had routinely exchanged documents with Cletan, passing through a merchant guild's seal whose origin they didn't even know.
The goods vanished without a trace during transit to Cletan, and what disappeared was none other than wheat, whose price had recently skyrocketed.
And that fact was precisely what exacerbated Verga's stress.
"Y-Your Majesty, King. Cletan has also stated they will do their utmost to find the culprit."
"And when do they say that will be? In a year? Three years?"
"Still, as a great Empire..."
"You're not going to claim ignorance, are you, that the great Empire is trying to starve me and my people to death?"
The middle-aged administrator, who had spoken up while holding his bow, fell silent without achieving anything.
Unfortunately, King Salt's words were undeniably true.
Cletan had boasted of catching the culprit as a matter of courtesy... but frankly, the possibility that they might be involved in the fraud could not be dismissed.
"...Foolish people."
His anger, having reached its limit, instead calmed Verga's voice.
"W-We have committed a grave sin!"
Thud!
The administrators, judging they had nowhere else to retreat, began to kneel and beg.
After all, if the administrators meekly accepted the blame, the King would have no choice but to overlook it for Rumeia's sake.
But as always, there was someone oblivious.
"But it is unfair! That was a document approved by Princess Rumeia."
"Gasp!"
"Hmph!"
The person who spoke was the young administrator who had previously requested document review from Rumeia.
Thus, a chilling silence descended.
It was clear that this oblivious mouth would bring about a greater disaster.
"Y-You fool! Can't you be quiet?"
The senior administrators, quickly regaining their senses, tried to cover his mouth, but it was too late.
Stomp, stomp. Verga's eyes gleamed as he walked towards the young administrator.
"Rumeia? Have you gone mad, tarnishing the honor of my daughter, Salt's treasure?"
His sharp voice was utterly chilling. The administrators watching the situation squeezed their eyes shut.
Finally, a cold command was issued.
"He is a criminal who insulted royalty. Take him away."
"It's unfair, Your Majesty! I merely followed the orders of the brilliant Princess Rumeia...!"
Fortunately, the royal guards succeeded in dragging him away before Verga's patience completely snapped.
Thump.
As the door closed, an even heavier silence settled.
"If anyone shares the same opinion, speak now."
No one opened their mouths, but everyone knew.
That all of this had been done under Rumeia's approval, and that this entire situation was the fault of a damn company.
However, the administrators, who had experienced firsthand that power was higher than law, remained silent.
After glancing around, Verga finally let out a deep sigh.
"I don't know when my administrators became so foolish. Can they even read properly? Should I get them a tutor now?"
"N-No. We will be extremely careful not to repeat such a mistake... and will implement our own training."
Although there was someone among them who needed training the most, regardless.
King Salt waved his hand with a suddenly weary face.
"I don't want to see any of you. Everyone out."
The administrators, having narrowly escaped, rushed out.
Rumeia also subtly joined their group and turned to leave. Or, she tried to.
"Princess Rumeia, please remain for a moment."
"Ah, yes! Understood, Father..."
Caught just as she was about to step outside, Rumeia stood before Verga with a dejected face.
"Rumeia Solt."
Verga's sharp eyes fixed on Rumeia.
"Do you know what you have done?"
"I-I will do better, Father."
"This is not a matter that can be dismissed with just such words!"
Roar! As his voice rose, Rumeia's face crumpled.
However, Verga's momentum did not falter at all.
"The damage this time is substantial. Do you know what that means?"
"I'm sorry, Father. I think I made poor judgment because I've been overexerting myself and focusing on work recently."
Tears welled up in Rumeia's eyes, which sparkled like the finest aquamarine.
She instinctively knew how to elicit favor or pity from others, and put on a maximally pathetic expression.
Though her insides were burning.
'It never happened when April was around.'
Rumeia knew, without needing to be told, that Verga's harsh words towards the administrators also included herself.
He had simply not named her directly, desperately trying to protect the image of the 'genius' Princess Rumeia.
"I-I was also so overwhelmed...! I wanted to do well... and then..."
"Grrr."
Verga suppressed the rising anger once more.
She wasn't satisfactory, but blood was blood. Perhaps he had grown too old to be swayed by sentiment.
For that reason, Verga chose concealment instead of placing all the blame on his daughter.
"Do not repeat the same mistake again, Rumeia."
"Y-Yes! Of course, Father. I will study harder and try my best from now on."
Afterward, Rumeia showered him with all sorts of affection to appease him and was only able to leave after the lunch hour had long passed.
Normally, this would have been time for her to sleep soundly for her skin's sake, but she didn't even feel it was a problem.
The further she moved away from the King's throne room, and the fewer people were around, Rumeia's pretty face hardened.
Finally, she ran to a secluded corner of the garden and burst into tears, which she had held back.
"Hooong!"
Transparent tears fell drop by drop onto the ground.
'Why is this happening to me?'
Rumeia had tried hard enough.
But it was natural that she could never be April, no matter how hard she tried, wasn't it?
Above all, she was too beautiful and of too high a status to live life trying her best like April.
If Rumeia had freckles on her face and her mother was a lowly maid, she might have had to live life doing her best unintentionally, but!
In any case, that did not apply to Rumeia. Therefore, her reality had to be different.
'Sob, I'm so pathetic.'
Rumeia, who had collapsed onto the grass, wept sorrowfully.
Even though it was the administrators who were insulted and dragged away in front of the King, Rumeia had somehow become the most tragic heroine in the world.
But then.
"...Princess?"
Someone had found the pitiable Rumeia.
