Chapter 4

4. Cut out any rotten areas
 
“…….”
 
It was the expected question, but she couldn’t readily speak.
 
‘I couldn’t say that I was doing this to avoid repeating the same mistake, because it cost you your life.’
 
Adelaide spoke her prepared answer.
 
“……I want to save my father.”
 
“You mean the Earl of Cornwall?”
 
Adelaide nodded.
 
“My father did many things at the hands of Elkius to become a nobleman, some of them unforgivable.”
 
“Are you asking me to cover the Earl’s sins?”
 
“I don’t need a title, just his life.”
 
Adelaide’s eyes glistened with water again. Callion asked nervously.
 
“Don’t you think it’s too late?”
 
“…….”
 
“You’ve been acting like a prisoner for the past year, and now that you’re telling me that, how am I supposed to believe you?”
 
“I needed time…….”
 
“Time?”
 
“Time to fool him.”
 
Did you need time to deceive Elkius?
 
Callion opened his mouth, feeling dubious.
 
“Explain.”
 
“As you may know, I came here as your watchdog.”
 
Adelaide pulled out a box she’d hidden deep in her closet.
 
“And this?”
 
“These are the letters I wrote to Elkius, and I made copies so I could remember what they said.”
 
Callion smiled bitterly as he counted the number of letters.
 
Since she couldn’t have sent the letters herself, there must have been someone helping her.
 
As if reading his thoughts, Adelaide nodded.
 
“You’re right, there are eyes and ears here besides mine, and if I were lying, they’d know in a heartbeat.”
 
“Who is that?”
 
“I don’t know exactly.”
 
“It must have been someone who sent the letter.”
 
Adelaide answered pointedly.
 
“My maid sent the letters, but I can’t say for sure that she was Elkius’ only spy.”
 
“The people in this castle are my aides who have served me since the imperial palace.”
 
“Not everyone close to you can be trusted, My Lord, and I fear they may change their minds.”
 
“If I don’t trust my own people, who will I trust? ”
 
“I know you’re righteous, but that’s not enough to fulfill your will.”
 
“Do you know what you mean when you say that? ”
 
“…….”
 
Adelaide realized she had overlooked the fact that he could refuse the throne.
 
Having stolen the throne, Callion focused solely on stabilizing his reign in his territory.
 
He did not respond to Elkius’s call, nor did he make any effort to reclaim the stolen throne.
 
That was genuine, not a way to pull the wool over Elkius’ eyes.
 
Adelaide bit her lip hard.
 
Even if it were his sincerity to give up the throne and live quietly, Elkius would not leave him alone. Just like in his last life.
 
“Have you forgotten? I’m really after him, not you.”
 
The demon whispered in her ear.
 
Clenching her eyes tightly to shake off the haunting images, Adelaide opened them and reached for the old letter.
 
“He gave it to me when I came here.”
 
Callion took the letter with a dubious look. He bit his lower lip as he tried to read it in the dim light.
 
“My dear Adele. ……If we can prove that Callion is harboring treachery, compared to the emperor, he is easy prey… … . … … It won’t be long before he goes to his parents… … . “
 
Callion crumpled the paper with difficult patience.
 
“Elkius said he’d be done in three years, and it’s already been a year.”
 
“…….”
 
“It’s time for you to make your move.”
 
“What if I don’t?”
 
Knowing it was futile, he still stubbornly countered her words. Adelaide sighed.
 
“If you willingly sacrifice yourself to Elkius, I cannot stop you. But if you do, not only you but everyone even remotely associated with you will lose their lives. If that’s acceptable to you, then I will say no more.”
 
Callion stared at the woman, who closed her lips in resignation. He looked pitifully inadequate in her clear and transparent eyes.
 
“……I’ll think about it.”
 
It was a lukewarm response, but Adelaide had no hope of convincing him on the first try, so she was content with that.
 
When he finished, Callion stood up.
 
“It’s getting late; I must be going.”
 
“Be careful on your way back.”
 
“Have a good night as well.”
 
⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜
 
Adelaide woke up long after the sun had risen in mid-air, relaxed from her conversation with Callion.
 
She felt light-headed, relieved to have gotten over one big hurdle.
 
“Has Callion made up his mind?”
 
The spark has been lit, but it’s up to him to nurture it. Until he makes a decision, she can’t act recklessly.
 
Although it is a forced choice for those who know the future, Carlion may try to find another way.
 
‘What am I to do then? ’
 
“Have your meal, My Lady.”
 
Margaret’s voice shook Adelaide out of her pointless musings.
 
Setting down the tray, Margaret opened the dome plate. Adelaide shuffled through the salad and then spoke up.
 
“Did His Grace have breakfast?”
 
“Yes. I believe he ate with the knights after training.”
 
“Did His Grace have the same meal as me?”
 
“No. I’ve told the kitchen to prepare the food for My Lady separately.”
 
No wonder. Yesterday morning’s meal with Callion felt different.
 
Raised in a wealthy family, Adelaide was sensitive to the taste of food. If her usual meal contained the same inferior ingredients as yesterday’s, there was no way she wouldn’t notice.
 
Adelaide put down her fork.
 
“Aren’t you eating?”
 
“I don’t seem to have much of an appetite. Margaret, I need to go to the kitchen, so follow me.”
 
⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜
 
The kitchen at Castle Tiflis had been bustling with meal preparation all day, so no one noticed the arrival of the castle’s mistress.
 
It was only after she entered the kitchen that the servants belatedly recognized Adelaide and kneeled. A man stirring stew hastily approached from the hearth.
 
“What are you doing here, My Lady?”
 
“Are you the chef?”
 
“No, I am the head cook.”
 
“Where’s the chef?”
 
“Well, he’s, uh, overworked and probably taking a break.”
 
“Fetch him at once.”
 
At her command, one of the maids ran outside. Adelaide quickly scanned the kitchen. Food littered the messy floor.
 
“What can I do for you?”
 
The chef, a gaunt, graying man who looked as if he’d been woken in his sleep, gave her an impolite stare.
 
“I called for you because I have a question.”
 
“Please tell me.”
 
“What is the quarterly grocery budget for this castle?”
 
“What? Why is that suddenly…….”
 
“I’m asking because it’s time for a new quarterly budget soon.”
 
The chef paused for a moment before answering.
 
“Two hundred cels.”
 
“Two hundred cels?”
 
She couldn’t help but chuckle at the blatant lie. Despite not being directly involved in bookkeeping, she knew that the budget allocated for groceries was 300 cels.
 
That means at least a hundred cels are being skimmed off.
 
“You must have a hard time preparing meals on a tight budget.”
 
Adelaide pretended not to notice his greed-filled gaze.
 
“To be honest, I’m not even sure we have enough ingredients.”
 
It was obvious that he was trying to extort money from the clueless duchess.
 
“Margaret, tell the butler to bring me the budget ledger.”
 
“Yes, sir.”
 
Sensing something was amiss, Margaret ran out of the kitchen. It wasn’t long before Jensen, the butler, appeared with the ledger.
 
“What’s the matter, My Lady?”
 
“The chief claimed the budget was insufficient, so I called you to verify how the kitchen’s budget was allocated. Show me the ledger.”
 
Handed the ledger, Adelaide flipped to the page with the budget and questioned the butler.
 
“Are you sure the numbers here are correct?”
 
“Yes, they are.”
 
“The chef told me that the budget allocated for ingredients per quarter was 200 cels, but here it says 300 cels. Did you steal it?”
 
“What? I would never. The kitchen’s budget has been 300 cells per quarter for the past four years.”
 
“Oh, I must be mistaken.”
 
The chef fumbled for an excuse.
 
“A mistake? Is a hundred cells such a negligible amount to you?”
 
One hundred cels is the price of a thousand bags of wheat. It’s not a mistake.
 
“I apologize. I’ll make sure such mistakes don’t happen again.”
 
“Jensen, dismiss this man immediately.”
 
“W-what are you suddenly saying! You’re firing me just because I mixed up the budget a bit!”
 
“You think I’m firing you because of the budget?”
 
Adelaide picked up a crisp potato.
 
“The potatoes are rotten, the cabbage is wilted, and the meat has a foul odor emanating from it.”
 
“That’s, um, it must be that some defective goods got mixed in.”
 
“By what chance?”
 
Adelaide asked the chef, kneeling on the floor.
 
“When was the last time you received a delivery of ingredients?”
 
“Two days ago.”
 
“Bring it over here.”
 
The head cook scrambled to his feet and headed for the pantry. As the chef fidgeted, the man returned with a large bag.
 
Adelaide dumped the contents of the bag onto the floor. The vegetables were so mixed up that it was impossible to find anything fresh.
 
“Are you certain these are the ingredients delivered two days ago?”
 
“Yes, My Lady.”
 
The chef gritted his teeth at the head cook’s answer.
 
“There’s no way the ingredients could have spoiled in two days, so they must have sent inferior goods in the first place.”
 
“I, there must have been a problem with the delivery.”
 
“And the chef didn’t notice the state of the ingredients received?”
 
“I’ll be more thorough in the future.”
 
“That’s settled. You’re dismissed.”
 
Adelaide shook her head resolutely. Jensen, who had been watching the situation, spoke quietly.
 
“With all due respect, My Lady, I think it would be best if you spoke to His Grace first and investigated thoroughly before making a decision.”
 
“Exactly. Even though you’re a duchess, you don’t have the right to dismiss me so easily. Tell her!”
 
The chef, feeling backed by the butler, raised his voice threateningly.
 
“How dare you raise your voice in front of Her Grace?”
 
Margaret stepped forward and shouted. The chef craned his neck.
 
However, perhaps because he thought that Adelaide was a mere duchess, he did not easily back down.
 
“I have served the duke faithfully for fifteen years!”
 
“Your faithful service to the Duke for 15 years involves serving him meals with such ingredients.”
 
“……!”
 
“Let me make this clear. I won’t inquire about past mistakes, but you must leave this castle.”