Casey sealed her lips. Her pale hands were trembling visibly. Meddling with the royal finances was a very serious crime.

“W-who…?”

“I don’t know for sure yet, but there aren’t many who can come into this room and tamper with the seal.”

Enes held back her words because she needed certainty, although she suspected Heidi.

“Can you go outside?”

“Yeah, I was planning to go straight home after packing my things.”

“Have you ever sent money to the Olande family?”

“Y-yes, I sent it from my monthly salary…”

“Is there any record of that?”

Casey nodded.

“Half of my monthly salary goes to the Olande family.”

“As soon as you leave, put a letter in the Olande family in Olando. Ask if you received any financial support from the royal family or if you received any such proposals. If you have already received it, take that money immediately to the Landhill Lordship.”

“Are you saying that our family is related to this matter?”

“Even if you received it without knowing anything, you could be implicated in the crime. I’m trying to prevent that in advance. If you received a letter offering help in any way, also take it to the Lordship, and if you haven’t received it yet, send a refusal letter immediately.”

“Got it.”

“Don’t send it as a regular letter. Send it as quickly as possible, even if it costs a lot.”

After Casey left, Enes returned to her room.

Fortunately, Heidi was not in the room. With the arrival of the new owner at the castle, the secretary-maid and her assistant, Heidi, were undoubtedly busy. Enes started examining the items in Heidi’s wardrobe.

However, she couldn’t find anything strange.

Wasn’t Heidi running errands as a secretary-maid?

Restless, Enes wandered around the room for a moment. All she had seen was Heidi secretly entering and leaving Casey’s room. That alone was not enough to suspect her without evidence.

Enes sat hesitantly on her bed. At times like this, she needed to face the situation more calmly. She stood up to read the scriptures to calm her anxious mind.

Then she remembered that she had put her own scriptures in her bag in case she had to leave tomorrow.

Enes picked up the scriptures on Heidi’s desk, which had no drawers. If she was an imperial citizen, she would have a scripture. Borrowing and reading the scriptures without permission was common.

Enes flipped through the pages to find her favorite passage.

While turning the pages, she found a letter. Since it wasn’t uncommon to put precious letters in the scriptures, Enes intended to pass over it.

However, her hand hesitated as she read the name “Olando” written on the back of the letter.
Enes tremblingly pulled out the letter. The recipient of the letter was not Heidi but Casey Hampsheer.

My dear daughter, thanks to the money you sent, the big fire has been extinguished safely.

Even in such chaotic times in the empire, the fact that you’re given such a large sum, examining the maids’ situations, truly, I am grateful to the Emperor.

By the way, now that the Imperial Crown Prince has left the palace, what will become of you?

Your younger sister still has three years left to graduate from the academy.

Your father believes in you.

Do not disappoint me.

Judging by the date on the letter, it had arrived only a day or two ago. Since she came to Shanderas Castle, she might have received it on behalf of Enes. However, the fact that the seal of the letter was broken did not make sense.

It was likely that due to the urgent situation in Shanderas Castle, she hadn’t been able to handle it properly and left it neglected.

With this one letter, everything became clear. Now Enes’ task was to find concrete evidence. The mastermind behind this would undoubtedly be the secretary-maid.

The secretary-maid was responsible for the imperial finances. Deciding where to spend the budget, including the extravagant items of the nobility, was also part of the maid’s duties.

And paying for those items required the seal of the chief maid.

With some conviction, Enes hurried to the secretary-maid’s room.

When the sun set, secretary-maids returned to their rooms. Unlike the chief maid, unless there was a special summons or instruction, their evenings were free.

So, the safest time to catch the secretary-maid and Heidi was during dinner.

Arriving on the second floor of the main building, Enes knocked on the door to check if anyone was inside. Getting no response, she opened the door and entered without hesitation. Then, without hesitation, she headed straight to the desk.

Naturally, all her drawers were locked.

Enes forcefully struck the lock with the hammer she had prepared. Since it was an old desk, the lock easily broke.

With the drawer wide open, Enes began searching hastily. If she had to be punished for rashly searching the room for suspicion of an innocent person, she would gladly accept it. That’s how certain Enes was about the guilt of the secretary-maid.

By the time she searched the second drawer, Enes could lay her hands on the desired ledger.

Bravely, the secretary-maid had stored the duplicate ledger in the same drawer.