"On April 7, this record book stated that you paid 86 people this amount. I found the payment slips you gave them, recording this amount. It boggles my mind, that the records of these payments are erroneous. Din Mallory, where did you hire such people who make such elementary mistakes?"
Din Mallory suppressed his anxiety and laughed. "I'll be sure to fire them."
"Oh no, I am afraid that this is not the only instant. This is the record for Project X, and this for Project W….Look, here, on May 7, June 7, July 7…September 7…curiously the errors are consistent. I would not have found something wrong if I did not ask the workers what they were paid. The thing is, if this was a number error, it could be resolved, but the money was really used, and I checked that the main accounts really received the profits that you submitted. So, where did the excess payments go to?"
By the time, Din Mallory was still trying to come up with excuses. "Probably, it was just some internal system problem and miscalculation. I will find the answer for you as soon as possible."
Libitina fluttered her eyes at Din Mallory and simpered. "I am sure you will, but unfortunately, I have more questions."
"Three years ago, there was a great harvest throughout the country and the potential sales from that period did not match the amount in the books. How do you explain the consistent sales revenue that are so perfectly steady despite changes in the fief?
"Then, six years ago, a locust fest. There was a wide purchase of equipment to deal with the pests, but could I ask you what the usual prices for this equipment are? I heard from your dear secretary that there were competitive bids but you chose a business related to your wife's family? Very ingenius, Din Mallory…
"Taxes were also reduced due to the marriage between First Prince Sulien and Princess Consort Sophia, but the tax reduction was not recorded properly…"
By the time she was half-way done, Din Mallory was livid.
'What did this little girl know! She can't have evidence to everything!' Din Mallory was still trying to delude himself that he could be saved. For fifteen years, he had misled himself to believe that he was the boss of the northern fief, and this encouraged him greatly. How could he give it up so easily!
"You have no evidence! You can't slander me like that! The numbers are just numbers and you are making your own assumptions on what's happening on the ground. You have NO PROOF!"
"On the contrary, Din Mallory," Libitina slowly smiled, finally revealing her pristine teeth as she leered. "I do have the evidence."
She leisurely laid out the evidence Sabrina had collected over the past two months in front of the frantic man, explaining to him what they proved. Documents, testimonies, eyewitness statements of abuse and mistreatment, confirmation slips from suppliers, expert opinions on accounting misstatements…
They were enough, but she would still prefer a final confession from Din Mallory to weed out his accomplices. Naturally, Din Mallory did not know this.
All Din Mallory knew was that this was the first in a long time he felt genuine fear. As the woman rattled off her list, he felt as if a giant python was slowly tightening around his torso, strangling all the air and life from his body…
He knew in his guts that he would not escape so easily this time round.