'Found it.'
After seeing the contents of the envelope, Siervian peeked up from the Emperor's arms, forgetting that she was shivering just now.
She looked like a baby bird taking a peek out of her nest for the first time. Everyone looked at her secretly, paying close attention to her cuteness.
[ Alderuan Erveldote ]
Favorability: +100
Favorability: +100
Thoughts: I'm worried about bringing you outside because you're so cute even though you're so scared. I'm proud that you're not being shy to me.
And with the envelope, a sack that came with it was wide open now, its contents thrown to the ground. In front of the Emperor, Ahim, who was quivering terribly, was on the floor, prostrating.
"Wait… This doesn't look like food waste."
The Emperor spoke indifferently, and it was true—even from a distance, the food looked quite normal. It would be strange for anyone to collect all of these in a sack like its garbage.
"And this is not the place for food waste to be dealt with," Hex added. "There's a separate area for that."
Siervian wasn't aware of this fact. She thought that this was just a place where things that were to be sent out were gathered.
"It's strange."
"Perhaps he's stealing food."
The Emperor's gaze was trained on the stableman bowing down with a blue face.
[ Ahim ]
Mood: Extremely terrified
Thoughts: I'm dead now!
Just as Hex speculated, the man might have been stealing food. The Princess' Palace food waste incident might have been a conspiracy that started out with different intentions.
However, Siervian couldn't take her eyes off Ahim's thoughts on the status window. Stealing food was a crime, but it wasn't an offense grave enough that he would be executed.
'I can't put my finger on it.'
She looked anxiously at the stableman's thoughts. However, perhaps because he was greatly frightened, the status window didn't change. He just kept thinking that he feared for his life.
Siervian thought that this wasn't just simple food theft.
"Let's find out more about it. This is too suspicious."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Fortunately, the Emperor noticed that something was amiss, so he ordered an investigation.
"Go back for today."
He spoke to her in a cold tone again, to the point that the previous Siervian would have thought that she was being kicked out because she's useless in this situation.
However, because she could see her father's thoughts, she knew that he was just worried about her, even before they entered the stable.
[ Alderuan Erveldote ]
Thoughts: You must be surprised to see the knights. I need to let you rest.
So Siervian nodded carefully and let go of her father's thoughts, knowing that she shouldn't disturb him.
Was her father always worried about her like this?
—The next afternoon.
"Here, Your Majesty."
At the Emperor's Palace, Emperor Alderuan sat lost in thought. He looked at Hex indifferently as he approached the Emperor with a dark expression, handing him a piece of cloth.
"How did you get your hands on this?"
It was a carriage flag embroidered with the unique insignia of the Princess' Palace.
"Tell me. Why have you brought a flag with the Imperial Princess' insignia?"
"While interrogating the stableman yesterday, this was found."
"…What?"
Alderuan rose from his throne.
The case was regarded as a simple theft. If the Princess hadn't been interested in that place, he wouldn't have ordered the investigation.
"It was found hidden in that man's residence. I believe it's connected to a matter within the Princess' Palace."
"What do you mean?"
His child clung onto the hem of his clothes the moment she saw the knights. This was a trivial situation, so he didn't want her to be swept up in it.
"It's…"
For a while, Hex could feel sweat trickling down as he saw Alderuan's temper rising little by little. Alderuan, who was the subject of the continent's terror at only the age of 15 twenty years ago, would be a very difficult man to deal with when he's both determined and livid.
However, Hex needed to say the right thing to the Emperor.
"Strange circumstances have been detected in the food budget at the Princess' Palace."
As he listened to Hex, Alderuan's brows crumpled.
The Erveldote family held the most power and wealth in the continent. The Chancellor wouldn't have said that lightly just because the Princess' Palace had thrown away some food.
It must mean that the scale was enormous.
"Let's go."
"Where…"
Alderuan moved without any delay.
"To the Princess' Palace."
Following him reflexively, Hex could only gulp.
"Princess, look at this! There's so many macarons!"
"Uwah!"
There were a lot of leftovers from yesterday's picnic. Ellie, who had been agonizing about the princess' food, finally succeeded with getting these macarons. This was because she wanted to feed the princess well, when usually she would only eat small portions.
"Yummy!"
Last night, she mentioned that she could only eat one chocolate macaron yesterday, so Ellie kept thinking about this while she slept. She didn't know that Ellie would bring these macarons soon.
At the unexpected situation, Siervian was in a good mood.
"Eri, come! Come here, eat!"
"I'm fine, Princess."
[ Ellie ]
Thoughts: It's a relief that there's a lot of snacks this time that the Princess likes.
Siervian was in an even better mood because she prevented the food waste incident yesterday.
No matter how much she thought about it, it's clear that the stableman wasn't just stealing food.
Her father himself ordered an investigation, so if it really was a misunderstanding, it would be resolved soon.
"You look so happy today, Princess. Do you like macarons that much?"
"No! I like Eri a loooot more!"
"Oh my!"
[ Ellie ]
Favorability: +50