Ekaterina opened her eyes to the words Kimberley spoke pale.

Embezzlement!

It's not a snack!

"Ekaterina. Kimbalay is the most knowledgeable person in the finance of the Duke's family, who was also treasurer during his grandfather's life. But when your grandfather died, he was suddenly fired"

... you don't even have to ask who fired you.

"There were many other unreasonably dismissed personnel, such as Khalil... Kimberley was the first and most inexplicable disposition. Still, many people, including Kimberley and Khalil, swore allegiance to Yurnova and stayed with me. Novak put those people together and created an organization that actually runs the territory."

Ooh. Shadow Cabinet, feels like a shadow cabinet. Is that something that the British opposition would cabinet so that it could seize power at any time?

But this one is more of a true cabinet. It was your brother and his neighbors who were actually spinning the territory.

"As soon as I succeeded to the Duke, I returned them to the position they deserved. Different problems were going on while everyone was away, but the financial problems in particular were enormous and once Kimberley was asked to focus on that investigation. This is the result."

Embezzlement enough for the treasurer to devote himself to the investigation...

Ekaterina dropped her gaze on the documents given to Kimberley.

The entries are simple. date and the nominal value of the funds and the amount.

I see, since your grandfather died. - That's right after!

Plus, the amount! What is this, this digit? Converting to Japanese yen is not 8265 million yen

Or just the first one? Next time... still tens of millions.

hundreds of millions if you think so! Then again!

It's almost every month!

Total for the first year...... it's already a big deal.

"Um... which treasurer was Kimberley's successor now?

"... missing"

To Alexei's answer, Ekaterina looked slightly and shifted her gaze to Kimberley. Eagle nose on bald head, stern Kimberley silver eyes to see, tells nothing.

Hey, somehow we both have an intuition that we know where the successor CFO is, but it makes our intuition even stronger that we shouldn't know, so let's not ask anything......

Second and third years.

Exactly. The amount per case went down. The items become diverse, however, and the total amount for the year does not change much.

No, maybe that big amount of money lined up in the first year was something fictitious in its own right, a fabricated payment.

I may have changed the way I did it, assuming it was just too much and I couldn't handle it for accounting purposes. Pick something that looks like you'll find out from the actual payment and do it the hard way.

(Ah)

One of the items caught my eye, and Ekaterina breathed.

Separate residence expenses.

Mother and I, it's the cost of living. It was embezzled and disappeared somewhere.

Amount...... Though a small amount, as for the cost of living of the Duchess of Eurnova. Still, if this money had been given to me properly, I wouldn't have... lived a life that lacked food or anything to wear.

"Ekaterina......!

Alexei wonders how her sister is, and realizes what she's looking at.

"Sorry...... sorry"

"No, brother"

I think so. Your brother knew where your mother and I were, but he didn't try to get you out of there. Even though it must have been a time of isolation, loneliness and hardship in the Yurnova family after your grandfather's death. While I want to see you, just be patient passing in front of the mansion.

That must have been because it was supposed to be safer to stay in a separate residence than to be within the reach of my grandmother.

Ever since I was only a child, your brother had kept himself behind and tried to protect your mother and me to the fullest. I would not have dreamed at the time that the Duchess' cost of living would be embezzled.

And yet, what did your brother think when he found out he was being made to live like that?

It should have been at the end of your mother's life to know that. My dying mother called me in the name of my father, who could be described as an accomplice who abused us. At that time when I answered tenderly pretending to be my father, I wonder if I would have endured the pain of being torn open in the heart.

"Your brother is not bad. Try to protect me and your mother, for a long time."

"Ekaterina......"

Don't look so bitter. You were just such a kid. Yet I was not allowed to be a child.

The paperwork still goes on.

Disaster relief money, which is supposed to be paid to the inhabitants, and a lot of reconstruction funds have been embezzled. Is it the effects of deforestation that, despite the vast territory of Yurnova, there are landslides and artillery water and so on every year? There have also been mine crashes.

Tasteless dry list.

But I wonder how many lives were destroyed by the embezzlement of the money written here. I wonder how many lives I was supposed to be able to rebuild, even in a disaster, were stabbed to pieces......

"Ekaterina, that's enough. You don't have to look at it anymore. I'm sorry, sweetie. I should have thought about how heartbreaking it is for you to see this. Forgive me."

"No, I'm fine. If it's the same burden as your brother's, I'll take care of it."

Alexei nodded with a worrying look on her face to her sister, who tears in her eyes but still holds the list.

"Ok...... However, for the list of disaster relief funds, some of them can be constructed and paid separately. From around the third year onwards, when I inspected the disaster scene, I realized that too often the relief money I was supposed to have paid had not reached the inhabitants. Forlìon and Uncle Isaac also noticed and we all dealt with it as best we could. It was only after I inherited the title that I found it so massive."

"You did, that's your brother."

Inspection of the disaster scene...... If it's the third year, you're only thirteen? At that age, was your brother taking himself to a dangerous place? Has this noble brother walked, muddy, on his own feet, through the disaster?

Fried your brother's nails with dirt and drink, you fucking father!

And it must have been tough to deal with it as much as possible without financial authority. How stressful they all would have been.

"You had fulfilled your lord's duty long before you inherited the title. It's really splendid."

I wonder what would have happened to Yurnova territory if your brother had not been such an excellent lord on such a cheat level.

Well, even if all this money disappears, it doesn't scare me of the size of the economy. The GDP of Yurnovan territory, maybe not in billions. But the dissatisfaction of the inhabitants would have swelled and security would have deteriorated, and a lot could have happened.

The list of embezzlements that lasted for seven years was finally over. Looking at the cumulative amount mentioned on the last page, Ekaterina feels her skin poppy.

Converted to JPY - about 30 billion.

Hold on, hold on. What, this.

This forehead, who used it for what? ⁉ No, it's definitely what fucking Baba made me do. But he's embezzled for luxury? I've been using it all over the front. Still, it shouldn't have reached this digit.

Speaking of which, in my previous life, I felt like I had a gambling addict president who pulled 10 billion out of my company. Sounds like our dad was dawning in women's play and gambling, but we're not going to waste too much money on this one either. They let him automatically charge the Duke's residence for all the gambling losses and he never made any payments.

And then... for the last seven years only, a huge amount of money can flow ahead of us...

Existence consuming huge sums.

Somehow I remember, the French Revolution. Although it was said that France's finances were inclined due to the luxury of Queen Marie Antoinette, in fact the cause of the financial difficulties was military expenditure. Speaking of gold-eating bugs, the army.

Euromagna in financial difficulty, with the Grand Knights.

Back then, Magna's Georgie came to visit frequently, his brother said...

Ekaterina looked up.

"Dear brother, Kimberley. Has the missing CFO been referred to us from somewhere?"

"There is nothing to prove, such as a letter of introduction. But... I know he's from Magna."

Ekaterina accidentally closes her eyes.

I hit it.

The former Treasurer, who EurMagna sent in, sent Eurnova's money over there. Baba allowed it.

Fucking Baba...... I knew you didn't have common sense or the notion of good or evil, but you can't let other houses embezzle our funds too much! Were you so crazy that you didn't even know it was strange? ⁉

No, embezzlement with that baba, it doesn't connect. Anyway, I'm noble, I assume I'm right. What kind of embezzlement does it involve? Self-proclaimed 'best lady' and 'embezzlement' who despised the gold account. It doesn't really fit the image...... It's uncomfortable, but is that where Eurmagna said it...?

But you don't have any evidence, but you know it's from Magna. Missing...... don't, don't think about it.

"Brother...... This royal duke's residence, where you have lived since you inherited the Duke's position, is in a system that suits your brother's wishes. But does the main residence of the Duke from now on mean that the remnants of those who were committing such evil still remain?"

"He's a smart kid. Yes, you won't be aware of Magna's involvement, but there are those who were carrying it. The major ones have been excluded, but the dwarves will remain. There are also numerous rapists who try to fatten their private bellies if there are gaps, such as relatives and small nobles in the territory. To help you figure it out, I asked you to look at this.

- I'm just not letting you imitate the harm you do. They've already figured out what will happen if we do that. "

Brother...... Nice smiling face too, but I felt the room temperature had dropped, not because of the magic. Reiki Ice Demon King, the atmosphere.

Speaking of which, that messenger who was forced to take out her mother, who was bedridden, and curtailed her life. That must have been fucking Baba's move. I'm sure that man got paid.

What retaliation... I guess I shouldn't know, just like the previous CFO's missing.

"Thank you for letting me know. I know, brother. As the mistress of Yurnova, I will oversee the residence with all my heart."

What struck my head was a number of beautiful but unsuitable dresses, made on their own when I lived in the Duke's main residence.

I was strangely convinced that was the case.

It feels like Baba's remnants are expressing serious hostility in such a way, even though they treat you politely for fear of your brother. Speaking of which, brother, when I was fortunate, His Majesty the Emperor praised me for how well I seemed to govern, and he repeated that I was still halfway down the road. That wasn't humble, I mean it.

Originally, I decided I was prepared to confront the rest of the party because the main residence was the home of fucking Baba for a long time.

I just couldn't imagine anything so bad happening up to this point. I'm so glad you told me.

And Eurmagna.

When did your brother say that there is constant strife between nobles of the same class? But I can't believe you've done harm in this way. How dare you embezzle funds from other houses?

I've always felt your brother hates Eurmagna, but I take that for granted, too.

I guess there are no rules, no benevolence, in disputes between houses.

Nevertheless, does this mean that the finances are so pressing that they dye their hands on criminal activity?

But Baba...... why did you really allow this to happen?

"Ekaterina, if you don't like going to the main mansion, you can stay in the royal capital. If you go to a villa in the suburbs, the heat will shine."

"No, brother, thank you for coming with me. My brother's side is the most secure one."

I don't know if I can help you without my domestic skills, but I won't leave your brother alone.

"... thanks. If that's what you say, I'll be sure to protect you. As brother, as duke, as one sword of my lady."

Oh, my brother, who speaks it out, is a Rin.

All right, then.

Join the Duke's residence!

You're on your own! I'm leaving!