The Munchkin Princess Wants to Run Away Chapter 7

“H-How did you…?”

“Isn’t that something I should be asking you?”

Ivanna’s lips parted as Cedric’s gaze swept over her worn and frayed sleeves.

Should she tell him that the maids had been giving her garbage to eat?

Or should she say that she had been so bored she had secretly sneaked out? He had told her not to cause any trouble at the estate, after all.

The situation she was in now was undoubtedly a serious breach of their contract.

What if he used her violation of the contract as an excuse to stop paying her allowance?

Ivanna clasped her hands tightly together and looked at the Duke. Her fingers fidgeted restlessly as she tried to come up with an excuse.

Would that man even believe her?

Grrrrr.

Just as she was about to tell him the truth,

a loud rumbling came from Ivanna’s stomach.

“Hahaha! Lady, you’ve already eaten two of my skewers, and you’re still hungry? Have you been going around starving yourself?”

Seeing the tense situation unfolding in front of his stall, the skewer vendor, who had been watching their reactions, hurriedly stepped in.

“Looking at how scrawny you are, it seems you haven’t been eating properly. Here, have another one!”

The woman’s clothes might have been shabby, but the man’s clothes looked smooth and expensive, with a fine sheen.

After glancing nervously at Cedric, the vendor held out another skewer to Ivanna, silently pleading for them to take their business elsewhere.

“Huh? It’s okay!”

Ivanna, whose face had turned red from the embarrassing rumbling of her stomach, accepted the skewer in a daze and was practically pushed away by the vendor.

Just as she was about to collide with someone walking by, Cedric reached out to protect her.

“Come with me.”

Looking at the princess, who was trembling as she held the skewer, Cedric swallowed a sigh before speaking.

Solar and Anthony followed behind Cedric as well, unable to raise their heads because they, too, were guilty.

Nom, nom.

As Cedric headed toward the merchant company, he lowered his gaze at the faint sound coming from beside him.

When he glanced sideways, he noticed something similar happening behind him.

The three of them were nibbling away at their skewers, stealing furtive glances at him as they ate.

‘Has she gotten even thinner?’

Remembering the vendor’s words, Cedric frowned and looked at the princess’s wrist.

It was exposed as she held up the skewer, and it was as thin as the skewer itself.

Could she even walk around like that?

He found it hard to believe the rumbling sound that had come from the princess’s stomach.

Although it was past mealtime, he couldn’t imagine just how hungry someone had to be for their stomach to make such a loud noise.

“Come this way.”

He had been heading somewhere else, but he had no choice but to change direction.

 

***

 

“Wow.”

Ivanna hurriedly closed her mouth and glanced nervously at the Duke.

It was a three-story building.

The door was decorated with patterns depicting flowers, stems, and leaves. Was that the style everyone was talking about lately?

The spaces within the patterns were filled with colorful glass, allowing light to shine through.

“Let’s go inside.”

He merely glanced at her before opening the door without another word.

“Welcome! Oh, Duke, you’re here!”

An employee who immediately recognized the Duke bowed deeply in greeting.

And just like that, Ivanna found herself eating at the most expensive restaurant in the capital for the first time.

“Fresh fish brought up from the south, prepared with… And this is a steak made from a six-month-old lamb.”

Light salads, soup, and dish after dish came pouring out, accompanied by lengthy explanations.

Ivanna’s eyes widened as she eagerly devoured every dish placed before her.

She was conscious of the Duke’s gaze, but this was still the kind of place where she couldn’t comfortably indulge in as much food as she wanted, even with the money she earned.

She couldn’t believe she was dining at such a famous restaurant. She envied the Duke’s wealth.

Although she was now receiving an allowance, she still hadn’t found the courage to spend money lavishly.

But with flavors and aromas this wonderful, she felt she could come here and eat every day.

“So, how did you get out of the estate?”

After they finished their meal in silence, the Duke finally asked the question he had been holding back.

It was a waste of time, really. The princess wandering around the city had nothing to do with him.

He had been about to reprimand her for breaking her promise to him when the sound from her stomach had stopped him in his tracks.

The fact that the princess was so thin suggested that something was wrong.

Therefore, he had to give her a fair hearing and let her explain why she had broken her promise to behave herself at the estate.

“Well…”

“Tell me the truth.”

At his chilly voice, Ivanna, who had been fiddling with her water glass, looked up sharply.

It was true that she had disobeyed him by going out without an escort, but the maids had been the ones who caused the problem in the first place.

“There seems to be a problem with the ingredients, so your meal will be delayed a little. We apologize.”

At first, she had thought it was simply an honest mistake. When the maid apologized without seeming the least bit troubled, Anthony had immediately gone to see the head maid.

Initially, the head maid apologized, explaining that the schedule had been delayed because they were busy with the general cleaning. Ivanna had graciously accepted the explanation with a nod.

She had thought things would improve after that, but as it turned out, her suspicions had been right.

The maids claiming to be busy with the general cleaning and the disruptions to her meals had both been the beginning of their deliberate disregard for her.

Since she had experienced this sort of thing countless times before, Ivanna didn’t think much of it and answered calmly.

“The maids weren’t bringing me proper meals. I was hungry, so I was just trying to buy something to eat outside.”

“Your meals?”

Cedric crossed his arms.

He was trying to determine whether her words were true. According to the butler’s report just a little while ago, the princess had been adjusting well to life at the estate.

There were also records detailing the meals, clothing, and other necessities provided for her.

That meant either the princess was lying or the report submitted by the head maid was false.

“I see something like this has happened. I’ll investigate it properly and make sure it’s corrected.”

Cedric simply assumed that the princess was making excuses because she wanted to go outside.

She had been confined within the imperial palace for so long that perhaps she thought she would be able to enjoy greater freedom at the ducal estate.

“I’ll arrange an escort for you as soon as possible, so please refrain from sneaking out of the estate. Your safety is more important than anything else.”

“Yes. I understand.”

The princess’s face remained expressionless as she answered. She no longer looked as anxious and uneasy as she had earlier.

“I’ll summon a knight, so return to the estate safely.”

Cedric found her reaction puzzling, but he stood up and warned the princess before leaving.

Deciding that arranging an escort quickly was the only thing he needed to consider, Cedric cut off his thoughts and left the restaurant, leaving Ivanna behind on her own.

“He doesn’t believe a word I say.”

As expected, there had been no point in telling him the truth. Ivanna let out a faint sigh.

The look in his eyes when she told him that her meals hadn’t been served properly had been one of suspicion.

It was as though he were asking whether she wanted to disregard their contract so badly that she would make up excuses just to go outside.

“Ugh. I’m still so hungry. Do I have to starve to death or something?”

He claimed her safety was his top priority, yet he couldn’t even keep track of what was happening inside his own estate?

Ivanna scrunched up her nose, thoroughly aggrieved. Her indignation and frustration stirred up a courage she hadn’t possessed before.

I’ll sneak out every day from now on.

He might want her to keep a low profile, but if her safety was really that important to him, she would come into the city every day and enjoy a delicious meal.

Firm in her resolve, Ivanna made the most of the desserts that arrived while waiting for the knight Cedric had sent to escort her back.

 

***

 

“Where’s the head of the merchant company?”

While Ivanna was making up her mind to escape the ducal residence, Cedric arrived at his original destination: the merchant company.

“He’s in his office.”

At the employee’s answer, he headed straight upstairs.

“Welcome, Your Grace.”

Cedric gestured for the head of the merchant company, who was about to rise from his seat, to remain seated, acknowledging his greeting with a small motion.

“Have you identified the merchant companies involved in the smuggling?”

“Yes. It seems five or six companies are involved.”

The head of the merchant company stood up and handed him the list of companies he had identified.

Bartok, Grayfin, Drakmoon, Kavel, Eldren.

Dandelion?

Among the impressive-sounding names, one strange and unimpressive name stood out.

Wasn’t a dandelion just the name of a wildflower?

It was rare for a merchant company to choose a name like that, especially when its name played a role in shaping its public image.

It seemed to be a front company created to divert funds behind the scenes.

Cedric frowned and asked the head of the merchant company,

“What does Dandelion Trading deal in?”

“You find the name strange, too, don’t you?”

The head of the merchant company nodded, seemingly understanding Cedric’s reaction.

“It’s a company that has only recently started expanding. I suspected something might be amiss, so I traced its financial transactions, but I haven’t found any useful information yet.”

He reported the findings of his investigation, explaining that there was something suspicious about the company.

“At first, they sold purified water to commoners. After that, they grew by selling herbal teas and small ornaments. Lately, it seems they’ve also started trading expensive jewelry and minerals.”

As he listened to the report, Cedric carefully examined the list of goods handled by Dandelion Trading.

There certainly didn’t seem to be any suspicious circumstances suggesting money laundering. After all, the initial capital could simply have come from the money they already had.

Purified water, huh?

He slowly rubbed his chin.

The fact that the company had recently expanded the range of goods it traded still bothered him.

‘I’ll have to investigate Dandelion Trading more thoroughly.’