‘What’s going on?’
I stiffened in shock.
How was Baron Gobet here?
Then, I spotted Viscount Krauss sitting across from him.
The answer was obvious—Krauss must have secretly contacted him, warning him to come immediately for the meeting.
And with that warning, Gobet had likely used a Teleportation Scroll to reach the capital in time.
‘Fine, that makes sense… but still…’
Something else felt off.
This meeting had been convened by Caesar, and the only information publicly known was that it concerned export-related matters.
Yet, Gobet was staring directly at me.
Not just with suspicion—but with an unsettling confidence.
It was as if he already knew I had stolen his double ledger and was about to expose it.
Had his guards given a description of me?
‘Even so, why does he look so smug?’
A strange unease settled in my gut.
Even though I held all the evidence in my hands, I had the uncomfortable sensation that I was the one being led into a trap.
As I stood there, staring at him, Caesar entered the room.
Everyone rose to show their respects, and I quickly took my seat.
“The meeting will begin now,” Caesar announced from the head of the table.
“Today’s agenda concerns a revision of the empire’s export designations.”
At his words, the nobles murmured amongst themselves.
However, both Viscount Krauss and Baron Gobet remained composed, as if they had anticipated this outcome.
‘But what can they possibly do?’
At best, Gobet could try to stall for time.
As long as I didn’t get caught up in their tactics, I could keep things on track.
I gripped the double ledger tightly.
This was irrefutable proof.
As long as nothing unexpected happened, everything would go according to plan.
After a few more remarks, Caesar turned to me.
“I hear the Chester Barony has uncovered something of interest.”
I stood up immediately.
All eyes in the room turned toward me.
“One of the designated export territories has been found guilty of disgraceful conduct,” I declared.
“And today’s meeting has been called to publicly reveal that misconduct.”
“Disgraceful conduct…?”
The murmuring intensified.
Ignoring the noise, I met Baron Gobet’s gaze directly.
“It is Baron Gobet’s territory.”
Then, I held up the double ledger for all to see.
“Contained within this ledger is proof of the baron’s illicit—”
“Wait a moment!”
Gobet suddenly raised a hand, cutting me off.
‘What is he up to?’
Even with his territory being accused…
Even with damning evidence against him…
He still looked completely unshaken.
“I have a question before we proceed,” he said smoothly.
I narrowed my eyes.
“This ledger—where, and how, did you obtain it?”
“…What?”
“Did you acquire it through legal means?”
I flinched.
Because, obviously… the answer was no.
I had knocked out his guards and stolen it from his office.
And judging by his smug demeanor, he already knew that.
‘But how?’
There weren’t many possibilities.
The most likely scenario was that his guards had seen my face while I was playing the decoy.
‘But that’s not enough evidence.’
Even if all his guards identified me, I could deny everything.
I just had to focus on exposing his smuggling first—then I could accuse him of fabricating the guards’ testimony to cover up his crimes.
‘Which means…’
I needed to act confident.
With steady composure, I replied,
“I received a tip-off.”
“A tip-off?”
Gobet raised an eyebrow.
“You’re certain?”
“I am. And frankly, I don’t see why that’s relevant. What matters is the contents of this ledger, not how it was obtained.”
“Oh, but is that really what matters?”
He smiled—a slow, knowing smirk.
Then, all of a sudden—
He pointed directly at me and declared:
“I hereby accuse Lady Evelyn Chester of a crime—unlawful trespassing!”
Gasps rippled through the room.
Before I could react, Gobet pulled something from his coat—
A small, round crystal.
‘What’s that?’
The entire room turned to look.
“Do you all know what this is?”
Some nobles shook their heads.
It looked similar to a communication magic orb… but slightly smaller.
“This,” Gobet announced dramatically, “is a Surveillance Magic Orb.”
My stomach dropped.
“A surveillance device,” he continued, “that automatically records intruders within its vicinity!”
Cold fear clenched around my spine.
I had heard of such devices before—but they were astronomically expensive.
I had never seen one in person.
And I certainly hadn’t expected Baron Gobet to have one.
‘So that’s why security seemed so weak…’
“In this orb,” Gobet boasted, “is undeniable proof of Lady Evelyn Chester breaking into my estate!”
A triumphant grin spread across his face.
“Her face is clearly recorded! Every moment of her ransacking my bookshelves and drawers!”
The murmurs grew louder.
He wasn’t wrong—breaking into a noble’s home was a serious crime.
Even worse if theft was involved.
This was bad.
Still, I refused to back down.
“Even if I did enter your estate,” I countered, “that does not discredit the contents of this ledger. If anything, it proves that I retrieved it from your home!”
“Does it, though?” Gobet sneered.
“You already lied once,” he said.
“You claimed you obtained it legally. You claimed you received a tip-off. Every noble in this room just witnessed your blatant lies!”
He slammed his hand on the table.
“Tell me, why should anyone believe a single word you say?”
I opened my mouth—but no words came out.
The entire room’s mood had shifted.
Everyone’s doubts were now directed… at me.
Then—
“This is getting tedious.”
A low, indifferent voice cut through the tension.
Heads turned toward the head of the table.
Caesar.
His expression was unreadable.
“If you’re so confident,” he said lazily, “then why haven’t you played the footage yet?”
I blinked, then quickly shook my head.
If the footage really existed, playing it would be disastrous for me.
But Caesar—completely ignoring me—remained as calm as ever.
“Of course! I will play it immediately!”
Gobet, smug as ever, activated the orb.
“This was recorded two nights ago. Late at night, an intruder—this young lady and another woman—broke into my estate. You will all see for yourselves…!”
Silence.
Everyone waited.
I tensed.
If the footage was real, I needed a backup plan—fast.
But then—
“Baron Gobet,” Caesar drawled.
“What exactly are you doing?”
I looked up.
The orb was still completely blank.
“Uh… uh… W-Wait…!”
Gobet fumbled with the device.
Nothing happened.
The nobles began murmuring.
Even Viscount Krauss, who had been smiling this entire time, now looked rigid with tension.
“What’s wrong, Baron?”
Caesar’s voice was utterly bored.
“Is this great device of yours taking hours to load?”
Gobet started sweating.
“N-No, it was just here! It was just here a moment ago! I swear!”
He clumsily tried to fix it, but the orb remained empty.
One noble finally picked it up, inspected it, and announced—
“There’s nothing in here. It’s completely blank.”
More gasps.
Gobet went pale.
Caesar caught the orb midair, tossed it lightly in his palm, and said—
“Tell me, Baron…”
“Do you believe your own words?”
****
Despite Baron Gobet’s desperate protests, no one could find any footage in the magic device.
Sensing the momentum shifting in my favor, I presented all the evidence I had prepared.
Not only was Gobet charged with smuggling, but he was also accused of falsely incriminating me in an attempt to cover up his crimes.
Even Viscount Krauss—who had been smugly confident just moments ago—failed to utter a single word in Gobet’s defense.
And just like that, Baron Gobet was dragged away—held in custody until a full-scale investigation could be conducted.
Not that it would take long.
In just a day or two, once they tested his hair tonic and found traces of Black Nightshade Mushroom, there would be no denying his guilt.
Everything had ended in my favor.
Yet… I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
‘But he looked so confident.’
Gobet hadn’t seemed like someone bluffing.
His confidence hadn’t felt like mere bravado.
And logically, why would he lie about the surveillance footage—when verifying it would immediately expose him?
More than that—he had known.
He had known that Olche and I had broken in together.
He had known exactly what I had done inside his estate.
So the most reasonable assumption was that…
The footage had existed.
‘Then why? Why did it disappear?’
A face kept appearing in my mind.
Caesar.
“If you’re so confident, then why haven’t you played the footage yet?”
The way he had spoken—so certain that the device would contain nothing.
As if he had already known.
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