CH 157

The Crown Prince, who was sitting, looked at me as though observing me.

“You don’t look like you’re that surprised to see me, Young Lady.”

“Because I’m not surprised. I also think you would notice if I acted surprised.”

My impression of the Crown Prince I met for the first time at the hunting competition was faint.

He didn’t talk or move more than needed, and only stayed behind his father, the Emperor, with a bored look.

That must be why my eyes went to Young Duke Bolton who always had a relatively strong impression first.

Maybe that was a smokescreen.

I lowered my head and saw the floor that was scattered with documents.

The familiar writing entered my sight.

It was part of the inventory and budget that I looked at one by one.

“You’re not surprised that I’m here? Then, you must know the meaning behind my gift.”

He tapped the table with his finger.

I simply nodded my head.

“If it’s about the ledger, there’s something I’ve organized.”

Although it was in Abigail’s hand, it was an object that I could access anytime.

“I think it’s best to leave it in a safe place, so I left it somewhere else. But if you want it, I can bring it over.”

He met my eyes and stared at me intently as if trying to guess my thoughts.

“Why didn’t you use it?”

I answered his question.

“I think I might be sick if I recklessly use a gift given by a stranger.”

It might be a simple kindness, but the chance of the opposite was higher.

Especially now that I was ‘Young Lady Miller’, I had to be careful about accepting kindness from others.

Needless to say, if the opponent was the crown prince.

“Even if I ‘coincidentally’ found out the problem through the inventory budget, the moment I publicized it, it would be seen as the Miller Family attacking the noble faction.”

If that happened, the man in front of me would breath relaxedly without making a move.

I recalled Professor Grein, who gave me a hard time for so many days that made me feel that it was unusual.

As I organized the documents following his instructions, I wa naturallys able to see the big picture.

It was true that there were many applications for replacements due to defects in the product itself.

However, the number of replacements and re-purchases of products was higher than the number of applications.

The records of newly purchased items might be similar every year, but it was strange that there were more replacements than were applied.

“If the item supplied by the Rocke Guild is normal and then was changed into a defective product in the middle, where are the right items?”

The items too were a problem.

Swords, shields, chainmail, helmets, saddles and others were products that were eventually used to nurture soldiers.

The items that were moved without any sound must be used to foster soldiers of the nobility.

Therefore, the ledger, which was the evidence that the student council, especially Philip Viscounty, was involved in it, inevitably became a hot potato.

However, the Crown Prince personally striking the problem about the nobles’ soldiers would definitely make the case get excessively bigger.

In addition, he somehow looked like he didn’t want to show his intelligence.

If I exposed the ledger, it wouldn’t be seen that he was behind it.

“I’m not your chess piece, Your Imperial Highness.”

“I think I forced you to be on guard too much.”

He added as if he felt regret.

“Even if some families were turned upside down because of the ledger, there won’t be any arrow returned to the Miller Duchy. After all, this case in all respects is a disturbance that happened inside the academy.”

“. . .”

“If I may add, I was planning on gaining your favor rather than using you.”

I couldn’t trust his words completely.

Still, at least he showed goodwill to me, and I clearly saw he meant it to help me.

If he tried to verify the authenticity of the statement that Bertin brought over, things would get complicated, but he didn’t.

“How did you know that Grein was my person?”

I didn’t, actually.

At least it was in the process of organizing the ledger that I vaguely found out that he was helping me for some reason.

“The timing for your visit is too coincidental. Besides, Professor Grein . . .”

I glanced at him, who was coldly staring straight.

“He didn’t look like he would join forces with the nobles.”

I didn’t know about the other things, but his nasty personality wasn’t a camouflage.

The Crown Prince smiled at my remark, but Professor Grein was silent without any particular differences.

Although from the first day he treated me as ‘a stupid person who struck the academy’s teachers who taught her,’ it was true that thanks to that, the students couldn’t bother me recklessly.

It was a reminder that if they touched me, they would see blood.

“Your judgment of people is far better than I expected.”

Seeing me calm at the generous appreciation, he added.

“You also look like you have a big nerve.”

“Pardon?”

“You must be the one who let Jeremy attend this place, right?”

My heart dropped at that.

I turned to Young Duke Bolton, who stayed silent in his position.

Only then I realized that he recognized Jeremy from the start, but he was pretending to not know.

“There’s no way Orion would personally make a move in the academy for that kid. So I wondered if there’s your influence.”

I contemplated what to say.

After contemplating, I eventually decided to admit it.

“Yes, I recommended it.”

“I’m glad that it looks like he’s living well.”

There were no exceptional emotions in the words he said.

There was no affection, no contempt or displeasure.

An attitude that looked like expressing that all was well.