Embezzlement

Spring came and went, and it was now summer. After the Duke returned from the visit to the palace, he left for his other house and did not return to the main mansion again.

Kalina spent her days leisurely at home. She spent time with her mother, exchanged letters with Count Willick, took lessons with Countess Bianca, and visited Lucille occasionally.

Since the dukedom bordered the sea, the weather was hot and humid. Everyone's clothing had become lighter and the ladies carried parasols when they went outside to protect their skin from the sun.

One lazy afternoon, Kalina was lounging on the terrace while eating a dessert made of flavored ice. She had asked the chef to make it, remembering that she enjoyed eating it in her past life.

"So you were here, Kalina." The Duchess stepped out onto the terrace and wrapped her arms around Kalina from the back, laying her head on her daughter's shoulder. She had just returned from an inspection of the nearby towns and had been traveling nonstop for half a day.

"Good afternoon, Mother," Kalina touched her mother's hands tenderly. "How was the inspection?"

"Ah, my sweet baby. Let's not talk about that. Can Mother have some of your treat?" The Duchess pointed to the shaved ice and opened her mouth cutely. If any of her colleagues saw how sweetly she acted with Kalina, they would be shocked.

"Of course," Kalina scooped up a bit and fed it to her mother, who grinned with delight. The Duchess rubbed Kalina's head a few times before getting up.

"Dinner will be ready soon, come inside when you're done playing."

As the Duchess smiled, Kalina couldn't help but notice the dark circles under her mother's eyes and her fatigued look. She hadn't looked closely at her mother's face until now, and seeing her mother look so sick suddenly made her feel uneasy.

At night, the Duchess was sitting on a sofa reading over some documents while Kalina laid her head on her lap. The Duchess was stroking Kalina's long feathery hair with her left hand and was holding up the papers with her right.

The Duchess was only thirty-three, and she had thoroughly retained her beauty from her younger years. Sitting together with Kalina, who looked very similar to her, the pair looked like two sisters and not a parent and their child.

"Mother..." Kalina pouted. She had wanted to spend some relaxing mother-daughter time with the Duchess, but her mother was going over documents instead.

"Yes, dear? Are you uncomfortable?"

"Mother, what's going on? You've been so busy lately." Kalina frowned and sat up. She was upset, but to her mother, she was just a child who wanted attention.

"Mother is sorry," the Duchess smiled fondly and put down her papers. "How about we go out to play tomorrow? I'll make it up to you."

The old Kalina would definitely be satisfied and give up asking, but the Kalina now valued her mother more than anything.

"No, Mother, that's okay. I meant to ask if anything is happening at work." Kalina held her mother's hands and stared into her eyes firmly.

The Duchess felt her heart melt, seeing her daughter's unyielding appearance.

"It's just some things at work. You don't need to worry and just play happily."

"Mother. Tell me, please? I'm more capable than you think. I can help. I've been studying a lot recently," Kalina begged.

"Well...there's been some trouble at the Haire Port lately." The Duchess confessed.

Haire Port was the Empire's largest ports and was under the control of the Ephraim dukedom. It was a main part of the dukedom and the Empire's income. If any incident would occur there, the family would be held accountable.

"We've been losing money, but I'm so busy with other affairs that I haven't had time to go check it out."

Since the Duke spent his time indulging in luxuries, he paid no heed to the management of the dukedom. It was all left to the Duchess. Anyone would be stressed under so much pressure, and even thought the Duchess had countless helpers by her side, it was hard to keep track of everything that went on in the dukedom.

"So could I go in your place?"

"Huh? Pardon?"

"I'm a member of the Ephraim family too. I can go. I may still be a child, but I could go inspect the situation."

"That's..." The Duchess wasn't sure if Kalina was being serious or not.

"Please? I've been more well behaved recently, right? I want to help Mother and our people. You can trust me!" Kalina pleaded with her eyes.

Looking into Kalina's wide eyes and quivering eyelashes, the Duchess couldn't resist and hugged her tightly.

"Oh, of course you can! Just take a look, okay? Nothing else. If it's too much for you, just come back. Mother won't be mad." The Duchess lovingly planted kisses on Kalina's head.

"Okay, Mother. I'll try my best." Kalina snuggled closer into her mother's embrace, inhaling her nostalgic flowery scent. The two laughed and chatted until late at night, when they fell asleep together like old times.

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"What the hell is this?"

"Lady Kalina, I..."

"Would you be so inclined to explain why the amount of income from the port has been decreasing while the amount of trade has been increasing?"

Kalina was sitting on a plush armchair as if it were a throne, her legs crossed. She stared down imposingly at the butler, who was shivering while kneeling. She asked him politely, but it just scared him more because of the frightening look in her eyes.

'Oh, that's right. He was one of the people that joined Nessa's side turned against Mother because he was paid. It seems he's always been a greedy person.'

"I, I..."

"You what? I know you can speak. I heard you blabbering to the other workers a minute ago about me. What happened? Don't tell me our poor butler has gone mute and can't respond to his master's simple question?" Kalina leaned back, sipping a bit of tea that had been prepared. It had gone cold, yet it felt nice and cool against her lips.

"I'm sorry! Please forgive me, Lady Kalina!" He flattened himself on the ground, pleading her for mercy.

"Bratty, vain, egoistic...should I list some more? I heard many wonderful things."

"No...! There's no need!"

"I wonder what is so selfish about me wanting to help my mother with her work. I just want to ease her workload...isn't that what Mr. Butler wants too?"

"Yes! Yes! I do!"

"Then tell me, what the hell have you been doing with our money?"