The Villain’s Aide Has Run Away

The assistant’s naïve question made the chef smile bitterly.

“How long are we supposed to just pretend we don’t notice? Are we just supposed to keep cooking with these missing ingredients? Then we might as well set the budget according to what we actually get.”

“R-right. We could just redo the budget then.”

“And when we do, it will just get cut again.”

The chef’s calm reply made the assistant shut his mouth. He had been thinking the same thing.

“The academy has not even been open for long. This is why we have to deal with this now.”

After saying that, the chef carefully took out a file bound with a thin metal lock. His hesitation still showed in the way he moved, but he did not put it back.

Leslun stood, holding the file.

“There is also a separate ledger where our assistant has recorded the calculated quantities. I will include that as well.”

“Thank you. I will return them after reviewing.”

The moment Leslun stepped out of the room, footsteps quickly approached from the far end of the hallway. The sound of low-heeled shoes matched the stride of two men walking side by side.

As they passed close enough that their shoulders almost brushed, Leslun caught sight of the gold-embroidered insignia on the hem of one man’s coat.

“Excuse me.”

At the voice of the guest who seemed to have come to see the chef, Leslun quickened his pace as though it was nothing.

The man who entered was the supply manager. The chef stiffened at the unexpected visit and greeted them. The manager gestured toward the man standing beside him.

“This is the representative from Locke Trading Company.”

He was a neatly dressed man in his thirties with a sharp look in his eyes. The chef’s gaze lingered on the gold-embroidered insignia on his coat.

“I would like you to step outside for a moment.”

The manager casually motioned to the assistant, who hesitated but bowed and left. When the door closed, the representative from Locke Trading Company got straight to the point.

“I heard that there have been frequent shortages in ingredient deliveries these past few days. I came personally to verify the issue and apologize on behalf of our company.”

The words, perfectly tailored to the situation, made the chef clear his throat.

“We will handle the additional supplies as a separate delivery. Furthermore, our merchant master has personally prepared a few items as an apology, and they have been brought as well.”

The chef gave him a puzzled look. This was not something that happened often. Suspicion naturally came first, but since the goods were already delivered, there was no reason to refuse.

“Ah, yes. Then… I will update the delivery records.”

The representative nodded lightly and glanced toward the door.

“That man who just left—wasn’t he the Crown Prince’s aide?”

The chef’s eyes flickered. The man had only caught a glimpse, yet recognized him immediately. He was clearly more than just an ordinary merchant employee.

The chef could not easily answer with the supply manager standing right there. After hesitating and gauging their reactions, he reluctantly nodded.

“Yes. That is correct.”

“I see.”

The representative’s lips curved in a faint smile. Then, as if casually, he asked,

“What business would the Crown Prince’s aide have in the kitchen at this hour?”

The chef let out a short breath and deliberately added in a casual tone,

“There is a chance that the Crown Prince’s meals will need to be prepared separately in a few days. No official notice has been sent yet, but he came ahead of time to discuss the possibility and make arrangements. There were no specific instructions, he just checked if it could be done.”

The chef’s heart pounded as he finished speaking. He worried that he might have said too much, but if he said too little, it might seem suspicious. He forced himself to keep a calm expression.

***

Leslun examined the detailed records, which listed every ingredient, the delivery dates, and the names of the persons in charge. At a glance, nothing seemed amiss. But when compared with the separate ledger that the assistant had prepared, the numbers did not match.

One particular entry made Leslun’s eyes narrow.

Fifteen geun of chicken had been ordered, but the amount actually delivered was far less. The difference was small enough not to be immediately obvious. But this was not an isolated incident.

Dried vegetables, grains, even the reserve of fish—everything was slightly short. Each individual item could have been dismissed as a minor clerical error, but the pattern repeated across several deliveries told a different story.

The discrepancies were subtle yet deliberate.

Leslun exhaled quietly as he set the records down.

He had seen this sort of thing before at the Count’s estate. Siphoning off a portion of the budget and splitting it among those involved was a common and relatively minor form of corruption.

“This is strange.”

But something about this bothered him. If the culprit had stolen a large, obvious amount, the motive would have been easy to understand. This, however, was different.

Why were they being so careful, so precise, as though hiding something more?

Leslun’s unease only deepened.