“I'm in trouble”
I really failed.
The only thought I could think of, facing a very handsome face, was this.
But I quickly woke up and shook my head. I didn't forget to smile awkwardly.
“Well, I'm not sure what you mean by that...”
The truth is, I know the future. This world is exactly like the book I read, and I was embodied in it.
...But of course I couldn't say that even if my mouth was open.
There is no proof, so the only way to survive is to deny everything!
I decided to play dumb.
“That… wasn’t something I did. Hahaha.”
"princess."
Then the Duke called to me in a heavy voice.
Do you know how we deal with liars in the empire?
“…….”
We usually resort to very cruel torture. If you refuse to admit the truth, we will rip your mouth apart.
Sorry?
B-but! Would you believe me if I told you?
It would have been a miracle if I had not been thrown into that monastery in the mountains, which was almost a madhouse.
…I am waiting. But living in a monastery might not be so bad?
“Are you thinking about something else while you are in front of me?”
“Huh!”
Why is he so quick to understand?
I was about to mutter something, but before I could, the Duke spoke first.
“However, you are not an ordinary criminal, so I guess I can't treat you like this.”
Why does he keep playing with my feelings like this?!
The finger holding my chin had fallen away, but I was still as hard as stone.
After taking a step back, the Duke smiled again, this time with the same crooked smile.
I heard that even though you were deliberately left in a miserable environment, you quietly endured without a single complaint. Did you think that someone from the Salt Kingdom would come to your rescue one day?
“……?”
It seems you never imagined being treated this way while living as a member of the royal family. I wonder if you have nerves of steel, or if there is something to rely on.
His words suddenly made me feel curious.
I had gone to such lengths to hide my identity with lies, so why was the room they gave me so comfortable?
Although humble, he never lacked the basics.
Why did Liam keep assuming I would try to escape this comfortable place?
Wait, is it possible that they don't even know how I live?
If so, then all you've gotten so far is some kind of punishment, right?
It was funny for someone like me, who had spent time in a cold, bug-infested room, to enjoy this kind of comfort now.
I bit my lip, trying not to burst out laughing. It would have been better not to correct the misunderstanding, especially if it was in my best interest.
I steeled myself and spoke.
I don't understand what you mean, but even if I did, I am the princess of the Salt Kingdom. I can't talk about internal affairs.
The Duke's expression turned cold.
“So, you won't tell me where the information leaked from.”
But unlike before, I'm not as afraid as before.
If he had really decided to kill me, he wouldn't have gone through all this trouble. This thought reassured me a little.
Moreover, since he suspected the information was leaking, it seemed like he wouldn't let me go until he found out something.
Then…
Well, I'll take that as a win!
According to the original story, the Salt Kingdom falls anyway.
At first, I worked hard because I didn't realize that I was reincarnated. Later, she did this out of fear for innocent people who might be involved in these matters.
But now, I've reached a point where I can't do anything anymore.
So, the only thing left for me to do now is one thing.
“If you don't trust me, just lock me up!”
"…What?"
“If I can't save my life by pretending to know things I don't know, then I can't risk harming innocent people by lying about what I know...”
The Duke stared at me with a look of disbelief, but I didn't back down and continued.
“Of course, being locked in this stifling room, unable to do anything, is extremely painful… but I will accept it humbly!”
After a long silence, the Duke quietly approached me, like a predator searching for its prey.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
With every step, my heart beat faster, as if it was about to explode.
“You are stubborn.”
But fortunately, he only spoke one word and then briskly walked past me to sit down.
“Well, let me give some bad news to someone who doesn't know anything.”
His voice was devoid of emotion.
"What…?"
I had not finished asking until I understood what he meant.
The Duke took out a document from his coat.
A very familiar form… It was the same type of document used in the Salt Kingdom.
“Ah…”
It was impossible not to recognize him.
I saw the royal seal stamped at the bottom and my mouth opened.
Did you just stamp it there?
Commercial certificate.
The subject was the grain I had stockpiled in preparation for the sudden cessation of wheat supplies from Claytan.
Limia has sold everything to the empire.
Is she out of her mind?
“Wait a second.”
Why would the Empire, which had more wheat than it could use, want to buy it at such a high price?
But even in my astonishment, I continued to read the document carefully until I froze.
“This…this…”
“What's the problem?”
problem? Of course she was there!
“Give it to me!”
swish!
She tried to snatch the document, but the Duke quickly snatched it up and put it back in his coat.
“Didn't you say you didn't know anything?”
What do you mean, I don't know anything! I don't know, but... but...!
I ran out of breath and protested as if I was screaming.
“But still… that's something anyone who's not an idiot can recognize!”
“So what's going on?”
As he continued to pressure me, I burst into tears when I responded.
“This deal is a scam...”
The intermediary company's seal, printed next to the royal seal, was something I had never seen before in any trade with the empire.
Cross-border transactions are usually handled by big, authorized trading companies, but suddenly a small company steps in?
This is a common sign of a business scam, where middlemen steal goods or charge exorbitant fees.
Anyone working in this field knows this without a doubt.
Limia!
It is surprising that it could cause such damage to the Kingdom's economy so quickly.
I couldn't help but be in awe.
"Yes."
Suddenly she looked at the Duke in shock.
Did you do this on purpose...?
The Duke's green eyes, which still carried the same graceful smile, were reflected on my face.
“Normally, in such cases, the one who is deceived is the fool… But strangely, it seems that Princess Lemia’s office, where she fell, is not doing very well.”
I gritted my teeth and responded.
“I…I don’t know anything about this.”
“Okay, don't do that.”
With a relaxed smile, the Duke issued a casual order.
Take it out as the princess wants. Make sure it does not come out under any circumstances.
“Yes sir.”
Although his voice was not loud, the knights quickly entered and grabbed my arm.
Pulled away like a criminal caught by the police, I kept my gaze fixed on the Duke.
“This is too much”
There is a section in the original story that describes the Salt Kingdom on the brink of collapse.
Trade routes were closed, and food was not stored. People starved to death, and the plague spread from the corpses, turning the land into a veritable hell.
I wanted to do something to alleviate this situation.
The world described in the book was just a book, but the Salt Kingdom I lived in… was a world where real people lived.
But Remaya destroyed that remaining defense with her own hands.
At that moment, I couldn't restrain myself, so I said this in an angry voice.
“Can you give me some relief…?”
"I?"
The Duke replied as if he had heard something amusing.
“There is no reason for that.”
explosion.
However, the door slammed in my face.