K-Eldest Daughter Possessed a Childcare Novel - Ch. 38

I said that and waved my finger wearing the ring. It was the glass ring I found in the mansion’s storage.

“I believe you both know what this is.”

I extended my hand toward them, making sure the ring was visible.

Baron Ricken raised his glasses and exclaimed at my gesture.

“That’s the spirit’s treasure that distinguishes truth from lies, isn’t it?”

“You’re saying that’s the spirit’s treasure?”

As expected, the knowledgeable Baron Ricken recognized the ring immediately.

In contrast, Garedil furrowed his brow, looking as if he had never seen it before. Seeing his reaction, I smiled and explained the ring.

“That’s right. This ring glows green if the other person is lying. If not, it doesn’t glow.”

I said this and approached the fallen second son.

For the first time, hope flickered on the second son’s face. He seemed to think this was a chance to prove his innocence.

I chuckled at the sight.

‘As if I’d use this on you.’

I passed by the second son and headed towards the man behind him.

“There’s no point in listening to the words of a confirmed embezzler… let’s ask the witness my knight brought instead.”

As I approached, the man with a sly demeanor looked up at me, terrified.

Seeing the man kneeling respectfully, I extended the hand with the ring.

“You have two ears, so you heard everything I said, right?”

“Y-yes!”

“You must speak the truth without a single lie. Understand?”

“Yes, I understand!”

At this, Baron Ricken and Garedil fell silent, focusing on my voice.

“First, who are you?”

“I-I am Tra, the chief manager of the private vault and pawnshop of the X Mercenary Corps.”

“Are you the one who drafted the promissory note concerning the pearl?”

“Yes! I drafted it!”

“And you knew who the pearl belonged to?”

“No! I only made the contract to lend ten million gold using the pearl as collateral!”

Since everything he said was true, the ring didn’t react.

To highlight the ring’s effectiveness further, I asked a leading question.

“You wrote the promissory note because you coveted the pearl, didn’t you? Planning to make a counterfeit once you got your hands on it?”

The man, who had been diligently answering questions, flinched.

“N-no, no, I didn’t…”

At that, the ring glowed green.

Seeing this, Baron Ricken and Garedil’s faces grew stern, and the man’s face turned pale.

After glancing at their expressions, I smiled quietly.

“One last question. Who handed you the pearl and received the money?”

“H-him!”

Before I could even finish my question, the man hastily pointed at the second son.

“It was Lord Act Dermi! Lord Act Dermi personally brought the pearl and demanded ten million gold as collateral!”

Desperate to make up for his earlier mistake, the man repeated what I wanted him to say. The ring did not glow.

I lifted one corner of my mouth into a sly smile.

This was the very weakness of the ring that the eldest son had discovered in the original story.

‘This ring only catches lies.’

In other words, even if it was false, if the person speaking believed it to be true, the ring wouldn’t glow.

And I knew how to exploit this weakness to my advantage.

“Enough.”

With my single word, the shallow-looking man closed his mouth. I turned to glare at the second son.

“To think you tried to deceive Baron Ricken and Lord Brooks with that innocent face and those tears. How utterly despicable.”

“Mmmph—! Mmph!”

At my words, the second son thrashed about, making strange noises.

Despite his innocent appearance, he glared at the shallow man with a murderous look in his eyes. I signaled a few soldiers with a glance and gave an order.

“We no longer need the witness, so escort him out of the mansion.”

At my command, Rover, standing beside me, asked.

“Are you sure you don’t want to take further action against him?”

I raised an eyebrow and looked down at the man.

“Do you want to keep being involved with me?”

The man, unable to even meet my eyes, prostrated himself.

“N-no. Please, just let me live. I’ll keep today’s events a secret until I die. Please, just let me live.”

Watching him grovel and sob, I smiled in satisfaction.

Rover nodded in agreement.

“Take him away.”

“Yes!”

“Mmph! Mmmph!”

As the soldiers dragged the man away, the second son strained against his bonds, veins bulging as he shouted. I spoke to him coldly.

“Quiet.”

At that, the second son, who had been shouting wildly, froze.

When our eyes met, he began trembling as before and soon curled up in fear. It seemed that his fear of me outweighed his sense of injustice.

‘You used to look down on me for being a little girl, but now look at you.’

Meanwhile, Baron Ricken and Garedil continued to sigh heavily, their faces filled with distress.

“Haa, to think he would steal that precious pearl and covet ten million gold!”

“I knew Lord Dermi loved money, but I didn’t expect it to this extent.”

They discussed amongst themselves, their expressions a mix of frustration and betrayal.

“How should we inform Baron Dermi of this matter…?”

“Moreover, there’s the issue of punishment. We can’t just keep Lord Dermi detained while waiting for the duke’s reply.”

Watching the two speak exactly as I expected, I felt a sense of satisfaction.

“Baron Ricken.”

At my call, both the baron and Garedil turned to look at me.

“Activate the communication orb connected to the North.”

The baron’s eyes widened at my words.

“But, my lady, the communication orb is a one-time use item. We only use it in cases of great urgency.”

“Exactly, Baron. Which is why I am telling you to activate it.”

With my firm tone, Baron Ricken looked at me for a moment, then soon nodded.

“Understood.”

It seemed he understood the meaning behind my words.

While Baron Ricken prepared to activate the communication orb, Garedil questioned me.

“The communication orb is an emergency contact device used only in times of war. Do you think this situation is urgent enough, Lady Belladi?”

“War is no longer a concern, Lord Brooks.”

Garedil paused at my words and looked at me, but I continued speaking calmly, meeting his gaze.

“Then the standards for urgency must change. Lord Brooks, just look at this situation.”

I glanced over at the second son, who was lying on the floor as if he had given up on everything.

Thanks to me, thoroughly breaking his spirit from the beginning.

“We have a clear culprit and evidence, but just because the head of the family is absent, we can’t imprison this man.”

“But… but activating the communication orb just for that is…”

“This man was allowed to reside in this mansion under the trust of Baron Ricken, Lord Brooks, and my father.”

Garedil lowered his eyes at my words.

“That is…”

“And yet, not even half a year has passed, and he’s committed embezzlement. It was my effort that uncovered it.”

My pointed remark left Garedil speechless.

“Lord Brooks and Baron Ricken have completely failed in their duty to manage their subordinates. Now, I’m starting to suspect all the vassals. Isn’t this situation urgent enough?”

“… I failed to consider that.”

As soon as Garedil conceded, Baron Ricken spoke up.

“The activation is complete, Lady Belladi.”

At his words, I turned to look at Baron Ricken’s desk. There, a small amethyst, about the size of my finger, sat on the desk, with a large screen hovering above it.

“Now, you just need to wait for the connection to the North.”

“Well done.”

This rectangular screen was the effect of the communication orb.

The communication orb was a magic gemstone imbued with video magic. With it, one could have a video call with someone who possessed a similar gemstone.

‘Though it’s a very expensive single-use item that shatters after one use, unable to withstand the video magic.’

Because of this, only high-ranking nobles like the Duke of Alton had a few of them in their possession.

Before leaving for the North, my father had entrusted a few communication orbs to Baron Ricken, his most trusted subordinate.

Knowing this, I confidently ordered the activation of the communication orb.

‘I hope my father answers the connection.’

To my relief, a familiar face soon appeared on the screen.

[What is the matter?]

It was my father, whom I hadn’t seen in a while.

His face was as distinguished as ever, but his jawline seemed sharper, and the faint dark circles under his eyes made him look gaunter than before.

‘It seems that managing Nesia is proving difficult.’

“It’s been a while, Your Grace.”

“I greet the duke.”

Baron Ricken and Garedil offered their respects.

“How have you been, Father?”

At my greeting, my father’s red eyes widened slightly.

[Belladi? Why are you…?]

I took a step forward, meeting my father’s gaze through the screen.

“I activated the communication orb because I have a request for you, Father.”

[A request?]

I nodded and glanced at the soldiers standing by.

“Bring him here.”

“Yes, Lady Belladi!”

The soldiers dragged in the second son, who had been cowering.

“Mmph! Mmm! Mmph!”

He resisted fiercely, not wanting to be taken, but there was no way he could escape from the soldiers’ firm grip.

My father frowned as he watched the second son make his loud entrance.

[Isn’t that the second son of Baron Dermi?]

“First, I apologize, Father.”

My father looked at me as I bowed my head in apology.

“Investigating a noble requires the permission of the family head, but I arrested Lord Dermi myself, fearing he might destroy the evidence in the meantime.”

[Investigate a noble? Has he committed some sort of crime?]

“Yes, Father. Lord Dermi, who was chosen to assist Baron Ricken with external affairs… had the audacity to embezzle the mansion’s budget.”

Hearing this, both Baron Ricken and Garedil bowed their heads with troubled expressions. My father, too, seemed unable to believe what he heard.

[Embezzlement? That son of Baron Dermi?]

At this point, I couldn’t help but wonder what sort of image they had of Baron Dermi. Was he considered some kind of saint?

Hiding my thoughts, I smiled evenly.

“You know, Father, that children don’t always take after their parents.”

My father remained silent for a moment at my meaningful words.

Regardless, I continued speaking.

“Despite clear evidence of his crime, this man refused to be arrested, using his noble status as an excuse, and even mocked and insulted me, claiming I had no such authority.”

My words contained a bit of exaggeration.

‘But what does it matter if I say so?’

Even the soldiers and Rover, who witnessed the scene, seemed to nod in agreement as if their memories had been altered. The only one truly wronged was the second son.

Then, my father responded in a way I hadn’t expected.

[How dare… he did such a thing to my daughter?]

I looked at him in surprise.

My father, filled with rage, seemed ready to break through the screen.