The Munchkin Princess Wants to Run Away - Chapter 7

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“How did you… end up here?”
“Surely that’s what I should be asking you?”
Sedric’s gaze swept across Ivanna’s frayed, threadbare sleeves, and she fell silent.
Should she mention that the servants had served her wretched food?
Or admit she’d slipped away out of sheer boredom? The Mansion had warned her not to cause trouble.
The current situation was undoubtedly a serious breach of contract.
If he said she’d broken the agreement and withheld her Dignity Maintenance Fee, what would she do?
Ivanna clasped her hands tightly and fixed her gaze on the Duke. Her fingers wouldn’t stay still, fidgeting as her mind scrambled to manufacture an excuse.
Would he believe anything she said?
Growwwwl.
Just as she was about to speak the truth—
A loud rumble erupted from Ivanna’s stomach.
“Ha-ha-ha! Miss, you’ve already eaten two of my skewers, and you’re still hungry? Are you starving yourself out here?”
As an awkward situation unfolded at the vendor’s stall, the Skewer Merchant, reading the room carefully, jumped in with quick wit.
“You look skin and bones. Here, have another one on me!”
While the woman in shabby clothes went unnoticed, the man’s clothes gleamed and felt soft to the touch.
Noting the Duke’s expression, the merchant shot Ivanna a look that pleaded with her to take this elsewhere, pressing a skewer into her hand.
“Oh, no, that’s—”
Her face flushed from the rumbling sound, Ivanna took the skewer and found herself swept along by the merchant’s gentle push before she could protest.
In that instant, as she nearly collided with a pedestrian, Sedric’s hand shot out to steady her.
“Follow me.”
Watching the trembling Princess with skewer in hand, Sedric swallowed a sigh and spoke.
Sola and Anthony, feeling their own guilt, kept their heads down and followed in his wake.
Munch, munch.
As Sedric headed toward the Merchant Guild, he caught a soft sound beside him and glanced down.
Turning his head slightly, he saw much the same scene playing out behind him.
All three of them were sneaking bites of their skewers, glancing nervously at him between mouthfuls.
‘Is she actually malnourished?’
Recalling the merchant’s words, Sedric frowned and looked at the Princess’s wrist.
As she brought the skewer to her lips, her exposed wrist was as thin as the skewer itself.
Was she even strong enough to walk?
He couldn’t make sense of the rumbling sound from her stomach.
Though it was past the usual mealtime, he had no way to gauge just how hungry she must be to produce such a sound.
“This way, if you please.”
Changing his intended direction, he had no choice but to alter his course.
* * *
“Wow.”
Ivanna quickly closed her mouth and gauged the Duke’s reaction.
It was a three-story building.
The doors bore a motif of flowers, stems, and leaves. Was this that fashionable style everyone was talking about?
The space within the pattern was filled with colored glass, allowing light to pass through.
“Let us enter.”
He merely glanced at it briefly, said nothing, and opened the door.
“Welcome! Duke, you’ve come!”
A staff member who recognized him immediately bowed deeply in greeting.
And so Ivanna found herself dining, quite by chance, at the most expensive Restaurant in the Capital.
“Fresh fish brought up from the Southern Region, prepared with… and here, a steak from a lamb that was only six months old.”
Light salads and soups came pouring out in succession, accompanied by lengthy descriptions.
Ivanna’s eyes widened as she systematically devoured each dish that arrived.
She felt the Duke watching, but this was still too lavish a place to enjoy freely on what she earned.
To think she could dine at such a famous Restaurant. She felt a twinge of envy at the Duke’s wealth.
Though she’d begun receiving her Dignity Maintenance Fee, she still lacked the courage to spend freely like this.
With flavors and refinement like these, she could see herself coming here every day if she had the means.
“So, how did you come to leave the Mansion?”
After they’d finished eating in silence, the Duke finally asked the question he’d been holding back.
It was ultimately a waste of time—the Princess’s wandering through the city was no concern of his.
Just as he was about to scold her for breaking their agreement, the sound from her stomach made him hesitate.
Her thinness was a sign that something was wrong.
So he would have to listen fairly to the Princess’s explanation for why she’d broken her promise to stay quietly at the Mansion.
“I… well….”
“Tell me the truth.”
At his cool voice, Ivanna—who had been fiddling with her water glass—opened her eyes wide.
It was true that she had disobeyed his orders and left without an escort, but the maidservants had been the ones who provoked the situation.
“There was a problem with the ingredients, so dinner will be running a bit late. My sincere apologies.”
At first, she had thought it was merely a simple mistake. The maidservant had shown no sign of distress in her apology, so Anthony went straight to find the head maid.
When the head maid initially apologized, saying she had been occupied with a thorough cleaning and the schedule had fallen behind, Ivanna had graciously nodded in understanding.
After that, she thought things would improve, but it seemed the pattern would repeat itself after all.
The maidservants falling busy with the cleaning, the disruption to meals—it was all the beginning of systematic neglect.
Ivanna had experienced such things before, so she didn’t take it seriously and answered calmly.
“The maidservants didn’t bring dinner properly. I was hungry, so I only meant to go out and buy something to eat.”
“Food, you say?”
Sedric folded his arms across his chest.
He was trying to determine whether she was telling the truth. Just a while ago, the steward had reported that the Princess was adapting well to the Mansion.
And there were records showing every detail of the meals and clothing provided for her.
If that were true, then either the Princess was lying, or the head maid’s report was false.
“I see. I’ll have it investigated and corrected immediately.”
Sedric simply thought the Princess was making an excuse because she wanted to go outside.
Since she had been confined in the Palace all along, perhaps she thought she could enjoy more freedom at the Duke’s House.
“I’ll arrange an escort for you quickly. Please refrain from sneaking out of the Mansion. Your safety is more important than anything else.”
“Yes, I understand.”
The Princess’s face as she answered was expressionless. She no longer looked anxious or restless as she had before.
“I’ll call for a knight to escort you back to the Mansion carefully.”
Though Sedric found this puzzling, he stood from his chair and issued the warning to the Princess.
With the matter of arranging an escort quickly settled in his mind, Sedric left the Restaurant, leaving Ivanna alone.
“He doesn’t believe a word I say.”
There had been no need to tell the truth after all. Ivanna exhaled softly.
When she spoke of not receiving proper meals, the look in his eyes had been suspicion.
It was as if he were asking whether she truly desired to leave the Mansion so badly, ignoring their Contract.
“Tch. I’m really starving. Should I let myself die of hunger?”
If her safety was truly his priority, shouldn’t he have grasped how things operated within the Mansion?
Ivanna’s nose wrinkled with indignation. Wounded pride and resentment kindled an unexpected resolve within her.
From now on, I’ll sneak out every day.
He might prefer her to stay quiet, but if safety was truly that important, she would venture into the city daily and enjoy a proper meal.
Having hardened her resolve, Ivanna eagerly finished the dessert brought out while awaiting the knight Sedric had sent.
* * *
“Where is the Merchant Guild Master?”
While Ivanna was steeling herself to sneak away from the Duke’s House, Sedric arrived at the Merchant Guild, his actual destination.
“In his office, sir.”
At the employee’s words, he headed straight up the stairs.
“Welcome.”
Sedric gestured for the Merchant Guild Master, who was rising from his seat, to remain seated, and received his greeting.
“Have you identified the merchant companies connected to smuggling?”
“Yes. It appears five or six establishments are involved.”
The Merchant Guild Master stood and handed over a list of the companies he had found.
Bartok, Greyfin, Drakmon, Kabel, Eldrun.
Dandelion?
Among these respectable names, one struck him as peculiar and shabby.
Wasn’t Dandelion the name of a wildflower?
It was rare for a merchant company to choose such an unpretentious name for the impression it created.
It seemed to be a front company designed to hide misappropriated funds.
Sedric frowned and asked the Merchant Guild Master.
“What does the Dandelion Merchant Company deal in?”
“The name does seem odd, doesn’t it?”
The Merchant Guild Master nodded, understanding his reaction perfectly.
“It’s a place that only recently began expanding. I tracked its cash flow just to be sure, but we haven’t found any substantial information yet.”
He reported his findings, noting that the company seemed somewhat unusual.
“Initially, they sold Purified Water to common folk. After that, they grew by selling Herb Tea and small ornaments, and lately they seem to have begun trading expensive Jewelry and Minerals.”
Sedric listened to the Merchant Guild Master’s report and carefully confirmed the items handled by the Dandelion Merchant Company.
Certainly, there was no evidence suggesting Money Laundering. Initial capital could have come from funds they already possessed, after all.
Purified Water.
He stroked his chin slowly.
The sharp increase in their recent transaction inventory still nagged at him.
‘I ought to look more closely into the Dandelion Merchant Company.’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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