The theater of lies..:The Cheater's Audit act
The Gilded Lily was packed with a crowd that felt strangely uniform, their faces blurred by the low light and the excitement of the "Longest Kiss" contest. On the surface, it was a carnival of romance; beneath the veneer, it was a sterile laboratory designed for a single dissection.
Selina Vane sat in the back row, her fingers dug into the arm of her lover—or the man she believed was her lover. Her heart hammered against her ribs, but not from affection.
"Twenty thousand gold coins," she hissed into his ear. "With that, we won't even need to wait for the final bank transfers. We can leave tonight."
The man beside her, a handsome merchant with sharp northern features, nodded smoothly. "Anything for you, my queen. Let us secure our future."
Stacian and Marielle moved through the aisles in their maid uniforms, carrying trays of silver-rimmed glasses. To any observer, they were mere staff, but their eyes were cold, scanning the room for the slightest deviation from the script. Stacian lingered near Selina, offering a flute of sparkling wine.
"A drink for the beautiful contestant?" Stacian asked, her voice a silk-wrapped blade.
"Finally, some service," Selina snapped, grabbing the glass. She took a deep gulp, failing to notice the way Stacian and Marielle exchanged a knowing glance.
As the "competition" began, the couples at the front were called up one by one. Selina felt a prickle at the back of her neck—a sensation of being watched by a thousand eyes hidden in the shadows. She shook it off, attributing it to nerves.
"Next," a waiter announced, his voice sounding oddly hollow, "the Duchess Selina Vane and her companion."
As they stepped onto the podium, the waiter didn't start a timer. Instead, he pulled out a scroll. His eyes were glazed, his mind a puppet on silver strings.
"Selina Vane," the waiter began, his voice amplified by mana. "A loyal patron of the Gilded Lily. For nine months, she has visited twice weekly. Her tab for secret dinners, expensive vintage wines, and 'discreet' rooms totals four thousand gold pieces—all charged to the Vane Estate's agricultural fund."
Selina froze, her lips inches from her partner's. "What... what are you doing? Start the contest!"
"I am merely auditing the history of the contestants," the waiter replied tonelessly.
Selina looked out at the audience, intending to scream for the manager, but the world began to warp. The "crowd" in the front seats started to flicker like a candle in a gale. The faces of the laughing couples dissolved into mist and silver mana.
The illusion collapsed.
When the dust settled, the front row was no longer filled with strangers. It was empty, save for one man sitting in a high-backed velvet chair.
Count Vane.
His face was a mask of shattered glass—utter disappointment mingled with a dawning, horrific realization. He looked at his wife, then at the man holding her, and finally at the floor.
"V-Vane?" Selina stammered, her face turning a ghostly white. She tried to step toward him, but a figure stepped between them.
Stacian stood there, no longer a maid, but a wall of cold authority.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Selina shrieked, her terror turning into defensive rage. "Who do you think you are?"
"The meaning is quite simple," a voice drawled from the shadows of the corner booth.
Leornars stepped into the light, a book in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. He didn't look angry; he looked bored, as if he were reading a particularly dull ledger.
"I simply figured out that you were a conniving little whore," Leornars said, taking a calm sip of tea. "One who tried to take what wasn't hers. And as an Auditor, I find that such imbalances... offensive."
Chapter 16: The Liquidated Assets (Part II)
Selina's shock lasted only a second before her predatory instincts took over. She began to scream, her voice echoing off the walls of the now-empty restaurant.
"You! You did this!" she pointed a trembling finger at Leornars. "You lured me here! You ruined my marriage! You've conspired against a Duchess of the realm!"
Leornars didn't even look up from his book. He turned a page slowly.
"Are you done?" he asked after a long moment of her ranting.
"I am far from done!" Selina cackled, a manic glint in her eyes. "Go ahead! Expose the affair! It doesn't matter. Under Dirrium law, even in a divorce for adultery, I am entitled to half of the marital assets. I'll take the southern vineyards, the manor, and half the gold. I still win, you little brat!"
Vane let out a choked sound of despair. He knew she was right. The ancient laws were rigid; he would be bankrupted, and his family name would be dragged through the mud while she lived in luxury with her lover.
Leornars finally closed his book and looked at her. "Nope."
"What do you mean, 'nope'?" she spat.
"You see, your affair partner..." Leornars began. He paused, glancing at Vane. "Zhyier."
A shadow flickered behind the Count. Zhyier appeared for a fraction of a second, touching the back of Vane's neck. A sleeping spell took hold instantly, and the Count slumped into his chair, spared from the rest of the conversation.
"Now that the 'audience' is asleep," Leornars continued, "your affair partner is currently on a ship halfway to the Northern Empire."
Selina snorted. "He's standing right next to me, you fool!"
Leornars and Stacian shared a dark smirk. Leornars snapped his fingers.
The man beside Selina—the "Merchant Prince"—shimmered. His skin turned to silver mist, his clothes dissolved into raw mana, and he vanished entirely. Selina grabbed at the air where his arm had been, her hands catching nothing but cold light.
"He isn't dead. Yet," Leornars said, leaning forward. "But I had him deported three days ago. I spent enough time with him to record his measurements, his voice, his hobbies, and his scent. Creating a perfect illusion for you to kiss was... elementary. You've been dating a ghost for seventy-two hours, Selina."
"You... you planned all of this?" she whispered, the weight of her situation finally sinking in.
"Naturally. I needed a bridge to unify the aristocracy of this nation with my own interests. You were that bridge. By saving Vane from you, I've ensured his soul belongs to me. I'm actually quite grateful for your greed. It made the math so much easier."
"I'll go to the Knights!" Selina screamed, backing away toward the door. "They won't stand for this! They'll arrest you for kidnapping and fraud!"
Leornars looked genuinely confused. He turned to Stacian. "The Knights? The ones you gave the Pollium enhancement to?"
"The very same, My Lord," Stacian replied. "They are currently loyal to the seal of the Grand Administrator. Which, effectively, is you."
Marielle, leaning against a pillar, began to laugh. "She's too stupid to understand she's already lost. She thinks there's a world left where her title means anything."
"Enough of this," Leornars said, his voice turning cold. "The audit is closed."
She continued screaming
" I envy everyone who hasn't met you yet" Leornars said calmly
One of Leornars's silent servants stepped forward, grabbing Selina by her hair. She shrieked as she was dragged across the floor, her heels scraping against the wood as she was hauled toward the back exit and into a waiting carriage destined for the dungeons.
The "trial" was a formality. The jury was composed of nobles who had already seen the "recordings" provided by Althelia. The judges were Leornars's own shadows dressed in robes, briefed to reject any plea she made.
"The court finds the defendant guilty of fraud, attempted robbery of a noble estate, and high adultery," the lead judge intoned. "As the defendant has no liquid assets to satisfy the judgment of two million gold coins to Count Vane..."
Selina sat in the docks, her hair matted, her fine dress torn. "I don't have that kind of money! You know I don't!"
Leornars, sitting in the gallery next to a recovered and somber Count Vane, checked his pocket watch.
"Then you shall pay in labor," the judge declared. "You are sentenced to the limestone quarries. You will earn three hundred gold coins a week. You will be released once the debt of two million is paid in full."
Selina's eyes widened. She began to do the math in her head—a calculation that would take her over a hundred years to complete.
"That's... that's a life sentence!" she screamed as the guards hauled her away.
"Actually," Leornars called out as she was dragged past him, "it's just a long-term investment. I've always said the kingdom needed more limestone."
He turned to Count Vane, who was looking at him with a mixture of terror and undying gratitude.
"Now, Count," Leornars said, standing up. "Let's talk about those southern borders. I believe we have a lot of work to do."