To meet the expectations of the Emperor who appointed him as the Tax Inspector, Ian was contemplating two things.
One was to create a system where real-time status could be monitored, something that would be irresistible to the final decision-maker.
The other was to eliminate the subordinates of Duke Blake planted within the Tax Office.
‘I need to visit the field first.’
The field often provided magical answers.
As Ian was preparing for a surprise visit to the Tax Office, Tom approached with a letter.
“Your Highness, a letter has arrived for you.”
“Who sent it?”
Tom shook his head at Ian’s natural question.
“You received a similar letter in the past, Your Highness. But you never told me who the sender was.”
“Then who handed this letter to you?”
“A servant in charge of daily necessities delivered it.”
The servant responsible for daily necessities likely had connections to the person who sent the letter.
Ian realized that the letter came regularly.
The peculiar thing was the rose seal on the letter.
“Did the previous letter also have this rose seal?”
“Yes, Your Highness, the previous letter had the same rose seal.”
‘A rose seal… I don’t recall anything specific.’
“Bring the Detector.”
Thinking there might be some strange magic, Ian used the Detector to examine the letter’s contents. There was nothing suspicious, only paper inside.
Confirming this, Ian opened the envelope and read the letter inside.
[To Brother Ian,
I wonder if you used the scented candles I sent last time well. I’ve obtained even more exquisite scented candles this time. If it’s alright with you, I’ll wait for you at the ‘Rose Inn’ tomorrow night, as usual. I’ll prepare various things for you to enjoy along with the scented candles. I always strive to avoid disappointing you.
From A]
After reading the letter, Ian was quite taken aback. The letter contained information not present in the original work.
Someone calling him “brother,” scented candles, and the Rose Inn were all unfamiliar.
Ian decided to ask Tom about the letter’s content, despite knowing he might not get all the answers. Some information was better than none.
“Tom, have I received scented candles from outside before?”
At the mention of scented candles, Tom looked troubled.
Seeing Tom hesitating, Ian spoke firmly.
“Answer first.”
Seemingly used to hearing this phrase, Tom answered.
“Your Highness, you have occasionally brought scented candles from outside, but none are left now. However, after using them, you remained in a dazed state until the next morning, unresponsive even when I called.”
From Tom’s explanation, Ian quickly deduced the purpose of the ‘scented candles.’
They were likely drugs similar to opium or heroin. Drugs had always been the easiest way to control someone.
‘Alcohol, women, and even drugs…’
Thinking about the misdeeds of the original Ian, Ian shook his head. Although Kyle might have executed Ian for being a ‘delinquent,’ it was more likely the drugs that led to his downfall.
“Do you know about the Rose Inn?”
“Rose Inn…”
After pondering for a moment, Tom remembered something and spoke.
“I believe there is a place called Rose Inn near the capital’s red-light district. To confirm if it’s the same inn as in the letter, we might need to check if they use the same seal. But as far as I know, there’s only one Rose Inn.”
Ian pondered Tom’s words. The appointment mentioned in the letter was for ‘tomorrow night.’
Although he felt uneasy about going to an unfamiliar place, the suspicious nature of the letter piqued his curiosity. It seemed like a good opportunity to counter the noble faction.
‘Well, I’ve already received a reliable insurance from the Emperor, so my personal safety should be less of a concern.’
Deciding to meet ‘A’ the next night, Ian casually asked Tom.
“Tom, I need to leave the palace tomorrow night.”
“What?”
Tom, thinking he had misheard, asked Ian to repeat himself.
“I said, I need to leave the palace tomorrow night.”
“Your Highness, it’s dangerous to leave the palace alone at night. Please reconsider.”
“Who said I’d go alone?”
“With whom will you go?”
At Tom’s question, Ian looked around slowly, and a shadow in the darkness flinched momentarily.
“Don’t worry, Tom. Do you think I’d move without a plan?”
Although Tom had come to trust the changed Ian recently, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Ian, who used to live recklessly without any plans, was now getting involved in even more dangerous matters.
Turning his gaze away from Tom, Ian spoke.
“Tom, haven’t I mentioned going out before?”
After thinking for a while, Tom nodded.
“And you must have helped me go out back then too, right?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Tom felt a mix of satisfaction with his job, seeing his master getting smarter, and unease as Ian seemed to get into more dangerous situations recently.
“Then help me get out tomorrow night too.”
Seeing Ian’s sincere smile, Tom had no choice but to nod. What could a servant do against the orders of a prince?
***
After finishing the preliminary investigation with Tom about the Rose Inn, Ian headed to the Tax Office.
The Tax Office, the place managing the Empire’s taxes.
A place where a lot of money moved, and consequently, many flies were likely to be swarming around.
In the Strategy Planning Team, the most frequent subject of inter-departmental wars was always the ‘budget.’
And where there was a large budget, there were always issues with ‘corporate card usage.’
Meanwhile, the Tax Office was in chaos due to the sudden visit from the Third Prince. Sweating profusely, Viscount Steel, who was in charge of the Tax Office, greeted Ian.
“Your Highness, what brings you to the Tax Office without any prior notice?”
“Isn’t the role of an inspector to arrive unannounced?”
Hearing an answer so different from what he expected, Steel’s back grew damp with sweat.
Inspections were usually a rigged game. The departments and the inspection teams would coordinate to minimize losses for both sides.
Seeing Ian continually blocking his way, Steel introduced himself nervously.
“Y-Your Highness, I apologize for the late introduction. I am Viscount Steel, overseeing the Tax Office’s operations.”
“Viscount Steel.”
While one shouldn’t judge a person by their name, Steel already seemed suspicious.
To identify the source of the stench, Ian needed to get closer to the person.
With a smile, Ian spoke to Steel.
“I thought you were just a regular employee, but you’re the Tax Director. That means you can grant my requests.”
“What requests do you mean?”
“I’d like to see all the tax records for the capital for this quarter.”
Steel, thinking Ian was clueless about the operations of the Tax Office, spoke calmly.
“Your Highness, can you tell me why you want to see the tax records for this quarter? The volume of these documents is enormous, and I’m worried it might be a waste of your time.”
“A waste of time… Isn’t inspection about thoroughly reviewing such documents?”
Steel, seeing Ian’s determination to work rigidly, spoke with a subtle, snake-like tone.
“If you tell me what you specifically want to see, I’ll do my best to assist you. I’m worried about wasting the valuable time of the Empire’s little sun.”
Hearing Steel’s words, Ian’s smile vanished, and he spoke in a lowered voice.
“You have a long tongue, Viscount. Don’t you know why I’m here?”
“What do you mean, Your Highness?”
“I’m here to conduct a genuine inspection, not to negotiate with you.”
Seeing Ian’s red eyes, Steel realized he might have made a mistake. Despite boasting in front of Duke Blake and Earl Liam, facing Ian directly made a sense of foreboding creep into his chest.
“Viscount, if you remain idle, I might have to review all periods’ records, not just this quarter.”
Hearing Ian’s subtle warning, Steel answered in a disciplined manner.
“No, Your Highness! Leave it to me.”
With a loud voice, Steel ordered the Tax Office staff to bring the tax records for the quarter.
“Viscount Steel, stay by my side.”
Steel’s heart sank at Ian’s meticulousness, preventing him from issuing further orders.
‘Could the rumor about the Third Prince changing be true?’
Sweating profusely, Steel’s back was drenched. His sweat-soaked shirt was dripping onto the floor due to his tension.
“And I’ll be conducting one-on-one interviews with the Tax Office staff. If you do anything unnecessary and the inspection results are compromised, you will bear all the responsibility.”
Steel could only nod at Ian’s warning. Who would dare think of Ian as the ’15-year-old delinquent prince’ seeing his strict demeanor?
Seeing Steel’s disciplined stance, Ian threw him a bait to uncover the stench.
“Viscount Steel, you seem very nervous. Is something bothering you?”
“No, Your Highness. It’s just that it’s my first time conversing with you, so I’m a bit nervous.”
“Shouldn’t the person managing the Empire’s taxes have a stronger constitution?”
“Tax work naturally involves a lot of tension, doesn’t it?”
“That’s true. Maybe you’re the perfect person for the job.”
Feeling a bit relieved by Ian’s sudden praise, Steel eased up.
Then Ian’s following words made Steel feel even more at ease.
“Now that no one else is here, can you tell me? Didn’t you prepare something special?”
Seeing Ian confidently extending his hand, Steel was convinced.
‘The Third Prince is indeed a delinquent.’
Cliche Novel 