To clarify my earlier statement, I explained briefly,
"The number of items and their prices doesn't match."
King Leontius raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"You saw that just at a glance?"
I nodded. "The subtotal doesn't add up. The total is far higher than it should be if you calculate the listed quantities and prices."
The king's expression shifted from surprise to something more serious. His hand came down on my shoulder—not as a gesture of praise, but more like a sudden realization hitting him.
"What do you mean by that, Alve?" he asked, his voice a mix of confusion and urgency.
"It looks like someone's trying really hard to pocket some extra coin," I replied calmly.
It could have been an honest mistake, but the inconsistency repeated for every single item on the list. That pattern was too deliberate to ignore.
Just as King Leontius opened his mouth to ask more, the door to the library swung open.
"Father... are you here?" a young voice called out. "Brother and I want to invite you for lunch."
We turned to see a girl, likely younger than me, standing beside a boy who looked about my age.
An awkward silence briefly settled in.
"Yes… I'll be there," the king finally replied with a smile.
He walked over to the two children and then turned to us.
"Join us, Miss Seraphina, Alve. I believe we have much to talk about."
---
### **Lunch with Royalty**
We followed him into a grand dining room where a large table was already set. As food was served, my stomach gave a soft grumble—reminding me that I hadn't eaten anything last night.
While traveling with Ramon and the others, I'd just eaten whatever they shared with me. This was probably going to be my first proper meal in a while.
As we sat down, the king began introducing his family.
"This is my son, Edward Armenia—he's 14, and my daughter, Maya Armenia—12. And this is my wife, Alice Armenia."
The queen gave a graceful nod, and both Edward and Maya smiled politely.
Then the king turned toward me again.
"And this is Alve Westberg—our guest. He recently assisted the Hero's party during their dungeon expedition."
Edward looked at me curiously, and Maya gave a tiny wave with a bright smile.
After a moment of eating, King Leontius returned to our earlier conversation.
"Say, Alve, have you dealt with things like that before?"
Ah… he was still thinking about the price sheet. He really wanted to understand my background.
"I used to help my father with his work now and then," I replied casually. "Maybe I just got used to spotting these kinds of things."
Intrigued, he leaned forward a bit.
"If you don't mind me asking—what does your father do?"
So, he really wants to validate everything… even my background.
I let out a small sigh. "He's an accountant."
King Leontius leaned back in his chair with a thoughtful nod, as if the final piece of a puzzle had just clicked into place.