Silei did not answer immediately. A wildly absurd, yet almost catastrophic, speculation flashed through her mind...
When would money become completely meaningless?
If it was merely that one could not buy the thing one desperately wanted, or that its holder did not have long to live, then that sorrow or despair might lead to extravagance—but it would not spur anyone to eagerly come here to trade. What was more, District 12 had already reached a troubled juncture. Forces from every side converged here, as though everything stood on the eve of upheaval—
This instinctive conclusion made even Silei shudder, but she still could not offer any concrete reasoning.
"Officer?" Hesta called again.
Silei frowned slightly, but swallowed that far-fetched thought and rephrased her words. "...I mean, she might just be an agent, not someone directly responsible for those assets... You mentioned before that Arevalo also had dealings with Madam Bronbo regarding property."
Hesta gave a small shrug—Madam Bronbo being an agent was not a strange speculation at all.
"But that makes things easier," Hesta said. "Since Madam Bronbo does not want us digging into House Schiller any further, that means something truly worth investigating is hidden there."
Silei folded her arms. "If bringing Elu back really was Chiba's idea, aren't you going against her? Are you sure you want to do this?"
"If Miss Chiba truly needs me to stop, she will come see me herself," Hesta said with a smile. "When it comes to things that truly matter, she always speaks to me face-to-face."
That day, the entire palace was unusually quiet.
Perhaps yesterday had simply been too noisy, making today's silence seem especially unusual by comparison.
From morning reading, to breakfast, to the morning reading and writing class, to lunch, and then afternoon snack time, Kiki remained