"Tap, tap, tap..."
The sound of high heels echoed in a composed, unhurried rhythm on the marble floor.
Laira Piqueley wore her usual expression, a blend of seriousness with a hint of approachability, nodding to colleagues she passed by.
As she turned the corner, she casually glanced at the railing, noticing a piece of fabric quickly disappearing behind the filing cabinet.
—Was someone watching her?
Laira's heart skipped a beat, as if someone had lightly stepped on it.
She calmly opened the door and entered her office, where sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting alternating bands of light and shadow on the floor.
Laira closed the door, naturally removed her coat and hung it up, letting her gaze sweep over her desk—which was neatly stacked with papers, a quill inserted slantwise into an inkpot, everything as it usually was.
She sat down in her chair, surveyed the room, and her heart began to pound again.
The books on the shelf appeared disordered, neither arranged by category nor by size or color, but in Laira's mind, she had a system of sorting that only she knew best.
In the past, those books were orderly and distinct. But at present, a few books were out of place.
Upon closer inspection, changes seemed to be everywhere—
The handle on her coffee cup wasn't at the angle she preferred;
The fireplace's log holder had also subtly shifted position, with even a trace of ash stuck to the grate;
Not to mention the potted green plant by the window, Laira was accustomed to having one heart-shaped leaf face her. Yet now, that leaf had rotated about ninety degrees.
After sitting silently for a moment, Laira picked up a file and began reviewing it.
She acted as if she had noticed nothing, skillfully handling reports sent from various departments—
Placing the ones needing review by the Congress President separately and archiving others accordingly.
As for the documents with issues, she tapped them with her Magic Wand on a nearby sticky note. In an instant, the palm-sized paper transformed into a paper airplane, whistling as it flew away.
An hour passed by in a flash, and the stack of files in front of Laira had been completely moved to the processed section at the corner of the desk. She slowly straightened her slightly stiff back and displayed a relaxed smile.
Then, Laira stood up and lightly waved her Magic Wand:
Some documents flew into the cabinet.
Some were inserted into their respective folders.
Others were tossed into the trash bin.
Paper sheets floated everywhere in the air, the rustling of folders and the clattering of cabinet doors opening and closing, occasionally mixed with the trash bin ejecting paper balls.
In an instant, the entire room seemed to come alive.
Among the fluttering papers, some sheets extracted from the folders became entirely inconspicuous.
The seemingly ordinary reports had dense texts on their fronts, while the backs, originally blank, subtly revealed gray writing under the influence of Magic Power.
Yet, those blurred letters only shimmered slightly before shattering and disappearing completely.
Not until all the papers returned to where they belonged did Laira's tightly wound nerves truly relax, a blend of fatigue and relief washing over her.
Laira was well aware that anyone who could enter her office at the Congress Headquarters to search must have had Chairman Hosone's permission.
In other words, she was being suspected.
But she had worked late into the night and was one of the earliest in the office this morning, so the other party couldn't have had ample time to search thoroughly.
The magic Laira applied to the paper was very subtle and intricate, akin to using an automatic quill.
Moreover, she wrote in an encrypted way, so even if someone managed to reveal the text, they would only see the sharp critiques of an elegant and composed assistant toward everyone around her.
Confidently, Laira believed that one night was certainly insufficient for the searcher to meticulously uncover her hidden secrets.
Considering there might be hidden surveillance she hadn't yet discovered in the office, Laira didn't utter a word more or check if the hidden files had been tampered with. Instead, she swiftly destroyed all the secret codes on top.
But that wasn't enough.
Laira picked up the files that needed to be delivered to Chairman Hosone, adjusted her breath, put on her usual smile, and walked to the President's office.
In front of Hosone was also a towering stack of files, a multitude of letters, and various invitations. He was wearing glasses, carefully examining a report in his hand.
Laira gently placed the documents on the desk, her movements proficient and natural.
Hosone glanced up and noticed the key points marked with colorful sticky notes on the files, and couldn't help but smile:
"Thank you, Laira, you always help lighten my load quite a bit."
"It's my honor, sir," Laira replied, but instead of leaving immediately, she hesitated for a moment.
Hosone asked, "Is there anything else, Laira?"
Laira slightly frowned, with just the right amount of hesitation and worry on her face, as if after a difficult inner struggle, she finally spoke:
"It's like this, Mr. Hosone... Recently, while sorting trade documents, I discovered that Alderich Kubit's financial transactions seem... a bit unusual."
"Perhaps I'm overthinking... But it's been noticed that Mr. Kubit frequently visits Gringotts to exchange gold for Galleons, and the amounts are substantial."
"So I wonder, could he have some undisclosed connection with certain Muggles? Or is he embezzling, using Magic to profit in Muggle Society..."
She paused, saying with a bit of unease: "I'm not here to spy or question my colleagues, Mr. Chairman. Perhaps it's just me being overly sensitive."
"But I just felt... I felt any anomaly shouldn't be ignored, and if I find a suspicion, I should let you know..."
A thought of his own list of suspects flashed through Hosone's mind. He lifted his eyes, giving Laira a deep look, filled with scrutiny, but mostly with appreciation.
"You've done well, Laira," Hosone said in a calm tone, "I'll have Hughes verify this matter."
—So it was Ezra Hughes after all!
Laira discreetly clenched her palm, then smiled in relief, "I'm glad you don't think I'm meddling."
Hosone removed his glasses, rubbed his eyebrows, and allowed himself a rare moment to show some real emotions.
He sighed, "No other country's Magic World is as complex as ours. Now the Congress is in turmoil, with many who just occupy positions without contributing."
"If everyone were as diligent, vigilant, and considerate of the greater good as you are, it would be wonderful."