CH 129

Duke Croft glanced at Jeremy as he stood before him. Platinum hair and amber eyes. And a pretty face.

The Duke knew at first glance that he and Ellie were certainly not enemies.

And Croft also knew that it was Jeremy who delivered that ledger.

Looking at Jeremy’s polite posture, Duke Croft spoke up.

“Glad to see you, Duke Drua.”

The nobles watched the exchange of greetings.

The whole world has already learned that the former Duke Drua tried to kill the Empress and her son.

And in such a situation, everyone with bated breath yearned to see the battle of Croft with the new Duke Drua.

However, Jeremy spoiled all expectations and approached Croft with courtesies.

While the nobles sighed with regret, none other than the culprit of the whole event stepped into the hall.

He first appeared before the public since the moment he was accused of conspiracy with the dead Duke Drua.

Several nobles, looking at Marquis Sios, expressed their displeasure without hesitation.

It all started with the ledger from the Drua House, and now a lot of heinous rumors laid siege to the Sios House.

The Marquis only laughed at the behavior of the aristocrats.

After carefully examining the faces of the nobles who were pointing fingers at him and spitting bile, he proceeded to his seat.

But then he met Jeremy’s gaze.

He knew perfectly well that it was Jeremy who had brought the book of his dead father.

The fire of hostility flared up in the eyes of the Marquis.

Jeremy didn’t shy away, however.

Seeing the steadfastness of his opponent, and even a mockery on his lips, it seemed that the very insides of Marquis Sios turned over, and anger hit him in the head.

A mutant, a disgrace to the Drua family, and he dares to mock me?!

I’m tempted to rip out those amber eyes that are now looking down and cut his throat right away, but this was a meeting room.

Taking a deep breath, the Marquis calmed his anger and stood in his place. All he could do was ignore Jeremy grimly.

Thus, every metropolitan nobleman had already gathered in the hall, and soon the herald’s exclamation was heard.

“His Majesty is coming!”

The Emperor entered the hall and all the nobles rose from their seats.

“Hail His Majesty the Emperor, Empire Sun.”

Raymond quickly passed the long red carpet, climbed onto the platform, looked around the crowd and said:

“Everyone, sit down.”

Raymond sat on a throne made of gold.

And looked around again.

This time his gaze lingered on the platinum hair among the crowd.

Jeremy Drua.

It was with his submission that the current meeting took place.

But whenever Jeremy loomed in front of his nose, Raymond couldn’t bear the feeling of dejection.

While he studied Jeremy’s face with an angry look, the latter suddenly answered him in kind.

The voice of the Emperor was heard in the hall:

“We met ahead of the appointed date, and there were a lot of reasons for that.”

Raymond sighed quickly and opened his lips again.

“Today I’m putting an end to the case of Freud Drua’s assassination attempt on the royal family.”

His deep voice rang out solemnly in the hall.

Raymond paused, waiting for the nobility’s reaction.

One of the nobles raised his head.

“Your Majesty, does this mean you are closing the case?”

Raymond looked at the speaker, Earl Smollet.

“This is how it is.”

“But, excuse me, Your Majesty. It made a splash. Closing ahead of time is wrong.”

Count Smollett spoke and glanced at Marquis Sios.

And then the nobles rushed with each other:

“I agree with Count Smollett’s opinion, sire.”

“The Count is talking right! We need to dig deeper!”

The vilification of Sios was music to Raymond’s ears.

So he drew attention to the Marquis.

The wrinkled forehead of the latter spoke of his extreme inconvenience.

Raymond, satisfied with this sight, calmly said:

“I’m perfectly aware of what they say in the Empire about this case. Thanks to the culprit’s ledger, rumors are spreading about his connection with Marquis Sios.”

Despite the seriousness of the case, Raymond spoke in a relaxed tone.

As if he doesn’t even care how it ends.

Raymond continued just before Marquis Sios was about to declare his innocence.

“But I don’t think Marquis Sios has anything to do with the culprit. An assassination attempt on the ruler’s family is a serious crime, punishable by the destruction of the perpetrator’s family up to three generations. However, he, the prime minister of our country and the grandfather of the first prince, couldn’t direct his sword towards the imperial family.”

Raymond looked at Marquis Sios with a sarcastic smile.

Even if his lies were part of a plan in order to provoke the nobility to take drastic measures, even if it was feigned to protect Marquis Sios, it was unbearably disgusting.

Marquis Sios, flushed as if from righteous anger, spoke:

“It is exactly so, Your Majesty. I had no part in that assassination attempt. And in general, what evidence is there that I’m connected here?”

“There is a book where it says that the culprit received mountains of gold from you!”

Someone shouted against Sios’ words.

However, Marquis Sios continued to address the Emperor as if he hadn’t heard shouts from the outside.

“How dare I do such a terrible thing? Your Majesty, everyone who is my enemy slanders me!”

Marquis Sios bowed his head with a look of horror on his face.

When Raymond was about to laugh at this circus, Marquis Paren called him with a gloom in his voice.

“Sire.”

“Speak, Marquis Paren.”

“I don’t presume to assert anything in such a delicate situation. But even if there is no clear evidence, it seems that suspicion is now inevitable. After all, the news about the ledger has already gone public.”

Raymond tapped his fingertips on the gold armrest, as if contemplating what he had heard.

“So, and…?”

“It would be a wise move to reopen the investigation, if only to dispel the suspicions of the nobility and prove the innocence of Marquis Sios.”

At the moment when Marquis Paren laid out the contrived Emperor, Marquis Sios shouted loudly:

“What are you talking about, Marquis Paren?! Re-investigation for you?! I have no connection with this. Why investigate me?!”

“If you didn’t break the law, then you will have nothing to hide, right? The results of the investigation will be transparent, and those who slandered you will bite their tongues. If you still value your honor, I don’t think there is any reason why you should not be investigated.”

Marquis Paren looked at Marquis Sios with a hint in his eyes.

Marquis Sios received a heavy blow, but still shouted back:

“The investigation will be an insult to me! I’ve never been to this…”

“Stop, Marquis Sios,” Raymond ordered in a cold voice.

“But, of course, Your Majesty…”

“The words of Marquis Paren make sense. If you are truly innocent, what reasons can you have to deny?”

“Your Majesty, I…”

“Marquis Sios, I believe you… However, if we close the case as it is now, your honor will be in question.”

Marquis Paren put forward a reasonable proposal, as if without a second thought. But now the eyes of all the nobility were more full of suspicion than ever.

And without that, a lot of nobles have accumulated who turned their backs on Sios.

But now this…

Marquis Sios bit his lip.

Raymond looked at him and opened his red lips.

“I believe I’m obliged to keep your honor on the brink of the abyss, Prime Minister of my Empire and grandfather of the first prince… Marquis Sios. Or do you disagree?”

Silence fell on the assembly hall.

Although the answer was a foregone conclusion.

The Marquis bowed and said:

“I agree, Your Majesty.”

* * *

It was the midday sun.

There wasn’t much room in the moon palace, so Carlisle’s etiquette lessons were held in the guest rooms.

Carlisle’s teacher was unknown.

The most prominent tutor of the capital could have been invited, but this had a big drawback.

He lived in full view, and he has a wide circle of acquaintances.

Gossip about my son would wander here and there.

Therefore, I asked my father to invite a teacher from the provinces, away from the capital.

“Contrary to fears, she sounds like a good person.”

Helen glanced at Baroness Bastein, who was now teaching Carlisle, and whispered softly.

“Yes. We have nothing to worry about.”

However, I was a little worried that she had no experience in teaching children. But, seeing her successes with Carlisle, I thought that I could forget my worries.

“Your Majesty, Duke Croft has arrived.”

“Take him to the living room.”

I carefully closed the door and left.

* * *

“Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress.”

“Get up, father.”

Helen closed the living room door on the back.

I immediately asked my father:

“And what is the solution to the problem with Sios?”