Ch#220
Pulker had long been the target of high society’s pity and ridicule due to Madam de Chatoru, but she had never been swept up in gossip as disgraceful as this.
Because of her position, she had always been careful with her conduct and manipulated public opinion. Aside from Chatoru, she was not one to be pushed around by others in terms of influence.
Her natal family, the Kiran Ducal House, was known as one of the two pillars leading the empire alongside the Duyenjel House, possessing immense power and wealth.
Founded by the brother of the first emperor, the house had produced the most empresses among all noble families in the empire through consanguineous marriages intended to preserve the purity of their bloodline. Consequently, even two generations ago, no one dared to offend the Kiran family.
Had the late Emperor not used the Empress as a shield to limit the Kiran family's movements, they would still be reigning as the supreme power of the aristocratic world, dictating politics at will.
The previous head of the Kiran family cherished his daughter, the Empress, dearly. She was his favorite among all his children, and when she was selected to be the Empress, he had struggled desperately, using every means possible to prevent it. He could not bear the thought of sending his precious daughter to a cold-blooded man like the Emperor.
However, the Emperor, knowing this all too well, used various methods to make Elethia Amellus Kiran his Pulker. He then enticed the girl, who had fallen in love with him at first sight, and used her as a tool to keep the Kiran family in check—until the elderly Duke Kiran died of a chronic illness.
The current Duke Kiran was said to be less capable than his father but possessed a fair amount of spirit. His devotion to Pulker mirrored that of the previous Duke; he strived to grant her every wish.
Thus, the Empress was able to reign as the most powerful figure in high society and maintain her dignity even without the Emperor’s protection. This remained true despite the constant friction caused by her half-brother from her stepmother, Count Kiran, who pricked at her nerves at every opportunity.
Therefore, the declaration she made this time was something she could only do because the Duke, who always took her side, stood as her reliable backer.
Most impiously, the Empress had appeared at the noble council hosted by the Crown Prince and flatly denied the scandalous rumors—that she was having an affair with the Grand Duke. She also denied poisoning the Emperor, instead pointing to someone else as the culprit.
"She appeared with full intent."
Lady Roshan sighed, biting her lip nervously. According to her, the Empress had boldly pointed her finger at the Crown Prince and presented two doctors, whose bodies were mangled from torture, as witnesses.
With the Grand Duke’s supporting fire added to the mix, the meeting hall instantly dissolved into chaos, divided between those defending the Crown Prince and those taking the Empress's side.
"It was an absolute shambles. His Highness was struck by a sudden blow and couldn't prepare any proper defense. No—even if there were a counterattack, we expected it from the Grand Duke. We thought Pulker would lie low until the rumors died down. It was a complete miscalculation."
Though Pulker and the Crown Prince had lived facing each other for over twenty years, their mutual interest was too lacking for them to claim they perfectly understood each other's temperaments.
While the Empress possessed enough maternal affection to want to save the Crown Prince's life, her hatred for the late Emperor made her indifferent to crucial matters. Meanwhile, the Crown Prince was a depraved man obsessed with power, heedless of blood ties. It was this combination that led to such a tragedy.
"Even her final words were quite perfect."
"What did she say?"
Lady Roshan opened her mouth with a bitter smile and spoke in a low voice.
"'How can I, as a mother, tolerate my son's subversion of morality?'"
She said everyone froze as if by magic at those words, poured out with such poignant emotion as if she were barely suppressing her grief. At the same time, they realized that the Empress would not remain still until the Crown Prince admitted to the crime of poisoning the Emperor.
So, was this why the Empress had been crouching in silence?
I let out a small sigh. All this time, the Crown Prince had been fully prepared for a surprise attack from the Grand Duke, as they had been meddling and keeping an eye on the Bischwaltz House.
But to launch a frontal counterattack like this? Does this mean they won't fight in the capital? Acting this way was tantamount to saying they wouldn't perform a raid. This was possible because, through this incident, she gave the Grand Duke a justification while simultaneously establishing a legitimate reason for her own participation in the rebellion.
What a complete mess.
I quietly asked as I poured tea into Lady Roshan’s cup.
"So, what has happened to public opinion in high society?"
Since she had caused such a massive scene at the council, it was only natural for high society to be in an uproar. I had been too busy monitoring Sir Sylphis through the Umbra to turn my attention that far. I was curious about Lady Roshan’s answer.
"As expected, they are divided into two sides, engaged in a war of words. But looking at how things are shifting, a major disaster is bound to happen."
"But there won't be a surprise attack, right? Now that the situation has progressed this far, if someone were attacked, it would be natural to suspect that side."
When I asked just in case, Lady Roshan shook her head with an ambiguous expression.
"Well, who knows? If they charge in the middle of the night under the pretext of capturing a parricide... if they excuse it by saying a raid is the most appropriate way to shed less blood, we'll have no choice but to see it that way."
"Can the testimony of two doctors be considered solid evidence? Are they truly the ones who examined His Majesty? His Highness wouldn't have left them alone."
"The Grand Duke is said to have added more evidence, but His Highness hasn't given me details, so I'm still gathering information. Putting aside the fact that the doctors' testimony played a huge role..."
She shrugged as she spoke, adding how one could even recognize people whose faces were completely destroyed by torture.
They couldn't even speak properly and expressed their intent by nodding or shaking their heads, yet it was simply astonishing that the Empress was pushing the Crown Prince with just that. These were not people who would conduct business so clumsily.
"Even if they aren't the doctors who were there at His Majesty's end, the fact that Pulker herself stepped forward to speak carries weight. It's because of the sentiment: 'What parent would strangle their own child?'"
Well, isn't that a common occurrence in the world of nobility? Selling children for better titles, killing parents and siblings for power. It would be even more so in a blood-stained Imperial Family.
It was merely laughable to see them acting innocent as if it weren't so. Where did they think I learned all this?
"Anyway, now that a plausible justification has been given, all that remains is war."
"What about the funeral?"
"Now that it's known His Majesty was poisoned, how can they proceed with the funeral immediately? The coffin won't be buried until this matter is settled."
Because of that, it was said that every night, the personal maids diligently applied specially prepared potions to the Emperor's corpse multiple times. It was to preserve the body intact until the matter was concluded.
Furthermore, dozens of blocks of ice brought personally from the underground cellar were placed to manage the body and prevent it from rotting.
While the foreign mourners had already departed with many gifts and words of understanding, the Emperor's body remained. Even though doing all this wouldn't truly stop the decay.
Since the cause of the Emperor's death was revealed as poisoning, both the Crown Prince and the Empress were momentarily shrinking back, watching each other. This was because the person who suggested burying the body could be accused of being the culprit.
However, the Empress broke the silence first—and she did so by targeting the Crown Prince. This was no different from saying her preparations for rebellion were nearly complete.
"It seems Pulker found out that the source of the disgraceful rumors was the Crown Prince's side?"
"She wanted to do this eventually, but His Highness struck first."
Thanks to that, the Grand Duke is still the only one benefiting.
I shook my head and said, "It's not easy." Then, I shifted the topic to discuss Roena.
"Lady Roena has returned. She is under my care. However, Sir Sylphis has not returned. It seems he has joined hands with the kidnapper."
"Did you find out who the culprit is?"
"The Grand Duke. The real Grand Duke."
At my answer, Lady Roshan’s eyes sparkled. She asked if I could prove it, and I shook my head. It was because I didn't think Lady Roena would testify about it.
"It's because she is completely enchanted by the Grand Duke's words. That's likely why she left Sir Sylphis behind. No, even if she did testify, I can hardly trust her. The trust she offers is as thin as thin ice."
"That is truly unfortunate. So, is Lady Roena at the mansion now?"
"No. She is temporarily hiding in a place the Grand Duke doesn't know."
"Why? The Bischwaltz House has Sir Halberd."
"It's quite embarrassing, but it's because I cannot trust the butler."
At that, Lady Roshan sighed in sympathy. Leaving out the fact that he had sent a letter to Roena’s maternal family asking for help, I simply explained that his loyalty to my late father was so strong that he was likely to take the wrong actions.
"So, I need someone useful. A man who is tight-lipped and good at his job. It would be even better if he's familiar with managing a noble estate. Oh, of course, on the premise that he only works for a very short time."
Given that Lady Roshan managed information across high society as much as her own family, she was practically an expert in such matters. Above all, considering the favor she showed me, she could easily send a 'scarecrow' my way.
Then, I would put him at the forefront, pick one of the people Marie recommended to handle the general details, and then have Sheryl take charge of the rest. That way, there would be no room for the plan to creak when executed.
Realizing the meaning of my words, Lady Roshan smiled broadly for the first time. She spoke as if it were a trivial matter.
"A suitable man will visit the mansion tomorrow morning."
"Thank you."
"So, what do you plan to do with Lady Roena? Should I spread rumors in high society?"
"There are still things I need to look into. So, please do not tell His Highness about finding her yet."
Unlike my promise to change the bedding soon, Roena was becoming very restless since I hadn't appeared for several days. Thus, every time Mlang brought in her meals, she asked with a desperate expression when I would visit.
Each time, I told Mlang to reply that there were suspicious people looking for Roena, and that I didn't have enough hours in the day because I was busy investigating them. As always, she needed to realize, even if just a little, that others were struggling because of her. Though truthfully, she wasn't the sole reason I was busy.
"I will do that. I hope it proves helpful to us."
Lady Roshan’s hand finally lifted her teacup. She drank despite the tea being completely cold, as if her chest felt very stifled. I also sipped my tea and murmured as if whispering.
"I feel the same way."
And toward the late afternoon, news arrived that one of the priests who had treated the Emperor had been poisoned. The symptoms were identical to those appearing on the Emperor's corpse, so it wasn't a stretch for rumors to spread that either the Empress or the Crown Prince was killing people to silence them regarding the poisoning.
The Crown Prince simply nodded at the news as if it were nothing. He laughed nonchalantly, asking if such stories were being told.
There was no sign of anxiety on his face regarding the deepening suspicion toward him. He was as calm as if he had heard about killing a mere bug. Beside him stood Sir Aires, his brow furrowed.
"A full-scale war is exactly what I want."
My eyes widened at the mention of a full-scale war. If they were at the point of an all-out war, did it mean they had gained a certain amount of justification and power?
"We’ve gained a reliable ally this time, too. Lady Bischwaltz."
Suddenly, the Crown Prince called for me. I fixed my gaze on him and answered in a quiet voice.
"You called, Your Highness."
"Have you still not found Lady Roena?"
Why was he suddenly asking that? No, should I say I found her? Catching Lady Roshan’s eye, I saw her sitting with a composed expression, acting as if she knew nothing.
It seemed she had followed my previous request and hadn't told the Crown Prince about finding Roena yet. That meant it was up to my choice... Instead of answering the question, I asked back cautiously.
"For what reason do you ask?"
"Ah, someone is curious about her."
At that moment, there was a knock on the door. It was the announcement that Count Kiran requested an audience.
Count Kiran? Kiran is the Empress's family. That man known as her half-brother.
Unlike me, who was internally surprised by the unexpected visit, the Crown Prince looked at me with a calm face and spoke.
"Count Kiran has a great interest in Lady Roena. In a good way. He needs a 'spring,' you see. Well, he has left the seat beside him empty for too long."
For a moment, I suppressed a surge of nausea. I felt I knew what that 'interest' the Crown Prince mentioned meant.
Count Kiran was a middle-aged man nearing forty, with four children from his deceased wife. Furthermore, he was famous for having several mistresses in high society.
Above all, unlike the current Duke, he was highly ambitious and more active in politics than anyone, wielding influence throughout high society. Thus, some lamented his talent, as he could not rise to the position of family head simply because he was a second son and a half-sibling.
Therefore, it wasn't that I didn't understand why he would come to speak with the Crown Prince. However, if one of the reasons he decided to take the Crown Prince's side was Roena, I couldn't help but be deeply disappointed.
The Crown Prince watched my face turn pale and stiff as if mocking me, then slowly spoke toward the outside.
"Let him in."
The door opened, and a man who looked irritable with thin eyes walked in. He immediately greeted the Crown Prince, his face full of confidence and his attitude quite bold. It was as if he knew he would be of great help to the Crown Prince.
