62 - The Crown I Will Take From You
Chapter 62
"You underestimate me too much."”
However, Princess glanced down at the floor and snorted before leaving.
Etienne was flustered.
“Your Highness, Your Highness! Please listen to me! Please, come back!”
He belatedly grabbed the bars and shouted, but only echoes remained in the cold prison.
\ \ \
On the way out of the prison where Etienne was confined, Saya, who had accompanied Medeia, tilted her head.
“Your Highness, why didn’t you take that certificate? There are rumors that the Minister has scraped together all the valuables in the palace. With that money, even the Duke Claudio wouldn’t be scary… Why….”
Saya, with an incomprehensible expression, stopped walking again.
“Shall I go and get it now?”
“There’s no need. It’s a trap.”
“Pardon?”
Medeia kindly explained to the wide-eyed girl.
“Now that the Minister has been arrested, everyone who knows him will be frantically searching for his hidden slush fund. But if I take that out and use it, it’s like shouting to everyone to target me. Above all, Uncle will be the first to come.”
“So, giving away all his fortune is….”
“He must think that he can take it back from me at any time if he can only be reinstated.”
“Oh my.”
Saya gaped.
“Isn’t he crazy? He’s crying and begging Your Highness to save him, but at the same time, he’s releasing poison?”
“Etienne is a cunning man. Even in this situation, he’s trying to ensnare me as well. It seems he’s comfortable in prison, so let him enjoy it more.”
“Of course. I must tell my friends about it.”
Saya nodded solemnly.
\ \ \
Duke Claudio.
The Regent Duke stared down at the stiff certificate. It was a guarantee certifying the funds for thirty Chests filled with gold coins.
He had been running around the capital until his feet were blistered, finally reaching the amount Medeia had demanded.
In the middle, he took the Chests and visited Medeia, but was refused receipt and had to return.
“Uncle, what are you doing bringing this as it is? Are you trying to let the whole world know that I took a bribe and released the Minister? How can someone as knowledgeable as you act so foolishly?”
The contemptuous gaze she sent was a bonus.
‘If I had taken the cart carrying the Chests outside, I could have at least created a rumor that Medeia was extravagant.’
The Regent Duke, whose intentions had been pointed out, had no choice but to nod.
“That girl told me to exchange the gold coins for bearer certificates from a money changer.”
Money changers were those who exchanged the various currencies circulating in trade.
Among them, those who operated in the shadows mainly engaged in smuggling trade, so they were skilled in managing those funds secretly.
Bearer certificates were mainly traded on the black market.
“Ha! How does a girl who’s only been in the palace know so much about that?”
Catherine frowned and replied.
“She must have overheard it somewhere. Would a girl who openly asks for bribes not know this?”
The Regent Duke snorted.
“Anyway, I exchanged it for a certificate as you ordered, so Medeia won’t be able to find fault anymore. Wife, let’s go to the Royal Palace.”
Catherine was also joining him today.
“Medeia, if that thing tries to take my mind away with her silver tongue again, you step in.”
The Regent Duke, who had been swept away by Medeia twice and returned empty-handed, did not want to repeat the same mistake.
“Of course, dear. I will guide that child well so that Medeia will definitely sign the petition for the Minister.”
The Regent Duke and his wife had finished all preparations. They had no intention of backing down this time.
With a strong ambition to somehow coax and persuade Medeia to put her Seal on the document to release Minister Etienne, they boarded the carriage.
Royal Palace.
“Your Highness. Duke Claudio and his wife have arrived.”
Before the Maid could finish speaking, the Duke and his wife strode inside.
Immersed in the thought of not being swayed by Medeia, they did not notice the unusual atmosphere of the Royal Palace.
Nor the more solemn and disciplined attitude of the servants than usual.
“Medeia!”
“Uncle. Ah, Aunt has also come.”
“I really need you now. I can’t bear to watch the poor Minister any longer.”
With his chest proudly puffed out, the Duke took out a golden certificate from his pocket and placed it down.
“Seven thousand gold coins. The Minister and his retainers have given up all their assets. It’s an absurd amount, but you don’t know how hard this uncle worked to raise this money for you, Medeia.”
He gave a long speech about how hard he had worked to raise this money.
Medeia, who had checked the certificate, looked surprised.
“Uncle, are you really going to give this to me?”
“Yes, it’s yours now. What can’t we do for you? Take it quickly.”
The Regent Duke’s fingertips trembled slightly as he handed over the certificate. His mouth was very bitter.
‘I can’t even snatch this much money from Medeia, but I’m handing it over to her with my own hands.’
But he tried to suppress the instinct to snatch the certificate from Medeia’s hand. He could take the money back later.
But if Etienne collapsed like this, it would be like losing his last arm.
The grand plan was just around the corner. Losing Etienne after the Head Maid would cause a huge setback to the grand plan.
“Now, take it quickly. And put your Seal here.”
Along with the certificate, the Duke handed over a petition.
“Etienne might die in prison like this. Ciseo, do you know how much that cunning man is tormenting him?”
“That’s right, Your Highness. It’s really urgent. We can’t delay it any longer.”
“Uncle, I….”
But Medeia did not accept the certificate and looked troubled.
What is this girl trying to ask for now, hesitating like this? The Regent Duke was annoyed.
Even after receiving this large sum of money, does she still want more?
“Oh dear, how should I tell you two… I didn’t really mean it. As a Princess, how can I demand such a huge bribe for Baldina’s public affairs?”
Then, Medeia said with drooping eyebrows.
“Because this matter is so serious, I wanted Uncle to change his mind. The Minister’s guilt is already clear. Evidence is constantly coming out.”
“That’s…! It’s a misunderstanding! There must have been some misunderstanding. Did Ciseo say that? That man was always looking for an opportunity to harm Etienne. What can’t a man who’s eager to get his blood on his hands say?”
“Then, are the remains found in the Minister’s private residence also false?”
When the Duke was speechless at Medeia’s question, Catherine stepped in.
“Princess. In fact, there are inside stories in this case that Your Highness does not know. You must not believe only what you see. Political interests and conspiracies are lurking.”
She persuaded the Princess step by step in a soft voice.
“First of all, the Minister’s life is urgent, so if you first put your Seal on this release form, we will explain it in detail. His life depends on the tip of Your Highness’s finger. Whatever the circumstances, if a loyal subject of Baldina dies due to Your Highness’s hesitation, how will you bear the consequences?”
At the same time, she subtly pointed out the possibility of being blamed later as a Princess.
If it were the old Medeia, she would have obediently followed Catherine’s instructions in her haste.
But not the current Medeia.
“No, Aunt. I am still young and foolish, but I am not ignorant of right and wrong. Minister Etienne’s guilt is clear, but I really don’t know why my wise Uncle is defending that wicked man.”
Medeia shook her head as if she couldn’t understand.
As the Regent Duke and his wife became impatient and approached her, the Princess took a step back.
It was a firm attitude that left no room for doubt.
‘So, this girl is not going to put her Seal on it now?’
The Regent Duke’s face immediately turned ferocious.
Clearly, she was the one who brazenly demanded gold coins first, and now what?
He recalled the sight of them running around like crazy to meet the Princess’s absurd demands.
His head was filled with anger, and his judgment began to cloud.
‘No more!’
