Caroline, who had barely come to her senses, snatched the document Karina was reading and tore it to shreds.
Even then, she couldn't calm down and kept whining.
"There's no use tearing it up. I can just rewrite the report."
Karina said innocently.
"These are just a few. No matter how much I investigated, there was no end to it. I was really shocked, wasn't I?"
Caroline's face turned bright red.
"That's a lie! Karina made up the false document to get me in trouble!"
Despite Caroline's fierce rebuttal, Karina spoke calmly in a flat voice.
"If you keep insisting that it's a conspiracy, there are other witnesses besides the document."
Karina nodded to a corner of the venue.
There stood the orphanage director and his gang, trembling with fear.
It was the orphanage director who always showed up here and there to ask for favors.
Some people who recognized his face clucked their tongues, saying that they knew it.
Some shook their heads.
“If I don’t have enough witnesses, I can bring more. I have all the statements and petitions from people who complained that they were harmed by your actions. Just tell me when you need to.”
Karina said with a grin.
Caroline’s fingertips trembled.
“Sister. You need to talk to me privately.”
“...!”
Caroline jumped at Jeremiah’s words.
“Why on earth are you doing this! I told you it was a lie! She's trying to sell my name and get me in trouble! Don’t you trust me?”
Caroline shouted, but Jeremiah’s attitude did not change.
“I’ll investigate the truth myself. Until the investigation is over, you should wait in your room.”
Despite Caroline’s protests, Jeremiah’s firm stance made the people around him murmur louder.
“Oh my God. This must be real!”
“How could someone do such a heinous thing?”
The people who had been unable to figure out what was true were shocked as they figured out the situation.
“The Princess planned such a vicious thing.”
“This is truly unbelievable.”
Caroline, unable to bear the gazes and whispers of the people, let out a groan.
“Are you saying you’re going to imprison me now? I’m the Princess and your only older sister!”
Caroline protested in a sharp voice, bringing up her status as the Princess of this dukedom.
However, it had the opposite effect.
“If you’re not at fault, you’ll be released without any problems. However, if this is all true...”
Jeremiah’s eyes lit up sharply.
“No matter how much you say you’re my older sister, you won’t be able to avoid punishment for your wrongdoing.”
“...!”
Caroline's face turned pale as if all the blood had drained from her body.
"Take my sister to her room."
At Jeremiah's words, Caroline was dragged out of the place.
After the chaotic event at the charity event, the atmosphere in the Grand Ducal House was chaotic. This was because Caroline had been stripped of all her rights and authority and had been kicked out of the annex right after the event.
Caroline was currently under house arrest, unable to step out of the annex.
Nevertheless, the servants of the Grand Ducal House were dissatisfied with Karina, not Caroline, who had done wrong.
Caroline was the Grand Ducal's only family member.
No matter how wrong they had been, nobles often received light punishments.
They could not have imagined that Caroline, who had enjoyed power in the Grand Ducal House for a long time, would fall from grace in an instant.
They thought that the punishment would end with a month of house arrest at best.
And the fact that Jeremiah didn’t show much affection for Karina was also a big reason for their attitude.
The fearless maids grumbled among themselves.
“If the Grand Duchess had just stayed still, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“She's just making a fuss and making a big fuss, and the atmosphere in the mansion is like a sheet of thin ice.”
"What is this? We’re the only ones who get hurt while we’re working. It’s useless.”
Most of them were on Caroline’s side and flattered her.
There were signs that negative public opinion about Karina was starting to spread within the Grand Duke’s household.
Charlotte firmly put a stop to it.
“Quiet! How dare you talk so carelessly about the Grand Duchess! If you do that one more time, I’ll tell His Highness everything you said!”
“...I’m sorry.”
The angry maids kept their mouths shut, but they were puzzled by Charlotte’s sudden change in attitude and could not adapt.
Charlotte ignored the maids’ doubts and scolded them with a sterner expression.
In fact, when the incident first broke out at the event, Charlotte fell into despair.
She was worried that if an investigation was started because of this, even her son’s wrongdoings would be revealed. There was no way that the Grand Duchess, who had already achieved what she wanted, would pay attention to her and her son in this situation.
She had even been ordered by Caroline to harass and treat her badly. Even if the Grand Duchess, who had kept this in mind, pretended not to know, there was nothing she could do.
She might even say that it was all for the better and throw her out all at once.
Charlotte's eyes darkened and her future became bleak.
While she was feeling so helpless, Karina called Charlotte aside.
'Don’t worry about your son. I paid off all the loan debts and canceled all the loan contracts that used the Princess’ villa as collateral. I took care of everything before the investigation started, so your son won’t be involved in this.’
'Yes...?’
Charlotte’s eyes widened at her words.
‘You secretly smuggled the bribe ledger that Caroline was keeping. In return. I kept my promise.’
Charlotte was dumbfounded when Karina kept her promise.
‘I told you. I won’t abandon my people.’
Karina didn’t make any additional demands or threats to Charlotte but just said that with an indifferent expression.
That was the end of it.
Charlotte realized then.
She wanted to have a trustworthy person who was dignified but also knew how to protect her subordinates, and who knew how to keep her word.
Not a master who made them tremble in fear, not knowing when she would abandon them.
Charlotte was so ashamed of herself.
Past mistakes she had made flashed through her mind.
The quiet silence felt like a reproach to herself, and she broke out in a sweat.
‘Your business is done, so go out.’
Charlotte bowed her head in front of Karina, who was speaking without any hesitation.
'Your Highness. I am truly sorry. And thank you very much.'
At that moment, Charlotte made up her mind.
She would truly become Karina's people.
At the same time, Caroline was trembling with rage.
"Shameless and insolent bitch!!"
Caroline screamed so loudly that the room echoed.
Clang!
She threw the vase on the table to the floor.
The vase shattered and glass shards flew everywhere.
"How dare you trap me with such a brazen scheme?"
Caroline stomped on the flowers that had fallen to the floor.
As the flowers were crushed, the carpet was stained messily.
Caroline grumbled with a distorted face and took a deep breath.
Still, her anger did not subside, and she continued to throw objects she could get her hands on, such as picture frames and water bottles.
Only when the room was almost in chaos did Caroline stop.
“Ha, ha, that vixen bitch! Do you think I’ll just be treated like this?”
Caroline let out her boiling anger.
“Genon! That idiot! You told everything as soon as you were caught, there’s a limit to stupidity!”
The close maid who was locked in the room with Caroline held her breath.
She quietly waited for her anger to subside.
“There’s nothing you can do about dirty and vulgar things. You shouldn’t be so arrogant and ignorant!”
Caroline bit her lip with a gnashing expression.
“I’m different! I’m noble!”
Caroline had great pride in her bloodline.
‘There’s definitely royal blood in me! And it’s the blood of a legitimate royal family!’
Caroline’s attitude was greatly influenced by the stories she heard about her great-grandfather when she was young.
The Duke of Colesburg, her great-grandfather, was originally the first-born Crown Prince in the palace.
But he had no desire for the throne, so he gave it to his second brother.
And he left the palace with a new surname, Colesberg, and the title of Grand Duke.
That was the beginning of the Colesberg family.
If his great-grandfather had not given up the throne. If he, the eldest son, had become the Emperor according to the principle, she would have been living as an imperial Princess by now.
Although she was now a Princess in the Grand Duchy, she had a deep sense that she was a special and noble person who had inherited the noble blood of the original royal family.
“Huh.”
Caroline, who had calmed down a little, slumped down in her chair.
“Something is wrong.”
Caroline bit her fingertips nervously.
It was a habit she had as a child that she rarely saw when she was a child.
“There’s no way Jeremiah would do that. He’s taking that bitch Karina’s side!”
Caroline thought back to Jeremiah, who had been siding with Karina at the event and had been looking at her with cold eyes.
“That bitch Karina must have used some strange trick. How else could this have happened!”
Caroline, who was venting her anger again, carefully spoke to her maid.
“Your Highness. Don’t worry too much. Don’t you have Lord Revals?”
Caroline’s expression, which had been chewing her fingertips madly, brightened.
“That’s right. Revals is crazy about me! He can’t just sit by and watch this situation go by when he’s so smitten by my every word.”
Jeremiah's reaction was obvious.
The treasurers felt a little wrong, but they could not say such things as an excuse.
Even then, she couldn't calm down and kept whining.
"There's no use tearing it up. I can just rewrite the report."
Karina said innocently.
"These are just a few. No matter how much I investigated, there was no end to it. I was really shocked, wasn't I?"
Caroline's face turned bright red.
"That's a lie! Karina made up the false document to get me in trouble!"
Despite Caroline's fierce rebuttal, Karina spoke calmly in a flat voice.
"If you keep insisting that it's a conspiracy, there are other witnesses besides the document."
Karina nodded to a corner of the venue.
There stood the orphanage director and his gang, trembling with fear.
It was the orphanage director who always showed up here and there to ask for favors.
Some people who recognized his face clucked their tongues, saying that they knew it.
Some shook their heads.
“If I don’t have enough witnesses, I can bring more. I have all the statements and petitions from people who complained that they were harmed by your actions. Just tell me when you need to.”
Karina said with a grin.
Caroline’s fingertips trembled.
“Sister. You need to talk to me privately.”
“...!”
Caroline jumped at Jeremiah’s words.
“Why on earth are you doing this! I told you it was a lie! She's trying to sell my name and get me in trouble! Don’t you trust me?”
Caroline shouted, but Jeremiah’s attitude did not change.
“I’ll investigate the truth myself. Until the investigation is over, you should wait in your room.”
Despite Caroline’s protests, Jeremiah’s firm stance made the people around him murmur louder.
“Oh my God. This must be real!”
“How could someone do such a heinous thing?”
The people who had been unable to figure out what was true were shocked as they figured out the situation.
“The Princess planned such a vicious thing.”
“This is truly unbelievable.”
Caroline, unable to bear the gazes and whispers of the people, let out a groan.
“Are you saying you’re going to imprison me now? I’m the Princess and your only older sister!”
Caroline protested in a sharp voice, bringing up her status as the Princess of this dukedom.
However, it had the opposite effect.
“If you’re not at fault, you’ll be released without any problems. However, if this is all true...”
Jeremiah’s eyes lit up sharply.
“No matter how much you say you’re my older sister, you won’t be able to avoid punishment for your wrongdoing.”
“...!”
Caroline's face turned pale as if all the blood had drained from her body.
"Take my sister to her room."
At Jeremiah's words, Caroline was dragged out of the place.
***
After the chaotic event at the charity event, the atmosphere in the Grand Ducal House was chaotic. This was because Caroline had been stripped of all her rights and authority and had been kicked out of the annex right after the event.
Caroline was currently under house arrest, unable to step out of the annex.
Nevertheless, the servants of the Grand Ducal House were dissatisfied with Karina, not Caroline, who had done wrong.
Caroline was the Grand Ducal's only family member.
No matter how wrong they had been, nobles often received light punishments.
They could not have imagined that Caroline, who had enjoyed power in the Grand Ducal House for a long time, would fall from grace in an instant.
They thought that the punishment would end with a month of house arrest at best.
And the fact that Jeremiah didn’t show much affection for Karina was also a big reason for their attitude.
The fearless maids grumbled among themselves.
“If the Grand Duchess had just stayed still, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“She's just making a fuss and making a big fuss, and the atmosphere in the mansion is like a sheet of thin ice.”
"What is this? We’re the only ones who get hurt while we’re working. It’s useless.”
Most of them were on Caroline’s side and flattered her.
There were signs that negative public opinion about Karina was starting to spread within the Grand Duke’s household.
Charlotte firmly put a stop to it.
“Quiet! How dare you talk so carelessly about the Grand Duchess! If you do that one more time, I’ll tell His Highness everything you said!”
“...I’m sorry.”
The angry maids kept their mouths shut, but they were puzzled by Charlotte’s sudden change in attitude and could not adapt.
Charlotte ignored the maids’ doubts and scolded them with a sterner expression.
In fact, when the incident first broke out at the event, Charlotte fell into despair.
She was worried that if an investigation was started because of this, even her son’s wrongdoings would be revealed. There was no way that the Grand Duchess, who had already achieved what she wanted, would pay attention to her and her son in this situation.
She had even been ordered by Caroline to harass and treat her badly. Even if the Grand Duchess, who had kept this in mind, pretended not to know, there was nothing she could do.
She might even say that it was all for the better and throw her out all at once.
Charlotte's eyes darkened and her future became bleak.
While she was feeling so helpless, Karina called Charlotte aside.
'Don’t worry about your son. I paid off all the loan debts and canceled all the loan contracts that used the Princess’ villa as collateral. I took care of everything before the investigation started, so your son won’t be involved in this.’
'Yes...?’
Charlotte’s eyes widened at her words.
‘You secretly smuggled the bribe ledger that Caroline was keeping. In return. I kept my promise.’
Charlotte was dumbfounded when Karina kept her promise.
‘I told you. I won’t abandon my people.’
Karina didn’t make any additional demands or threats to Charlotte but just said that with an indifferent expression.
That was the end of it.
Charlotte realized then.
She wanted to have a trustworthy person who was dignified but also knew how to protect her subordinates, and who knew how to keep her word.
Not a master who made them tremble in fear, not knowing when she would abandon them.
Charlotte was so ashamed of herself.
Past mistakes she had made flashed through her mind.
The quiet silence felt like a reproach to herself, and she broke out in a sweat.
‘Your business is done, so go out.’
Charlotte bowed her head in front of Karina, who was speaking without any hesitation.
'Your Highness. I am truly sorry. And thank you very much.'
At that moment, Charlotte made up her mind.
She would truly become Karina's people.
***
At the same time, Caroline was trembling with rage.
"Shameless and insolent bitch!!"
Caroline screamed so loudly that the room echoed.
Clang!
She threw the vase on the table to the floor.
The vase shattered and glass shards flew everywhere.
"How dare you trap me with such a brazen scheme?"
Caroline stomped on the flowers that had fallen to the floor.
As the flowers were crushed, the carpet was stained messily.
Caroline grumbled with a distorted face and took a deep breath.
Still, her anger did not subside, and she continued to throw objects she could get her hands on, such as picture frames and water bottles.
Only when the room was almost in chaos did Caroline stop.
“Ha, ha, that vixen bitch! Do you think I’ll just be treated like this?”
Caroline let out her boiling anger.
“Genon! That idiot! You told everything as soon as you were caught, there’s a limit to stupidity!”
The close maid who was locked in the room with Caroline held her breath.
She quietly waited for her anger to subside.
“There’s nothing you can do about dirty and vulgar things. You shouldn’t be so arrogant and ignorant!”
Caroline bit her lip with a gnashing expression.
“I’m different! I’m noble!”
Caroline had great pride in her bloodline.
‘There’s definitely royal blood in me! And it’s the blood of a legitimate royal family!’
Caroline’s attitude was greatly influenced by the stories she heard about her great-grandfather when she was young.
The Duke of Colesburg, her great-grandfather, was originally the first-born Crown Prince in the palace.
But he had no desire for the throne, so he gave it to his second brother.
And he left the palace with a new surname, Colesberg, and the title of Grand Duke.
That was the beginning of the Colesberg family.
If his great-grandfather had not given up the throne. If he, the eldest son, had become the Emperor according to the principle, she would have been living as an imperial Princess by now.
Although she was now a Princess in the Grand Duchy, she had a deep sense that she was a special and noble person who had inherited the noble blood of the original royal family.
“Huh.”
Caroline, who had calmed down a little, slumped down in her chair.
“Something is wrong.”
Caroline bit her fingertips nervously.
It was a habit she had as a child that she rarely saw when she was a child.
“There’s no way Jeremiah would do that. He’s taking that bitch Karina’s side!”
Caroline thought back to Jeremiah, who had been siding with Karina at the event and had been looking at her with cold eyes.
“That bitch Karina must have used some strange trick. How else could this have happened!”
Caroline, who was venting her anger again, carefully spoke to her maid.
“Your Highness. Don’t worry too much. Don’t you have Lord Revals?”
Caroline’s expression, which had been chewing her fingertips madly, brightened.
“That’s right. Revals is crazy about me! He can’t just sit by and watch this situation go by when he’s so smitten by my every word.”
A creepy smile appeared on her lips.
“Just let me get out of here. I’ll make that arrogant woman who doesn’t even know her place realize what her situation is sooner or later.”
Caroline’s eyes simultaneously glowed with eerie venom and deep murderous intent.
“Just let me get out of here. I’ll make that arrogant woman who doesn’t even know her place realize what her situation is sooner or later.”
Caroline’s eyes simultaneously glowed with eerie venom and deep murderous intent.
***
“They’re all incompetent.”
Jeremiah muttered coldly.
His low voice was filled with rage.
The northern treasurers and tax collectors gathered in front of Jeremiah trembled.
Given the location of the north, which was always exposed to the danger of monster invasion, military power and manpower were extremely important.
Jeremiah had to lead the knights as the commander-in-chief and commander of the military.
Defending the border from foreign powers, preparing for monster invasions, subduing them, etc.
He was so busy that he had no time to even take care of the military, so he assigned separate people to do the northern administrative work.
However, they failed to properly perform their duties.
In front of Jeremiah were documents containing evidence of Caroline embezzling money and accepting various bribes from other nobles.
Even the list of businesses that Caroline had invested in under the name of the Grand Duke was mixed in.
“You’ve managed to keep your job after doing this kind of work. What on earth have you been doing?”
“That... that.”
The finance officer, who had been frozen, barely managed to open his mouth.
“Wh... that, when we checked, there were many cases where the contents written in the documents we had kept were different from the actual ones. Many of the signatures or names of the contractors were written as agents, so it was impossible to find out without going to the site and checking them one by one...”
“Are you saying that now?”
Jeremiah muttered.
“...”
The finance officer’s face drained of color at Jeremiah’s words.
It was not that they didn’t know at all.
However, it wasn’t because they were incompetent that they turned a blind eye to the strange things they found in the documents and approved them.
It was because Caroline had used her status as the sister of the Grand Duke to do this.
They were silent, thinking of the prestige of the Colesberg family more than Caroline.
Jeremiah muttered coldly.
His low voice was filled with rage.
The northern treasurers and tax collectors gathered in front of Jeremiah trembled.
Given the location of the north, which was always exposed to the danger of monster invasion, military power and manpower were extremely important.
Jeremiah had to lead the knights as the commander-in-chief and commander of the military.
Defending the border from foreign powers, preparing for monster invasions, subduing them, etc.
He was so busy that he had no time to even take care of the military, so he assigned separate people to do the northern administrative work.
However, they failed to properly perform their duties.
In front of Jeremiah were documents containing evidence of Caroline embezzling money and accepting various bribes from other nobles.
Even the list of businesses that Caroline had invested in under the name of the Grand Duke was mixed in.
“You’ve managed to keep your job after doing this kind of work. What on earth have you been doing?”
“That... that.”
The finance officer, who had been frozen, barely managed to open his mouth.
“Wh... that, when we checked, there were many cases where the contents written in the documents we had kept were different from the actual ones. Many of the signatures or names of the contractors were written as agents, so it was impossible to find out without going to the site and checking them one by one...”
“Are you saying that now?”
Jeremiah muttered.
“...”
The finance officer’s face drained of color at Jeremiah’s words.
It was not that they didn’t know at all.
However, it wasn’t because they were incompetent that they turned a blind eye to the strange things they found in the documents and approved them.
It was because Caroline had used her status as the sister of the Grand Duke to do this.
They were silent, thinking of the prestige of the Colesberg family more than Caroline.
Jeremiah's reaction was obvious.
The treasurers felt a little wrong, but they could not say such things as an excuse.
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