“That’s nonsense.”
Curtis retorted immediately. He was still sitting, but his face was somewhat pale. Jason smiled at Curtis.
“Where would I get that thing?”
It was an attitude of watching Curtis' embarrassment.
“Curtis Lane used me as a distribution network to get drugs into Venice. I’m the perfect person to use for whatever purpose he can get rid of.”
Jason, his face expressionless, calmly accused Curtis of his crimes.
“That’s false.”
Curtis protested in a calm voice, but his face was slowly beginning to flush, a clear sign of embarrassment.
“It’s because of greed.”
“Your Majesty, how long will this useless talk continue...”
That's when Curtis tried to silence Jason.
“And it’s all because of the Empress Dowager, Tiffany Oberon Wyatt.”
Jason detonated a bomb inside the conference room.
The Empress Dowager, who came to see Cecilia, acted naturally as if the palace was still hers.
“You called me, and now you’re staring at me like you’ve seen a ghost?”
“...”
“Sit down, Cecilia.”
It was an unpleasant and unpleasant thing. Cecilia did not hide her feelings and showed them completely. The Empress Dowager smiled as if she had expected this.
“How can you treat guests like that? It seems like the story will go on for a long time, so bring me some tea. Oh, and I’m picky, so please make me drink what I brought.”
And he boldly ordered the servants who served Cecilia to bring out some tea.
“I’m going to have a private conversation. Everyone, please leave.”
At Cecilia's command, the servants bowed their heads respectfully and left their seats. Only then did the drawing room become quiet. Cecilia faced the Empress Dowager with an expressionless face.
“I guess you are very close to my father.”
And she calmly criticized the Empress Dowager. She criticized Curtis for contacting her and rushing to her as soon as she revealed her honest feelings.
Did you think I wouldn't say anything because I was scared? Cecilia's eyes lit up.
“Cecilia, as you know, I am very close to the Duke of Lane.”
The Empress Dowager must have felt it too, but she just shamelessly stared at Cecilia and smiled. And then she calmly admitted her relationship with Curtis.
“It seems like you have no shame now.”
Cecilia spoke honestly without turning around.
“You came now?”
“...”
“Isn’t that funny too?”
The Empress Dowager already knew how her infidelity would look in front of Cecilia, who knew everything.
“I think you’d laugh too.”
As she spoke, the smile slowly disappeared from the face of the Empress Dowager. Her face, completely free of lies, was expressionless. It was something Cecilia had never seen before in her life.
“Why did you come here?”
“It’s simple.”
The Empress Dowager spoke softly.
“I thought you might have a lot of questions, so I came here to answer them for you. Curtis is not very good at that.”
And she boasted about her lover's incompetence so calmly. Although she was clearly referring to her father, Cecilia's face became colder than ever. The Empress Dowager was looking at it with very happy eyes.
“...Did you kill His Highness Aster?”
Cecilia asked.
“That’s right. Because I wanted to make Damon the Crown Prince.”
The Empress Dowager answered without a moment's hesitation.
“If we had left it as he was, he would have died on its own, but since you brought Laner Island up to the surface early, everything got messed up.”
She didn't seem to feel any guilt at all, even though she said she killed someone who had done nothing wrong to her.
“So it’s your fault, Cecilia.”
“...”
“Why did you make me do that?”
And she calmly blamed Cecilia. She said that she had no choice but to act because Cecilia was using him and trying to save him.
“Well, if I hadn’t done it, your father would have.”
But the voice heard afterward seemed to grab Cecilia's hair.
“What is that?”
“In your previous life, your father killed Aster.”
Her mouth, which had opened on its own, would not close. Cecilia could not bring herself to say anything and just rolled her eyes. She wanted to make excuses, saying that her father would never do something like that, but she couldn't.
'I won't ask you to do anything. Just be quiet. When I become Emperor...'
He was a man who openly talked about becoming the Emperor. She wasn't sure if anyone could have such a level of treason.
“Eden was very shocked when he found out.”
And the Empress Dowager watched Cecilia's shock. She seemed to enjoy it somewhat as she told the story of Eden's shock.
“That’s how I fell out with your father, and it ended up becoming a life-threatening relationship. Because of that, I became a woman who lost not only my son but also my lover.”
The Empress Dowager pretended to look sad and wiped her eyes with her long, thin fingers.
“That’s why I hated Eden Robana Wyatt.”
But soon, when she mentioned Eden, not only was there no false sadness on her face, but only obvious contempt and hatred remained.
“I always wanted to kill him.”
The fierce hostility towards him was sharpened like a well-honed sword.
“There was no way I could have been in my right mind not to suddenly rush in and strangle him or stab him in the heart.”
I couldn't be in my right mind. Cecilia narrowed her eyes at those words.
“That’s what you were drinking originally.”
The Empress Dowager pretended to be surprised by Cecilia's remark and opened her eyes wide. Of course, she immediately admitted it.
“Your Majesty, I have brought you some tea.”
At that moment, Madame Monte interrupted. Cecilia ordered Madame Monte to put the tea on the table and leave. Meanwhile, Cecilia and the Empress Dowager did not take their eyes off each other.
Like beasts searching for enemies.
“That’s right. Curtis smuggled it in from Benia for me, who has a neurotic disorder. It acts as a sedative.”
When Madame Monte finally left, the Empress Dowager spoke again. It seemed as though she had a lot to say.
“Hmm, it smells good.”
Even in the midst of all this, she did not forget to lift the teacup from which steam was rising.
“Isn’t that right? The illegal drug distribution network coming out of Benia is all connected to the Benia royal family.”
The Empress Dowager spoke leisurely, bringing her teacup to her lips. She was now throwing away even the most basic courtesy and speaking openly informally.
“As you know, after Aster’s death, we’ve only been seeing trade deficits. The losses are growing. And with trade sanctions, the losses will only grow bigger in the future. So, regardless of pride and all, we have no choice but to get involved in dirty work.”
The Empress Dowager joined hands with them, helping them distribute drugs and make money within Wyatt.
“We decided to help with that and borrow Benia’s army.”
Cecilia held his trembling hand. It was no longer because of embarrassment. It was because of anger.
“Curtis’ private army will be used to stop them. It’s a scripted operation.”
Just like that. No words came out. Cecilia was silent, and quite a while passed. It was enough time for the hot tea to cool down.
“In the long run, this will be help that will not benefit the Empire. What about those who took the drug without knowing it and went crazy?”
Her throat was parched. Cecilia drank half of the water in her teacup with a not-so-elegant air.
“You don’t think I know that?”
The Empress Dowager smiled at Cecilia's words.
“I hate Eden Robana Wyatt to that extent. I hate him to that extent. I hate him to that extent.”
And she emphasized how much she hated and despised Eden.
“I know now how much you hate Eden. It’s as much as I hated him in my previous life before I died.”
Cecilia opened her mouth in a cold voice as if she wasn't stupid enough not to know that.
“You can do it.”
“...”
“But my father won’t do that.”
Even though he had a long relationship with the Empress Dowager, Curtis was the head of the Duke of Lane. He was also the biological father of Empress Cecilia.
“It’s not that he hates Eden that much.”
But, was it really necessary to give up that stable glory and take risks to be at odds with Eden? That was something Cecilia couldn't understand.
“You’re quite quick-witted.”
The Empress Dowager muttered quietly. Cecilia felt her heartbeat gradually increase, and waited for her red lips to open again.
“That’s right. Curtis hates your husband just as much as I do.”
“Where, is it just for Tiffany Oberon Wyatt?”
Jason burst out laughing. He raised his bound hands and made a playful gesture as if trying to elicit a reaction from the audience.
“It must have been because of that son, Damon Oberon Wyatt.”
An eerie silence hung over the conference room as if a bomb was about to explode.
“Like a cuckoo’s chick, her illegitimate child whom she raised in secret as a Prince.”
Curtis retorted immediately. He was still sitting, but his face was somewhat pale. Jason smiled at Curtis.
“Where would I get that thing?”
It was an attitude of watching Curtis' embarrassment.
“Curtis Lane used me as a distribution network to get drugs into Venice. I’m the perfect person to use for whatever purpose he can get rid of.”
Jason, his face expressionless, calmly accused Curtis of his crimes.
“That’s false.”
Curtis protested in a calm voice, but his face was slowly beginning to flush, a clear sign of embarrassment.
“It’s because of greed.”
“Your Majesty, how long will this useless talk continue...”
That's when Curtis tried to silence Jason.
“And it’s all because of the Empress Dowager, Tiffany Oberon Wyatt.”
Jason detonated a bomb inside the conference room.
***
The Empress Dowager, who came to see Cecilia, acted naturally as if the palace was still hers.
“You called me, and now you’re staring at me like you’ve seen a ghost?”
“...”
“Sit down, Cecilia.”
It was an unpleasant and unpleasant thing. Cecilia did not hide her feelings and showed them completely. The Empress Dowager smiled as if she had expected this.
“How can you treat guests like that? It seems like the story will go on for a long time, so bring me some tea. Oh, and I’m picky, so please make me drink what I brought.”
And he boldly ordered the servants who served Cecilia to bring out some tea.
“I’m going to have a private conversation. Everyone, please leave.”
At Cecilia's command, the servants bowed their heads respectfully and left their seats. Only then did the drawing room become quiet. Cecilia faced the Empress Dowager with an expressionless face.
“I guess you are very close to my father.”
And she calmly criticized the Empress Dowager. She criticized Curtis for contacting her and rushing to her as soon as she revealed her honest feelings.
Did you think I wouldn't say anything because I was scared? Cecilia's eyes lit up.
“Cecilia, as you know, I am very close to the Duke of Lane.”
The Empress Dowager must have felt it too, but she just shamelessly stared at Cecilia and smiled. And then she calmly admitted her relationship with Curtis.
“It seems like you have no shame now.”
Cecilia spoke honestly without turning around.
“You came now?”
“...”
“Isn’t that funny too?”
The Empress Dowager already knew how her infidelity would look in front of Cecilia, who knew everything.
“I think you’d laugh too.”
As she spoke, the smile slowly disappeared from the face of the Empress Dowager. Her face, completely free of lies, was expressionless. It was something Cecilia had never seen before in her life.
“Why did you come here?”
“It’s simple.”
The Empress Dowager spoke softly.
“I thought you might have a lot of questions, so I came here to answer them for you. Curtis is not very good at that.”
And she boasted about her lover's incompetence so calmly. Although she was clearly referring to her father, Cecilia's face became colder than ever. The Empress Dowager was looking at it with very happy eyes.
“...Did you kill His Highness Aster?”
Cecilia asked.
“That’s right. Because I wanted to make Damon the Crown Prince.”
The Empress Dowager answered without a moment's hesitation.
“If we had left it as he was, he would have died on its own, but since you brought Laner Island up to the surface early, everything got messed up.”
She didn't seem to feel any guilt at all, even though she said she killed someone who had done nothing wrong to her.
“So it’s your fault, Cecilia.”
“...”
“Why did you make me do that?”
And she calmly blamed Cecilia. She said that she had no choice but to act because Cecilia was using him and trying to save him.
“Well, if I hadn’t done it, your father would have.”
But the voice heard afterward seemed to grab Cecilia's hair.
“What is that?”
“In your previous life, your father killed Aster.”
Her mouth, which had opened on its own, would not close. Cecilia could not bring herself to say anything and just rolled her eyes. She wanted to make excuses, saying that her father would never do something like that, but she couldn't.
'I won't ask you to do anything. Just be quiet. When I become Emperor...'
He was a man who openly talked about becoming the Emperor. She wasn't sure if anyone could have such a level of treason.
“Eden was very shocked when he found out.”
And the Empress Dowager watched Cecilia's shock. She seemed to enjoy it somewhat as she told the story of Eden's shock.
“That’s how I fell out with your father, and it ended up becoming a life-threatening relationship. Because of that, I became a woman who lost not only my son but also my lover.”
The Empress Dowager pretended to look sad and wiped her eyes with her long, thin fingers.
“That’s why I hated Eden Robana Wyatt.”
But soon, when she mentioned Eden, not only was there no false sadness on her face, but only obvious contempt and hatred remained.
“I always wanted to kill him.”
The fierce hostility towards him was sharpened like a well-honed sword.
“There was no way I could have been in my right mind not to suddenly rush in and strangle him or stab him in the heart.”
I couldn't be in my right mind. Cecilia narrowed her eyes at those words.
“That’s what you were drinking originally.”
The Empress Dowager pretended to be surprised by Cecilia's remark and opened her eyes wide. Of course, she immediately admitted it.
“Your Majesty, I have brought you some tea.”
At that moment, Madame Monte interrupted. Cecilia ordered Madame Monte to put the tea on the table and leave. Meanwhile, Cecilia and the Empress Dowager did not take their eyes off each other.
Like beasts searching for enemies.
“That’s right. Curtis smuggled it in from Benia for me, who has a neurotic disorder. It acts as a sedative.”
When Madame Monte finally left, the Empress Dowager spoke again. It seemed as though she had a lot to say.
“Hmm, it smells good.”
Even in the midst of all this, she did not forget to lift the teacup from which steam was rising.
“Isn’t that right? The illegal drug distribution network coming out of Benia is all connected to the Benia royal family.”
The Empress Dowager spoke leisurely, bringing her teacup to her lips. She was now throwing away even the most basic courtesy and speaking openly informally.
“As you know, after Aster’s death, we’ve only been seeing trade deficits. The losses are growing. And with trade sanctions, the losses will only grow bigger in the future. So, regardless of pride and all, we have no choice but to get involved in dirty work.”
The Empress Dowager joined hands with them, helping them distribute drugs and make money within Wyatt.
“We decided to help with that and borrow Benia’s army.”
Cecilia held his trembling hand. It was no longer because of embarrassment. It was because of anger.
“Curtis’ private army will be used to stop them. It’s a scripted operation.”
Just like that. No words came out. Cecilia was silent, and quite a while passed. It was enough time for the hot tea to cool down.
“In the long run, this will be help that will not benefit the Empire. What about those who took the drug without knowing it and went crazy?”
Her throat was parched. Cecilia drank half of the water in her teacup with a not-so-elegant air.
“You don’t think I know that?”
The Empress Dowager smiled at Cecilia's words.
“I hate Eden Robana Wyatt to that extent. I hate him to that extent. I hate him to that extent.”
And she emphasized how much she hated and despised Eden.
“I know now how much you hate Eden. It’s as much as I hated him in my previous life before I died.”
Cecilia opened her mouth in a cold voice as if she wasn't stupid enough not to know that.
“You can do it.”
“...”
“But my father won’t do that.”
Even though he had a long relationship with the Empress Dowager, Curtis was the head of the Duke of Lane. He was also the biological father of Empress Cecilia.
“It’s not that he hates Eden that much.”
But, was it really necessary to give up that stable glory and take risks to be at odds with Eden? That was something Cecilia couldn't understand.
“You’re quite quick-witted.”
The Empress Dowager muttered quietly. Cecilia felt her heartbeat gradually increase, and waited for her red lips to open again.
“That’s right. Curtis hates your husband just as much as I do.”
***
“Where, is it just for Tiffany Oberon Wyatt?”
Jason burst out laughing. He raised his bound hands and made a playful gesture as if trying to elicit a reaction from the audience.
“It must have been because of that son, Damon Oberon Wyatt.”
An eerie silence hung over the conference room as if a bomb was about to explode.
“Like a cuckoo’s chick, her illegitimate child whom she raised in secret as a Prince.”
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