When she handed Binka a small vial, Binka carefully placed it in her bosom.
“Yes. I’ll take care of it.”
"Yes, my lady. I'll write a reply to you shortly. Please rest for a moment."
Capella, who had been smiling kindly, returned to a cold face as soon as she turned her head away.
'Young lady... How interesting.'
The real Byron's daughter, not the fake girl Aila, who had been tricking him into using her as a blade of revenge.
Isn't this the story of someone who took in his enemy's daughter and raised her as his own, without even knowing that he had a real daughter?
Capella sat down at her desk with a bitter smile, facing the absurd situation. She was writing a letter to Byron, the man who had created this situation.
“So, you’re asking for military support?”
Count Senospon read Capella's letter, muttering to himself with a serious expression.
It was true that Byron's rebellion had to succeed somehow, as the situation within the kingdom was getting worse, but he had no intention of taking direct action, such as sending troops, so he was worried about how to refuse.
‘...If Byron is actually being held captive by the royal family, isn’t the situation already over?’
If the chances of success were already so far gone, there was no need to step into such a hellhole. With that thought in mind, the Count continued reading the letter.
But the Count's face turned pale as he read the back of the letter.
This was because it contained copies of the ledgers that contained all the tax evasion and other irregularities he had committed up to that point.
“What, what is this...!”
How long has this woman been researching such material? He thought she was just an ordinary woman who did housework for Byron, but she was scarier than he thought.
And her letter ended with these chilling words.
"This is only a very small part of the ledger. If you do not provide military support, I will send this ledger to the King of the Inselkov Kingdom."
“Wow, this is really... what should I do?”
The Count shook his head and screamed. In this situation, wouldn't it be inevitable to gather all the troops available and send them to the Peles Empire?
And then,
“Your Grace! This is serious! The, the government troops... the government troops!”
A servant burst into the study door without knocking, making a fuss.
The Count, who was about to get angry at the rudeness, set fire to Capella's letter with an anxious expression in the commotion outside.
The King's soldiers had invaded the Count's mansion.
“There you are, Ernes Senospon! You're arrested!”
As the man who appeared to be the commander gave the Count a command, the soldiers rushed forward and grabbed him violently.
“Let go of this, what kind of rudeness is this!”
Count Senospon resisted fiercely, but was helplessly bound and dragged away.
As he came out, his precious only son, Gerald, and his wife were being dragged out by the soldiers, screaming loudly.
"Let go! I told you to let go? Do you know who I am? I'm Gerald Senospon! Heir to the Earldom!"
“You still haven’t come to your senses. Keep your mouth shut, it’s too noisy.”
As the commander spoke with a smirk, the soldiers roughly gagged Gerald.
"Ugh, what are you doing to my only son? Can't you release him right now?"
Even though he was a stupid son who only caused trouble, the Count, who could not stand to see others being persecuted, suddenly became angry, and the government soldiers put a gag on his mouth as well.
Waiting for the Count, who had been dragged to the palace in such a miserable manner, was a stranger he had never seen before, and the Crown Prince, the eldest son of the King.
“Remove the gag. I want to talk.”
The Crown Prince spoke in a calm voice. The gag that had been restraining the Count's mouth was removed, and the Crown Prince smiled kindly and offered him a seat.
“Please sit down, Count.”
"What the hell is this, Your Highness! Even though I supported you in killing your enemy, Duke Baches, you brought me here in such a cruel manner! This is petty revenge! I am wronged!"
As soon as he sat down, Count Senospon began to complain. His face was adamant that he had done nothing wrong.
Looking at his son and wife shivering behind him, he felt even more resentful.
"Oh my, you think I'm such a petty person in your eyes? I'm the one who's been wronged. I have solid evidence of your treason."
The Crown Prince chuckled and told a gruesome story.
“Bah, treason? What did I...?”
"Well, here's the evidence. A ledger detailing when, how, and how much... of Byron Lionel Vito Peles's rebellion was supported."
The Crown Prince laid the evidence before the Count's eyes. True to his words, the ledger contained a detailed record of Count Senospon's support for Byron.
“...”
The Count was momentarily speechless. He had certainly done the right thing.
However, he quickly discovered a loophole: he had supported the rebellion of the Peles Empire, so he had not broken the laws of the Inselkov Kingdom.
"I did it. So what? What on earth did I do to the national security of the Inselkov Kingdom that you call me a traitor?"
“...You haven’t come to your senses yet. Count, what were you promised in return for this support? What was it?... So, you were promised the throne of this kingdom?”
The Crown Prince's eyes flashed with rage. If that were true, it would be undeniable treason.
“How, how can you say that... No, do you have any evidence? Are you saying you have proof that I said that?”
The Count, who had been looking at the Crown Prince with trembling eyes, came to his senses and stepped away.
It was just a verbal exchange with Byron, and there was no documentation, so it could have been easily dismissed if he had just tried to avoid it.
“There is no evidence, but there are witnesses.”
And the answer came from a strange man standing beside the Crown Prince. Judging by his pale face, he didn't seem to be from the kingdom of Inselkov.
"A witness! Bring him before my eyes. If anyone has actually heard such words!"
"Unfortunately, Princess Weishaffen isn't the type of person who has so much free time. In any case, Your Highness, I've heard that the Princess has certainly heard such things. If you need it later, I'll send you a statement."
The man smiled broadly and conversed with the Crown Prince. The atmosphere was very friendly, but the Count, unable to join in, looked bewildered.
“Princess Weishaffen? I’ve never met anyone like her...”
The Count had also heard rumors about the Duke of Weishaffen of the Peles Empire. Their grandeur had reached his ears, for it had spread beyond the borders.
He heard rumors that the Duke had been desperately searching for his lost daughter, or that he had recently found her...
What on earth is the relationship between that child and the Count?
"How foolish. You didn't know? That among those who came with Byron last year, the Princess of Weishaffen was with them. I heard your idiot son, ignorant of the situation, was caught flirting with the Princess and got beaten up badly. How could you not know something I already knew?"
The Crown Prince clicked his tongue in disappointment.
'There was a Princess among the group that came with Byron, and Gerald was flirting with her...? Seriously?'
The Count gaped at the absurd conclusion. Wasn't the young girl Byron had been carrying around as his "pet" the lost daughter of the Duke of Weishaffen?
And Gerald, who had also realized the same truth, was also incredulous. No wonder the woman he had dismissed as "lowly" was actually a Princess!
"You're quieter now. Then let's have a deep conversation. What crimes could the Count, who so brazenly claimed to be King, be guilty of?"
The Crown Prince crossed his arms and smiled happily.
“...Hey, where are you taking this body?”
Suki Insidio banged on the small window connected to the stable and shouted.
This was because she, who had been living in the underground prison of the Duke of Weishaffen's villa for several months, was being dragged away somewhere in a carriage without any explanation.
For someone who was being dragged, the treatment was surprisingly good. The carriage seats were incredibly soft, and they were considerate enough to keep Pumpkin, a cat sensitive to his surroundings, from getting stressed.
“Can’t you answer me right away, you fool!”
Unable to contain her frustration, Suki let out a fit of anger, but unfortunately, there was no response. With a resigned expression, she simply sat on the speeding carriage.
And after a while, the carriage finally arrived at its destination. It was in front of a daunting-looking prison.
“Go in.”
“...”
Overwhelmed by the atmosphere, Suki entered the building without even being able to refute it. Inside, a man with a familiar face was waiting for her.
It was Roderick who had broken through her magic with incredible force and captured her.
“It’s been a while. How is the girl doing?”
“...We’re not close enough to exchange greetings, are we? Of course, my daughter is fine.”
Although Roderick had a cold demeanor, he answered her questions about Aila's well-being obediently.
Anyway, wasn't it thanks to Suki that Aila was safe?
If she had not lifted the curse on Aila, his precious daughter would have lost her life when Byron activated the curse.
“Yeah, I’m glad she's doing well.”
“I caught the man who asked you to cast a curse. He had this... Did you make it for him?”
Roderick asked, placing the locket necklace Byron was holding in front of Suki.
“Yes. I’ll take care of it.”
"Yes, my lady. I'll write a reply to you shortly. Please rest for a moment."
Capella, who had been smiling kindly, returned to a cold face as soon as she turned her head away.
'Young lady... How interesting.'
The real Byron's daughter, not the fake girl Aila, who had been tricking him into using her as a blade of revenge.
Isn't this the story of someone who took in his enemy's daughter and raised her as his own, without even knowing that he had a real daughter?
Capella sat down at her desk with a bitter smile, facing the absurd situation. She was writing a letter to Byron, the man who had created this situation.
***
“So, you’re asking for military support?”
Count Senospon read Capella's letter, muttering to himself with a serious expression.
It was true that Byron's rebellion had to succeed somehow, as the situation within the kingdom was getting worse, but he had no intention of taking direct action, such as sending troops, so he was worried about how to refuse.
‘...If Byron is actually being held captive by the royal family, isn’t the situation already over?’
If the chances of success were already so far gone, there was no need to step into such a hellhole. With that thought in mind, the Count continued reading the letter.
But the Count's face turned pale as he read the back of the letter.
This was because it contained copies of the ledgers that contained all the tax evasion and other irregularities he had committed up to that point.
“What, what is this...!”
How long has this woman been researching such material? He thought she was just an ordinary woman who did housework for Byron, but she was scarier than he thought.
And her letter ended with these chilling words.
"This is only a very small part of the ledger. If you do not provide military support, I will send this ledger to the King of the Inselkov Kingdom."
“Wow, this is really... what should I do?”
The Count shook his head and screamed. In this situation, wouldn't it be inevitable to gather all the troops available and send them to the Peles Empire?
And then,
“Your Grace! This is serious! The, the government troops... the government troops!”
A servant burst into the study door without knocking, making a fuss.
The Count, who was about to get angry at the rudeness, set fire to Capella's letter with an anxious expression in the commotion outside.
The King's soldiers had invaded the Count's mansion.
“There you are, Ernes Senospon! You're arrested!”
As the man who appeared to be the commander gave the Count a command, the soldiers rushed forward and grabbed him violently.
“Let go of this, what kind of rudeness is this!”
Count Senospon resisted fiercely, but was helplessly bound and dragged away.
As he came out, his precious only son, Gerald, and his wife were being dragged out by the soldiers, screaming loudly.
"Let go! I told you to let go? Do you know who I am? I'm Gerald Senospon! Heir to the Earldom!"
“You still haven’t come to your senses. Keep your mouth shut, it’s too noisy.”
As the commander spoke with a smirk, the soldiers roughly gagged Gerald.
"Ugh, what are you doing to my only son? Can't you release him right now?"
Even though he was a stupid son who only caused trouble, the Count, who could not stand to see others being persecuted, suddenly became angry, and the government soldiers put a gag on his mouth as well.
Waiting for the Count, who had been dragged to the palace in such a miserable manner, was a stranger he had never seen before, and the Crown Prince, the eldest son of the King.
“Remove the gag. I want to talk.”
The Crown Prince spoke in a calm voice. The gag that had been restraining the Count's mouth was removed, and the Crown Prince smiled kindly and offered him a seat.
“Please sit down, Count.”
"What the hell is this, Your Highness! Even though I supported you in killing your enemy, Duke Baches, you brought me here in such a cruel manner! This is petty revenge! I am wronged!"
As soon as he sat down, Count Senospon began to complain. His face was adamant that he had done nothing wrong.
Looking at his son and wife shivering behind him, he felt even more resentful.
"Oh my, you think I'm such a petty person in your eyes? I'm the one who's been wronged. I have solid evidence of your treason."
The Crown Prince chuckled and told a gruesome story.
“Bah, treason? What did I...?”
"Well, here's the evidence. A ledger detailing when, how, and how much... of Byron Lionel Vito Peles's rebellion was supported."
The Crown Prince laid the evidence before the Count's eyes. True to his words, the ledger contained a detailed record of Count Senospon's support for Byron.
“...”
The Count was momentarily speechless. He had certainly done the right thing.
However, he quickly discovered a loophole: he had supported the rebellion of the Peles Empire, so he had not broken the laws of the Inselkov Kingdom.
"I did it. So what? What on earth did I do to the national security of the Inselkov Kingdom that you call me a traitor?"
“...You haven’t come to your senses yet. Count, what were you promised in return for this support? What was it?... So, you were promised the throne of this kingdom?”
The Crown Prince's eyes flashed with rage. If that were true, it would be undeniable treason.
“How, how can you say that... No, do you have any evidence? Are you saying you have proof that I said that?”
The Count, who had been looking at the Crown Prince with trembling eyes, came to his senses and stepped away.
It was just a verbal exchange with Byron, and there was no documentation, so it could have been easily dismissed if he had just tried to avoid it.
“There is no evidence, but there are witnesses.”
And the answer came from a strange man standing beside the Crown Prince. Judging by his pale face, he didn't seem to be from the kingdom of Inselkov.
"A witness! Bring him before my eyes. If anyone has actually heard such words!"
"Unfortunately, Princess Weishaffen isn't the type of person who has so much free time. In any case, Your Highness, I've heard that the Princess has certainly heard such things. If you need it later, I'll send you a statement."
The man smiled broadly and conversed with the Crown Prince. The atmosphere was very friendly, but the Count, unable to join in, looked bewildered.
“Princess Weishaffen? I’ve never met anyone like her...”
The Count had also heard rumors about the Duke of Weishaffen of the Peles Empire. Their grandeur had reached his ears, for it had spread beyond the borders.
He heard rumors that the Duke had been desperately searching for his lost daughter, or that he had recently found her...
What on earth is the relationship between that child and the Count?
"How foolish. You didn't know? That among those who came with Byron last year, the Princess of Weishaffen was with them. I heard your idiot son, ignorant of the situation, was caught flirting with the Princess and got beaten up badly. How could you not know something I already knew?"
The Crown Prince clicked his tongue in disappointment.
'There was a Princess among the group that came with Byron, and Gerald was flirting with her...? Seriously?'
The Count gaped at the absurd conclusion. Wasn't the young girl Byron had been carrying around as his "pet" the lost daughter of the Duke of Weishaffen?
And Gerald, who had also realized the same truth, was also incredulous. No wonder the woman he had dismissed as "lowly" was actually a Princess!
"You're quieter now. Then let's have a deep conversation. What crimes could the Count, who so brazenly claimed to be King, be guilty of?"
The Crown Prince crossed his arms and smiled happily.
***
“...Hey, where are you taking this body?”
Suki Insidio banged on the small window connected to the stable and shouted.
This was because she, who had been living in the underground prison of the Duke of Weishaffen's villa for several months, was being dragged away somewhere in a carriage without any explanation.
For someone who was being dragged, the treatment was surprisingly good. The carriage seats were incredibly soft, and they were considerate enough to keep Pumpkin, a cat sensitive to his surroundings, from getting stressed.
“Can’t you answer me right away, you fool!”
Unable to contain her frustration, Suki let out a fit of anger, but unfortunately, there was no response. With a resigned expression, she simply sat on the speeding carriage.
And after a while, the carriage finally arrived at its destination. It was in front of a daunting-looking prison.
“Go in.”
“...”
Overwhelmed by the atmosphere, Suki entered the building without even being able to refute it. Inside, a man with a familiar face was waiting for her.
It was Roderick who had broken through her magic with incredible force and captured her.
“It’s been a while. How is the girl doing?”
“...We’re not close enough to exchange greetings, are we? Of course, my daughter is fine.”
Although Roderick had a cold demeanor, he answered her questions about Aila's well-being obediently.
Anyway, wasn't it thanks to Suki that Aila was safe?
If she had not lifted the curse on Aila, his precious daughter would have lost her life when Byron activated the curse.
“Yeah, I’m glad she's doing well.”
“I caught the man who asked you to cast a curse. He had this... Did you make it for him?”
Roderick asked, placing the locket necklace Byron was holding in front of Suki.
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