It was a really great story.
Matteo couldn't share such a great and immense secret with the mere Crown Prince.
No, he regretted joining hands with that kid in the first place.
Matteo immediately requested an audience with the Emperor.
Normally, it would have taken more than a month for the Count's request for an audience to be accepted, but Matteo was able to see the Emperor just two days after sending the message.
That's because the value of the information he had was enormous.
“Long time no see, Count of Blois.”
The Emperor greeted Enoch with a seemingly relaxed attitude.
In fact, he was so desperate that he ran out with only his shoes on and his bare feet.
“I have received your audience so unusually quickly, for I have some very surprising news.”
"Yes."
Thanks to that stupid Crown Prince, Matteo also found out that Velvet's descendants were alive, and he was able to plan to use that against the Emperor.
“Why is father so distracted that he doesn’t even notice that bastard Killian running wild?”
“Are you losing your mind?”
“I don’t know the details either. I was told I had to find a guy named Adrian.”
“Adrian...”
It wasn't difficult to figure out that the Adrian Lucius that had mentioned was the last descendant of Velvet.
“So tell me in detail what happened.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Matteo told him about how he met a man named Billy and how he used to hang out with Adrian when he was younger.
“But one day, Count Sinope took Adrian away.”
“Count Sinope... you traitor! I knew it.”
The Emperor clenched his fists and trembled at the betrayal of his trusted vassal.
“So where is that kid now?”
“You would probably be very surprised to know. Your Majesty knows him, too.”
“Someone I know?”
The Emperor frowned and asked.
“Don’t hesitate and tell me who that person is right now.”
The more the Emperor became impatient, the more cheerful Enoch became.
“Marquis Killian Starr. That is Adrian Velvet.”
"What?"
The Emperor suddenly couldn't remember who Killian Starr, the Count of Blois, was talking about. It was such a shock that he thought his brain had made a mistake.
"Billy pinpointed Killian's photo. It was Adrian he used to hang out with when he was younger."
The Emperor, who had regained consciousness, expressed his anger by making the veins on his temples stand out.
“Damn it! You didn’t even know that kid was going to be acting like that in front of me all this time?”
“I can’t tell you how surprised I was when I first found out about this.”
Enoch put his hand over his heart and made a sad expression.
“Yeah, so that’s why he married Count Sinope’s daughter! Damn it.”
The Emperor jumped up and started walking around the same spot in a daze.
“We need to deal with this immediately. Right now.”
However, Killian was not only the most powerful mafia boss in the empire, but also a Marquis who had paid off his debt to the palace.
It's become too big to touch now.
Ten years ago, the Emperor received reports of a sighting of 'Adrian Velvet'.
He immediately searched the alley where Adrian had appeared, but he had already disappeared.
From then on, the Emperor began to suspect Count Sinope.
“Count, are you sure you killed Adrian during the hunting festival?”
“Yes, Your Majesty, you certainly did not check the child’s body.”
Still, he was concerned that he hadn't properly verified whether the body was really Adrian.
As time passed, his suspicions grew, and the Emperor became increasingly overcome with feelings of betrayal and anger.
“You ungrateful bastard. How dare you deceive me?”
Originally, he had intended to strengthen the alliance by forming a relationship with Count Sinope, who had killed Velvet's descendants.
However, since he thought that Count Sinope would not have followed his orders, it was dubious to make his daughter the Crown Princess.
The Emperor, who thought that Adrian might have been hidden in the Sinope territory, ordered the Duke of Sadie to investigate whether there were any suspicious persons.
"He's probably around seventeen. He has black hair and gray eyes. If you see a boy with a similar appearance in the Sinope territory, report immediately."
Charles went to the Sinope territory without knowing who the Emperor was looking for.
A few weeks after ordering the investigation, Charles reported that there was no one in the Sinope estate looking for him.
“If that’s the case, then that’s fortunate...”
Until then, the Emperor had been thinking that he was misunderstanding someone and was going to let his suspicions go.
But soon after, he learned that the Duke of Sadie had sent a marriage proposal to Lady Sinope.
“Damn it—damn it! I almost got fooled by them again!”
Because the throne was originally usurped by the Duke of Velvet, Emperor Manfredi's paranoia was severe.
He believed that Charles had submitted a false report to protect the House of Sinope because he was in love with the Lady of Sinope.
'I must completely destroy the Sinope family.'
Then, he thought, he could punish Count Sinope for disobeying his orders, break off the engagement with Charles, and with their family ruined, they would no longer be able to protect Adrian.
'Then Adrian's whereabouts will appear on their own. If he's alive...'
Even if his suspicions were not true and Count Sinope really did kill Adrian, it was not his fault.
It was just that Count Sinope was unlucky.
“But are you really saying that the Count disobeyed my orders?”
The Emperor gritted his teeth and muttered in a low voice.
It's not as if the Duke of Sadie knew about Adrian's existence and pretended not to know. If he did, he wouldn't have allowed him to marry Emily.
'Yes, I can't lose Duke Sadie.'
The Emperor, who had few trustworthy loyalists, wanted to trust only the Duke of Sadie until the end.
“Your Majesty, are you alright?”
When the Emperor heard the Count of Blois's voice, his senses returned, and he looked at the Count with anxious eyes.
“Now the Count knows that I tried to kill Adrian Velvet.”
"Your Majesty, I have always believed that the Manfredi family should inherit the throne. Don't you understand my loyalty?"
“How can I believe what you say?”
“If you permit me, I will kill Marquis Starr myself.”
The Count of Blois knelt down on one knee and continued speaking faithfully.
“Instead, I would like to make a deal with Your Majesty.”
That was more believable than talking about loyalty.
“What is that?”
"I only ask for one thing. If any illegal activity is discovered in connection with my future business ventures, please ensure that neither my organization or me are investigated."
The Emperor frowned at the suggestion, which he could not understand.
“I know the Blois family only has land profits and mining investment profits, so what do you mean by business?”
“Your Majesty, do you know about the Giuliano Organization?”
“Do you think I, the Emperor, wouldn’t know about the mafia organization?”
They were low-class outlaws like the mafia, people he didn't want to associate with.
He doesn't know how many people laughed at him for paying off the palace's debt with mafia money and even giving the boss a marquisate.
'If I had known it was Adrian's money, I would never have borrowed it!'
No, he would have destroyed it before.
"Please forgive me for daring to say this. With the current imperial power, it is absolutely impossible to destroy the Starr organization."
It was frustrating, but it was true.
“...Please continue speaking.”
“But if we borrow the power of other mafia organizations, things might go a little easier.”
“Which other mafia organization are you talking about?”
"It's the Giuliano Organization. It's much older and more powerful than the Starr Organization."
Upon hearing those words, the Emperor narrowed his eyes and examined the Count of Blois's face.
"The Count of Blois seems quite unfamiliar today. What is your true identity?"
Enoch looked up at the Emperor and opened his mouth solemnly.
“I could tell you who I am, but I need you to promise me that you will join hands with me.”
“Now that I’ve come to this, there’s no reason not to join hands with you, right?”
The Emperor smiled kindly, as if to reassure him. The Emperor wasn't exactly trustworthy, but Enoch was already in a predicament.
He confessed his identity in a firm and serious tone, different from what he had shown before.
“Actually, I am Matteo, the boss of the Giuliano organization.”
"...What?"
To be honest, the Emperor was more surprised that Killian was a mafia boss than that he was Adrian Velvet.
“Haha, Count, that’s a bit much. Are you expecting me to believe that now?”
Enoch Blois got up from the floor and pulled out the shirt he had tucked into his pants.
As he parted his shirt and trousers, a jaguar tattoo on his pubic bone was revealed.
“Why would I lie, Your Majesty?”
“This is...”
It was a tattoo symbolizing the Giuliano organization.
The dye used by the mafia organization is a dye containing special drugs that cannot be used by ordinary people, and it has a mysterious glow, making it clearly different from other tattoos.
The confused Emperor remained silent for a moment, needing a moment to gather his thoughts.
“Come to think of it, are you coveting the position of Marquis and wanting to kill him?”
“It was originally my place.”
The area occupied by the Starr organization and the position of Chairman of the Committee held by Killian were both supposed to be his.
Enoch neatly tucked his shirt back into his trousers and straightened his clothes.
“In any case, if Your Majesty will protect the business of the Giuliano Organization, I will eliminate this objectionable being without a single drop of blood on Your Majesty’s hands.”
“Hmm...”
After a while, the Emperor gave his permission.
“Yes, Count of Blois. Let’s give it a try.”
A color came to Enoch's face.
“Thank you for trusting me with your work.”
“Instead, there should be no failure.”
“Yes, don’t worry.”
After greeting the Emperor and leaving the audience room, the Count of Blois walked out of the palace with an elated expression.
It's finally time to deal with that Killian guy properly.
Matteo couldn't share such a great and immense secret with the mere Crown Prince.
No, he regretted joining hands with that kid in the first place.
Matteo immediately requested an audience with the Emperor.
Normally, it would have taken more than a month for the Count's request for an audience to be accepted, but Matteo was able to see the Emperor just two days after sending the message.
That's because the value of the information he had was enormous.
“Long time no see, Count of Blois.”
The Emperor greeted Enoch with a seemingly relaxed attitude.
In fact, he was so desperate that he ran out with only his shoes on and his bare feet.
“I have received your audience so unusually quickly, for I have some very surprising news.”
"Yes."
Thanks to that stupid Crown Prince, Matteo also found out that Velvet's descendants were alive, and he was able to plan to use that against the Emperor.
“Why is father so distracted that he doesn’t even notice that bastard Killian running wild?”
“Are you losing your mind?”
“I don’t know the details either. I was told I had to find a guy named Adrian.”
“Adrian...”
It wasn't difficult to figure out that the Adrian Lucius that had mentioned was the last descendant of Velvet.
“So tell me in detail what happened.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Matteo told him about how he met a man named Billy and how he used to hang out with Adrian when he was younger.
“But one day, Count Sinope took Adrian away.”
“Count Sinope... you traitor! I knew it.”
The Emperor clenched his fists and trembled at the betrayal of his trusted vassal.
“So where is that kid now?”
“You would probably be very surprised to know. Your Majesty knows him, too.”
“Someone I know?”
The Emperor frowned and asked.
“Don’t hesitate and tell me who that person is right now.”
The more the Emperor became impatient, the more cheerful Enoch became.
“Marquis Killian Starr. That is Adrian Velvet.”
"What?"
The Emperor suddenly couldn't remember who Killian Starr, the Count of Blois, was talking about. It was such a shock that he thought his brain had made a mistake.
"Billy pinpointed Killian's photo. It was Adrian he used to hang out with when he was younger."
The Emperor, who had regained consciousness, expressed his anger by making the veins on his temples stand out.
“Damn it! You didn’t even know that kid was going to be acting like that in front of me all this time?”
“I can’t tell you how surprised I was when I first found out about this.”
Enoch put his hand over his heart and made a sad expression.
“Yeah, so that’s why he married Count Sinope’s daughter! Damn it.”
The Emperor jumped up and started walking around the same spot in a daze.
“We need to deal with this immediately. Right now.”
However, Killian was not only the most powerful mafia boss in the empire, but also a Marquis who had paid off his debt to the palace.
It's become too big to touch now.
***
Ten years ago, the Emperor received reports of a sighting of 'Adrian Velvet'.
He immediately searched the alley where Adrian had appeared, but he had already disappeared.
From then on, the Emperor began to suspect Count Sinope.
“Count, are you sure you killed Adrian during the hunting festival?”
“Yes, Your Majesty, you certainly did not check the child’s body.”
Still, he was concerned that he hadn't properly verified whether the body was really Adrian.
As time passed, his suspicions grew, and the Emperor became increasingly overcome with feelings of betrayal and anger.
“You ungrateful bastard. How dare you deceive me?”
Originally, he had intended to strengthen the alliance by forming a relationship with Count Sinope, who had killed Velvet's descendants.
However, since he thought that Count Sinope would not have followed his orders, it was dubious to make his daughter the Crown Princess.
The Emperor, who thought that Adrian might have been hidden in the Sinope territory, ordered the Duke of Sadie to investigate whether there were any suspicious persons.
"He's probably around seventeen. He has black hair and gray eyes. If you see a boy with a similar appearance in the Sinope territory, report immediately."
Charles went to the Sinope territory without knowing who the Emperor was looking for.
A few weeks after ordering the investigation, Charles reported that there was no one in the Sinope estate looking for him.
“If that’s the case, then that’s fortunate...”
Until then, the Emperor had been thinking that he was misunderstanding someone and was going to let his suspicions go.
But soon after, he learned that the Duke of Sadie had sent a marriage proposal to Lady Sinope.
“Damn it—damn it! I almost got fooled by them again!”
Because the throne was originally usurped by the Duke of Velvet, Emperor Manfredi's paranoia was severe.
He believed that Charles had submitted a false report to protect the House of Sinope because he was in love with the Lady of Sinope.
'I must completely destroy the Sinope family.'
Then, he thought, he could punish Count Sinope for disobeying his orders, break off the engagement with Charles, and with their family ruined, they would no longer be able to protect Adrian.
'Then Adrian's whereabouts will appear on their own. If he's alive...'
Even if his suspicions were not true and Count Sinope really did kill Adrian, it was not his fault.
It was just that Count Sinope was unlucky.
***
“But are you really saying that the Count disobeyed my orders?”
The Emperor gritted his teeth and muttered in a low voice.
It's not as if the Duke of Sadie knew about Adrian's existence and pretended not to know. If he did, he wouldn't have allowed him to marry Emily.
'Yes, I can't lose Duke Sadie.'
The Emperor, who had few trustworthy loyalists, wanted to trust only the Duke of Sadie until the end.
“Your Majesty, are you alright?”
When the Emperor heard the Count of Blois's voice, his senses returned, and he looked at the Count with anxious eyes.
“Now the Count knows that I tried to kill Adrian Velvet.”
"Your Majesty, I have always believed that the Manfredi family should inherit the throne. Don't you understand my loyalty?"
“How can I believe what you say?”
“If you permit me, I will kill Marquis Starr myself.”
The Count of Blois knelt down on one knee and continued speaking faithfully.
“Instead, I would like to make a deal with Your Majesty.”
That was more believable than talking about loyalty.
“What is that?”
"I only ask for one thing. If any illegal activity is discovered in connection with my future business ventures, please ensure that neither my organization or me are investigated."
The Emperor frowned at the suggestion, which he could not understand.
“I know the Blois family only has land profits and mining investment profits, so what do you mean by business?”
“Your Majesty, do you know about the Giuliano Organization?”
“Do you think I, the Emperor, wouldn’t know about the mafia organization?”
They were low-class outlaws like the mafia, people he didn't want to associate with.
He doesn't know how many people laughed at him for paying off the palace's debt with mafia money and even giving the boss a marquisate.
'If I had known it was Adrian's money, I would never have borrowed it!'
No, he would have destroyed it before.
"Please forgive me for daring to say this. With the current imperial power, it is absolutely impossible to destroy the Starr organization."
It was frustrating, but it was true.
“...Please continue speaking.”
“But if we borrow the power of other mafia organizations, things might go a little easier.”
“Which other mafia organization are you talking about?”
"It's the Giuliano Organization. It's much older and more powerful than the Starr Organization."
Upon hearing those words, the Emperor narrowed his eyes and examined the Count of Blois's face.
"The Count of Blois seems quite unfamiliar today. What is your true identity?"
Enoch looked up at the Emperor and opened his mouth solemnly.
“I could tell you who I am, but I need you to promise me that you will join hands with me.”
“Now that I’ve come to this, there’s no reason not to join hands with you, right?”
The Emperor smiled kindly, as if to reassure him. The Emperor wasn't exactly trustworthy, but Enoch was already in a predicament.
He confessed his identity in a firm and serious tone, different from what he had shown before.
“Actually, I am Matteo, the boss of the Giuliano organization.”
"...What?"
To be honest, the Emperor was more surprised that Killian was a mafia boss than that he was Adrian Velvet.
“Haha, Count, that’s a bit much. Are you expecting me to believe that now?”
Enoch Blois got up from the floor and pulled out the shirt he had tucked into his pants.
As he parted his shirt and trousers, a jaguar tattoo on his pubic bone was revealed.
“Why would I lie, Your Majesty?”
“This is...”
It was a tattoo symbolizing the Giuliano organization.
The dye used by the mafia organization is a dye containing special drugs that cannot be used by ordinary people, and it has a mysterious glow, making it clearly different from other tattoos.
The confused Emperor remained silent for a moment, needing a moment to gather his thoughts.
“Come to think of it, are you coveting the position of Marquis and wanting to kill him?”
“It was originally my place.”
The area occupied by the Starr organization and the position of Chairman of the Committee held by Killian were both supposed to be his.
Enoch neatly tucked his shirt back into his trousers and straightened his clothes.
“In any case, if Your Majesty will protect the business of the Giuliano Organization, I will eliminate this objectionable being without a single drop of blood on Your Majesty’s hands.”
“Hmm...”
After a while, the Emperor gave his permission.
“Yes, Count of Blois. Let’s give it a try.”
A color came to Enoch's face.
“Thank you for trusting me with your work.”
“Instead, there should be no failure.”
“Yes, don’t worry.”
After greeting the Emperor and leaving the audience room, the Count of Blois walked out of the palace with an elated expression.
It's finally time to deal with that Killian guy properly.
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