Episode 91. The Rift
At the same time, in the Empress's chambers, Empress Isadora sat on the sofa. She was lost in thought, oblivious to the fact that the tea prepared earlier was growing cold. The Empress, aware of this, drank the cold tea anyway.
The door opened, and Beatrice, the Head Lady-in-Chief, entered. Someone followed her in. The Empress turned her head. It was a woman who appeared to be in her mid-twenties. She was dressed in a lady-in-waiting's uniform, but judging by the numerous scars on her hands, the Empress instinctively knew she was a swordsman.
Her build was solid. For a lady-in-waiting, she had broad shoulders and large hands. Her hair was swept to one side, covering half of the left side of her face. Through the strands of hair, a scar was visible. An old scar stretched from her chin to her cheek. It looked as though it had healed quite some time ago, yet it remained vivid.
The woman bowed her head before the Empress.
"Your Majesty, this is the child Duke Kreuz spoke of back then. Her name is Erika."
The Empress looked at Erika. Erika remained motionless with her head bowed. Her posture was perfectly upright. It was a gesture that felt more like a knight than a lady-in-waiting.
"Raise your head."
Erika raised her head. Their eyes met. Erika's gaze did not waver. She looked straight ahead without ever lowering her eyes in front of the Empress. The Empress looked into those eyes.
"Beatrice. Does this child know how to wield a sword?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. She is a child capable of doing whatever You require."
The Empress looked at Erika again. Erika spoke.
"I know how to use it."
Her voice was low and dry. It was unadorned. The Empress glanced at Erika's scar once, then looked away. Good.
Just as the Empress was about to rise from her seat, the door opened again. It was Karl Ernst. The Captain of the Empress's Guard. As he entered, he glanced at Erika once, then bowed to the Empress.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report."
The Empress dismissed Erika and Beatrice. The two left, and the door closed. Karl Ernst said.
"The Inspector of the Golden Lion Merchant Guild has been appointed."
The Empress said.
"Didn't the Crown Prince say he would handle it himself?"
"His Majesty the Emperor has appointed someone else."
The Empress looked at Karl Ernst.
"Who?"
"Leon Ashford."
"That damned Majesty, he finally..."
The Empress's face hardened. A breeze blew past the window. The curtains swayed. The Empress turned her gaze back toward the window. Her eyes were cold.
At the same time, the Crown Prince knocked on the door of the Emperor's office.
"Come in."
Pierre stepped inside. The Emperor was sitting at his desk, looking at documents. He did not lift his head. Pierre stood there bowing respectfully.
"Your Majesty."
"Speak."
The Emperor spoke without lifting his eyes from the documents. Pierre spoke.
"I am referring to the appointment of the Inspector of the Golden Lion Merchant Guild."
"Yes."
"I have stated that I would take on the role myself."
"I know."
The Emperor turned the page. Pierre waited a beat and spoke again.
"By the way, I heard the news that Prince Leon Ashford has been appointed."
"That is correct."
"Your Majesty."
Pierre spoke in a slightly lower tone.
"There was a reason I said I would handle it myself. This matter involves members of the Imperial family, so too much exposure to the outside world would be detrimental to the Imperial family's reputation..."
"Pierre."
The Emperor looked at his son as he put down the documents.
"Is Leon Ashford an outsider?"
Pierre remained silent.
"Are you asking if my person is an outsider?"
"That was not what I meant, Your Majesty."
"Then what do you mean?"
The Emperor picked up the documents again. Pierre took a deep breath as he looked at them. He had to persuade his father somehow. This was a task he had to handle.
"Your Majesty, I intended to restore the Imperial family's trust by handling this matter personally. I believed it was my duty as the Crown Prince to personally rectify the wrongs committed by the Duke of Kreuz and the Golden Lion Merchant Guild."
The Emperor spoke while looking at the documents.
"That is a good idea."
"In that case..."
"So I entrusted it to Leon Ashford."
Pierre's gaze changed. The Emperor closed the documents and looked at his son. His eyes were cold. There was no warmth.
"It is fine to achieve merit as the Crown Prince, but I have judged that you are not yet ready from my perspective. Lately, you seem to be blindly obsessed with achieving success. Do you covet this position?"
"Your Majesty."
"It is fine."
The Emperor picked up the documents again. Pierre looked at them. It was fine. Just two words. It meant he would not speak any further. Hearing those two words, Pierre felt something boiling inside him. He tried to suppress it. He did. He tried to suppress it.
"Father."
The voice changed. The Emperor lifted his eyes from the documents. Pierre spoke.
"Before I am the Crown Prince, I am your son."
"I know. We look alike, don't we? When you get old, you will be like me."
"Does your son achieving success threaten your position? Is that why you look at my feelings through tinted glasses? Are you turning a blind eye to my heart?"
"It is not turning a blind eye."
"Then what is it?"
Pierre's voice rose. The Emperor looked at his son. Pierre realized his voice had grown louder. He knew it, yet he could not stop. His fists trembled, and he clenched them tightly.
"I tried to handle this matter for Mother's sake. I intended to personally prevent the disgrace of the Imperial Family from leaking out."
"..."
"But Your Majesty, do you not trust me?"
The office fell silent. The Emperor looked at Pierre. His gaze was cold. He was not surprised. He was not angry. He simply looked. It was not the look of a son. It was the look of an Emperor looking at the Crown Prince.
"Crown Prince."
"Yes."
"You said it was for Mother."
"That is correct."
The Emperor spoke as he slowly and neatly arranged the documents.
"Whether it is for Mother or for yourself."
Pierre froze.
"Come back after you have clearly figured that out first. This is why I granted Leon the authority to inspect. Do you understand?"
That was all Pierre could not say a word. The Emperor, despite Pierre calling him 'Father,' continued to address him only as 'Crown Prince' until the very end. Then, as if nothing had happened, the Emperor picked up the documents again. This time, it was truly the end. Pierre knew it. He bowed respectfully and left the office. The door closed.
Pierre walked slowly down the corridor, replaying the conversation in his mind. The attendants stood at a distance.
"Is it for Mother? Or for yourself? Find out the answer clearly first, and then come back."
"I know, Father. That it is not for Mother, but for me. But trying to hide it from you has caused a rift today."
Pierre stopped in his tracks. There was a window at the end of the palace corridor. The sun was setting. A long red light stretched across the corridor floor. Pierre looked at it and thought. Leon Ashford. What did it mean that Father had put him at the forefront? Does it mean that I am the one to achieve merit for myself, while he is the one devoted to the Empire? Does he mean I must step over him to rise to be recognized as the true Crown Prince? How ridiculous I am. What a mess.
Pierre started walking again. His expression had returned to its usual gentle tone. It was not the same face that had crumbled in the office earlier. Fine. Then I'll show you. I'll properly show you that bastard Leon, who clashes with me at every turn, is a man who can't accomplish a single thing right.
The Duke of Ashford, Leon's study.
Leon spread out some documents on the table. They were materials he and Serena had prepared. They were thick. As soon as he opened them, something caught his eye. Handwritten notes by Serena were attached here and there. The flow of funds in the Valois estate, the embezzlement routes through Felix Holm, and even the financial status of the two families, Werner and Strauss. It was meticulous. Nothing was left out.
Siegfried, who had been looking at the documents beside him, said.
"Did you prepare this with the Princess of Valois?"
"Yes."
"When will you ever finish all of this?"
Leon did not answer. He turned the page. There was a memo on the next page as well. It outlined the estimated flow of funds for the Golden Lion Merchant Guild. Confirmed items and those requiring verification were distinguished by different colors. Siegfried said.
"Young Master, this part right here."
Leon looked at where Siegfried was pointing. If the embezzlement route was confirmed, the Golden Lion Merchant Guild's ledger could be opened. Once the ledger was opened, the rest would be revealed inside. Funds flowing into the Duke of Kreuz's household, money siphoned off to the Empress's quarters, and the costs incurred for purchasing gunpowder. All the evidence had been collected in chronological order. If he were to present this evidence from beginning to end... Leon thought as he closed the document.
"Siegfried."
"Yes."
"I am leaving early tomorrow morning. I need to meet with the Duke of Kreuz first."
Siegfried nodded and said.
"Understood."
"But, Young Master."
Leon looked at Siegfried. Siegfried spoke while reviewing the documents one more time.
"Did you thank Princess Valois?"
Leon looked at Siegfried. Siegfried looked straight ahead with an indifferent expression. Leon lowered his gaze back to the papers and said.
"I did."
"When?"
"At the Imperial Palace."
Siegfried nodded.
"I see."
A brief silence followed.
"Young Master, in my opinion, you could do it one more time."
Leon looked at Siegfried. Siegfried still avoided Leon's gaze, looking straight ahead. Leon said nothing and picked up the documents in front of him.
"Go get some sleep."
[Siegfried's Secret Shock Journal - Episode 91]
Today, the Young Master spent the entire day in the study. He brought in evidence he had organized with Princess Serena, and it amounted to almost several volumes of law books. It was massive.
He says he is going straight to the Kreuz ducal estate tomorrow morning, but uh... this... I'm dealing with these documents for the first time, and you're telling me to stay up all night reviewing them all? When am I supposed to sleep?!
Please pay some attention to the welfare of the employees...
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