Chapter 27

Even after listening to the recording, Louise was not convinced.

In the brief silence that followed, her voice came out low and hoarse, laced with a hint of coldness.

“Come in.”

Louise waved a hand towards the back.

A man emerged from the garden, the sound of grass crunching underfoot.

“As a servant of the Empire, I am honored to stand before you. My name is Loren, valet to Lady Marceline.”

He was the very knight named as Laura’s suspected lover.

“Since I’ve heard Prince Malken’s words, it is only right that you be granted an opportunity to speak as well. Explain yourself.”

Loren sank to one knee, bowing deeply.

“It is true I came into contact with Lady Luweiz. However, it was under her direct order, to investigate a smuggling operation within the Empire.”

“Smuggling?”

Louise’s brow twisted sharply.

“Yes, Your Highness. Lady Luweiz received a tip that a ship had docked without submitting an entry declaration. Considering the nature of such crimes, it was feared the culprits might vanish if alerted. Thus, she commanded me—not an imperial knight, but a private retainer—to quietly investigate the matter.”

Loren spoke clearly and methodically, far more composed than Malken.

“The shipowner claimed he had simply mistaken the entry date. Yet upon inspecting the vessel, I noticed its load line was abnormally low despite its cargo manifest being empty. Upon searching, I discovered a substantial quantity of weapons. We also secured evidence that it was ordered by none other than Prince Malken himself.”

And with that, Loren presented a meticulously prepared report.

“…”

A heavy silence fell, pressing down upon Malken. Stumbling backward, the prince pointed a shaking finger.

“Th–That’s a lie! He’s trying to save himself—”

“Enough with your ugly struggles. I’ve uncovered another truth you tried to bury.”

A voice spoke from behind a nearby tree. Esha stepped forth.

Her dress was wrinkled in faint circles, evidence that she had been clenching it tight from tension as she watched from the shadows.

“Forgive the intrusion, Your Highness. I must speak, regardless of its impropriety, and ask for your mercy for doing so.”

“What is it?”

“Bluntly, evidence has been found that the Second Prince attempted to poison Your Highness at the banquet.”

The ingredients meant for the dinner had long been set aside for examination due to the prior incident. Despite being spoiled, traces of poison had been detected.

“The poison used is highly distinctive, making it easy to trace its source and identify the culprit.”

Esha placed the documents she held atop Louise’s own.

“This discovery was made thanks to a hint from Lady Luweiz herself.”

A statement delivered with utmost precision, making sure credit was properly attributed.

“No… This… This can’t be…!” Malken stammered, unable to comprehend.

“As if. Do you have any words for your defense?”

Malken had none.

He had intended to use the chaos of Louise’s death for his own gain. No effort had been made to thoroughly obscure the source of the poison.

“I cherished you as a nephew,” Louise said, voice shaking with betrayal.

“Y–Your Highness! I am innocent! This is a plot! A scheme!” he screamed.

But Louise waved her hand sharply.

“I will not tolerate this.”

The knights restrained the second prince and dragged him away, Malken’s cries ignored by all.

* * *

From the night of the banquet, one thing had remained puzzling.

‘Why was the curse only lifted by 2%?’

Then it came to her.

‘I never received a message saying the civil war had been prevented.’

Only a notice about stopping the poisoning had appeared. Not the usual notifications that came with resolving the associated crisis.

‘That means some part of this matter remained unresolved.’

With further investigation, she discovered the truth — Prince Malken was behind the poisoning.

‘That’s why he didn’t touch the main course… he knew it was poisoned.’

Once she identified the suspect, finding evidence became a matter of routine.

She had Sirin gather the necessary documents.

With the evidence in hand, she went to find Princess Louise.

Why? Because arresting Prince Malken required her cooperation.

“Are you certain? Might you be mistaken? Malken is not that kind of boy,” Louise said, denying it at first.

Although she and her husband had no children of their own, Louise treated her nephews like her own. Among them, she doted especially upon the second prince, a boy always shy and insecure due to his perceived shortcomings.

“I don’t claim to understand Prince Malken,” I responded calmly. “What I do understand is this: numbers do not lie.”

I laid down the bound stack of evidence.

–Report on the Second Prince’s Financial Crimes and Money Laundering Activities–

Though she refused to accept it at first, Louise opened the report and read it again and again. As she flipped each page, her breathing quickened, and her hands shook.

At some point, she noticed I was watching and waved me away.

“Give me a moment… I need to be alone.”

A proud woman like her refused to openly acknowledge the sting of betrayal.

I left the room quietly, understanding and respecting that.

‘I wondered if she might try to cover up a scandal involving a boy she treated like her own son…’

But to my surprise:

“I will reveal the whole truth. Everyone involved will be punished accordingly, no exceptions!” Louise announced sharply.

Though she refused to watch as the second prince was dragged away, the betrayal and pain twisted deep within her nonetheless.

Time might soothe the sting of betrayal, but that was a matter for later — one I had no right to interfere with.

‘That’s enough for now.’

What mattered was that the crisis had been averted.

Then came the flood of messages.

–You have prevented Princess Louise’s death and earned her favor.
–You have prevented the civil war in Mortum.
–The death toll in the civil war has been reduced to 0.
–Relations between Mortum and the Empire have been preserved.
–You have prevented a stock market crash and the resulting suicides.

‘That was unexpected.’

Then came another line:

–History has taken a new turn.
–Based on your contribution, the curse of Oblivion has weakened by 27%.

Final total: 27%. An 11% gain from this endeavor.

Then came an even stranger reward:

–One person’s memories have been fully restored.
–One person’s memories have been fully restored.

“Why twice?” I wondered aloud.

Perhaps it was an error. But the next line came swiftly:

–The god Ludina confirms that the gods do not make errors.

‘Then that means… two people have regained their memories.’

And one of them was…

“Lo… ra?”

I didn’t need to confirm. The way Esha was looking at me, with misted eyes and a quiver in her nose, said it all.