Episode 47
âHis Highness the Crown Prince is entering.â
Once Rozen, who had entered last, sat down, the noblesâwho had stood to show their respectsâalso took their seats. After confirming that everyone was present, Rozen gestured with his hand. A barred iron door installed on one side of the courtroom opened, and Reinolf stepped up onto the empty stand.
âLetâs begin the trial.â
The first to speak was Pynens, the one who had stabbed Reinolf. Wearing the Knightsâ uniform, he sat among the Emperorâs faction nobles, in the seat belonging to the Pynens viscountcy. It seemed he was attending in place of his father, the viscount.
âAfter the captain was attacked, the mood in the Order was very bad. While I was training, Sir Reinolf picked a fight with me, and when I ignored him, he drew his sword and stabbed me in the shoulder.â
âSir Reinolf picked a fight first?â
âYes.â
âOther knights testified that you first harassed a palace worker named Ail. Do you deny that?â
âYes. I have never harassed her.â
At Pynensâ brazen words, the handcuffed Reinolfâs hands clenched tightly. Rozen noticed it out of the corner of his eye, then gave Pynens a slight nod, as if telling him to continue.
âWhen I returned after a long time, all I heard about everywhere was Lady Ail. They said she had become prettier, so I just mentioned I was curious. Thatâs all.â
âAnd, âsheâll have a different flavor from a maid,ââ?â
âI never said that.â
At this point, Rozen began wondering where Pynensâ shamelessness came from. More than five knights had testified identically: Pynens harassed Ail, and upon hearing it, Reinolf attacked him. There was no doubt about these testimonies.
Besides, he must know that Marquis Orion had even conducted a thorough investigation of all the maids. So what was giving him the confidence to keep stonewalling like this?
Suppressing his rising suspicions, Rozen looked toward Marquis Orion. Receiving his gaze, the marquis stood.
âAs a result of our full investigation of the maids, twelve testified they had been harassed by Sir Pynens, and more than twenty said they had been directly assaulted. Five admitted to having improper relations with him.â
âNone of that is true.â
âAnd it was also revealed that the judge in charge of Sir Pynensâ trial ten years ago was from a cadet branch of the Pynens viscountcy.â
âThatâs true, but itâs not proof of corruption.â
What is wrong with this guy?
Rozen frowned, watching Pynens counter every one of Marquis Orionâs statements. What exactly was this? Did he have someone powerful backing him? The Pynens family was indeed part of the Emperorâs faction, but they werenât some great house.
Compared to the marquisâ statements, backed by solid evidence, Pynens had no evidence at allâjust repeated denials. Any decision-maker would side with the one presenting proof, yet Pynens looked entirely unshaken.
As Rozen thought hard about who might be backing him, he noticed a noble entering the courtroom late: Count Rev, who had barked loudly during the last meeting but ended up cowed by Rozen.
Come to think of it, I heard recently that the Emperorâs faction nobles were pushing Count Rev as their new leader.
Count Rev leaned toward Pynens, whispered something, then asked the Crown Prince for permission to speak. When Rozen nodded, he rose.
âI investigated the maids mentioned by Marquis Orion. All of them have recent records of receiving under-the-table payments. Here are the transaction details.â
âUnder-the-table payments?â
âYes. This means the maids were paid to give false testimony.â
The ledger he handed over made Rozenâs eyes narrow. It was an official document issued directly by the Imperial Bank, listing in detail the amounts transferred under each maidâs name.
Rozen looked at him, wordlessly requesting an explanation.
âWe obtained this ledger from an anonymous informant and immediately investigated. The person who transferred the money to the maids wasâŠâ
Count Revâs eyes swept across the room. Most nobles met his gaze without flinching.
His gaze stopped at one place.
âCount Poison.â
What?
Rozenâs eyes turned toward Count Poison, seated at the far end. The count showed no surprise, maintaining his usual kindly and serene expression. But when his gaze met the Crown Princeâs, he shook his head slightly, signaling that it wasnât true.
Of course it couldnât be true. Count Poison had been busy lately gathering intelligence on the Ainât Kingdomâs prince throughout the entire empire. He wouldnât have had the time to fabricate something like this.
So theyâre trying to cut off my arms and legs.
This meant someone was exploiting the situation to dismantle the Knights and push Count Poison out. The ledger looked convincing, the testimony sounded convincingâand it came from not some low-ranking noble, but a count.
Even Rozen couldnât dismiss it lightly.
Wondering what to do, Rozen glanced at Marquis Orion, whose face was shadowed with angerâhis pride as head of the Intelligence Bureau clearly wounded.
âSince new evidence has surfaced, the trial will be postponed while we investigate its authenticity.â
With that, Rozen rose from his seat and left the courtroom.
Damn it. Damn it!
The ever-composed Marquis Orion now wore an expression steeped in despair. Unable to contain his frustration, he punched his own thigh.
âThatâll only hurt you, Marquis.â
ââŠYour Highness.â
Entering the Intelligence Bureau office, Rozen clicked his tongue and sat across from him. The marquis couldnât even meet his eyes, his gaze fixed downward.
âAs head of the Intelligence Bureau, I failed to detect such a petty ploy. Iâm sorry.â
âItâs not petty. The fact that it slipped past you means it was carried out with extreme subtletyâlikely with someone above Count Rev involved.â
âAbove Count RevâŠ?â
âWho else? His Majesty the Emperor.â
Rozen sighed deeply.
No wonder things had been quiet lately. I shouldâve known heâd eventually make a move.
The Emperor had delegated full authority to the Crown Prince, but he still disapproved of him. In truth, the transfer of power had not been voluntary; his worsening health had forced his hand. If he had been in good health, he would still be clutching power tightly, keeping his sons in check for fear theyâd steal it.
Although incapable of running the government himself, the Emperor had consistently worked behind the scenes to obstruct Rozen. With Marquis Barrel, his pawn, removed, things had quieted for a while, but now it seemed Count Rev had been positioned to fill the voidâand he was already making moves.
âDid the maids actually receive the money?â
ââŠYes. Money was indeed deposited into their accounts. But they said they had no idea such large sums had been transferred. The bank gave them no notice.â
âTrack down the bank employees who failed to inform them. Put the squeeze on them, and something will turn up. And we have to prove that Count Poison didnât send the moneyâor find out who really did.â
ââŠIâll do my utmost.â
The marquisâ usual calm, smiling demeanor was goneâhe looked dead serious. Never before in his tenure as director of the Intelligence Bureau had his pride taken such a blow. For the sake of restoring that pride, and the Bureauâs prestige, they had to find the true sender.
Seeing his determination, Rozen smiled faintly. With that look in his eyes, there was nothing to worry aboutâwhen Marquis Orion got serious, there was nothing he couldnât uncover. That was why Rozen had placed him in charge.
âThereâs a limit to how long we can postpone Sir Reinolfâs trial. People are already complaining because Narraineâs trial is delayed.â
âIâll move as quickly as possible.â
âGood.â
Rozen rose, patting the marquis on the shoulder.
If the Emperor had personally made a move, then the Crown Prince would have to respond personally as well.
As he left the Intelligence Bureau, the golden light in Rozenâs eyes burned with the same fervor as the marquisâ.
A âClosed Todayâ sign hung on Marianâs bakery. I told her this wasnât something that would take so long that she had to close for a whole day, but she shook her head gravely.
âIf the Intelligence Bureau came to me⊠it means you already know everything.â
âNot everything, but I know the gist.â
I actually knew nothingâand I wasnât even sure if this Marian was that Marianâbut I said it anyway. Iâd seen in dramas that if detectives said something like that, the other party would start spilling the truth.
âHow much do you know?â
But Marian was a cut above those fictional characters. She dulled my senses with delicious bread and drinks, then hit me with that question. I almost lost myself in the buttery aroma before snapping back to my senses.
I had to answer carefully. If she realized I knew nothing, sheâd clam up.
Chewing my butter bread slowly, I thought about how to answer in a way that sounded vague yet suggested I knew everything.
âI know the Imperial Family has been looking for that person.â
That should work. It sounded suitably important.
Her eyes shifted slightly at my reply. I feared she might tell me to leave, so I hurriedly stuffed more bread into my mouth. As I gulped down my juice, I heard her murmur softlyâ
ââŠI knew it.â
Knew it?
I swallowed my bread and waited for her to continue. Which kind of âknew itâ was this? I knew you knew nothing? Or I knew you knew everything?
Judging by what came next, it seemed like the latter.
âThe Intelligence Bureau is impressive. I thought Iâd hidden it well, but you still found everything out.â
Her tone suggested she believed I truly knew it all. She even sighed faintly, as though resignedâher demeanor now was that of someone ready to answer any question I asked.