Chapter 35
As Arin and Deneve descended from the carriage at the Imperial Court, a personal attendant of the Emperor approached them carefully.
“Lord Altair, His Majesty requests your presence in private.”
At the attendant’s words, Deneve’s eyes coldly narrowed.
“Arin, go ahead.”
“…Yes.”
Having won the trial and planning to thoroughly take advantage of the Imperial Family, both Arin and Deneve immediately sensed that their plans had been interrupted by the sudden appearance of the attendant. They frowned deeply. The attendant shrank back, clearly feeling the overwhelming pressure.
“Why aren’t you guiding us?”
At Deneve’s annoyed gesture, the attendant quickly started leading the way.
True to the strongest nation in the Cosmos continent, the path to the audience hall was adorned with rare artworks and plants. They passed through a grand garden filled with towering trees and arrived at the golden-decorated Emperorās audience hall.
When the attendant informed the inner chambers that Deneve had arrived, the heavy door opened smoothly. Deneve stepped in with a brisk pace and greeted with a cold and calm voice.
“I greet the sun of the Empire.”
Although the greeting was formal, Deneve’s attitude was far from that of someone addressing the ruler of an empire. A palpable tension lingered between the two.
“…Raise your head.”
“…”
“Itās been a long time since we last met. Iām glad you are unharmed.”
“I am deeply moved, Your Majesty.”
“…As expected, I called you because of Asilla. This morning, she left a will and took her own life.”
Deneve had anticipated that things wouldnāt go as planned, but this was a ridiculous piece of news.
When the Emperor nodded, the attendant handed over the will to Deneve. He looked at it with an impassive expression.
The will was summarized as follows: “I sought to earn the love of the late Duke, but could not; in my desire for attention, I plotted, but never expected it to escalate so far. I beg for forgiveness with my death.”
The clever wording blaming the Altair family made Deneve smirk inwardly. Asilla was not the type of person to leave such a will. If she were the culprit, she might have cursed and screamed, but this was far from her usual nature.
Deneve quickly realized that her death had been a murder disguised as suicide. She had been kept captive for a month, and now that she was dead, it was likely done to divert suspicion, waiting for the right moment when there would be many potential suspects. This was the Imperial Familyās trick to escape using Asilla as a shield.
“Just to be sure, we compared the handwriting using magic, and it matched Asillaās. Since the person responsible for the crime has passed, the Imperial Family will provide compensation, and we will announce her crimes publicly.”
While the common people, uninterested in the political factions, would not understand, the nobles who knew the situation well would surely have questions after seeing this will and judgment. No one could deny that it was a blatant attempt to sway the public opinion in favor of the Emperor.
Deneveās eyes narrowed, gleaming like a predator before the hunt.
“If the true culprit is revealed, I agree with your conclusion.”
After receiving what was essentially an announcement rather than an invitation, Deneve stepped out of the audience hall, his face devoid of any emotion, leaving a chilling impression. His appearance and cold aura caused everyone passing by to stiffen, averting their gaze.
“This canāt be let go so easily.”
He muttered through gritted teeth as he entered the courtroom.
When Deneve was called by the Emperor, Arin found herself sitting alone in the courtroom, confused. Somehow, a few individuals recognized her and tried to engage in conversation.
Most of them seemed to expect that they would receive titles as a result of the trial, and asked whether she would be leaving the Duke’s estate to become independent. With a mask of politeness, she smiled and answered vaguely.
While passing the time aimlessly, the door to the courtroom opened, and Deneve entered, looking troubled. He was clearly displeased by something.
Arin felt an unusual intensity in his gaze, one that felt unusually sharp today. As his eyes drilled into her, she thought, “Did I do something wrong?” At that moment, the group of nobles surrounding her suddenly scattered.
She was about to speak to Deneve, who had sat beside her, but the solemn expression of a middle-aged man entering the center of the room made her stop. The man had the same golden hair and blue eyes as Respawn, and he was none other than the Emperor of Procyon. Everyone greeted him respectfully.
“I greet the sun of the Empire.”
The Emperorās eyes gently swept over the room.
“Raise your head.”
As Arin lifted her head, she felt as though her eyes briefly met the Emperorās.
āNo way. Why would the Emperor be staring at me?ā
The Emperor strode confidently to the highest seat in the courtroom and announced in a deep, powerful voice.
“This trial was to determine the culprit behind the insect infestation… However, the suspect Asilla was found dead earlier today, having taken her own life. She left behind a confession in her will, so it seems the culprit is confirmed as Asilla.”
The murmurs among the attending nobles quieted slightly as the Emperor continued.
“Although she was my blood relative, I have no intention of letting this go unpunished. Asilla will be erased from the history of the Procyon Imperial Family.”
Erasing her from the history of the Imperial Family meant that she would no longer be recognized as a member of it, and future generations would not even know she had ever existed.
“Additionally, as compensation for the losses, I will reduce the tax rate owed to the Imperial Family by 5% for the next six months.”
While those who suffered less were intrigued by the tax reduction, the faces of the nobles from regions like Altair, who had suffered heavily, darkened. Amidst the intense atmosphere of negotiation, Deneveās voice, mixed with charisma, easily dominated the room.
“The 5% tax reduction is a disadvantage to the regions like Altair, which suffered greatly.”
Some of the lords, secretly supporting Deneve, internally cheered him on. Meanwhile, those who thought the tax adjustment would still benefit them looked slightly uncomfortable.
“I believe it is only fair to provide differential adjustments,” Deneve continued.
The Emperor stared at Deneve for a moment before nodding.
“Very well. The tax rate will be reduced by 7% for regions that suffered the most, and by 3% for others. The final decision will be made at the Council of Elders after the banquet.”
The Emperor signaled the courtroom official, who began reading the judgment.
“This case regarding the insect infestation…”
Arin stifled a yawn, thinking how unnecessary it was to go around in circles. The Emperor could have just stated that Asilla was the culprit and that the Imperial Family would provide compensation.
“…Are there any objections?”
This was a mere formality, and Deneve, with a sly smile, stood up.
“Although the culprit has been caught, we have yet to capture those who helped make this glass vial. Youāre calling this the conclusion… donāt you think, Your Majesty?”
The Emperorās gaze fixed on the black-capped glass vial Deneve was holding. His teeth clenched as he realized that Deneve had turned the tables.
Deneve couldnāt let this matter slide. While the Emperorās guilt over Asillaās death could no longer be exposed, he believed a few of the Emperor’s cronies responsible for the creation of this vial would soon meet their demise.
In response to Deneveās sudden statement, the Emperor reluctantly acknowledged that he would have to sacrifice a few of his allies. What was almost a simple conclusion was prolonged by Deneve’s maneuvering.
By 4 PM, the lengthy āfirstā trial finally ended. The reason it was called the āfirstā trial was that Deneve and the victims who sided with him kept challenging every word from those trying to wrap things up.
Those on Deneve’s side were mostly southern lords who had suffered the most, and whether it was coincidence or not, the majority belonged to the faction opposed to the Emperor.
Arin briefly wondered if the Imperial Familyās handling of the insect infestation was an attempt to eliminate both the noble faction and the Altair family. If it were true, it was chilling. She rubbed her arms and looked at Deneve.
Deneve, noticing her gaze, lazily asked, “What?”
His casual head tilt was undeniably arrogant. Arin, recalling how impressive he had been in the courtroom, decided to let it go for now.
“Nothing. I just thought, you got what you wanted in the end.”
The things Deneve had gained by stirring up the noble faction were, indeed, quite significant in Arinās view.
First, he managed to lower the tax rate by nearly 7%. Second, he had managed to distinguish between allies and enemies. Third, by prolonging a trial that was nearly concluded, he had caused the Emperor to lose his composure and eliminated some of his subordinates.
“It was easier than I thought. I never expected theyād bring up the tax issue first…”
As soon as Deneve climbed into the carriage to return to the capital mansion, he had already shed the tight formal attire that had been weighing him down. Now, leaning back on the sofa like a satisfied lion, a seductive aura of manipulation surrounded him.
“Since the other regions couldnāt completely wipe out the pests, the demand for insecticide and anti-inflammatory medicine will skyrocket. The more the taxes are reduced, the better it will be for us.”
His face exuded pure malice. Arin couldnāt shake the feeling that the Emperor would eventually be thoroughly stripped of his power.
