TRETTHD 51

#51. Was This Your Doing?

Khalid answered her firm words with a voice tinged with laughter.

“Seems I’m enjoying this just as much as you are. Who would’ve thought we’d see such a day in our lifetime?”

For Raul, who always thought himself above the Second Prince, to be utterly humiliated without being able to resist—

The sight was downright laughable.

“Today, all you need to do is keep looking surprised.”

“That, I can do well,” Belia replied cheerfully.

“When I heard Raul was heading there, I moved right away. He won’t have noticed a thing.”

To keep him from predicting their movements, they had been visiting the casino irregularly for some time.

Sometimes Raul was there, sometimes not—but they didn’t care. They simply enjoyed themselves together and left.

All of it had been for this one day when he’d let his guard down.

“…His vigilance kept crumbling, and today he headed straight there—never suspecting we had laid a trap.”

Raul must have even received reports that they had gone to the villa on the outskirts of the capital. No doubt he relaxed at that.

Khalid stroked his jaw, his eyes flashing sharply.

“I’ve planted a few people to spread rumors. It won’t be easy for him to silence every mouth.”

Belia had a strong premonition that everything would go smoothly.

The carriage sped forward, then gradually slowed.

“Shall we head to the festival grounds, then?”

Khalid stepped out first, offering his hand to Belia with gallant grace.

She took his hand, stepped down slowly, and—linking her arm with his, her expression bright as ever—walked into the lavish building.

“What is the meaning of this!”

“Wait! Let me go—!”

As expected, chaos reigned inside.

Several people were being dragged out by the guards.

Just then, the manager rushed over, blocking Khalid and Belia as they tried to enter.

“Today—today, entry is not allowed.”

“Oh? Has something happened?” Belia asked innocently.

The manager looked away, clearly flustered.

Khalid shoved him aside and strode in, Belia quickly following.

They passed the crowd and headed deeper inside, to the place they had already scouted. There, guards stood frozen, unsure what to do—facing a drunken Raul.

“Your Highness, please, you must leave—”

The guards looked utterly alarmed, realizing that the highest authority over illegal establishments had found the First Prince himself here.

Raul raked his hair roughly. When his eyes met Belia’s startled gaze, he cursed under his breath.

“Damn it.”

Belia, feigning as much shock as possible, gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

Raul’s eyes lingered on her for a moment before catching sight of Khalid at her side. He let out a bitter laugh, as if instantly realizing who had orchestrated this.

“So it was you… Yes, it was you…”

He staggered to his feet, stepped toward Khalid, and jabbed a finger into his shoulder.

“This was your doing, wasn’t it? Wasn’t it?”

“Don’t make baseless accusations. Explain what exactly this situation is.”

Khalid’s expression was one of pure confusion, as though he knew nothing.

Raul’s emotions surged uncontrollably.

“You—!”

But he swallowed the rest of his words, lowering his head.

…He had lost again. Once more, he had walked straight into Khalid’s trap.

His clenched fists trembled.

“Prince Raul… what is happening here?”

Belia’s voice quivered with pity and concern.

Raul exhaled deeply at the sight of her and asked in a low, steady tone,

“Belia. Do you truly know nothing of this?”

“We just arrived. Things seemed chaotic inside, so we came to see… But why are you here…?”

At her answer, Raul closed his eyes.

What reaction could he show now?

In any case, this was his mistake—one he couldn’t excuse.

“…I see.”

With a bitter reply, he turned to the guards who stood bewildered at his side.

“Finish up here. I’ll be at the guard station.”

“Your Highness…”

“Whatever the case, this was my fault. We’ll speak more there.”

Already, several nobles—not to mention Khalid and Belia—had seen him.

It was far too late to sweep this matter under the rug.

‘I’ll have to salvage this some other way.’

Raul strode out.

The people inside parted to make way for him.

Belia and Khalid never once took their eyes off his retreating figure.

They remained inside, watching everything until Raul left the building and the guards finished shutting down the illegal establishment. Whispers about Raul trickled through the murmuring crowd.

“Khalid.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go.”

By the time the building was sealed off, they blended in with those leaving and climbed into their carriage.

“If we had been even a little late, it could’ve been disastrous. This was so risky.”

In truth, much of it had relied on luck.

They had prepared in advance, but if the timing had been off, it all could have come to nothing.

“It was close, but without this, there was no way to corner Raul.”

On that point, Belia agreed.

No doubt Raul still suspected them.

But without evidence, his suspicions alone weren’t enough to accuse them.

That was why they had gone through the trouble of visiting the casino multiple times before—to erase his doubts.

It had been tedious, but compared to Raul, they still lacked power.

The only way forward was to build their trap piece by piece.

Belia sharpened her resolve once more, refusing to let it soften.

“By tomorrow, the rumors will spread through the whole capital. Not even Raul will escape unscathed.”

“But we should be more careful next time.”

Belia gently rested her head on Khalid’s shoulder.

“Still, you did well today.”

Khalid glanced at her, chuckled faintly, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

A knight of the Emperor’s own guard came personally to deliver His Majesty’s command.

Raul repeated the words back, his voice low and sharp.

“What did you just say?”

The knight, looking uneasy, repeated the order.

“…His Majesty commands that Your Highness remain under house confinement.”

“Ha!”

With an irritated sweep of his hand through his hair, Raul rose to his feet.

“I will see Father.”

“Your Highness—”

The knight stepped in front of him.

Raul spoke through gritted teeth, suppressing his fury.

“Move. I must explain this to His Majesty.”

He shoved past the knight and left the room.

The guard hadn’t been able to stop him completely—the Emperor’s order, after all, had sounded half-hearted.

Raul stormed down the long corridor, his teeth clenched.

“Khalid! Just what trick did you pull…!”

There was no evidence linking Khalid to this incident.

That fact alone drove Raul mad. He clenched his fists tightly.

The red-carpeted hall was silent, save for the sound of his own footsteps echoing harshly.

At last, he reached the Emperor’s office.

He gave a signal to the chamberlain waiting by the door.

“Your Majesty, the First Prince requests an audience.”

No reply came from beyond the grand, ornate doors.

After some time—

“…Let him in.”

The Emperor’s voice finally gave permission.

Before the chamberlain could even open the door, Raul pushed it wide himself and strode in.

The Emperor stood at the window, gazing outside. Without even a glance at Raul, he spoke in a tone full of irritation.

“I ordered you confined—how dare you come here?”

“Father.”

“This time, no excuse will suffice. I praised you so highly, and yet…!”

He had boasted everywhere that Raul had brilliantly led the crackdown on illegal facilities. And now—his own son had been caught indulging in one.

The Emperor felt utterly disgraced.

“I am sorry.”

“Enough. The deed is done. Return to your palace and reflect.”

The Emperor waved his hand dismissively, unwilling to say more.

Raul bit down hard on his lip.

“…I know it will make me look foolish to say this. But this was Khalid’s doing.”

“And how, exactly? Did Khalid lure you there?” the Emperor asked coldly.

“You must have heard the reports.”

Raul explained—how, at the very moment the guards raided the casino, Khalid and Belia had just happened to arrive. How suspicious that timing was.

“And do you have proof?”

“…”

“Fool! What do you think you’ll achieve with accusations and no evidence?”

That stung Raul even more. Why was there no proof?

“Did you question the one who reported it?” the Emperor asked, his tone slightly softer.

“He has a daughter. He’s worked there for a few months.”

“And did Khalid ever meet with him?”

“…That’s the strange part.”

Raul had expected Khalid to have met someone or given instructions. But all he did was spend time with Belia, as though genuinely enjoying himself.

He never met anyone in secret, never mingled much with others. Even reports from those watching him showed no suspicious activity.

Raul had no idea when Khalid could have arranged it.

“Strange? Nonsense!” the Emperor barked.

“When your investigation began, that man was already employed there. A father working hard to earn enough to reclaim his child from the orphanage. Nothing more.”

The Emperor had already investigated the whistleblower.

“But—!”

“Then are you saying Khalid somehow manipulated him?”

“Doesn’t the timing seem too convenient?” Raul protested bitterly.

But the Emperor’s gaze was icy.

“Bring me evidence if you wish to prove your suspicions. Your reputation has already fallen to the ground. Blind accusations will accomplish nothing.”

Raul’s fists trembled violently.

The informant lived inside the casino itself, never leaving. Others testified he worked tirelessly, saving money to bring back his daughter.

He scarcely had the chance to meet anyone.

‘Then how…?!’

The guards, too, had been his men. They had simply responded to the report, only to find their own superior there, leaving them deeply shaken.

‘If not the informant, nor the guards, then who…?!’

He had no answers.