Episode 133
The next day, the Four Dukes of Ravanta gathered in the Imperial Conference Room at the Main Palace.
After an hour of waiting, Duke Benedict, known for his impatience, was the first to lose his temper.
“Why did you summon us, Your Majesty? Do you think being Emperor gives you the right to waste our time?”
“It does. Now sit down, Duke Benedict.”
Duchess Asta’s voice was cold and sharp, her usually warm golden eyes now glacial.
Duke Benedict, momentarily intimidated, then jumped up, pointing a finger at her.
“You can say that because you have nothing better to do than swing a sword all day! But I’m busy!”
“What? Swing a sword? Are you implying that because my son rejected your daughter, I have nothing better to do?”
“That’s not the point! And my daughter is too good for him anyway!”
Duke Benedict’s face turned red, his anger escalating.
They were on the verge of a brawl. Duchess Fiona, seemingly enjoying the spectacle, fanned herself languidly, while Duchess Luneus, her head throbbing, sighed. It seemed like it was up to her, the eldest, to intervene.
“Please, everyone, calm down. His Majesty will arrive soon.”
“But Duchess Asta—”
Bursts.
The door opened before Duke Benedict could finish his sentence.
The three Dukes stood up and bowed.
“Your Majesty, Your Highness.”
“It’s rather noisy in here.”
Artius remarked as he entered the room, followed by Elonia.
Both Artius and Elonia’s faces were grim. They hadn’t heard the argument, but seeing Duke Benedict standing while the others were seated, they could easily guess what had happened.
“Our apologies.”
“No, we kept you waiting. I apologize for wasting your time, Your Graces.”
Elonia spoke, and Duchess Asta, her lips twitching slightly, looked at her with pride.
Elonia’s cheeks flushed slightly. She would normally only act so formally in front of strangers, not in front of someone who had known her since she was a baby.
“Please, be seated.”
Artius and Elonia sat down at the head of the table. Duchess Asta and Duchess Luneus sat on their right, and Duchess Fiona and Duke Benedict sat on their left.
Duchess Asta, speaking for everyone, asked,
“What is the meaning of this urgent summons, Your Majesty?”
The Four Dukes, who had been bickering just moments ago, now looked at Artius with a unified front. Artius held up the vial Elonia had brought from the Luneus estate.
“What is that…?”
“A dangerous potion is circulating within the Empire. The first incident occurred in the Luneus Duchy.”
Artius recounted the suicides and murders that had plagued the Luneus Duchy for the past three years.
The Dukes’ faces paled as they listened.
“Many have suffered, and many more will suffer, because of this potion.”
A vial smaller than their little finger, a few drops of liquid, could kill. It was a terrifying thought.
The atmosphere in the conference room turned somber.
Duchess Fiona broke the silence.
“So you summoned us to find the culprit.”
Duke Benedict’s face contorted in anger.
“The culprit is obvious. It’s Duchess Luneus. The potion was found in her duchy!”
“Oh dear, Duke Benedict, you’re so naive.”
Duchess Fiona, her eyes gleaming with amusement, chuckled, hiding her smile behind her fan.
“Duke Benedict, everyone knows you’re not the sharpest tool in the shed, but please try not to be so obvious about it. It’s Her Highness’s first time witnessing your… intellectual shortcomings.”
Isn’t that right? Duchess Fiona turned to Elonia with a sweet smile. Elonia nodded reluctantly.
Duchess Asta, her hands clasped together, said,
“We can’t assume Duchess Luneus is the culprit, Duke Benedict. Even Her Highness has figured that out. You’ve been in politics for twenty years, and you still haven’t learned that? Perhaps it’s time to step down and let your daughter take over.”
“How dare you…!”
Duke Benedict’s fists clenched.
Elonia was surprised. She had never seen Duchess Asta, usually so composed, act so aggressively.
‘Llewellyn inherited his temper from his mother.’
She had suspected it ever since she discovered Philemon’s true identity, but she hadn’t expected to see it in action.
She whispered to Artius,
“Is it always like this?”
“Mostly.”
Even nobles, who ruled their own territories like kings, cowered before a true tyrant. But these four, even the seemingly dimwitted Duke Benedict, seemed surprisingly bold.
“Enough. Duke Benedict, do you have no patience?”
Duchess Luneus, unable to bear it any longer, tried to intervene, but they ignored her, and Duchess Fiona chuckled.
Elonia sighed inwardly. The Four Dukes would be replaced by the next generation by the time she became Empress, but still, they were acting like children. Just as she was starting to despair for her future, Artius glared at them.
“It was Duchess As—ahem.”
“…”
The Four Dukes, as if on cue, fell silent.
Artius subtly gestured towards Elonia, as if saying, “This is how you handle them.”
“…”
Elonia glared back at him, as if asking, “Are you serious?” Artius, embarrassed, averted his gaze and returned to the topic at hand.
“I summoned you here for the reason Duchess Fiona and Duchess Asta mentioned. And I have a request.”
A request?
The Four Dukes, surprised by the word they had never expected to hear from Artius, exchanged glances.
And then they heard a commotion outside.
“Your Majesty, we’ve brought them!”
The Dukes’ eyes widened, but Artius and Elonia remained calm.
Artius, his voice loud enough to be heard outside, commanded,
“Bring them in.”
The door burst open.
Eight Tite Knights, led by Aaron Archer, entered the room, dragging four figures behind them.
“…Mother? Rona?”
Duchess Fiona’s lips twitched. Rona was her closest advisor.
The other Dukes also recognized their own advisors.
Their faces paled.
“Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this…?”
Even Duchess Asta, her voice trembling, asked.
Another Tite Knight entered, pushing four trolleys loaded with documents and ledgers.
Artius, gesturing towards the trolleys, said casually,
“These are your accounting records. Both the official ones and the ones you’ve been hiding.”
The Four Dukes were stunned, even Duchess Luneus, who had anticipated this.
“Your Majesty, even with a valid reason, how could you confiscate our records?!”
Duke Benedict, ever the brave one, protested. But it was like a worm challenging a chicken.
Artius, with a smirk, replied,
“You couldn’t have smuggled in such a large quantity of a suspicious potion without a proper cover. You must have used your trade routes. So examining your accounting records was the quickest way to find the culprit.”
“You could have at least informed us beforehand…!”
“You would have just hidden them better. A surprise inspection is more effective.”
The Four Dukes’ faces were a mixture of shock and indignation. So that was why he had kept them waiting for an hour.
And they were even more shocked that he had managed to confiscate both their advisors and their records in just one hour, while they were away.
Duke Benedict slumped in his chair, defeated. Duchess Asta buried her face in her hands. Duchess Luneus clutched the back of her neck. And Duchess Fiona, forcing a smile, massaged her temples.
‘I feel a little bad…’
Elonia felt a pang of guilt towards Duchess Asta. She had been the one who had suggested confiscating their records.
Artius, with a smirk, said,
“Now, let’s examine these records. No one leaves until we’re done.”
And so began an unprecedented, unannounced tax audit.
A week later,
The Four Dukes, finally released, emerged from the conference room, their faces haggard, dark circles under their eyes.
Duchess Fiona looked particularly distraught, her earlier confidence completely gone.
“Duchess Fiona.”
“…Your Highness.”
Duchess Fiona, at Elonia’s call, lowered her head, her face hidden behind her fan.
Duke Benedict, as if mocking her, walked past her, sneering. He had also been caught for tax evasion.
“Duke Benedict.”
Elonia glared at him, and he, flinching, quickly scurried away.
Duchess Luneus had already left, worried about Cielun, and finally, Duchess Asta emerged.
Elonia apologized to her.
“I’m sorry if I offended you, Aunt Rosalyne. I knew you weren’t involved, but I had to be certain.”
“It’s fine, Your Highness. It was a necessary precaution. You were quite impressive, in fact.”
Duchess Asta smiled reassuringly. She looked better than the others, thanks to her Sword Master physique, but even she couldn’t escape the fatigue of days spent poring over documents.
Elonia hadn’t been unnecessarily worried about Lucius’s eye. Even Holy Power couldn’t heal eye strain.
Elonia, after seeing the Dukes off, returned to the conference room.
Artius looked as exhausted as Duchess Asta.
“Dad, are you okay?”
“My eyes are a bit sore, but I’m fine.”
Elonia, on the other hand, was perfectly fine.
Being a minor, she had maintained a regular sleep schedule and a healthy diet.
‘Growth spurts are important.’
She was still hoping to reach 170cm, her height in her past life, despite her childhood malnutrition.
Elonia, sitting beside Artius, reached a conclusion.
“We need to summon Vivi.”
Vivian Fiona, Duchess Fiona’s daughter and Elonia’s maid, was quietly summoned.