Chapter 133

The Minister of Home Affairs, Viscount Bürgen read and reread the short letter several times.

Marquis Croychen’s letter contained a simple message.

There is a traitor in his family.

The information was leaked, so he had to get rid of the evidence right now.

‘A traitor?’

Who is that?

There is no detailed information about who the traitor is.

It seems to have been written very quickly.

Obviously, the handwriting of the Marquis is slightly unstable.

‘How can this happen……’

He knew that the Imperial Palace was investigating this matter by order of His Majesty the Emperor.

Through Vellian, he was fully informed about the investigation process there.

Nothing special has been revealed yet.

All the evidence has already been destroyed.

Even if anything goes wrong, he was also prepared to throw it over the Duke.

Not only Vellian, but also the guard knights will be willing to help.

All of them were newly appointed knights when the Emperor ascended to the throne, so most of them are on the nobles’ side.

That fact relieved him, but why did this suddenly happen……

‘How did Marquis Croychen manage his house?’

It must have been difficult because he lost almost all of his estates, but shouldn’t he have to manage the people around him more thoroughly at a time like this?

The Viscount was outraged at the foolish behavior of the Marquis Croychen.

He thought he was a prudent man, but now it turns out he was a fool.

Well, he’s a man who can’t control his wife.

He felt like he wanted to go see him in person and discuss what had happened.

However, it was too risky to go to the castle where the Marquis was hiding under such circumstances.

Besides, it was still noon.

It would take several hours just to get there.

For what reason are you going to visit the former minister who fell in bright broad daylight?

After much contemplation, the Viscount hurriedly gave his man an order, “Go to Rendrick right now! Tell him it’s urgent and bring him home!”

Rendrick is a merchant who secretly procured gunpowder.

The Viscount saw his man leaving and sat down again.

He struggled with how to handle this.

***

The Viscount’s servant went to the merchant as ordered.

Rendrick has a small branch in the capital.

It was purely thanks to the direction of the minister that the not-so-famous owner of the merchant group was able to get gunpowder.

Gunpowder is not something that commoners could easily get.

This is because the country strictly manages production and distribution so that it is not used for crime.

Rendrick, with the help of the minister, stole a few illegal weapons, including gunpowder used at the fortress on the border, and kept them in stock.

The intention was to keep it handy when needed.

However, if they do it themselves, there is a high risk.

That’s why they left it to a merchant.

“Where’s the owner?”

“Come this way.”

The Viscount’s servant was led to a small room hidden behind the building.

There’s a man sitting in a dark room.

The person sitting is sure to be the owner of the merchant group.

“Hey, I am here at the order of the Viscount……”

As he approached him at a brisk pace, the owner’s expression was a little strange.

He was frozen like ice, and all he could do was stare at him.

The Viscount’s servant realized that something was wrong.

Then the owner stuttered his words out. “I-I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it.”

“What……”

As if waiting, soldiers with swords appeared in an instant.

The swords of the soldiers are aimed at him at once.

***

Things progressed quickly.

The knights of the imperial palace seized the Viscount’s man and the owner of the merchant group and brought all of the materials from the merchant.

Immediately, the Viscount was also called to the Imperial Palace.

Viscount Bürgen, the Minister of Home Affairs, meets the Emperor in the presence of a number of nobles watching.

The Minister of Home Affairs listened to the explanation of the situation, pale and tired.

It was revealed that the merchant stole the gunpowder.

It was the same gunpowder that was used in the bridge accident.

And the minister’s servant went to see the merchant and was arrested.

It was a suspicious situation for anyone to see.

“It is the same material used in the bombing that happened a while ago, isn’t it?”

“No! I don’t know!” He hurriedly denied Kaizen’s cold question.

“Then why did you try to get rid of the merchant who stole the gunpowder?”

“I didn’t mean to…… Sometimes I buy some necessities there. You can tell by looking at my mansion’s list of necessities. I’ve sent someone to place an order today.” The viscount replied after a quick thought.

There is no denying that he has anything to do with the merchant.

He had contacted the merchant group owner several times and handed him money.

But it cannot be concluded that it is because of the gunpowder.

A merchant always handles a lot of stuff.

Even if the situation is discovered, it can be excused that the money was sent for other things.

From the beginning, the merchant was chosen to make excuses in this way.

“Lyndon.”

However, Kaizen did not believe the obvious excuse at all.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“What did the merchant say?”

“He said that everything related to gunpowder is under the orders of the Viscount. There is also a stamped letter from the House of Bürgen as proof.”

The Minister of Home Affairs was so stunned that he could pass out at any moment when he heard Lyndon.

No, why are you still…… I sure told him to get rid of everything.

Lyndon showed Viscount Bürgen’s stamped letter as evidence.

It contained information about gunpowder.

“And the servants at the merchant group also testified that they saw the Viscount’s servant who had visited their boss several times.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to the Minister of Home Affairs again.

“I……”

The Minister of Home Affairs swallowed dry saliva.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? Are you saying it’s not your seal?”

“It is my seal, but…… I don’t know how it got there.”

It was too poor an excuse to think of.

Kaizen looked at him and laughed.

Lyndon had already been investigating the merchant for a few days as a means of procurement of gunpowder.

The reason the minister fell into this was because of the letter he received yesterday.

It was a letter saying that the culprit noticed suspicious movements from the palace and was trying to harm the merchant.

‘I can guess who did that too.’

But no matter who did it, this incident could not be overlooked.

“How dare you!”

Kaizen was still angry at the accident that day.

It had been a long time since he had asked Theor out with Astelle, and that was what happened.

The Viscount turned white and only trembled.

“Remove Viscount Bürgen from his post and put him in prison.”

“Your Majesty……”

The Minister of Home Affairs looked back at the Emperor and the surrounding officials with a pale face.

But no one came forward for him.

“……”

When things got to this point, there was no one to defend him.

The emperor’s knights approached him.

The Minister of Home Affairs went out with the knights without saying a word.

***

Moments later, Astelle met her father in the reception room of the Empress Palace.

As soon as she heard the news about the Minister of Home Affairs, the Duke visited the Empress Palace.

“It ended very easily.”

Astelle expected it to end quickly, but it was solved more easily than she thought.

It was a disappointingly simple ending. Astelle’s pure response made the Duke smile with satisfaction.

“That’s because he’s stupid.”

Astelle recalled the middle-aged minister of the Home Affairs that she had met several times before.

He certainly didn’t look very capable.

The same was true of his niece, whom she had met once before.

But there was one thing that intrigued her.

“How did you get the Croychen family seal?”

The seal belongs to the head of the family, and even family members cannot use it recklessly.

Neither Astelle can’t use the Reston family seal that her father had. She hadn’t even touched it.

The Duke, who was holding a teacup, glanced at Astelle.

He smiled lightly.

“When the family goes down, a traitor is born.”

It means that he has bribed a maid or a servant of the Marquis.

“And the merchant?”

“Businessmen are quick to notice where to stick.”

The merchant seemed to have chosen to join the Duke’s side instead of the losing side.

But Astelle did not miss the moment when her father’s hand paused slightly.

‘What? Is there any other reason?’

She looked carefully at the Duke’s expression, but couldn’t find anything.

Even if something else happened, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

It was clear that this was done by the Minister of Home Affairs.

Kaizen was already investigating the gunpowder.

The only thing her father did was make the culprit appear.

Stealing the seal is no big deal.

Her father is really good at bribing other people’s subordinates and conspiring.

It was almost enough to call it a natural talent.

Just as Astelle looked at him carefully, as if observing, the Duke raised one eyebrow as if slightly displeased.

“Are you not even going to thank your father for the effort I put in?”

“Thank you, Father.”

The Duke of Reston looked pleased when Astelle expressed her sincere gratitude.

As if he just remembered something, he hurriedly added, “If you are grateful, educate the prince properly.”

“Why Theor?”

“Because he still tries to avoid me when he sees me, even though I’m his grandfather. He doesn’t even recognize his own grandfather.”

It’s been months since he gave Theor a gift, but he still seems annoyed because Theor distances himself from him.

Then did he think he could win a child’s heart just with a gift?

“Theor avoids you because you chase and bother him every time.”

“I gave him a gift, why does it bother him?”

The Duke of Reston clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“He needs to know who is helping him grow up safely. He should thank me.”

“……”

How funny.

Astelle was speechless.

Have you forgotten everything about kidnapping Theor and dealing with him carelessly?

Astelle was furious at the thought of the incident.

She still clearly remembered the bruises left on Theor’s neck.

Astelle put down the teacup, holding back her anger.

“Of course, I always appreciate your help.”

Astelle thanked the Duke and added calmly, “Since you are helping me, why don’t you hand over the title to Fritz?”

The Duke stared blankly at Astelle.

He looked like he didn’t quite understand what she was just saying.

“What are you talking about now?”

Astelle repeated her words without a single shake.

“I’m asking you to let Fritz take over the title and step down from the dukedom.”

“……what?”

Astelle stood up, leaving her father behind.

She walked to the chest of drawers on one side of the room.

She opened a small drawer and took out the document prepared in advance.

“What the hell is this?”

The Duke of Reston looked anxiously at the document Astelle had laid down on the table.

His voice trembled with anger as if he had come to a realization too late.

Astelle smiled.

“I’ve got it ready for my father. Read it.”

Based on the data Fritz brought, Astelle searched for the document in the imperial palace library herself.