I’ll Be the Heroine’s Competent Divorce Partner - Chapter 144
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 144
“So, I was looking to see if there might be any crops similar to potatoes that contain poison. Since normal ingredients and poisonous vegetables could be switched… Well, is this just speculation?”
And at the very moment Elodie showed an awkward smile.
That ‘sharp something’ took on a clear form.
‘Did you know, Your Highness the Crown Prince?’
Young Joshua sat with a heavy history book spread open before him.
A stern-faced tutor continued his gentle explanation.
‘Even a single trivial crop like this could cause great damage to the Empire. Learning history is an act of preparing for the future through the past…’
Joshua’s eyes widened.
A quiet murmur flowed from between his lips.
“…Right, that was it.”
“Joshua?”
Elodie called Joshua with a suspicious voice.
At the same time, he quickly turned to look at Elodie.
“I’m sorry, I have somewhere I need to go for a moment…!”
Joshua hurriedly asked for understanding and rushed outside.
Only Elodie was left alone with a bewildered expression.
“What, what was that?”
* * *
The next morning.
Joshua came to find me again with dark shadows hanging under his eyes.
“I’m sorry for coming to see you so early, Elodie.”
It seemed like he had stayed up all night.
However, unlike his tired face, his expression was remarkably bright.
He looked extremely happy about something.
“My goodness, are you okay? Did you get any sleep yesterday?”
I grabbed him in shock.
Then Joshua cheerfully shook his head.
“One day is nothing, I’m fine.”
“No, how is staying up all night fine?”
I raised my voice in exasperation.
But Joshua was so excited that he didn’t even listen to my scolding.
“More than that, there’s something I want to show Elodie.”
Joshua placed a large hardcover book in front of me.
I unconsciously read the title stamped in gold foil.
“History of the Eisenach Empire…?”
It was a history book that recorded the history of the Eisenach Empire.
Joshua opened the history book with great excitement.
“Elodie, you said yesterday that there might be other crops similar to potatoes.”
“Ah, that…”
Of course I had said that.
But I hadn’t found any related plants in the plant guide.
So I was secretly feeling a bit discouraged.
“There is such a crop.”
What?!
Startled, I opened my eyes wide.
Joshua continued calmly.
“However, it probably wouldn’t be in the plant guide Elodie was looking at. It’s a rare crop found very rarely in the mountainous regions of the Empire’s north.”
“What do you mean?!”
According to his explanation, it went like this.
Long ago, there was an incident where all the villagers in a slash-and-burn farming village in the northern part of the Empire were massacred.
Since it was such a remote village, the deaths themselves were discovered late.
The Imperial Family, who learned of the news belatedly, dispatched several investigators to conduct a thorough investigation.
“It turned out that village was suffering from famine.”
Food was always scarce, and transportation was very poor, making it difficult to obtain food supplies from outside.
In the midst of this, the villagers discovered wild crops similar to potatoes and eventually consumed them.
And the result was…
“…Such a thing happened.”
I nodded with a sunken expression.
Joshua continued his explanation gently.
“It’s not easy to distinguish between potatoes and that crop with the naked eye.”
Regular potatoes only have strong poison in the sprouted parts, but that potato subspecies contained strong toxicity throughout the skin, sprouts, and fruit.
Not just simple food poisoning, but enough to annihilate an entire village.
“Actually, I had no idea such a thing had happened until I began receiving formal education as Crown Prince. It’s such a rare crop, you see.”
Suddenly I felt my mouth go completely dry.
It was because of the intense suspicion that washed over me.
“Then that crop being supplied as ingredients this time…”
“That’s right.”
Joshua nodded heavily.
His violet eyes glinted sharply like shattered amethyst fragments.
“Someone interfered in the middle.”
* * *
Pandev, a mid-sized food ingredient supplier in the Empire.
Recently, the employees working at Pandev had been walking on thin ice, feeling extremely cautious.
This was because their CEO had been constantly on edge.
Taking out his anger on those around him had become a daily occurrence.
Sometimes when he was alone, he would let out deep sighs or tear at his hair.
‘Is there perhaps some kind of problem?’
‘Wh-what on earth are you talking about?!’
When someone who couldn’t bear to watch any longer asked such a question, he would fly into a rage.
As if he had a guilty conscience about something.
And so, just when the employees’ stress had reached its peak.
“Excuse me, is the CEO in?”
Suddenly, two customers—a man and a woman—came looking for him.
A woman with long, flowing pink hair.
And a man with handsome features.
They were people of striking beauty who clearly seemed extraordinary at first glance.
The employee gulped nervously as the CEO’s earnest instructions came to mind.
‘If anyone comes looking for me, just tell them I’m not here. Got it?!’
If he carelessly received these customers, there was no telling what kind of trouble he might face.
The employee cautiously opened his mouth.
“The CEO is currently out of the office.”
“Hmm, but you can contact him, can’t you?”
The man wore a fierce smile across his face.
“Please tell him we’d like to discuss the matter of the stew. We’ll be waiting.”
* * *
About 5 minutes later.
Joshua and I were immediately escorted to the Reception Room.
A portly middle-aged man who had been waiting for us in the Reception Room immediately threw out a question as soon as he spotted us.
“What the hell is this about?!”
It was quite an aggressive reaction.
The CEO contorted his face and raised his voice again.
“A stew, you say! What’s that supposed to mean!”
“Well, if it really didn’t matter to you, you wouldn’t be getting so angry like this.”
Joshua asked back calmly.
“I’m the one who’d like to ask you something. I merely mentioned stew, so why am I able to meet the representative who was supposedly out?”
“That’s…!”
“There must be something bothering you, isn’t that right? For example.”
Joshua’s lips curved into a distinct arc.
“Knowing there were problems with the potatoes supplied by your company, yet turning a blind eye to it all this time?”
“Wh-what are you talking about!”
The representative’s face turned bright red.
“Who exactly are you? Who are you to interrogate me so rudely… Wait.”
The representative who had been speaking harshly suddenly closed his mouth.
Then he looked at me intently.
“C-could it be?”
He muttered in a trembling voice.
Ah, you’re only noticing now?
Since Marquis Bartsen had spread my posters throughout the territory, I thought he would recognize my face immediately.
“I am Marquis Lucerno.”
I spoke in a calm voice.
“I’m also the proposer of the all-day childcare facility policy currently being operated on a trial basis in the Mare district.”
“What?!”
All color drained from the representative’s face.
“Pandev Food Supplies has been the company supplying ingredients to that childcare facility all this time. Isn’t that right?”
“Th-that’s…”
“You’re well aware that a food poisoning incident recently occurred at the childcare facility. I’d like to ask you a few questions regarding that matter.”
“Why should I answer that?!”
The representative shouted harshly.
I shrugged my shoulders lightly.
“Of course, refusing to answer is your freedom. However, in that case, your silence may be used against you unfavorably in court later.”
After making that declaration, I glanced at Joshua from the corner of my eye.
“Isn’t that right, Your Highness the Crown Prince?”
“That’s correct.”
Joshua nodded firmly in response to that question.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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