The Crown I Will Take From You - Chapter 57

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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 57

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Count Etienne’s Estate.

A coffin containing a corpse and a letter from Prince Claudio’s estate arrived.

“These bastards, do they take me for a fool!”

Minister Etienne, furious to the tips of his hair, tore up the letter before even finishing reading it.

The contents of the scattered pieces were roughly as follows:

The real culprit who poisoned the drinks was not Virna, but her close maid, who became enraged seeing her master humiliated at the banquet and played a prank on the guests’ beverages.

When the situation became serious, the frightened maid ate poison and died, saying she would atone with death.

“Now that we’ve found the real culprit, please resolve your anger and restore our previous friendship… my ass!”

The Minister also had no intention of feuding with the Regent, his ally, to the bitter end.

He had intended to step back at an appropriate point where neither would lose face.

However, when the Regent sent a fake culprit and even spirited his daughter away, anger flared.

“Do you think you can treat me like this, Regent?”

He seems to think I’m lacking something and attached myself to his side.

“I’ll show you who needs whom more.”

Etienne moved without hesitation.

Baron Brega, a vassal of the Regent, was internally appointed to the position of Southern Tax Collector, whose term was about to end.

Since he was responsible for collecting taxes from the relatively fertile Southern Provinces of Valdina’s territory, it was a lucrative position with many perks.

However, Etienne brought up Baron Brega’s old corruption, dismissed him, and placed Count Pech, his mentor’s son, in that position.

He used his influence as Minister of the Royal Household to suppress the Regent, his ally. It was tantamount to a declaration of war.

“Etienne, this bastard! Really!”

The Regent slammed his desk.

Starting with that, the Regent’s solid power base began to split in two.

“Don’t speak as if it’s His Grace the Regent’s word!”

“We’re not the Prince’s subordinates, but administrators who eat Valdina’s salary, so why are you giving orders?”

“Hmph, you didn’t say that when you were taking our lord’s money!”

The Regent’s vassals schemed against the Minister’s subordinates to force them out, and the Minister’s subordinates found fault with the vassals’ administrative processing and stopped progress.

They blamed each other and began tearing at one another.

The Minister was a hereditary noble with thick connections among vassals and personal networks. That’s why the Regent had wanted to win him over in the first place.

The Regent of that time couldn’t have imagined that the Minister’s strength would instead become his own trouble.

Both the Regent and the Minister, as leaders of their respective people, couldn’t easily back down due to pride alone.

The back-and-forth conflict, which brought only losses rather than gains, dragged on.

When the arrows that had been aimed together at one target turned toward each other, it became extremely troublesome.

The one who most welcomed the growing daily conflict between the Regent and Minister was Sisear.

“To think such a day would come!”

Was this what the Princess meant when she said an opportunity would come soon?

“Is Her Highness the Princess really… helping us?”

Sisear hesitated.

He remembered the spy that Medeia had recently caught.

“Please kill me, master! I will never betray you again.”

The maid sent to the Princess’s Palace returned and confessed everything about that day through tears.

Everything from the Princess realizing he had given her poisoned tea to her own son being held hostage by the Princess.

It was surprising that she had rooted out the spy, but the Princess’s skill in silencing her afterward surprised Sisear even more.

“If you want forgiveness, continue reporting to the Regent. That I’m still drinking this poisoned tea.”

He seemed to understand why she had left the maid’s punishment to him. The Regent’s misunderstanding would open opportunities for them.

The changed Medeia was breathing life into the precarious royal authority.

“So don’t worry, and think about how we can bring down the Minister who has split from Uncle.”

“Bring down… If that’s the case, I have something prepared for the Minister.”

Sisear muttered.

For the first time, color returned to his face that had been dead with gray fatigue.

* * *

Sisear’s movements were soon reported to the Regent.

“Your Grace, the Prime Minister’s subordinates are investigating Minister Etienne’s corruption.”

“Sisear is? Aha. Since it seems I’ve split with the Minister, he wants to try attacking one of us?”

The Regent snorted.

“Even the reputation as Valdina’s young genius is all empty. The young fool doesn’t think to attack with spirit.”

The aide agreed while subtly gauging the Regent’s mood.

“Your Grace’s words are truly right. I see they’re digging into the Minister’s hidden slush funds, should we inform the Minister?”

Regardless of internal fighting, they couldn’t let a common enemy like Sisear defeat them.

The Regent was about to say to do so, but hesitated and shook his head.

“…Hmm, no. Leave it be this time. Let the Prime Minister’s side continue their investigation too.”

“Pardon?”

“The Minister needs to be bitten once to finally realize how much he needs me. Etienne seems to have forgotten who’s been keeping his ministerial position safe all this time.”

“But… what if that Sisear fellow catches something important?”

“Don’t worry. Even if he succeeds, Sisear won’t be able to last long anyway.”

The Regent smiled sinisterly.

It had been over half a year since he’d been given the poisoned tea that induces madness. It was about time for reactions to gradually appear.

“I wonder how long that bastard’s exceptional mind will remain intact?”

Once the madness manifested, Etienne’s punishment and everything else would fizzle out.

“Since I already know the outcome, showing that arrogant old man a little bitter taste is nothing. What’s the big problem?”

The Regent laughed heartily.

* * *

One sunny afternoon.

“What scoundrels are these!”

Knights burst into Count Etienne’s estate.

Their epaulettes bore the emblem of the Valdina Royal Family.

“Don’t you know who I am? How dare some royal knight riffraff barge in without fear?”

Before the Minister could sternly raise his voice, he was forced to his knees with both arms seized.

“Larc E. Etienne, you are under arrest for human trafficking, murder, and violation of military law.”

“Let go, let go! What are you doing!”

“You wouldn’t claim not to know about former Maid Supervisor Quizin and the children who disappeared from the palace, would you?”

The sharp-eyed Captain of the Knights unrolled a scroll densely filled with names of the missing.

“You spirited away children belonging to the royal household, played with them until they died, sold the survivors and used that money to create slush funds. Even hell would spit out someone as vile as you.”

‘How did they find out!’

As if they had come fully prepared, the knights’ movements in presenting evidence were seamless.

Cold sweat seemed to flow briefly across the Minister’s face, but he soon regained composure and became shameless.

“Ha, even so, do you think you can touch me for just killing some commoner brats?”

Pay some fines and have a servant take the punishment instead. He had money and power like an inexhaustible spring.

As if expecting his point, the Captain of the Knights raised the corners of his mouth.

“Minister, I mentioned violation of military law earlier. Do you know that the children sold from here were resold to other countries through the Black Eye Trading Company?”

“What, what?”

“The Black Eye Trading Company provided your slush funds. In other words, you leaked palace personnel to other countries during wartime.”

Violation of military law during wartime means immediate execution. The Minister’s face turned pale.

“Then we’ll transport you to prison. Seize him.”

The net that Sisear had carefully laid tightened around his neck all at once.

Even the cunning Minister could see no way to escape.

He resisted arrest but was dragged away with both arms held fast by the knights.

“Claudio! Inform Prince Claudio! That I’ve been captured! Do you understand!”

Before passing through the final door, he turned his body with all his strength and shouted to his attendant.

“Right now! Immediately!”

“Yes, yes! Don’t, don’t worry, Master!”

Umberto nodded repeatedly with an expression that seemed to barely contain his terror.

Meanwhile, the Minister’s figure being dragged away between layers of gleaming silver armor quickly disappeared.

“Wh-what’s happening?”

The people of the Count’s household were confused.

Not only had the royal knights suddenly burst in and seized their master, but they were also turning the house upside down.

“Why are they ransacking our house? Why was our master taken away?”

“Found it! We found another body here!”

“Collect all the remains!”

Amidst the chaos, Umberto calmly went about his business.

“I’ll leave this to you, Butler. I need to write a letter to Count Claudio and go to the prison where our master is being held.”

“Understood, Umberto. I’m counting on you.”

The butler left.

Instead of writing what the Minister had ordered, Umberto muttered as he scrawled with his pen on the parchment.

“Car… ma… da… You son… of a bitch…”

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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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