The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 149

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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 149】

What Rianel did was simple.

She made public financial disclosures so everyone could see how much tax the Imperial Family collected from the Empire’s citizens each year and how it was used.

Simply put, it could be seen as making their household budget public.

Originally, the nation’s financial reports were not materials that just anyone could easily access.

As such, people were excited that they could access these forbidden secrets, and everyone rushed to bookstores to check the financial reports.

And so.

People who had only faced the reality of taxes when money left their pockets.

“What? They were holding Imperial events with our tax money?”

“By the way, the amount of tax collected in a year is enormous.”

“But… the Imperial Family’s situation doesn’t look that bad, does it?”

Began to take interest in and evaluate how taxes were being used.

“Where did the talk about having no money come from?”

“Exactly. At this level, it seems like they’re eating and living better than me? And it’s not like they have debts to repay either.”

The murmuring people began to focus on the Emperor’s reasons for minting new currency.

“What, they’re going to mint money because they lack funds for the national marriage with the Saint? Is this an Empire?”

“They could just use the reserve funds! What are they planning to make so extravagant that they’re making such a fuss?”

“Come to think of it, those flyers distributed during the National Church’s founding ceremony, didn’t my tax money go into those too?”

“If she’s a woman who thinks of indulging in luxury first using the national marriage as an excuse, it’s obvious without even looking. This year’s financial report hasn’t been published yet, but those details will definitely be printed in it!”

“Of course, that’s right.”

The scattered anger consolidated into one.

And was aimed at the person who should take responsibility for all the commotion.

* * *

With the publication of the financial reports, anyone who could read numbers and do calculations, even if they weren’t nobles, could now evaluate how taxes were being used.

This meant the public now had a means to look into the Imperial Family. Since an element unwelcome to the Imperial Family had emerged, the people of the Special Tax Bureau who were the source of this should have felt deep responsibility for this situation.

“Everyone shows not the slightest sign of being tense.”

Asil let out a hollow laugh as he looked at people sprawled out here and there in the office, basking in the sunlight.

Til replied while biting into a sandwich.

“But if not at times like this, when else would we get to feel such a thrilling sensation.”

“Besides, the Empress Dowager also gave her permission for this.”

Rianel had persuaded the Princess, and the Princess had in turn persuaded the Empress Dowager, which allowed the Imperial financial reports to come out into the world.

No matter how much it was for the public good, revealing internal Imperial secrets required authorization from the Imperial Family.

“Anyway, with such strong backing, what is there to worry about.”

If push came to shove, the Empress Dowager would protect them.

As Til muttered while chewing leaves, the other staff members nodded their heads.

“In any case… let’s rest a bit now.”

“There’s nothing urgent anyway, Bureau Director.”

The reason they were sprawled out weakly was simple.

They had to gather and organize ten years’ worth of Imperial budget plans and execution details while also carrying out their existing Tax Bureau duties.

Since they couldn’t neglect either task, the Tax Bureau people had worked for several days straight, grinding themselves down.

And now that the results were out, they were intoxicated with pride and the pleasant drowsiness that came from deep fatigue.

“Still, it feels good. They say everyone has become more interested in tax execution.”

The publication issued under the name of the Special Tax Bureau began with this introduction.

-This document was created to prove the Empire’s financial soundness and to announce that the Empire, with His Majesty in good health, is being maintained stably.

This was a safety measure to indicate there was absolutely no intention to attack the Imperial Family.

“No one would fail to realize that’s just a formal phrase.”

“But Bureau Director, all we recorded were numbers.”

This time Wilbrin spoke.

“It was the people who attached meaning to them.”

“That’s right.”

Because there was this escape route, Rianel could also request their cooperation.

Though she hadn’t expected them to step forward so actively.

‘The Emperor can’t move easily anyway.’

Since he was more sensitive to public sentiment than anyone, knowing where public opinion was looking, he wouldn’t be able to openly pressure the Special Tax Bureau.

However.

“It would be possible for him to shift the blame directed at himself.”

As always, the Emperor would redirect responsibility elsewhere.

Til, sprawled in his chair, only turned his head to look at Rianel.

“What? Then did we work for nothing?”

“But we prevented unprecedented price increases in the Empire, so I think that alone is sufficiently meaningful.”

“Ah, um, well, that’s true.”

Til was quickly convinced and grinned.

Of course, there were also people who didn’t make political calculations.

‘Such a person would unhesitatingly invade the Tax Bureau or cause a disturbance.’

Rianel knew of one person who fit that description.

“Why, why is it my responsibility again!”

At that moment, Yuna, who had become an unfair victim, was wailing somewhere.

‘There would be no reason to prioritize dealing with this.’

She wasn’t a difficult person to handle either.

Rianel calmly lifted her teacup and spent a leisurely afternoon.

* * *

The Emperor moved quickly when he sensed criticism pouring down on him.

He announced the complete cancellation of gold coin production and cleverly leaked who was responsible for it.

“Saint Yuna, despite entering the Imperial Family, could not abandon luxury and attempted to privately accumulate and misappropriate the national treasury by abusing the Empress’s authority.”

It was no different from the method he had once used to attach scandals to Ensilen.

Yuna trembled in her room.

In her hands was the problematic financial report.

The Special Tax Bureau’s publication that had twisted all the plans she had prepared to become the most splendid Empress in the Empire.

She gripped the book as if to crumple it, then finally screamed and threw it away.

Still not feeling relieved, she breathed roughly for a long time.

Though it was a result produced under the name of the perpetually last-place department, among all those civil servants, there was only one person who could pull off such a thing.

‘That woman again…!’

Yuna picked up the book again and gripped it as if to tear it apart.

The sensation of being abandoned by the Emperor again scratched at her heart.

And almost every time, Rianel had been in that place.

‘Come to think of it, things went wrong whenever that woman was nearby.’

Yuna crouched down and racked her brain.

Coincidences couldn’t overlap like this.

‘The reason why Asil, the sub male lead, openly protects and revolves around her is also suspicious.’

Recently, even the Emperor, the male protagonist, had been hovering around Rianel.

As if treating her like the female protagonist.

‘No way.’

Yuna vehemently denied the hypothesis that flashed through her mind.

‘That woman is already dead. I’m the one who became the protagonist.’

Yet the strange luck that followed protagonists in everything they did was clinging to that woman.

And if she was even drawing the attention of key figures.

‘That’s the only reason after all.’

Though she didn’t want to believe it, that was the only answer that explained the situation.

Yuna gritted her teeth and headed to the Special Tax Bureau.

“Oh, Saint?”

“What brings you all the way here?”

The Special Tax Bureau people offered lukewarm greetings.

Yuna was annoyed that they were acting so nonchalant, pretending not to know while being fully aware of her situation.

Yuna wanted to vent her irritation, but she suppressed it, remembering today’s purpose.

She immediately pointed at Rianel.

“You, let’s have a word.”

“It seems I’ve been seeing the Saint quite frequently lately.”

“Because you’ve been creating reasons to see me often!”

“Is that so?”

Befitting the leader of this shameless group, not even a trace of emotion appeared on Rianel’s face.

Yuna took her into the Deputy Bureau Director’s office.

Since no one had used it after Yuna left the Tax Bureau, the room remained exactly as she had left it.

This was the one thing she liked about this place.

Yuna wrinkled her nose briefly before sitting in the head seat and having Rianel sit across from her.

“Let’s cut to the chase. I have no intention of talking with you at length.”

With her arms resting on the desk, Yuna took a breath.

“So you are…”

When it came to actually saying it out loud, she had to pause momentarily before that absurd truth.

“You’re Empress Ensilen, aren’t you?”

Rianel looked at Yuna in silence for a while.

“…Oh.”

She let out a short exclamation that rose from within.

“What’s with that reaction?”

“I didn’t expect even the Saint to be certain of my identity.”

Rianel took time to reflect on whether she had been such a careless person.

“Don’t underestimate me! I figured it out with my amazing deductive skills.”

“Is that so?”

Even that calm tone sounded like mockery, grating on her nerves.

Still, Yuna brought up her business.

“Anyway, there’s one thing I want to demand.”

She pulled out a book she had brought and threw it onto the desk.

Though it hit the wall and pages were torn here and there, it wasn’t damaged enough to be unrecognizable.

It was a financial report.

“Announce a correction saying there were errors in this data, and discontinue all publications circulating in public.”

If not.

“I’ll expose your identity completely to the people of the world.”

Whether child or elder, woman or man, I’ll tell everyone who you are.

Rianel didn’t even blink.

“I have no authority to restrict how the Saint chooses to exercise her right to speak.”

Therefore, this cannot be the subject of a deal.

Moreover.

“Even if you spread the truth, it wouldn’t mean much.”

‘What, is she bluffing?’

Or is she serious?

As Yuna was trying to read Rianel.

A noise that seemed to tickle her ears reached her.

Yuna looked up.

“What, what are you people doing?”

She saw people pressed against the Deputy Bureau Director’s office door, watching them.

“How rude, what kind of behavior is this—”

“Oh, we’re just curious.”

Wilbrin said.

“We didn’t know the Saint was aware of it too.”

Following up with truly maddening content, Rianel said.

“Yes, as you can see, it’s a fact everyone shares.”

“…?!”

An unbelievable situation, as poor as the Deputy Bureau Director’s office soundproofing.

Yuna’s mouth fell open in bewilderment.

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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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