The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 21

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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 21】

Only then did Asil realize that she had omitted too much explanation.

“I mean the ball commemorating His Majesty the Emperor’s birthday.”

Rianel also knew that her ex-husband’s birthday was around this time.

However.

‘Why is there a ball for that bastard’s birthday?’

And.

‘Why would I go there?’

“I appreciate the offer, but I plan not to attend that ball.”

“You must not have known. Attendance is mandatory for civil servants.”

“No, that ordinance hasn’t disappeared…”

Rianel stopped mid-sentence and closed her mouth. She felt she could guess the answer without having to hear it.

Emperor Torbiyan was someone who took great pride in being emperor.

He always wanted to be a good monarch and create achievements that would go down in history.

The only problem was that he didn’t want to put in the corresponding effort.

Anyway, there was no way someone who loved flatterers and loved ceremonies even more would miss the opportunity to line up civil servants to receive congratulations.

Still, to hold a ball with state taxes to commemorate his own birthday.

‘What a terrible waste of tax money.’

Rianel shuddered, then came to her senses at Asil’s words.

“Then will you now consider my proposal positively?”

“Before deciding whether to accept, may I ask one thing?”

It was a question Rianel had been quite curious about.

“I’m listening.”

“Why are you making this proposal to me?”

If she simply needed a partner, there would be many people who would accept if Asil extended her hand.

Above all.

“Didn’t you clearly dislike me?”

Her feeling internal intimacy toward Asil was entirely her personal matter.

Rianel remembered everything from Asil testing her to the observant gaze that watched her closely.

Her student never looked at people she trusted with such eyes.

“Oh my.”

The mask of social smile slipped away.

Dry, somewhat tired, and slightly indifferent.

Her familiar student’s face briefly showed before quickly disappearing.

“I’ve been caught. You’re right. I was wary of and suspicious of you.”

“Why…”

“Because of rumors, and fragmentary scenes I obtained while watching you from afar. Of course, I know it was a reckless and arrogant attitude. I apologize.”

This time it was Rianel’s turn to be surprised.

She hadn’t expected her to admit her wrongdoing so quickly and readily.

“The reason I’m proposing ball attendance in this form is to apologize for my feelings and because I want to protect you. It seemed like it would be awkward for you to encounter the State Minister or people from other departments.”

Asil added.

“Above all, they say the Minister of Finance will also attend this ball.”

“Is it possible to attend the ball when he received disciplinary action?”

“You must not have known. The Minister of Finance’s disciplinary action was canceled. Upper management intervened directly.”

She could roughly understand what had happened.

‘Since it was the Emperor who put Royhum in the minister position.’

The Former Empress had discovered an upright State Minister, but the Emperor had discovered a Minister of Finance who was a hotbed of corruption.

The Emperor would have been wary of people comparing the two cases and gossiping behind the scenes where he couldn’t see.

But since he couldn’t bring down the State Minister.

The best he could do was to make the Minister of Finance he appointed appear innocent.

‘The Empire is running so well.’

“Will you accept my proposal?”

Asil asked for the third time.

With the eyes of the student she knew.

“If I won’t be a burden to you, I’ll accept.”

* * *

‘I barely survived.’

Despite having an audience with the Emperor and keeping his position, Royhum was drenched in cold sweat.

Because he knew this was one of the few strokes of luck in his life.

Of course, he paid a harsh price for surviving.

He agreed to pay all the missing taxes plus additional penalties, and on top of that, he had to offer one-third of his remaining assets to the Emperor.

“This is merely a humble gift from a subject who reveres His Majesty. Who would dare call this a bribe?”

The Emperor liked wealth, but he also cared about reputation management.

Since he hated rumors spreading that he took back money from subjects and turned a blind eye to their crimes, Royhum had converted his disposed assets into expensive artworks.

Indeed, there was no better bribe than artworks, which were difficult to evaluate and easy to package as symbolic gifts.

‘I managed to survive somehow, but.’

He sighed.

Because he knew this wasn’t the end.

‘The guys below will also chatter about betrayal and whatnot, and my influence in the Ministry of Finance will also decrease.’

But it couldn’t be helped.

To make Royhum appear innocent, someone had to take on the guilt accordingly. There was no better card to use as sacrifice than subordinate employees.

‘Damn, did I sell too hastily?’

It hurt to the bone because he had disposed of prime real estate while hastily raising funds.

Moreover, there were many places money needed to go.

Even to tailor clothes to wear to the Imperial Palace ball would require a fortune.

Of course, he could borrow clothes or alter existing ones, but.

‘No way, absolutely not.’

It would be terrible if those petty people who judge others by their clothing mistakenly thought he was completely ruined.

At the same time, Royhum became curious.

‘By the way, where did that bitch Vanessa go?’

He had planned to extort a good amount in exchange for not leaking that Vanessa was the culprit who stole Vincenheim’s ledger.

“Tsk.”

It was regrettable.

* * *

At the same time.

Vanessa was.

“Answer me.”

Enduring the Duke’s angry voice.

“Is it true that you embezzled the living expenses that should have gone to Rianel?”

“Well, Father. That is…”

“Don’t make excuses and just answer!”

The Duke, whose patience had reached its limit, threw his napkin.

Though being hit by a light, thin napkin wouldn’t cause any real damage, Vanessa screamed.

That Vanessa had used Rianel’s room for the past three years… though he found it disagreeable, he thought it was fine if the room’s owner had permitted it.

However, the fact that she had been embezzling the living expenses that should have gone to Rianel for three whole years was inexcusable no matter what justification she tried to attach.

“Since you siphoned it off faithfully every month, it must have become quite a substantial amount. What did you do with all that money?”

“….”

“Don’t tell me you squandered it all?”

That was the correct answer.

Though the Duke had entrusted Vanessa with part of the family’s internal affairs, he hadn’t made her work for free. He had been giving her enough money as an allowance to live luxuriously and still have plenty left over.

And yet she coveted Rianel’s money!

The Duke clutched his throbbing forehead and turned to look at Rupert.

Today as well, his son stood behind Vanessa like a faithful stone statue, keeping his mouth shut.

“Do you have nothing to say today either?”

“….”

“Even seeing this situation, you have nothing you want to say?!”

Veins bulged on the Duke’s forehead. Sensing something ominous from that, Vanessa grabbed Rupert and was about to say something when.

“Get out.”

The Duke’s thunderbolt struck first.

“Can’t you leave immediately?!”

Only then realizing that the Duke’s rage was real, Vanessa collapsed and begged for forgiveness.

“I, I was wrong, Father. Mother said she was short on living expenses, so I tried to send her plenty and ended up—”

The Duke firmly cut off Vanessa’s excuse. No matter what pitiful story she had, he didn’t want to hear it, nor was there any reason to.

“Don’t show your face before me until you receive forgiveness from Rianel. You too, Rupert!”

“…!”

Vanessa stopped begging the Duke and widened her eyes.

She had to bow her head to that wretched girl and get her to accept an apology?

‘Absolutely not.’

Setting aside her wounded pride, it was obvious that Rianel would never forgive her.

She might even use that as an excuse to humiliate her in every way possible!

“Th-that’s too much….”

“Don’t argue any further.”

The Duke drove in the final nail.

“I don’t want to have to punish you for leaking internal family information as well.”

“…!”

“Take her away.”

“Father. Father! Father! No! Aaaaah!”

“….”

Dragged away by the knights, Vanessa was thrown out of the mansion along with Rupert.

She struggled not to be dragged away, but her hope soon broke and her desperation turned into screams.

The Duke knew everything.

Before that truth, no scheme could hold any power.

It was Vanessa’s defeat.

* * *

Though he had driven the two away, the Duke’s heart wasn’t at ease either. Rather, his chest felt stuffy and unpleasant somewhere, as if something was weighing on him.

One of the people he had driven out was his own son, after all.

Moreover.

‘Can I say that I’m not a sinner?’

Guilt that crept up from his ankles gnawed at him.

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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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