The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 28

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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 28】

“Kekeke, haha, uhahahaha…!”

Royhum was in an unusually good mood.

He laughed heartily and slammed his palm down on the dining table. The impact made the silver cutlery and porcelain plates on the table shake along with it.

“So you reported Rianel?”

“It was nothing really, Uncle. I saw Rianel wearing a dress that didn’t suit her station, so I wondered where it came from and figured out what I should do.”

It was dinner time at Royhum’s mansion.

Rupert sat next to Vanessa, expressionless as always.

He simply sat beside Vanessa, mechanically eating his meal.

He neither savored the taste of the food nor questioned where he was. That’s how he had been instructed.

It was Vanessa who had brought Rupert to Royhum’s mansion.

With no source of income, she couldn’t afford to pay lodging fees at an inn. And staying at a hotel she owned would mean going down to the provinces.

‘I haven’t even properly met Father yet!’

After weighing her options, she chose to stay at her blood relative Royhum’s house.

To freeload at someone else’s house, one must pay their due worth. Vanessa’s report was an extension of that.

It also served to bring down Rianel.

“You did very well. How admirable! So, is there anything else you need while staying at the mansion? Nothing uncomfortable?”

Royhum looked at Vanessa with a smile that made him appear like a caring elder relative.

“Not at all. Uncle, you’re already treating me more than well enough.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

However, his smile was a mask. Calculations were spinning rapidly in Royhum’s mind.

‘With this, I can thoroughly shake down the inside of the Special Tax Bureau.’

Any ledger made by any department was bound to have flaws.

‘Something will definitely come out of those Special Tax Bureau bastards’ ledgers too.’

Royhum’s plan was to either frame that as Rianel’s fault, or make the Special Tax Bureau people sell out Rianel to save themselves.

‘All problems started when Rianel moved to the Special Tax Bureau.’

The way to solve problems was naturally to remove the cause.

Royhum firmly believed that if Rianel alone disappeared, all problems would be solved.

Unlike Vanessa who was beaming with smiles, grumbling could be heard from one side of the table.

“When I needed you, you weren’t even by my side…”

It was Royhum’s son, Evan.

He still hadn’t gotten over the humiliation of being grabbed by the collar by Duke Vincenheim, and he thought the cause was Vanessa not taking his side.

“I… I couldn’t help it then. If I had intervened wrongly, Duke Vincenheim might have gotten even angrier…”

Vanessa made excuses while trying to appease Evan.

Since even Royhum couldn’t rashly step forward at that moment, her words sounded plausible.

“But I got revenge for you too, didn’t I?”

“Really?”

Life returned to Evan’s eyes.

Unlike his father, the simple-minded Evan was ready to be appeased by the two words ‘revenge.’

“Of course. In a way, you contributed greatly to this incident. Thanks to you, I was able to approach Rianel.”

She had to approach her to find out in detail what kind of dress Rianel was wearing, didn’t she?

“That’s right! Yes, I contributed too.”

Having grown up always being called a disappointing son by his father, Evan felt good when someone acknowledged him and shrugged his shoulders.

“Anyway, let’s wait and see.”

Royhum raised his glass.

He was curious too about how those Tax Bureau bastards would respond.

* * *

And the Special Tax Bureau people.

“The Ministry of Finance has raised suspicions that this matter may involve embezzlement of the Special Tax Bureau’s internal budget, and they’re demanding a comprehensive investigation of the Special Tax Bureau.”

“Wow, at this point, what’s the meaning of keeping the reporter anonymous?”

They were astounded by Royhum’s behavior, which was more transparent than dishwater.

This way, there was no protection of the reporter’s identity at all.

“I object.”

Rianel said.

“Yes, the new employee suspected of embezzling our department’s tiny budget. You do realize your situation is unfavorable right now, don’t you?”

“I always face reality, Senior Wilbrin.”

“Honestly, I’m worried about what strange thing you’ll say again, but I’ll give you the floor.”

Wilbrin sighed while anxiously waiting for Rianel’s words.

“There’s one fact I’d like to correct. The reporter is probably Lady Vanessa Violen, not the Minister of Finance.”

“Setting aside how you knew that, knowing it in the first place might be completely meaningless…”

“You didn’t know until now, did you?”

“Now I know, you person.”

“Walnuts, salmon, and blueberries are foods good for memory. I’d recommend avoiding them from now on.”

Meaning she should forget on her own.

Wilbrin’s eyebrows twitched.

‘Is she calling that a solution right now?’

Of course, there was a real solution.

“We just need to clarify that it was a private gift unrelated to official duties.”

Asil said.

“That’s right. If I submit a receipt showing I purchased the item with my own money and prove that the gift had no influence on my official duties, it should be resolved.”

Bribery is a crime because it seeks to achieve illegal purposes through money and goods.

Coincidentally, at the time Rianel received the dress, no new policies had been proposed at the Special Tax Bureau, nor had any reports been submitted. So it became easy to prove.

“…Wait, this could be resolved so easily?”

When Mel gaped in bewilderment, Til explained.

“Well, what they took issue with was the new employee’s dress. We just need to prove it wasn’t a bribe.”

“Ah…?”

Mel seemed to understand, then didn’t understand again and asked once more.

“Why did they even file the report?”

Didn’t they know it could end so anticlimactically?

“They probably wanted to look into our ledgers.”

This time Wilbrin stepped forward.

“There hasn’t been a major internal audit since the Former Empress passed away. They probably thought a lot of shady problems had accumulated in our department during that time.”

The Former Empress was someone who would barge into various ministries without warning and root out rotten problems.

From the Empire’s perspective, it was good that civil servants’ integrity improved. But from the civil servants’ perspective, nothing was more troublesome.

Not knowing when the hand of audit might reach them, they had to live in constant tension, holding their breath.

But it had already been three years since the Former Empress died.

The Ministry of Finance bastards judged that the Special Tax Bureau’s discipline had also become lax.

“That’s ridiculous, really. Do they think we’re like them?”

Wilbrin snorted.

“Exactly. With someone right next to us ready to bite us at every opportunity, would we give them ammunition?”

Til also crossed his arms and sneered.

“We’ve only handled miscellaneous work all this time, so we’ve become completely proficient in this kind of administrative work.”

Mel showed them the perfectly organized accounting ledger.

The Special Tax Bureau was a department whose very existence was miraculous.

Since they could be eliminated at any time if even the slightest flaw was found, they had prepared thoroughly for such situations.

“Besides, we haven’t caught anyone for tax evasion, and while the new employee was suspected of bribery, it’s a charge that will soon be cleared.”

Therefore.

“We have nothing to hide, so since we’re already investigating, let’s tell them to check the Finance Ministry guys’ ledgers too?”

When Wilbrin spoke up, Til chimed in as well.

“That’s a good idea? The Finance Ministry guys getting disciplined as a group this time was for tax evasion, which is different from this case, right? If we do well, we might be able to get rid of them completely this time?”

Upper Management hadn’t yet finalized the level of disciplinary action for the Finance Ministry.

To be precise, they were investigating whether there were any additional charges. If internal corruption was revealed during this process, there would naturally be aggravated punishment.

“Oh my, the Finance Ministry guys are going to love this.”

And so.

* * *

“Wait, why are the sparks flying our way?”

The ball that Royhum had thrown up was coming back down to Royhum.

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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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