The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 67

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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 67】

 

Among those who worked at Duke Novantium’s estate, there wasn’t a single person who liked Joseph.

 

Everyone had been scolded by his cantankerous nature at least once.

 

However.

 

When they heard that Joseph would have all his saved money confiscated and spend the rest of his life in a sunless prison, a tiny bit of sympathy arose among the servants.

 

‘Is it a little pitiful?’

 

‘How much longer could an old man like him live anyway?’

 

‘It might be better to just put him out of his misery quickly.’

 

But Jacob’s revelation instantly overturned that atmosphere.

 

“You said that woman would take the blame for everything, so why…”

 

Joseph’s plan that was thus revealed was as follows.

 

If Rianel intended to become the mistress of the ducal house, she would tamper with the family ledger.

 

To understand where and how the funds of a great family like a ducal house flowed, naturally it would take time.

 

Before she could grasp the situation, they would steadily embezzle funds, pin all the blame on her, and slip away themselves.

 

Eventually their schemes would be discovered, but it didn’t matter.

 

By then, they wouldn’t be in the Empire anymore.

 

It wasn’t actually an unfeasible plan.

 

‘But they picked the wrong opponent.’

 

Of all people, they tried to pull tricks on a tax processing machine.

 

The Special Tax Bureau people clicked their tongues at Joseph while also feeling proud.

 

After all, it was their Team Leader who had avoided that wicked trap in one go!

 

The servants who had pitied Joseph just moments before were now furious.

 

“Pitiful my foot!”

 

“A bastard like that deserves even harsher punishment.”

 

“Wh-what?!”

 

Joseph, who had been frantically trying to shut Jacob’s mouth every time he spoke, was now lying exhausted on the floor.

 

He thought that with all his crimes exposed, there was no further bottom to fall to.

 

But the saying that there’s a basement below the floor was true.

 

“That’s right! Since death would be too good for him, make him a slave of the ducal house and dump all the dangerous work on him!”

 

Even at this moment, Rianel remained calm.

 

“Imperial law does not recognize slavery.”

 

“Then we have to watch that bastard get free room and board until he dies of old age in prison?”

 

“Instead, it’s possible to recover ill-gotten gains through forced labor during imprisonment, so we plan to use this to compensate for losses.”

 

‘What!’

 

How was that any different from slavery?

 

Joseph was terrified.

 

He had spent part of the embezzled money on luxury and pleasure.

 

Though it was an extremely small amount compared to the money he had hidden away, it was certainly a large sum that couldn’t be touched with a butler’s salary.

 

To make up for that through forced labor…

 

‘I might die hauling stone loads at a quarry for the rest of my life.’

 

Or perhaps he’d meet a miserable death in some unknown place doing even more dangerous work.

 

“Not a bad treatment.”

 

Hulbert was satisfied.

 

When dealing with a family traitor, one shouldn’t retaliate excessively with personal feelings, but neither should one impose punishment so light as to be looked down upon.

 

That level was exactly the fitting punishment for a traitor.

 

Realizing that even Hulbert wouldn’t save him, Joseph cried out with reddened eyes.

 

“I am wronged!”

 

Lennon gave his mentor and father-like figure one last chance to speak.

 

“Please tell us. What is so wrongful?”

 

“I don’t deny that I made such a plan. There’s no point in denying the truth now!”

 

So?

 

“But I didn’t put it into action! It was merely a plan!”

 

Lennon waited to see what he was trying to say, then felt like washing out his ears.

 

“That’s not because you didn’t attempt it, but because you didn’t have time and it remained an attempt.”

 

“So it never even reached the first letter of ‘execution’…”

 

But neither Lennon nor anyone else listened earnestly to Joseph’s excuses.

 

People’s gazes were already fixed on Rianel.

 

On her, who maintained the same expressionless face as usual even though such an enormous conspiracy had been revealed.

 

It was a familiar sight to the Tax Bureau people, but the ducal house staff interpreted it differently.

 

‘Maintaining such composure… does it mean she had already grasped all of that bastard’s wicked schemes?’

 

Otherwise, there was no way she could maintain such tranquility alone.

 

‘No wonder she was so quick to uncover Joseph’s embezzlement.’

 

Rianel might have understood everything from the beginning.

 

Deep in the servants’ hearts, respect began to bloom.

 

‘A heaven-sent mistress – isn’t this the kind of person that phrase refers to?’

 

She was certainly someone who should be served with utmost devotion.

 

‘I will serve with complete loyalty from now on.’

 

They bowed their heads in sincere admiration.

 

* * *

 

In the Empire, a massive tax investigation was conducted targeting construction contractors.

 

It all began when Rianel uncovered the fraudulent activities of one construction contractor.

 

The Special Tax Bureau submitted a report stating that additional investigations were needed based on that one case.

 

‘We can do that much among ourselves even without Team Leader!’

 

The Empress Dowager was impressed when she saw the report that came up.

 

“Truly remarkable.”

 

She knew the inside story of how the report came to be submitted.

 

‘I was worried when she suddenly took sick leave.’

 

Even while resting, Rianel was working with the Empire in mind.

 

‘God has not abandoned the Empire.’

 

Otherwise, He wouldn’t have sent down such outstanding talent twice.

 

Indeed, it was a waste to let such talent rot in a middle management position.

 

But she couldn’t place someone in a position they didn’t want.

 

There was only one way.

 

‘I have no choice but to expand the Special Tax Bureau itself.’

 

Then Rianel’s authority would also increase.

 

The Empress Dowager awarded the entire Tax Bureau so that she could grant Rianel various authorities when she returned.

 

This rumor spread quickly among the civil servants.

 

When word got out that it was easy to achieve merit by joining the Special Tax Bureau, everyone wanted to transfer there.

 

The department that everyone had avoided transformed into a dream department that everyone wanted to join.

 

“We will not accept new recruits for the time being.”

 

Asil said that at times like this, they should focus on internal affairs.

 

The other department members agreed.

 

“That’s right. It’s not like we received awards because we’re exceptional.”

 

Team Leader took care of everything herself.

 

If they thought this was an opportunity and recklessly accepted anyone who came, they might end up falling to a miscellaneous department that was neither here nor there.

 

Rather than that, it was better to maintain their current unity.

 

When this decision became known, people were even more impressed.

 

“Normally, at times like this, they would increase personnel to expand the organization and grow their influence.”

 

Given how long they had been stigmatized as an undesirable department, they must have had the desire to vindicate themselves, yet they restrained that urge.

 

That boldness and patience were remarkable.

 

Moreover, as heartwarming stories about the Special Tax Bureau became known, people’s perception changed even more dramatically.

 

“The current Team Leader is an amazing person, but wasn’t the former Team Leader quite formidable too?”

 

“That’s right, didn’t he flatly refuse a bribe from the former Minister of Finance?”

 

“He had a sick person at home, so he must have needed money more than anyone else.”

 

“The remaining department members are amazing too. Not a single one of them committed tax evasion or embezzlement.”

 

People naturally yearn for what they cannot easily obtain.

 

Once it became a department that not just anyone could join, people began to harbor feelings akin to reverence for the Special Tax Bureau.

 

‘How can only such people be gathered in that department?’

 

* * *

 

Evening.

 

“You look like you’re in a bad mood.”

 

While others hadn’t noticed anything unusual about Rianel, Asil read displeasure in her expressionless face.

 

“Would seeing something cute improve your mood?”

 

Asil crouched down in a flower bud pose where Rianel could see him.

 

Rianel, who had been so lost in thought that she hadn’t even noticed Asil entering, burst into a chuckle.

 

“Did you seriously think that would work?”

 

“But you laughed.”

 

“…That was a hollow laugh from being dumbfounded.”

 

After a moment, Rianel explained the reason for her low mood.

 

“Actually…”

 

When Jacob had to pay back most of his earned money as taxes, he tried to get a reduction somehow.

 

He tried to prove that his net profit was small by stating how much he spent on material costs, transportation fees, and other business expenses.

 

But that’s where he got caught instead.

 

[Industrial waste must have inevitably been generated during construction, so why didn’t you report the disposal costs?]

 

[Well…]

 

Knowing that lies wouldn’t work in front of Rianel, Jacob spilled information readily instead of making excuses.

 

[Actually, I dumped it at the abandoned orphanage.]

 

That’s how Rianel came to hear about Mart Orphanage once again.

 

[Actually, I’m more of a laborer than a construction contractor.]

 

Jacob wasn’t a famous construction contractor. So whenever construction work didn’t come in, he also took on other manual labor jobs.

 

Among those were jobs he received from the Temple.

 

[That’s when I learned that the Temple was using the abandoned orphanage as a waste disposal site. Since there was already a lot of garbage piled up, I thought it would be okay to secretly dump mine there too…]

 

[Illegally dumping waste at an unauthorized disposal site violates the Waste Management Act.]

 

[I’m sorry…! Please forgive me.]

 

Even though it was the most minor crime among those he had committed, Jacob trembled with his head pressed to the floor.

 

Rianel felt bitter.

 

Those Temple bastards weren’t just insulting her memories, but were actually using the place as a garbage dump.

 

“Feeling conflicted is my personal matter, and since there was no need to tell you such things, I kept quiet about it.”

 

Then Rianel noticed Asil covering his mouth with a deeply moved expression on his face.

 

“Why do you have that look?”

 

“Because I’m happy.”

 

Asil lowered his hand, revealing the corners of his mouth curved in a clear arc.

 

“As I thought, you do like me.”

 

Rianel’s eyebrows twisted.

 

“How does that become the conclusion?”

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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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