The Former Empress Roughly Hides Her Abilities - Chapter 85

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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 85】

“This is what I investigated because of this.”

Rianel suppressed a sigh as she placed the box on the desk.

When the lid opened, the red ruby sparkled along its reflective angles.

“Your Highness said this jewel belonged to the kingdom.”

“That’s right. The minerals mined by our homeland’s miners were polished by our jewelers.”

“Upon investigation, I found that ruby was different from the Empire’s. While the Empire’s rubies have bright red light in terms of brightness and saturation, Garta’s rubies had a more murky red light. Moreover, they had crafting marks as if they were rubbed with sand.”

On the other hand.

“The jewels crafted in the Empire had distinctly different characteristics. When examined with a loupe, you can confirm the artisan’s mark. This is a mark to guarantee that the jewel is authentic, with the jeweler staking their name on it.”

Since ordinary people don’t know how to distinguish whether jewels are genuine, jewelers exploited this aspect and received crafting fees instead of engraving their marks.

Zarban, who only sold jewels but didn’t examine them closely, was roughly convinced.

“I see. But what’s your point?”

“However, jewels that appear to have been made in the kingdom were discovered in the Imperial Capital.”

The atmosphere grew heavy.

The detected quantity was about ten pieces, which was ambiguous to consider very large, but they were clearly distributed with the intention of sale.

“The person who purchased those jewels was a merchant dealing in jewelry in the Western Commercial District, and when he couldn’t find the jeweler’s mark even when examining with a loupe, he considered them counterfeit and reported them.”

Since the Empire had active trade, laws regarding smuggling and customs were strict.

If the Prince had paid customs duties, there should have been traces at customs.

“However, there were no records of paying customs duties for those jewels.”

Then Rianel discovered commonalities between the jewel the Prince gave her and the jewels of unknown origin.

“That’s how I could conclude that both jewels had the same origin.”

Zarban smirked.

“So the Princess is saying she conducted an investigation using the jewel I gave as a gift?”

“That statement is incorrect. You didn’t give that jewel to me, but to Protocol Assistant Rianel.”

[Then let’s say I’m giving it to you as the Protocol Assistant.]

Only then did Zarban, recalling his own words, widen his eyes.

“In that case, this is a national asset, so it’s proper to verify its origin.”

Wouldn’t it be stranger to carelessly receive and stash away a jewel that would be kept in the Empire’s name?

“Ha!”

Zarban burst into hollow laughter.

“I earned not the Princess’s favor but suspicion with my jewel.”

“That statement is also inappropriate. You didn’t give me the jewel to earn my favor, Your Highness.”

Rianel calmly refuted.

“You were trying to confirm the business potential through me, to see if there was demand for such jewels in the Empire.”

Since Rianel was also a noble woman.

Of course, Rianel was someone who showed no reaction, so it probably wasn’t much help.

“Oh my, I was completely caught in my own scheme. Is this the price for overlooking that the Empire has you?”

“My presence or absence doesn’t matter. This is a mistake caused by Your Highness’s arrogance.”

Since they were in the position of being called foreigners and barbarians within the Empire no matter what they did.

“You fell victim to that prejudice that you wouldn’t be suspected of trying to evade taxes using Imperial law.”

Giving jewels to Rianel, who was from the Special Tax Bureau, was also a big mistake.

“Yes. You’re right.”

While Zarban laughed, he bitterly lowered his gaze.

He didn’t argue back because he had lost his fighting spirit.

Rianel had said ‘one cannot penetrate the principles and logic of heaven while sitting in place,’ but Zarban didn’t believe it.

If someone could deduce this far from a single jewel, that couldn’t be called a ‘person.’

“Truly regrettable. That a talent like you isn’t from the kingdom.”

At the same time, Zarban also acknowledged his own arrogance.

When he first entered the Empire, he thought the Empire’s prosperity was built on luck.

But seeing Rianel, he realized he had misjudged.

The Empire’s true prosperity lay in establishing a foundation where talents like Rianel could flourish.

“Don’t you have any thoughts of coming to the kingdom even now? I heard you’ve had a long period of not being recognized in your own country.”

With her abilities, she could easily serve as an empress of a nation.

“Really, don’t you have any thoughts of defecting to the kingdom? I could transfer the jewel mines to the Princess as your assets.”

“Shut up!”

The atmosphere that seemed to be loosening immediately turned sour.

“How dare you covet the Empire’s talent.”

The Emperor, who had entered the interrogation room thinking he had found an excuse to expel Prince Zarban who had been eyeing his possessions, burst into anger seeing Zarban not giving up even at this moment.

If only Zarban had shown interest only in the Princess as the Emperor intended. But since he had openly declared his desire for Rianel, whom he had been coveting.

The Emperor’s hostility was considerable.

“I will question the kingdom about your rudeness.”

“Please do so.”

Zarban chuckled.

“I’m already at rock bottom anyway.”

Zarban hadn’t distinguished himself among the numerous princes. And now he had been caught trying to cause trouble in the Empire.

This news would quickly spread to other countries, and the Prince’s subsidiaries would suffer damage.

Moreover.

“You will use my mistake as an excuse to propose conditions favorable to the Empire.”

Rianel affirmed.

“Yes, not trading with the kingdom over this matter would be a loss for the Empire.”

The negotiator would be another prince, not Zarban. The path Zarban had paved would be used by another prince, and the Empire would obtain the goods it wanted.

“Yes, everything will go as the Lady wishes.”

Even knowing that only a cliff lay ahead of him, he kept laughing.

If he returned to the kingdom like this, Zarban would be punished for tarnishing the royal name.

He would be banned from leaving the country for several years, or might even be placed under house arrest.

Thus he would grow distant from the throne and meet a lonely end like other princes who failed to become king.

But more regrettable than such an obvious future was.

‘This woman.’

He deeply regretted leaving behind in the Empire the talent who could have given him wings.

‘If only this person became my ally, not only the throne but I could have made Garta Kingdom the most prosperous nation on the continent…’

“Princess, will you really stay in the Empire? Please think once more…”

Zarban reached out pathetically with his last lingering attachment, but was restrained by those around him.

“I’m sick of looking at him. Drag him out.”

The Emperor frowned.

He was displeased with Zarban coveting what was his even at this moment.

The knights were those who faithfully followed the Emperor’s commands, so Zarban was dragged out as ordered.

However, considering his status as a prince and that what he had committed in the Empire was merely smuggling, the punishment was decided to be deportation.

“Leave the Empire within ten days.”

Zarban was given orders to voluntarily leave the country within the deadline.

Since he was royalty from a foreign country, it was awkward to openly treat him as a criminal.

“If you refuse, the knights will personally chase the Prince out of the Empire, so if you don’t want to suffer disgrace, you’d better move quickly.”

“Thank you for the warning, yes.”

Just before being pushed out of the palace gates with his attendants.

“I will not give up.”

Zarban, whose eyes met Rianel’s, curved his lips upward.

Rianel’s gaze wavered slightly.

“I’m the type of person who takes on challenges worth risking my life for.”

The desert called such people warriors.

This woman was worth that much.

“Is that so?”

Rianel pretended to be calm while inwardly feeling tense.

Someone who had hit rock bottom could do anything.

‘I need to be careful.’

But contrary to her worries.

The next morning.

“Look, Prince Zarban left a treasure map!”

The Princess waved around a letter that had been placed on her desk when she woke up.

Anyone could see it was a letter meant to lure the Princess to a specific location.

“With this, I can be of help to the Empire too, right?”

The treasure the Princess spoke of wasn’t the jewelry that Zarban claimed to have buried, but Zarban himself.

Rianel clicked her tongue seeing that Zarban’s scheme had been seen through in just 5 minutes.

‘If I had known this would happen, I could have slept peacefully instead.’

She had slept restlessly for nothing and now her shoulders were stiff.

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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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