The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living - Chapter 166

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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 166

Black magic was completely forbidden by imperial law, and the Magic Tower’s investigative authority held tremendous power.

Moreover, the opponent was Young Master of the Marquis Naisar House, one of the original five families. Even by status, he could not be ignored.

“Please continue with the banquet.”

Harrison said with a charming smile spreading across his face.

“I simply ask for the honor of approaching these beautiful ladies and examining their hands directly.”

Everyone nodded at the subtle manifestation of 【Charm】.

“My goodness, Young Master Naisar is coming to look at my hand directly?”

“At this point, isn’t this a blessing rather than an investigation?”

“Why am I not a lady? Don’t men’s rings count?”

The atmosphere was smoothly established.

Harrison lightly grasped Silvia’s hand, who was right in front of him, and raised his eyebrows.

“The lady is definitely not the one.”

Then he approached the young lady next to her and lifted her left hand as if escorting her.

“The young lady isn’t either…”

That young lady sighed, wondering ‘Why didn’t I wear a ring on my right hand too?’

In that light atmosphere, the second dance tune began cheerfully.

‘According to plan!’

I brightened my eyes and winked at Wolf-dog.

Since they said ‘unprecedented black magic detection ability,’ the Empress Dowager would definitely be anxious.

But since it wasn’t an immediate ‘freeze order,’ she would be able to take countermeasures.

‘She’s not the type to secretly entrust the ring to someone else, so she’ll hide it somewhere herself.’

Since this is the Imperial Palace, there would naturally be a secret place only she knows.

Moreover, since the ring is small, it would be easy to hide. With so many watching eyes, she can’t disappear for long, so definitely somewhere near the banquet hall.

‘Baureliandugius will track that down and switch it with a fake.’

Switching seemed to be the quietest way to resolve the matter.

If the Empress Dowager doesn’t notice, that’s fortunate, and even if she does notice, she won’t be able to make it public since she can’t answer the question ‘why was it switched?’

Maximus had already prepared the fake.

Indeed, as the operation began, Maximus came out to the terrace.

“Marquis Sears! It’s been a while! So you were here!”

He pretended to come meet Alpheus, but was actually looking at Baureliandugius.

Baureliandugius couldn’t climb high or use his hands. So someone who could make the switch was needed.

Since we were inside the Imperial Palace and might be blocked from entry, Maximus took on this role. He was skilled with his body and good at stealth, making it the perfect role for him.

Moreover, he said he had a suspected location. There was a space exclusive to royalty where one could slip away from the banquet hall. So there was no reason not to entrust it to him.

“Oh, this child is Wolf-dog’s cousin. What’s his name?”

“Baureliandugius.”

When I answered promptly, Maximus understood immediately, unlike Alpheus.

“Oh… a Riente-style name. I see. Baureliandugius is so cute, may I give him some treats?”

This meant he would go near the Empress Dowager’s route and hide himself.

I nodded.

“Of course. Go ahead.”

At that moment, Baureliandugius stared at me intently. The emotion in those eyes was clearly ‘worry.’

It was just for the operation, but he had that expression of not wanting to be separated from me.

“Take care, Baureliandugius.”

I patted Baureliandugius’s head once and said.

“The walk earlier was a bit short, wasn’t it?”

Then Maximus nodded seriously.

“Ah, so that’s why he looked angry. Dogs get stressed when they don’t get enough walks.”

It seemed like the stress was probably because of Maximus, but I decided not to say that.

“Let’s take a long walk after the banquet ends.”

I looked into those golden eyes and said soothingly, then hesitated briefly before adding.

“I enjoy walking together too. So take care and come back.”

Baureliandugius reluctantly wagged his tail at me a few times, then was carried away from the terrace in Maximus’s arms.

* * *

The Empress was burning up inside.

‘My ring! That’s my ring now!’

When Harrison declared the investigation, the Emperor had left the banquet hall, saying he would have a private meeting with Hilberry.

So if she wanted to stop it, she should have stopped it, but she was briefly enchanted by Harrison’s charm and failed to prevent this situation.

Moreover, the banquet was proceeding smoothly, and when Harrison approached, the women expectantly extended their hands, so she couldn’t tell him to stop now.

‘If that ring gets taken away…’

She had laid all the groundwork so far, and just thinking about it was terrifying.

‘I can’t let that Naisar bastard run around freely!’

The restless Empress’s eyes caught sight of Alpheus and Brisa just coming out from the terrace.

As soon as she spotted Alpheus’s bright smile, heat rose to her head.

‘That, that lowly thing, because of that thing, everything went wrong. Ever since that thing suddenly became the Marquis of Sears!’

The Crown Prince’s face overlapped with Brisa’s expressionless face standing beside him.

That pitiful sight of having the succession stolen by someone of commoner origin because of father’s damned will.

Born lowly, without proper etiquette education, just good at fighting and receiving support from lowly people, standing here laughing…

‘I don’t understand His Majesty the Emperor’s mind. He keeps giving opportunities to Maximus. What if my son, my Crown Prince, suddenly becomes a supporting character like that…’

Brisa was originally a child who didn’t smile, but that fact didn’t even occur to her.

‘It’s, it’s all because of that bastard. That bastard sticking close to Maximus!’

Then she wanted to erase that smile from this world forever.

If Alpheus was removed, it seemed like Maximus would fall together with him.

Various calculations went back and forth in her head, and the Empress stood up abruptly as soon as the second dance tune ended.

“Ah, but I wonder if it’s appropriate to entrust such an investigation to Young Master Marquis Naisar.”

There was no time except now.

After the second dance tune ended, it was break time.

Though the Emperor had disappeared with Hilberry now, he would soon return and begin the congratulatory speech for Backhun.

If she was going to cause trouble, it was better to execute it now while the Emperor was absent.

In the Emperor’s absence, the highest authority was the Empress.

The unofficial highest authority was the Empress Dowager, but hadn’t the Empress Dowager directly said ‘show me your abilities’ just a few days ago?

So there was no one here who could stop her.

“I heard that Young Master Marquis Naisar has been sticking close to Marquis Sears lately… I’m worried he might have been influenced badly.”

At the Empress’s words, the banquet hall was enveloped in cold silence.

Even though countless people were packed in, everyone was in a frozen state.

The Empress quietly looked at Cheria and asked.

“Isn’t that right, Marquis Naisar?”

Only Cheria and Harrison attended from the Marquis Naisar House.

Cheria, who had been chatting with other noble young ladies, looked at the Empress in surprise.

“Come here, Marquis Naisar.”

When the Empress raised her eyebrows and commanded, Cheria put down the glass she was holding and immediately bowed her head.

“I will obey your command.”

The Empress Dowager spread her fan as if finding this interesting.

The Empress spoke in a dignified voice.

“I tried to handle this quietly, but since things have come to this, I have no choice as the nation’s mother.”

She deliberately avoided looking at Harrison to avoid being affected by 【Charm】 and declared.

“Alpheus Sears is not a hero who lifted the ‘Curse of Sleep’ but a criminal who colluded with black magic. He pretended to solve the ‘Curse of Sleep’ while pretending to have Sears abilities.”

Then the gazes of everyone at the banquet turned toward Alpheus.

“That lowly mercenary, son of a maid, knew he had less legitimacy than Brisa Sears. So he planned all of this. Defeating the monsters in the Eastern Region was naturally self-directed too. Isn’t that right?”

Then Young Duke of Dibostan from the east, Ethan Dibostan, stepped forward.

“That’s correct.”

He said, bowing his head.

“The Eastern Region has sufficient evidence. We wanted to handle this quietly without making a fuss, but since Young Master Naisarr is openly wielding his investigative authority, I’m concerned as well.”

Earlier, it seemed like he and Alpheus had exchanged a few words, but they instantly became enemies.

To express such blatant hostility, Ethan seemed to have assessed Alpheus as ‘an enemy to be eliminated as quickly as possible’ rather than ‘a target to be left as a laughingstock.’

“Leaving Marquis Naisar’s Estate to follow Marquis Sears and spending nearly a year away…”

Ethan glanced at Alpheus and clicked his tongue.

“Young Master Naisarr is young and has no close male siblings in his family, so he’s bound to be easily influenced by bad young men.”

Evidence could simply be fabricated. It wasn’t needed right away anyway.

Duchess of Dibosthan personally knew a Dark Mage, so she would surely handle things well.

The Divostan Duke House’s Special Ability, 【Nullification】, remained strong alongside the Western Region’s 【Air Strike】.

【Nullification】 was a powerful Special Ability that made one’s body immune to the effects of Dark Magic. That’s why their testimony always carried credibility.

Moreover, they had… another hidden card as well.

“What does Marquis Naisar think?”

The Empress’s eyes turned toward Cheria, who was trembling.

“Didn’t you say you had something to report to me regarding this matter?”

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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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