The Male Lead Is Trying To Tame Me With Money - Chapter 92

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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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92.

It was the second day since Casian had left the palace, but I was able to conduct my investigation in a very comfortable environment.

The overflowing daily tasks were admirably handled by the Fourth Prince,

‘Please let me help in whatever way I can, Salice Advisor. I know I have no authority in the investigation, but I want to help with at least the daily tasks to reduce your burden, Salice Advisor.’

Thanks to him taking on a considerable portion, saying he was asking even more earnestly for his mother’s sake.

And the Empress was quite seriously stirring things up to prevent Duke Lopez from paying attention to this side.

How suspicious the Zamoti Duchy and the Empress had been during the Third Concubine’s riding accident, and how carelessly the parts that should have been handled cautiously were processed, given that it involved a concubine who was originally a foreign princess.

‘Duke Lopez almost lost his position as heir because of that incident.’

Since diplomacy was the Lopez family’s domain, they had to endure great humiliation after the riding incident.

The Third Concubine’s homeland demanded a proper investigation into the truth, but the case had been concluded far too quickly.

‘At that time, Duke Lopez was returning from trade negotiations with the Kingdom of Basmakh, the Third Concubine’s homeland, so he had no choice but to bear the full brunt of it.’

He hurried back as soon as he received the news, but the case had already been concluded with overly precise testimony and evidence.

The Empire said it was justified, but the Kingdom of Basmakh was not convinced.

To make matters worse, the Zamoti Duchy and the Empress had mobilized nobles close to them to even execute the Third Concubine’s knight who had been identified as the culprit at the time.

Afterward, the Kingdom of Basmakh became enraged and severed trade relations with the Empire.

This made trade with other countries in the southern part of the Empire considerably more difficult, and all that responsibility also fell entirely on the Lopez family.

After losing a considerable portion of the diplomatic domain they had long held to the Zamoti Duchy, they struggled desperately not to be pushed out of the power competition.

‘Well, despite suffering such humiliation, choosing Prince Charley as an option based on practical considerations was impressive in a way.’

Resentment was resentment. When no clear move was visible, the attitude of lowering oneself was something difficult for long-standing high nobility to adopt.

While being that cautious, their offensive push after deciding on a direction was relentless, making it clear why they had maintained their family for so long.

‘Indeed, she was someone who was reliable as an ally, uncomfortable as a neutral party, and very annoying as an enemy.’

So the Empress must be completely overwhelmed and furious right now, and suffering from the fact that she had no one reliable in her household and had to struggle alone!

I felt a slight sense of satisfaction and pushed even harder with my investigation.

*

‘As expected… The Second Empress didn’t tell me about the Third Concubine’s riding accident simply to tie up the Empress’s attention.’

On the third night since Casian left the Imperial Palace, I was certain after examining the statements and remaining evidence.

‘The methods are similar.’

Especially the fact that there had been several assassination attempts on one of the servants confined in the underground prison.

Though we hadn’t announced it yet, both the Captain of the Royal Guard and I judged that one of the servants was more likely to be the culprit than the Second Empress and the Head Maid.

The mechanism of action was too complicated to say the purpose was assassinating the Emperor, and it wasn’t easy to obtain either.

If assassination itself was the purpose, there was no reason for the two people who were always by the Emperor’s side to choose that particular substance.

Because the poison used was…

‘A type that only became effective when it came into contact with male saliva.’

That’s why in the examination conducted by the palace physician on the day of the incident, only the Emperor’s cup showed a poison reaction.

When they later added male saliva to other cups to test, a weak poison reaction appeared.

The probability that the Head Maid or the Second Empress was the culprit decreased for exactly that reason.

‘It’s a poison that must be stored at temperatures cold enough to freeze ice, and gradually loses its effectiveness at higher temperatures.’

If the Head Maid or the Second Empress had personally added it, the palace physicians’ opinion was that no matter how excellent the follow-up treatment was, the Emperor would not have survived that day.

‘Conversely, this means anyone could do it if they bribed a servant.’

The problem was that one of the herbs essential for mixing that poison only grew wild near the Snowland and near the Clupea Territory that I had received.

After the palace physicians discovered this, the Captain of the Royal Guard said the news must absolutely not leak out.

‘Not to protect the guilty, but because innocent people must not be harmed.’

Of course, I trusted the Captain of the Royal Guard and the other knights participating in the investigation.

What I didn’t trust was…

‘The palace physicians.’

Not only during the incident but as the investigation results were revealed, the circumstances of trying to frame me and the Second Empress began to show blatantly.

The Empress had even set up double and triple traps.

The only thing outside her calculations would be not being able to interfere with the investigation.

Since it would be difficult to grasp the situation through the Imperial Knights, it was reasonable to assume the Empress’s side would attempt to bribe the palace physicians.

‘Still, I know which servant put in the poison.’

There was someone whose answers during interrogation were inconsistent and who had peculiarities in their background.

‘Moreover, that servant wasn’t even targeted for assassination attempts.’

Conspicuously, the one who nearly died was someone with a history of working at the Lilac Palace long ago.

As if to make us suspect the Second Empress.

So the culprit was actually almost certain, but the problem was what would happen after announcing it.

‘The Captain of the Royal Guard is a cautious person, so he said he would complete the final investigation before making it public.’

When he revealed the whole story, the possibility of him pointing to me and the Second Empress as the masterminds was far too high.

‘Just like during the Third Concubine’s riding accident.’

At that time too, the knight wasn’t suspected from the beginning.

Then there was testimony from a servant saying he had told them to tamper with the saddle.

Moreover, a maid who worked at the Third Concubine’s Palace came forward and began testifying that the knight and concubine had a big fight a week earlier.

‘Saying it was so shameful that she couldn’t bear to speak the details aloud.’

And when the palace physician actually checked her pulse, the months of pregnancy didn’t match the time when the Emperor had shared her bed, causing the case to rapidly gain momentum.

Originally, suspicion is easy but proving innocence is truly difficult.

So I wasn’t letting my guard down even a little.

So that what the Second Empress had told me wouldn’t be in vain.

As I was organizing the final materials, there were those who burst into the Winter Palace Office.

They were maids from the Rose Palace.

“You must come this time, Miss Salice.”

They had even dropped my rank and title from the address.

“What is the matter, maids of the Rose Palace?”

“How shameless you are! The Empress knows all about your wicked schemes, including how you silenced the Captain of the Royal Guard!”

“I silenced my superior?”

That was too great an insult.

“Don’t play dumb! The Empress is furious and has summoned everyone starting with the Royal Guard. You won’t escape this time!”

About two days after the components were revealed, should I praise the palace physician for not easily succumbing to temptation and holding out well?

‘Still, after the case is concluded, you should at least receive a suspension, shouldn’t you?’

I bought myself three minutes by saying let me talk briefly – that if I didn’t finish, it would become a troublesome matter for the Rose Palace – then completed writing all the documents and left a note with a trustworthy Winter Palace knight.

“Very well, if there’s solid evidence, it would be negligent of me as an investigator not to go.”

I picked up the neatly organized file and smiled at the maids as if telling them to lead the way.

“That composure will end now!”

“She should have just lived quietly in her corner, knowing her place.”

Seeing their voices getting louder, they seemed quite nervous.

*

The Empress, who had gathered everyone in the Sun Palace Audience Chamber, was more menacing than usual today.

Duke Jamoti had visited the Rose Palace this afternoon, so it seemed they had decided to give what needed to be given and prevent the reinvestigation of the Third Concubine case.

‘They probably settled on Duke Jamoti returning his diplomatic rights and voluntarily going into self-reflection.’

So the Empress would be in an even worse mood, and she would certainly find the Second Empress, who had mentioned the Third Concubine’s riding accident, absolutely detestable.

“-Captain of the Royal Guard, I never thought you, who claimed to devote your loyalty to the Emperor, would act so narrow-mindedly!”

“I don’t understand what you mean, Empress.”

“Your heart stops if you think of betraying His Majesty? Did you think you could continue deceiving me with such mythical content from hundreds of years ago!”

The Empress then instructed the maids of the Rose Palace.

“Make Rozelita Salice, that cruel and wicked thing, kneel immediately!”

“Empress!”

The Captain of the Royal Guard shouted as if to dissuade her from that instruction, but she glared with authority.

“I’ve already heard everything! The herb in His Majesty’s poison components only grows wild in the Snowland and Clupea Territory. What does this mean!”

Well, what does it mean indeed. It means you’ve been scheming to trap me.

I shot a look of preparation at the maids approaching me triumphantly.

The price of my knees would be very expensive.

A few days ago, the Countess who had returned after being rebuked by me hesitated, but the other maids forcibly made me kneel.

“If that is Your Majesty the Empress’s will, then I have no choice but to sit and speak.”

“How dare this criminal try to mock this place again with that arrogant tongue!”

“No, I’m trying to point out the facts.”

Sorry, but no matter how I think about it, you seem to be forgetting one thing.

“As you said, that herb does grow wild in the Northern Snow Country and Clupea Territory, and it’s true that it was used in the poison’s composition. However, First Empress.”

I looked straight into her eyes.

“Last month, during the trade with the Northern Snow Country that Prince Charley personally oversaw, that herb was also included in the first batch of items received.”

“What?!”

This must have been news to her.

That operation had barely been touched by the Rose Palace’s influence since Prince Charley had personally stepped forward to prove his abilities honorably.

Moreover, it was documentation led by a new aide from the Summer Palace who was least influenced by the First Empress’s reach.

Of course, that didn’t mean the Empress wouldn’t have reviewed it.

“It kept getting removed and was barely approved to be included at the last minute, upon request from the Palace Physicians. Originally, all herbs can be used as either poison or medicine depending on how they’re combined.”

I gazed straight at her.

“Coincidentally, the first batch happened to arrive two weeks ago. So according to Your Majesty the Empress’s argument, those capable of manufacturing that poison include not only myself and the Second Empress, but also Prince Charley. And,”

I pulled out a resume from the file I was holding.

“One of the servants working in the Tea Room that day was even a Summer Palace employee until last year.”

In other words, wouldn’t Prince Charley be the most suspicious one?

I sent the First Empress a very lovely smile filled with that implication.

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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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