The Obsessive Male Lead Is Obsessed With Me! - Chapter 164

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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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Episode 164

“While examining our family’s ledgers with the tax officials, I was able to recall past memories and the passion of those times, wasn’t I? It was also a great opportunity to learn a lot from the tax officials’ expertise.”

You all just stood by and watched when the Former Empress and Former Emperor tormented our family back then, didn’t you? Right? That felt good then, didn’t it?

“Above all, everyone thought that since our family makes a lot of money, we must have naturally committed embezzlement and evaded taxes, but through this opportunity, we were able to prove our family’s innocence, which was very, very satisfying.”

Back then you thought it was someone else’s problem, right?

“How could I enjoy this wonderful experience all by myself? So that all! No, so that all the nobles not present here can also enjoy this wonderful experience! Roheim will cooperate generously with both human and material resources!”

Now it’s your turn to suffer!

“Now, who will be the first to become the protagonist of this wonderful opportunity?”

“No, Duke Roheim…”

“You’d better hurry. If by any chance, just by any chance, rumors spread that you all are showing hesitation… who knows if those people might whisper that you must have something to hide?”

It meant I would spread the rumors and I would do the whispering.

In front of Duke Roheim, who was laughing like a demon with a sinister chuckle, several nobles quickly raised their hands.

“I’ll go first. I have nothing to hide.”

“Same here. Our family has nothing to be ashamed of.”

People from families close to the Roheim family raised their hands one after another. Others watched this scene while swallowing curses inwardly.

They must have given them a heads-up early on! Those despicable bastards!

“Hmm? Strange? It seems there are some who haven’t raised their hands…”

“…Me! I’ll also accept it!”

“I, I will too… *sob*.”

Anyway, since everyone had raised their hands, the rumors about the comprehensive investigation that would unfold from now on would spread like this:

That the newly enthroned Emperor was not trying to break the nobles’ spirit and oppress them, but rather all the nobles actively took the lead to prove their own integrity.

‘Well, the real intention is just to weed out those who profited during the Former Emperor’s reign.’

So Count Keller, who had already gone down to his estate, along with all those who had sided with him, would be dragged back to the capital.

Once several of the worst offenders among them were purged, those who looked down on Lionel as a young emperor would disappear.

Of course, the one who would ultimately take the blame wouldn’t be the young Emperor, but Duke Roheim, who had cunningly maneuvered in between. Just as he intended.

‘I’ll protect my son-in-law!’

Duke Roheim secretly winked at Lionel, who sat at the head table, without the other nobles noticing.

No one except Duke Roheim noticed that a small smile appeared on Lionel’s lips.

* * *

After the new Emperor and Empress ascended to the throne, the number of people visiting the Central Temple increased several times compared to before.

Their purpose was clear. They came to see the oracle received by Cecilia, who had now become royalty but wasn’t born as such.

But unfortunately, those who visited the temple couldn’t see Cecilia’s oracle.

“The stone tablet isn’t here today either?”

“Yes, well, Her Majesty the Empress, who owns the oracle, hasn’t given us the tablet yet…”

“Why won’t she give us the tablet?”

“We don’t really know either…”

It was truly puzzling.

If it were before, it might be understandable, but now Cecilia had become the Empress, that is, royalty.

So she should have sent the stone tablet with her oracle engraved on it to the temple. But there was still no word from her.

“Still no news from the Imperial Palace?”

“We definitely heard they would send it today…”

Any moment now, surely now.

While several priests stretched their necks and paced in front of the main gate, waiting for the tablet the Empress would send.

Deep inside the Central Temple, in the sanctuary where only clergy with the rank of Cardinal or higher could enter, a secret religious trial was being held.

“We will now begin the trial of the criminals Seige and Nicole.”

Since it was a secret trial, there were no spectators.

Naturally, there were no jurors either.

Apart from the Pope who served as judge, only seven Cardinals were watching this trial.

“Originally, this trial should have been held publicly with many people watching. However, since Nicole ascended to the position of Empress after returning to secular life, we couldn’t hold a religious trial if the trial were conducted at the Imperial Palace.”

In the end, the Pope failed to divorce Cayen and Nicole. Therefore, Nicole should have stood trial at the Imperial Palace alongside the Former Empress and Former Emperor as the Empress.

But since both the Former Empress and Former Emperor were no longer of this world at the time of trial, there was a high probability that Nicole, the only one alive, would receive excessive punishment and attention.

Therefore, Lionel treated Nicole’s escape as having occurred when the Imperial Palace was occupied, and handed her over to the temple.

What remained now was for the temple to give her appropriate punishment.

Having promised the Emperor to do so when they took her in, the Pope had to impose severe punishment on Nicole.

“The trial held today will only be recorded in confidential records, to be read only by future Popes and Cardinals.”

This meant that if criminals who steal others’ oracles appeared again in the future, this trial would serve as a precedent.

Nicole, who sat here as a criminal with both hands bound in handcuffs, squeezed her eyes shut.

The Pope’s declaration moments ago made her anticipate how terrible the punishment she and Seige would receive.

‘I’m fine. But the Archbishop…’

“Criminal Nicole, listen. You stole another’s oracle as your own and twisted the fate arranged by God. Do you acknowledge this?”

“…I acknowledge it.”

“Criminal Seige, listen. When the owner of the oracle was born, there was a request from the guardian, so we won’t question the crime of hiding the oracle. However, when criminal Nicole stole the oracle, instead of revealing the truth, you sided with her and provided the opportunity for the fate arranged by God to be twisted. Do you acknowledge this?”

“I acknowledge it.”

“Thanks to the truth being revealed belatedly, we were able to avoid the misfortune of God’s arranged fate being twisted. However, that doesn’t make your crimes disappear. Do you acknowledge this?”

“I acknowledge it.”

Only Seige answered.

The Pope’s gaze turned to Nicole.

“Criminal Nicole. Do you acknowledge this?”

Nicole bit her lips repeatedly before barely managing to open her mouth.

“I… acknowledge it.”

“Since both criminals have acknowledged their crimes, I will render judgment without separate proof. The crime of daring to defy God’s will. There are no mitigating circumstances. Although the contents of this trial will not be made public, to leave a stern warning for future generations, I will render a judgment befitting the crime without any mercy or leniency.”

The Pope, who had stopped speaking, let out a small sigh that no one could hear.

Soon after, she looked down at the two people and declared in a solemn voice.

“To the criminals Seige and Nicole…”

“Wait a minute!”

With a bang, the closed door opened, and bright light poured through the gap.

“Who is it!”

One of the Cardinals, enraged by the interruption of the sacred religious trial, shouted angrily.

But he soon had to close his mouth, because the person standing beyond the wide-open door was none other than Cecilia.

“Y-Your Majesty the Empress?”

“Yes, the Empress. Excuse me, everyone. I didn’t receive a separate invitation, but I should have sufficient qualification to be here, shouldn’t I?”

Cecilia smiled brightly and pointed to her side.

Lionel stood there, holding a heavy stone tablet in his hands. The very tablet with Cecilia’s oracle engraved on it.

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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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