The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 218

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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 218

32.

Duke Loigar entered the palace on the third day after arriving in the capital.

There had been one urging from the Emperor to enter the palace. However, Gannett’s confinement served as a good excuse.

Anyway, Cardriole’s second letter would have already entered the imperial palace.

Even if he hurried to make excuses here, the Emperor would not dispel his suspicions.

In that case, it was better to go with sufficient preparation.

“May you enjoy endless glory. Loigar pays respects to the sun of the Empire.”

“You’ve worked hard traveling such a long distance.”

“This is an important mission entrusted to me by Your Majesty. How could I call it hardship when the road is somewhat treacherous?”

Duke Loigar answered without declining.

And he sat in the chair that a servant had brought to the other side of the office desk.

The Emperor smiled with twisted lips.

“Since you went as an envoy to another country, it would be proper to meet in the audience chamber, but I called you to my office since this won’t be an official report. You also wouldn’t want to say you failed your mission in front of many people.”

“I am honored.”

It wasn’t a good feeling.

However, since he couldn’t even finish the conversation and the king who was his negotiation partner was captured in a rebellion, and he himself was forcibly repatriated, he couldn’t deny that he had failed.

“You also suffered hardships in the Kingdom of Eimel?”

“It’s true that I experienced some difficulties being caught up in the royal family’s internal strife.”

“Your wife must have been worried.”

“Thanks to your concern, nothing serious happened. Although Prince Cardriole has a violent temperament, when the sun illuminates the sky, how could he dare threaten a duke of the Empire?”

Duke Loigar spoke respectfully.

The Emperor tapped the armrest with his fingertips.

Duke Loigar thought. What was written in Cardriole’s letter?

There was no doubt that he had obtained the agreement that the king had taken.

Depending on whether or not he had informed the Emperor about its contents, his own response would have to change.

‘That man didn’t lose himself to anger. This time he staged a coup to protect himself, but ultimately it’s an internal matter of Eimel.’

Although he had tried to help the king and pin the blame on Cardriole, he had no personal feelings against Cardriole.

Cardriole would know that too.

It would be unwise to get involved in the Empire’s internal political strife. There are limits to attacking from a foreign country. If he did that and Cardriole didn’t fall from power but actually ascended to the throne, it would truly be building resentment.

Even if that wasn’t the case, there was also the possibility that the Emperor would be angry that a small country dared to attack an imperial family member.

So wasn’t that why Cardriole sent him back without touching a hair on his head, providing convenience?

‘If he insists on trying to bring me down out of resentment, I’ll shift the focus to how a place like the Kingdom of Eimel is trying to interfere in the Empire’s internal affairs.’

Duke Loigar steeled his mind.

The Emperor tapped the armrest with his finger. Even though it was just past lunchtime, his eyes were deeply sunken and he looked very tired.

“That’s right. It would be impossible for a place like Eimel to threaten my brother.”

“Yes.”

“Royal internal strife… Prince Cardriole claimed that it was the King of Eimel who killed Queen Eimel, but I don’t know if it’s right to raise troops using his stepmother’s death as an excuse and confine his own father. Isn’t that rebellion?”

The Emperor continued speaking slowly.

“What do you think? Was it really the king who killed the queen?”

Duke Loigar inhaled slightly, not enough to be noticed. It was to relieve tension.

“I am honored, Your Majesty. I don’t want to make excuses for my incompetence, but the prince raising troops happened on the very day I arrived in the Kingdom of Eimel. I was unable to discover who was behind the queen’s assassination.”

“Hmm.”

“However, even if the king and queen had a good relationship, I think that was a political gesture to keep the prince in check.”

Queen Eimel was eighteen years younger than the king. She was closer in age to Cardriole.

It probably wasn’t a lie that the king loved the queen. There’s no way a greedy and materialistic man wouldn’t like a young, pretty, and wealthy wife.

In addition, the queen faithfully fulfilled the role the king desired.

But setting aside whether that affection was genuine, would it have lasted long?

The probability was low. The queen was capable, and the king even hated his son for being capable.

If he continued to show affection, it would have been because it helped threaten Cardriole.

“I think it was either the prince or the king, one of the two.”

The person standing behind the Emperor moved. His name was Ferguson. He was one of the few imperial investigators whose identity was known.

Duke Loigar glanced at him and spoke before he could open his mouth.

“However, it is true that Queen Eimel was smuggling southern sea salt together with House Liagan, and the king was the actual owner.”

Duke Loigar struck first before being interrogated.

This was also a way of showing that he had no intention of being hostile toward Cardriole. He had justified Cardriole’s attack on the King of Eimel.

It was also a sign that he had no intention of hiding this incident from the Emperor.

“Hmm…”

The Emperor made an ambiguous sound.

Ferguson spoke.

“I’m sorry that a mere investigator dares to speak about foreign affairs, but if Queen Eimel was involved in such a major issue as salt smuggling, couldn’t we say she wasn’t necessarily assassinated because of internal royal problems?”

“What do you mean by that?”

Duke Loigar glared at Ferguson. Ferguson spoke calmly.

“The salt business involves enormous interests. House Liagan claimed they had no grudge against the queen, so why would they kill her? But conflicts between business partners due to disagreements are not uncommon. Cases that go as far as murder happen quite often too.”

“If House Liagan were really the culprit, would they have let an assassin meet the queen under their own name?”

The Emperor spoke with a leisurely attitude. Ferguson answered.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but there are plenty of foolish murderers in the world. It might not have been an assassination directly planned by Duke Liagan, but something done by a subordinate.”

Ferguson paused once and smiled broadly.

“If not that, it could have been done by someone else who wanted to get involved in the salt business.”

The last statement was probably Ferguson’s main point.

Duke Loigar glared at him. However, Ferguson continued speaking calmly.

“Come to think of it, this is a personal question, but didn’t House Liagan petition Your Grace to clear them of the false accusation regarding Queen Eimel’s death? But are you saying they didn’t even inform Your Grace, who was going to investigate the truth, of crucial information that could be a motive for the queen’s murder?”

“Shut up. Are you daring to interrogate me as a suspect?”

Duke Loigar spat out.

The Emperor tapped the armrest.

“Ferguson, don’t make baseless claims competing for merit.”

“I am honored. I often forget myself when I start investigating and committed disrespect.”

Ferguson apologized.

That apology wasn’t to Duke Loigar. Even if it was to the Emperor, it was merely formal words.

Anyway, Ferguson was the Emperor’s mouth and hands. His presence here was probably to interrogate Duke Loigar on the Emperor’s behalf.

Duke Loigar stood up from his seat. And placing his right hand on his left chest and bowing his head, he spoke to the Emperor.

“As I mentioned before, the person called Deary Ford has nothing to do with me.”

“I see.”

“It’s true that salt was included in the gifts I received from House Liagan. It’s also true that I agreed to rescue House Liagan and receive some share of the salt business interests. However, what I was promised was to give priority trading rights to merchants I designated in the eastern region.”

Duke Loigar asserted.

“I knew nothing about the manipulation of the Ministry of Finance ledgers. I only learned about the international smuggling in partnership with the Kingdom of Eimel when I went to the south.”

This contained a mixture of truth and lies.

It was true that he didn’t know about the Ministry of Finance ledgers. Although he knew that Queen Eimel was involved in salt smuggling, he had only learned the exact scale when he went to the south.

And what remained as evidence was about the priority trading rights and the salt directly given by House Liagan.

Even if this was questioned, it wasn’t at a level that would cause major damage.

Which wholesaler to give salt to was something House Liagan could decide. Such backroom contracts were more common than not.

He could just say he believed the goods he received were sent from House Liagan’s own reserves.

Nothing about salt was written in the agreement either.

Accepting House Liagan’s petition, making an agreement with the King of Eimel – such things would be judged by political logic.

The Emperor quietly looked at him.

Duke Loigar felt sweat gathering in his palms. However, outwardly he maintained an unwavering expression.

The Emperor soon spoke gently.

“I understand your intentions well. Let’s discuss the rest after receiving the official report.”

“Yes.”

“Marquess Luden’s sudden passing must have shocked your wife greatly, so comfort her well.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Duke Loigar straightened his body.

The Emperor spoke.

“Charlotte is supposed to come for dinner today, how about it? If your wife is alright, shall we have a family meal together after a long time? As a gesture of comfort.”

“I apologize. We’ve decided to hold a simple memorial service for my father-in-law today.”

Duke Loigar said.

“We couldn’t even be at his deathbed, let alone attend his funeral. My wife’s shock is beyond ordinary, so I thought such a farewell ceremony would be necessary.”

“I see. Make sure to conduct it well.”

The Emperor only said that much. He probably had other things he wanted to say, but he couldn’t add anything else when they were holding a memorial service for a father-in-law.

Duke Loigar bowed to the Emperor and withdrew.

Secretaries and attendants followed in a crowd.

Duke Loigar didn’t say a single word until he left the Imperial Palace. The humiliation he suffered from Ferguson spread throughout his body, making the displeasure unbearable.

He headed straight to the memorial hall.

Hundreds of people had gathered at the memorial hall set up at Marquess Luden’s residence. They were all high-ranking nobles and their direct family members, and most important close associates.

At the reception area prepared separately outside, lower-ranking nobles or merchants and intellectuals of insufficient status who couldn’t enter the memorial hall directly had gathered.

Almost everyone who had been considered part of Duke Loigar’s faction so far had assembled.

Countess Camellia, who had taken on the role of hostess, approached and bowed her head in greeting.

“Time was short, but you’ve done splendidly, brother-in-law.”

Duke Loigar spoke to Countess Camellia with a smiling face.

He had no intention of confronting the Emperor head-on.

However, the people gathered here were his strength.

If there was no evidence and only political logic remained, the Emperor would never be able to push him aside easily.

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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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