The Villainess Lives Twice - Chapter 274

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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 274

Ferguson was one person, and there were seven secret investigators.

This didn’t arithmetically mean Ferguson’s power was seven times stronger. However, it was at least true that the Emperor had tried to check them by dividing the secret investigators’ power into smaller pieces.

The official investigation organization was checked by bureaucrats and under the Emperor’s direct control.

On the other hand, secret organizations couldn’t be like that, so he had restricted them as a means of control.

Now that was working in reverse.

Even when the Emperor became unable to intervene, Ferguson’s organization remained intact.

Control had been transferred to the Crown Prince. Just the fact that a young and healthy Crown Prince acknowledged its existence strengthened the organization’s authority.

Rather, it could be seen as having swelled up as much as the secret organization had shrunk.

That was the power of legitimate authority.

On the other hand, the secret organization could only carefully gather people underwater.

Cop hid the organization members as much as possible and fragmented the informant network, scattering it.

Informants were entangled like a spider web. It was impossible to know who was whose subordinate, where true loyalty lay.

If Cop accidentally let slip the wrong words, it would be fortunate if they didn’t run off with that information to earn merit.

So only a trustworthy few organization members remained.

3 and 7 also succeeded in keeping only core organization members and sinking them underwater. It was thanks to believing Cop’s advance warning.

The organizations of 5 and 6, who had received warnings from Cop but didn’t believe them, were caught all at once without being able to erase their traces.

‘Marquess Rosan…!’

Cop gritted his teeth and burned with hatred.

This wasn’t something someone like Ferguson could do.

Even if he knew the names of the secret investigators, it would be impossible to see into an entire organization composed of cell structures.

Unless he had known the names corresponding to the core from the beginning, it would have been impossible to spread such a net and catch them all at once.

Many would find it hard to believe that a great noble who was the Emperor’s sister and strategist would remember even such trivial names.

However, Marquess Rosan had always had a good memory.

She remembered stories told in passing even years later. The same went for the names that appeared in those stories.

Cop had seen her remember even the names of laundresses in the Imperial Palace.

Knowing this, after her memories returned, Cop had tried his best to renew the organization’s membership.

However, it was impossible to find trustworthy people and replace them in a short period.

His hesitation over whether to reduce the scope of activities ultimately brought about today’s results.

Nevertheless, that didn’t mean Cop’s defeat.

The lower organizations were just informants anyway. The real power of the secret organization lay in the refined information the secret investigators possessed.

There were quite a few who viewed Cedric’s succession unfavorably.

However, none came forward to voice opposition.

Thanks to the foolish Count Eison’s group failing in their accusation attempt, no one could challenge Cedric’s legitimacy anymore.

There were no moral flaws in his personal life to find fault with. The attempt to attack the Evron Duchy and sow distrust was completely thwarted when Artizea was revealed to be a saint.

That said, there wasn’t another leader who combined charisma and ambition and could create new power either.

Without an imperial candidate to put forward or proper justification, it would ultimately be nothing but treason. Those who had been carefully protecting themselves knew this well.

So they had no choice but to continue protecting themselves.

In any case, Cedric clearly seemed to intend a moderate succession.

There was no guarantee this would be maintained throughout his entire reign. Still, it was clear he wouldn’t immediately carry out purges for his own power.

Cop threw a new threat into this situation.

“Duke Evron won’t recklessly purge for the sake of strengthening imperial power. Yes, I acknowledge that too.”

Cop didn’t mention anything about Artizea.

The other party was acknowledged as a saint. Even if she was someone in whom not even a speck of faith or piety could be found, unless one was a committed atheist, it was better not to touch on matters concerning God.

There might be those who noticed Artizea’s cleverness, but only those who knew the former Marquess Rosan would fully grasp her cunning schemes.

Instead, he touched on something that would make the other party anxious.

“Though the very first thing he did upon starting his regency was to get his hands on His Majesty’s investigation organization.”

“His Highness the Crown Prince may be inflexible, but he’s not foolish – he simply did what was natural.”

“Since he’s not foolish, even if he doesn’t deliberately create traps, there’s no way he won’t use existing justifications.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Absolutely not. The secret investigation organization originally belongs to His Majesty the Emperor. If Duke Evron succeeds to the throne as things stand, myself and the other secret investigators will naturally pledge loyalty to him and hand over all organization and materials.”

Cop also said this:

“For Duke Evron, executing you wouldn’t be a purge but law enforcement or the implementation of justice.”

It was an objective warning and clearly a threat.

The secret investigators had various things in their hands.

Corruption followed power like a shadow. Murders committed to inherit family lines and maintain wealth and honor were forgiven in the name of being victors.

Pleasure crimes committed by influential figures had never been punished unless they exploded into major scandals that worsened public opinion.

Such information had functioned politically when it was in Emperor Gregor’s hands.

Politics allowed for compromise. Subjects willingly offered loyalty, and the emperor maintained the lord-vassal contract by providing rewards beyond just turning a blind eye.

But Cedric was different. He wasn’t a factionist. He rarely judged matters by political logic either.

He wasn’t someone who would overlook crimes just because someone expressed support for him.

Those who didn’t support Cedric hadn’t clearly expressed opposition until now.

If they had, they would have attacked with all their might before he became the Emperor’s adopted son.

But Cop’s threat made them extremely tense.

If the plot didn’t succeed, the materials the secret investigators possessed would fall into Cedric’s hands.

And that would become justification to tighten the noose around their necks.

Wither away, or plot something.

The latter option seemed unrealistic. The Emperor was ill, and the robust Crown Prince was serving as regent under the Emperor’s orders.

So many said this:

“His Majesty’s command was to entrust state affairs to the Crown Prince. Not to drive out the Crown Prince as a traitor.”

That didn’t mean they would pledge loyalty to Cedric.

If so, when Cop called him Duke Evron, they should have pointed it out first and arrested him in anger, or at least driven him out.

In short, their withdrawal was in preparation for the plot’s failure.

It also meant they wanted Cop to come up with a more plausible, safer strategy.

Cop found them disgusting. These people had neither loyalty nor righteousness.

‘Pigs only interested in the food in front of their noses.’

However, such people were good to use. That’s why the Emperor had made such people his subjects too.

Cop had no intention of gathering these people in one place to form a faction or create a signed petition anyway.

He planned to hide even who the sympathizers were.

Otherwise, they would gather among themselves and ruin things fighting over future power.

There was no need to create conspicuous movements that would get caught in Ferguson’s information network.

Most importantly, to maintain his own initiative, Cop had to limit information. Information was all he had.

They just needed to move in order according to the information he provided.

‘Marquess Rosan claiming to be a saint was rather fortunate considering the future. It prevented a real saint from interfering.’

Lisia’s status was merely that of Baron Morten’s daughter. Unless she was a saint, she couldn’t become Empress.

If Lawrence insisted on wanting her, it would be enough to hide her deep in the palace as a mistress.

Lawrence disliked Lisia engaging in external activities anyway, or meeting and caring about other people.

Once Cedric was eliminated, putting Lawrence on the throne wouldn’t be difficult.

No matter how skilled Marquess Rosan was at scheming, she was physically weak and had virtually no military power.

She could parasitize those in power but wasn’t someone who could become a power holder herself. She didn’t have the high reputation as a meritorious subject like before either.

What would be so difficult about confining one weak, fake saint?

‘Once only Lady Leticia remains, the rest will be a piece of cake.’

Cop hadn’t told anyone about Lawrence yet.

He was worried that foolish people might turn away if he put Lawrence forward now. They would want to enthrone a young baby and do as they pleased rather than have a strong emperor.

But now he had no doubt that this time, Lawrence would truly become a cruel and perfect emperor.

Not Marquess Rosan, but he himself would make it so.

* * *

This information had also reached Cedric’s ears through Ferguson.

“General Quile.”

“Yes, we confirmed that Dinskie Cop was making contact with General Quile and immediately struck.”

Ferguson spoke with an almost excited attitude.

General Quile of the port guard was the one who had influenced the guard corps when the fire broke out.

He had never gotten along well with Cedric from the beginning.

He was naturally fond of bribes. He promoted his subordinate officers according to the amount of bribes they paid, and was also skilled at siphoning off and selling military supplies.

The reason he hadn’t joined Duke Loigar’s faction despite their compatible tendencies was because his family was unremarkable, and he hadn’t succeeded in accumulating wealth and honor after his rise to power either.

He was the type of person who should be most nervous if Cedric ascended to the throne.

When the fire broke out at the port, Cedric had already suspected that he was involved.

Ferguson, who had begun investigating under the Emperor’s orders, felt the same way.

So they had been watching him and struck as soon as they confirmed his contact with Cop.

“Of course, we did it discreetly.”

Ferguson quickly added.

This incident could be considered the first achievement he had made since deciding to serve Cedric.

Capturing part of the secret organization had been a process of eliminating the political investigation organization itself. Since Ferguson’s organization was also part of that, it was more like internal cleanup.

However, this time they had caught the tail of treason.

He had even obtained testimony from General Quile that Cop had set fire to the port with the intention of starving the North.

“That’s not what I was worried about.”

But Cedric only responded quietly.

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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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