Why Is My Husband the Villainous Schemer! - Chapter 93

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 93
Then, when Lucian turned nine, the Assassination Attempt Incident suddenly resumed.
And it happened during the Summer Eve Festival parade, attended by all the Empire’s citizens—he nearly fell victim to an assassin.
In that single year when he turned nine, he survived two assassination attempts during official events.
Since the Empire’s citizens witnessed both attempts firsthand, they still know to this day that assassination plots against Lucian exist.
“Then, if we exclude the homemade Explosion Magical Device that Isaar is currently investigating, there are two things Carcel can focus on intensively.”
“Two things?”
“First, as you know, is determining who leaked the Crown Prince’s unofficial schedule to Grand Duke Dechulier.”
The Crown Prince’s schedule this time was classified even from the escort knights.
‘Only myself, Carcel, Isaar, and a select few mages knew about it.’
However, since it hadn’t leaked that Lucian was at the Magic Tower, we needed to find whoever else had access to his unofficial schedule.
I fixed my gaze on Carcel and continued speaking.
“The second is the poison the assassins would have bitten down on and died from. We need to trace the source of that poison.”
“Poison? How did you know there was poison?”
“In the future I knew, those assassins bit down on poison hidden in their teeth and took their own lives.”
But skilled as Carcel and Isaar were, they managed to keep two of the assassins alive for interrogation.
The reason I brought up this poison is because in the original work, Carcel discovers it much later.
Specifically: that the poison which may have killed the Empress, the poison the assassins used to commit suicide, and the poison Grand Duke Dechulier used to end his own life—all three might be identical.
The Emperor’s suspicions were correct.
The moment all evidence of assassination was exposed, Grand Duke Dechulier consumes this poison and chooses death of his own accord.
All the while begging that his family be spared.
‘At that moment, the poison used by the past assassins was likely identical to the one Grand Duke Dechulier used to take his life—as mentioned in the work.’
Of course, the Emperor had Valter, the Grand Duke’s son, and the Grand Duchess both executed as well.
There was no guarantee that if they were allowed to live, Lucian wouldn’t fall into danger once more.
And so Linea and Lucian married and received their happy ending… or so it seemed.
‘But I found the whole thing deeply unsatisfying.’
I made sure to impress upon Carcel:
“That poison must definitely be connected to someone associated with Grand Duke Dechulier.”
“Isaar is already carrying the poison away for analysis. If Asha says it’s important, I’ll handle it with far greater priority.”
“Thank you!”
Catching Grand Duke Dechulier as quickly as possible is ultimately the path to keeping Linea safer.
‘This time, Carcel probably won’t become the hidden villain—which is good for me too.’
Though he bore the title of supporting male character, Carcel’s regard for young Linea seemed closer to paternal affection than to romantic desire.
“About Carcel and catching the internal traitor…”
I continued, speaking softly to him.
Hoping desperately that this time we might finally uncover the identity of that internal traitor who never appeared in the original work.
* * *
Hours later, Carcel entered the Audience Chamber to see the Emperor.
The Emperor regarded him with a haggard face—he hadn’t slept all night.
“Your wedding will have to be cancelled.”
“Is this because of the recent Assassination Attempt Incident?”
“Assassins infiltrated the Inner Palace. The Inner Palace itself!”
The Emperor ground out his fury through clenched teeth, chewing the words as if they were bitter.
“They tried to burn the Crown Prince alive in the Inner Palace! In just three hours, exploiting a single day of weakened security!”
“Yet unlike before, we were able to evacuate the Crown Prince ahead of time and identify the assassins, were we not?”
“How much longer must I dangle my son’s life on a scale to extract clues?”
Carcel replied with measured calm.
“Would you clear the chamber of all attendants first? I have urgent information to share.”
The Emperor lifted his eyes, heavy with dark circles, and gestured to the Chief Attendant.
At once, the attendants withdrew from the Audience Chamber in perfect order.
As the door closed, Carcel finally opened his mouth slowly.
“Proceed with the wedding as planned.”
“Why?”
“Asha—my wife—has devised an excellent strategy.”
Pride in his wife shone clearly in Carcel’s expression, and something flickered across the Emperor’s exhausted face.
A vulgar word—’curse it’—unbecoming of his station.
Then the Emperor asked gravely.
“Do you trust your wife?”
“Whether you use the Lie Detection Magical Tool on Asha or Confessional Magic, the result would be the same. Have I ever failed to interrogate someone?”
Carcel’s beast-like instinct for reading people never missed.
The subtle shifts in expression, the flicker of eyes, the smallest gesture—he perceived them all and discerned truth from falsehood in ways no one could match.
“Therefore.”
“Asha harbors no intention of harming the Crown Prince. And since she remains at the Marquess’s residence all day, surely you wouldn’t think there was any opportunity for her to conspire in an assassination plot?”
“I know! My suspicion of your wife hasn’t entirely vanished, but if you say it’s so, then it must be.”
The Emperor, too, had no desire to provoke Carcel, who showed him unwavering loyalty and cherished his wife so deeply.
Carcel had always revealed nothing but faithful devotion to the throne.
“Then speak. What is this strategy of his?”
“As you know, though we captured the assassins, even under Confessional Magic they truly knew nothing, did they?”
“Right. Those fools only believed that if they died when the time came, their families would never go hungry. That’s all that drove them forward.”
Remarkably ignorant creatures they were.
From the start, the assassins had no intention of facing the Crown Prince and his escort knights directly.
Their sole role was to set fire in the Watchtower and then die when the knights arrived.
They were promised they wouldn’t need to worry—there was no way to survive the fire in the sealed tower anyway.
Who promised them?
A personnel officer who was himself assassinated immediately after the incident began.
“So Cornel, the Baron who served as personnel officer, directly participated in the assassination. Was his household searched?”
“It was, but nothing of significance was found.”
“They’re thorough. Everyone behind this is operating with strict organization.”
Carcel nodded in agreement.
“In fact, I’m not even certain they truly understood whether their target was the Crown Prince at all.”
“What do you mean?”
“Is it not strange? If they were professionally trained assassins, killing the Crown Prince would be simple even with escort knights present.”
Carcel spoke with conviction to the Emperor.
“Yet those placed within on designated positions are mere rabble—while those who cleaned up so thoroughly they killed even Cornel’s entire household? The competence is starkly different.”
This was information they would never have discovered if the assassins had died.
But no matter how he considered it, the direction pointed to one conclusion.
“Perhaps… they were never trying to assassinate the Crown Prince at all.”
“What nonsense. Then why set fire to the building where my son is?”
There was logic to that objection.
“Perhaps…”
He finally voiced the thought that had been nagging at him.
“It wasn’t to assassinate the Crown Prince, but to unsettle Your Majesty even further, wasn’t it?”
No matter how he thought about it, this differed from any assassination pattern Carcel knew.
The two Assassination Attempt Incidents when the Crown Prince was nine followed this same pattern.
“The Assassination Attempt Incidents until now have always left a narrow window through which assassination could be prevented.”
“But the incidents from when he was six and younger were definitely disguised as accidents, and back then, if the nursemaid had been even slightly careless…”
“I understand. I’m saying these recent patterns differ from the meticulous planning of that earlier period.”
The Crown Prince had survived at least eleven Assassination Attempt Incidents from infancy through age six, all of them cunning.
‘Even assassination attempts he didn’t recognize as such—only when Your Majesty mentioned them did suspicion arise.’
At one point, rumors spread that the ghost of the late Empress clung to the Crown Prince, trying to take her son away.
“These three recent Assassination Attempt Incidents suggest either that those plotting the assassination are still inexperienced, or… these are attacks aimed at Your Majesty, merely disguised to appear as threats to the Crown Prince.”
“….”
“I believe it must be one or the other.”
The Emperor furrowed his brow deeply.
“The internal traitors surely cannot fail to notice that whenever the Crown Prince’s safety comes under threat, Your Majesty visibly shakes.”
“I’ve laid bare my weaknesses entirely. I know it.”
“Knowing that weakness means they must be either an internal traitor themselves, or someone in contact with one.”
Carcel lifted his gaze to meet the Emperor’s eyes directly.
“So then… shall we proceed with my wedding as planned, and finally eradicate the internal traitor once and for all?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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