Chapter 50

When I helped my brother who had collapsed due to an allergy, I was accused of an attempted assassination.

Moreover, it seems there are people who want to punish me for that charge.

Damn it.

Even though I didn't do it, there's no evidence, but they're pushing hard with circumstantial evidence that I made Furu vomit.

Additionally, it seems that the claim that I am after the imperial throne has already been accepted as a fact.

I must clear my name of the dishonor of trying to kill my brother.

With such thoughts, I arrived at the main hall of the palace.

It was my first time stepping into it.

And this place is spacious, with high ceilings and unnecessarily gilded carvings on the walls and pillars.

"Where did the poison come from?"

"Unknown."

"Who leaked the information about the tea party being held there?"

"Unknown."

"Is the curse real?"

"Unknown."

"Is there any testimony that the first prince has expressed ambition for the imperial throne?"

"There is none."

My father, the emperor, sat in the grandest canopy in the hall, watching the questioning and answering conducted by his subordinates.

This farce began when Duke Lukaeos brought up the charge against me.

Originally, this was a gathering to clarify the situation, and I was kneeling before my father, just listening.

Because I am a child without the right to speak.

This farce, which only serves to condemn me unilaterally, cannot be refuted, but the other party is a pillar of the current regime and cannot be ignored.

So my father told them to put it in writing and is now refuting it on my behalf.

He denied the one-sided condemnation based solely on circumstantial evidence from the Duke Lukaeos side.

"However, Your Majesty, the first prince fled from the scene. If he had nothing to hide, he would have stayed."

Duke Lukaeos interjected.

My father, not hiding his displeasure, muttered to no one in particular.

"It was three years ago. Terry, the second prince's guards had their hands on the hilts of their swords."

I once had a precedent of being attacked by Terry's guards, so it was natural for me to run away.

And I just found out that the guards who attacked me were appointed by Duke Lukaeos.

"Also, the alarm whistle that alerts the palace guards was blown by the first prince's guards. If he had planned the assassination, he wouldn't have needed to blow it, would you think?"

"What are you saying? It was the second prince's guards who blew it."

Oh, here it was revealed that Duke Lukaeos and those around him had a misunderstanding.

The person who confirmed the facts was the Marquis Strategos, the head of the palace guards.

It seems he knew about Duke Lukaeos' misunderstanding but didn't point it out until today, as he was making eye contact with the emperor.

"According to the testimony of both parties, it was Icto Totos who blew the whistle, and it was the first prince who ordered him to call for help."

A murmur spread through the hall.

It seems that Duke Lukaeos knew that the whistle had been blown and people had gathered, but he hadn't investigated who had blown it.

Perhaps he had overlooked it because he was so focused on suspecting me.

"Also, Duke Lukaeos, I questioned the second and fourth princes who were present, and they said that the first prince did make Furu vomit, but did not force him to eat anything."

"That's because they are children and overlooked it."

"Do you not see my child as a child, standing there? It's strange. You say that a child could not have planned an assassination, yet you claim that a child could have used a trick that a child would overlook?"

Father pointed out the inconsistency.

"A well-planned strategy can be ruined by a moment of cowardice. It happens often."

Duke Lukaeos did not back down, or rather, there was no point in backing down since I was the only suspect and his goal was to eliminate me.

He probably has a desire for power.

At the same time, I heard that he was worried about Furu and came to the palace without even dressing properly.

Handing over consolation gifts to the empress who laments her sick son, he seemed to be a compassionate person just by hearing the story.

(I think it would be best to leave me alone.)

(My master's talent makes it possible for the throne to be transferred from my brother.)

(No need. I want to go unnoticed.)

(That goal has already failed.)

Sefira was merciless.

But I have no interest in the throne.

I only seem more competent now because my mind is more mature than Terry's, who is really a child.

I will probably become an ordinary person when I grow up.

Terry, who has been raised in a good environment with good education and connections since childhood, will definitely become a better emperor.

"Here, I have prepared one document."

When my father called out, his aides, including the one with the bob cut, began distributing documents.

It was a copy of the report I had written.

I heard that all of my father's clerks had copied it by hand.

"This is a report on the fourth prince's condition, submitted by the first prince, Aisha."

I've never written a thesis, but thanks to Diora, I had received papers from Luciusaria, and with Wearrel's guidance, I managed to produce something that looked like one.

It was something like a combination of a short essay and presentation materials from university, divided by two.

In my previous life, I found it troublesome to type on a keyboard at work, but I realized that it was a great tool compared to handwriting.

"As a supplement, the sweets were prepared by the second prince himself, and this was done under the supervision of the empress. Also, according to the testimonies of the third and fourth princes, the first prince did not enter the pavilion and the sweets were chosen by Furu himself."

Father spoke while the people who received the documents were reading them.

He then addressed the topic of the allergy, mentioning an old Eastern folktale about the curse of the crab to deny the curse.

It seems that the source of the claim that I had cursed Furu came from Terry's guards and the guards who stood with Reven.

So he explained that what I had said was an old folktale about the curse of the crab.

"Does His Majesty believe such a fabricated story? It's a matter of bias."

Duke Lukaeos was determined not to believe it.

Some of the nobles who were following him murmured in agreement.

Those who were merely surprised by the content and were neither my enemies nor allies were now looking at me with suspicion.

"Such a story, which has not been verified, is out of the question."

"Then, Duke Lukaeos, are you suggesting that we should feed the toxic food to Wanel?"

"That is not what I am saying."

"It's written here. The twins have the same constitution, and the past history is already known. To verify this incident, we must observe Wanel, as it is too dangerous to do so with Furu. However, it is unethical and against our conscience to do so."

Of course, I can't feed an allergen to a young child.

Even if the safe range was known from a hospital test, I am a layman and too afraid to do it.

And Duke Lukaeos reads fast, which is good, but I wish he wouldn't skip the important parts.

I didn't intend to verify it and I wrote the reasons, so he should have read them.

"Let me add that there are also proposals for improving Furu's condition in the future."

When my father said this, Duke Lukaeos glanced at the document.

He immediately raised his head as if there was no room for consideration.

What kind of trick is it to pick up only the points that condemn me?

"Wanel showed a refusal. Even though the constitution is the same, taste is determined by emotional likes and dislikes. If we avoid the items that Wanel refuses to eat, Furu will not collapse. First, we should avoid the ingredients used in the sweets eaten on the day of the incident, and we can assume that the ingredients used in the sweets eaten by Wanel are safe."

Father picked up and read the content I had written.

Is this a necessary skill for those in high positions?

I wrote it, but it's not a simple document that can be read for only the necessary parts.

While thinking about this, I remained silent, not saying a word.

Because I don't have the right to speak!

If I speak out of turn, I will be thrown out.

Why was I called here?

Wait, didn't my job end when I handed over the documents to His Majesty?

"Punishing a life-saving measure would be a problem for us."

Marquis Strategos clearly stated that he could not follow Duke Lukaeos.

If I were to be charged for what I did, the palace guards would not be able to function.

If I pulled a young prince's arm to prevent him from falling and he dislocated his shoulder, I would be guilty!

We can't have that.

"Isn't this being too cautious? I've never heard of such a disease. It's just a fabrication."

"No one could diagnose Furu's condition. It's only natural that it has never been heard of. Duke Lukaeos, what do you think? It would not be too late to thoroughly verify the credibility of Aisha's discovery this time."

As my father pressed the marquis, who was being cautious, the floating votes seemed to move.

The momentum to paint me black in this situation weakened.

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Next: The Disease of the Crab's Curse 3