~Chapter 150~
“But that person has a solid alibi.”
“A solid alibi?”
“Yes. He’s a native of the Evans Marquisate and has never once visited the capital. At the very time the mercenary guild received the request, he was confirmed to be in the Evans territory.”
The atmosphere sank heavily.
Lady Eva asked in a doubtful voice:
“So… someone must have stolen his identity to hire the mercenary?”
“Most likely, yes.”
Deep lines formed on her brow.
“Honestly… brother, you know very well—it’s easy for a lord to steal the identity of his own subject.”
“True.”
The Duke nodded without hesitation, but his expression was far from bright.
“The Marquis of Evans and the Chief Priest are suspicious.”
“Right? You think so too, don’t you?” Eva asked eagerly.
But the Duke’s brow furrowed even deeper.
“Still, we can’t put the Evans family on the suspect list just because of stolen identity. Someone else could have done it.”
“Ugh, this is such a headache…” Eva groaned, clutching her head.
“That’s why, from now on, we’ll watch closely.”
The Duke’s face hardened, cold as if carved from ice.
“I’ll say no more.”
The High Priest summoned Isaac and gave his order bluntly:
“Take responsibility for this mess and step down from your position as Chief Priest.”
“Please, just trust me one more time.”
Isaac, who had always carried himself with arrogance, now clung desperately to the High Priest.
“You yourself already gave a public apology, and still the atmosphere is cold! That means we need a single, powerful strike to turn things around.”
“Silence! Your words hold no value anymore, so—!”
The High Priest shouted, unable to contain his anger.
But then—Isaac bent down and whispered something into his ear.
The High Priest’s eyes flew wide.
Isaac straightened, a sly smile curling his lips.
“How about it?”
The sky-blue eyes, once gentle, were now filled with madness.
“…Insane.”
The High Priest muttered, shaken despite himself.
And yet—his heart wavered.
If Isaac’s gamble truly succeeded…
The Temple’s authority might return to the days when it even overshadowed the Imperial family.
“….”
The High Priest stared at Isaac with trembling eyes.
And in that silence, Isaac felt certain—
The High Priest would accept his plan.
After finishing the talk, Isaac stepped outside with a chilling expression.
Lady Lopez.
At last, it was time to make use of her.
Volume 11. Scattering the Old Poison
It was now the height of early summer.
Lady Eva’s cherished rose garden bloomed in a rainbow of colors. Little birds hopped between the short hedges, chirping brightly.
In the distance, I could see Lady Eva trimming roses with a pair of garden shears.
Peaceful.
With a faint smile, I took a sip of chilled tea. Sitting here so leisurely, the embezzlement scandal with the Temple felt like a story from long ago.
Much had happened since then.
But one thing still surprised me—Chief Priest Evans still held his position.
Despite his repeated failures with the orphanage foundation, and the chaos stirred up by Priest Pedro’s accusations…
Evans survived, while only the Vice Priest beneath him was forced to resign.
Which meant the Temple had a reason they had to keep Evans in place.
But why?
Well… at least the outcome isn’t bad.
Thanks to the whole affair, “Children of Claudius” was thriving more than ever.
Inquiries about regular donations poured in daily. Many gave one-time gifts as well.
Even Priest Pedro, with his lifetime of experience caring for children, was now working with passionate dedication.
Maybe I’m just overthinking things.
I shrugged and let the thought go.
Just then, a bright voice called out:
“Lari!”
It was Lady Eva.
She came running, carrying the scent of damp earth and roses. She held out a rose carefully in both hands.
“How’s this one?”
“Wow, it’s beautiful.”
My eyes widened as I admired the bloom.
White petals edged with red, the colors spread in rippling patterns like waves. It was striking, almost eerie—like drops of blood scattered on snow.
But that was only my feeling. Lady Eva beamed happily.
“Right? It’s a very rare rose.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I managed to get it by chance… honestly, I never thought I’d see this rose again.”
Huh?
Her voice sounded unusually tender, almost wistful. Was it just my imagination?
But then—
“Where did you get that rose?”
The Duke had approached without me noticing, his eyes widening at the flower in Eva’s hand.
“That’s the one Mother loved most, isn’t it?”
“You remember too, brother?”
“Of course. She raised those roses herself.”
His expression softened at the memory.
“You were so young back then, but I’m surprised you remember.”
“How could I forget? Mother treasured them so much.” Eva answered playfully.
“There’s this flower shop I visit often. They said it just came in. The florist recommended it.”
“Really?”
“Yes. So I even sent a seedling to Her Majesty the Empress as a gift.”
Eva’s eyes curved in a smile.
“Since it was the rose our mother loved, I thought Her Majesty would like it too.”
“Well done.”
The Duke nodded quietly.
Then Eva’s gaze fell on the envelope in his hand.
“And what’s that?”
The royal seal was pressed into the envelope—it looked like a card from the Imperial Palace.
“An invitation to the Empress’s tea party? For me and Lari?”
Despite the conflict between Claudius and the Temple, the Empress’s tea parties had continued as usual.
And since the Imperial family had lent weight to Claudius’s rebuttal documents, it seemed they were deliberately balancing both sides.
What was it again? Seraphina claimed she still exchanged letters with the Empress…
I vaguely remembered hearing such rumors floating around society.
But the Duke shook his head.
“No, not that.”
He paused, then said:
“About a week from now, His Highness the Crown Prince is returning.”
“The Crown Prince?!”
I, who had been quietly listening, opened my eyes wide.
