Chapter 107: Boom and Bust (1)
Fiona watched Sigren fight. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
‘You deserve to be confident.’
It was foolish to worry, even a little. The operation didn’t seem to have any significant problems. However, it was hard for Fiona to sit still while everyone else was working hard, no matter how injured she was. She looked around, trying to find something to do. Most of the knights were engaged in combat, and Arrendt’s men were holding their ground well.
A middle-aged man squawked at Leander.
“Hey, do you know who I am? If you keep this up, you knights will surely regret it!”
Leander wore an annoyed expression. He was about to join the fight when suddenly the man stopped him. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Fiona knew the Knights of Heilon weren’t good at dealing with people, so she limped toward them.
“What happened?”
The squawking middle-aged man, Cruz, turned his head in surprise at the sight of the pretty, slender woman approaching him.
“Miss.”
Leander pushed Cruz away and quickly supported Fiona.
Fiona regarded the middle-aged man, always using honorifics, even when the opponent’s identity had not been established. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“I’m in charge.”
Cruz’s eyes lit up when he realized that the woman who looked like a well-bred noble lady was in charge.
‘If I play my cards right, I can overcome this crisis!’
“Uh-hum, it seems I’ve finally found someone I can talk to. Beautiful Miss, if you treat me this way, you will surely regret it later.”
Leander grabbed the hilt of his sword, contemplating whether he should cut down this man for being so rudely disrespectful to her ladyship.
Fiona winked at Leander, restraining him.
“Why?”
Cruz thought he could intimidate Fiona after noticing her naive reaction. “I’m just letting you know. There are some very scary people behind me.”
“Who are they?” Fiona asked, her interest piqued. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Arrendt, who had been giving orders to his men, silently approached from behind Cruz.
“It’s not just one or two people! Do you have any idea how many high-ranking individuals are sponsoring this arena?” Cruz exclaimed enthusiastically, feeling that his words were having an effect.
Fiona smiled at the man.
‘It’s a common excuse used by stupid bad guys: ‘Do you know who I am?’ Haha.
“Baron Darren and Count O’hell!”
“And?”
“And… Count Isaac…”
“Ah-ha.”
Arrendt nodded in agreement. “They are our suspects.”
Arrendt made a mental note of Count O’hell’s fines, smiling happily. Thanks to Cruz, the treasury would avoid a deficit this year. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Fiona smiled awkwardly. ‘He’s going to rob them all.’
Arrendt was a good tax collector. He would impose hefty fines on nobles who committed illegal acts and brought disgrace to the empire.
“Also! Also! There’s someone so noble that I can’t even mention his name!”
Fiona feigned ignorance. “Who is that?”
“He is such a noble person that I can’t even bring myself to say his name. I’m sure you’ll regret it, too.”
“Well, what do you want me to do?”
“You just need to let me go. I’ll make everything work for you.”
It was a moment when Fiona tried not to laugh out loud. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“—LET GO OF ME! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!”
A cry echoed in the distance.
Fiona turned her head to see a new man brought in by the knights. Because of the mask, he appeared to be young.
The knight who had brought the young man, Kane Erez, spoke up with a puzzled expression.
“Here’s… There’s one more. I found him inside the stadium.”
The knights surrounding Fiona sighed deeply. It seemed everyone had guessed the identity of this shouting young man, even with his mask on.
‘Oh well, there’s no way they don’t know.’
Fiona looked at the man. “Who are you then? I don’t recognize you with that mask on.”
The young man went ballistic. “Ha! Naturally, I am this empire’s…”
For a moment, the young man hesitated. He seemed to realize what would happen if he revealed his identity. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“Empire’s?”
“You don’t need to know!”
“Then you’re just a rude criminal.”
Fiona grinned. “Kneel down.”
“Argh!!”
Leander quickly pressed the young man’s shoulder at her command.
The other knights gasped and sighed.
‘As expected, the Abel’s only-live-once men.’
So what of it? Fiona acted entirely within the law. She had raided an illegal gambling den and brought an unidentified criminal to his knees where he was caught. There was nothing illegal about their conduct.
“It looks like this side has been roughly sorted out.”
Suddenly, Sigren, who had dispatched all the monsters, approached. He frowned slightly upon seeing Fiona standing up. Then he moved toward the trembling young man with a look of contempt.
Leander consciously swapped places with Sigren.
The young man clenched his jaw tightly when he saw Sigren in perfect condition. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“You… you monstrous illegitimate bastard… I’ll kill you!”
“Do you know me, criminal?” Sigren asked calmly.
At the word “criminal,” the young man lunged toward Sigren—or tried to.
“Ugh! AHH!”
Sigren easily stepped on the young man’s ankle, speaking in a flat tone. “An unidentified criminal suddenly attacked. I can’t help but use some force.”
Fiona responded coolly, “It’s just self-defense.”
“Ah, yes, self-defense. My Lady is always wise,” Sigren agreed, lowering himself to take a closer look at the young man.
“Let’s see the face of this unidentified criminal who dared to attack a prince,” Sigren said, before pulling off the young man’s mask.
“Ah….”
A collective sigh escaped from the knights. Even if they had suspected it, seeing the face in person was unsettling. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Sigren glanced at his opponent’s revealed face and smirked. “Well, well, look at that. Why are you here, brother?”
***
The news of the crown prince being caught at the scene of a raid on an illegal gambling arena spread quickly. This was hardly surprising, as there were many witnesses. The scandal surrounding the crown prince reached far beyond noble social circles. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
When the emperor heard the news, he erupted in rage.
“OH MY GOD, ENOCH! WHAT! KIND OF! DISGRACE! IS THIS?!”
The emperor was not upset that his son had done something illegal.
“HOW DARE YOU DAMAGE THE HONOR OF THE IMPERIAL FAMILY!”
It didn’t matter to him what his son did—whether it was consorting with women, using drugs, or gambling—as long as it remained discreet. But one thing was non-negotiable: the honor of the imperial family must never be tarnished.
The current emperor placed great importance on his reputation and honor. He had always been anxious to prove that the imperial family was special. Now, with the crown prince involved in such a scandal, it was a major embarrassment. Even all the nobles were aware of it; it couldn’t even be handled quietly. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Enoch trembled at his father’s wrath. “Fa-Father! I fell into Sigren’s trap!”
“I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT! YOU FUCKING IDIOT!”
No one could blame Sigren. In this case, he was simply an imperial member cracking down on an illegal gambling den. In fact, the nobles praised him for successfully arresting those involved in the illegal arena and eliminating the monsters there. He was a hero.
What was amusing was the sharply divided opinions regarding the crown prince and Prince Sigren. While Enoch tarnished the imperial family’s reputation, Sigren elevated it.
Because of this scandal, the emperor now faced a difficult decision about whose side to take. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“I don’t even want to look at you. Stay away from noble society for the time being and keep a low profile in your palace!”
The emperor had never been a loving father. It was natural for him to express his wrath when someone made a mistake, but this was the first time Enoch experienced such contempt and cold treatment from him.
Enoch turned away from his father, feeling the weight of the social circles discussing his disgrace. He couldn’t believe he had become a joke to people. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
‘That bastard, I will kill you! Just wait!’
Enoch ground his teeth and vowed revenge.
***
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