C85
Terence saw through my heart. I told him a few days ago that I would give up if I couldn't convince Elliot to the end, but when the time came, it was easier said than done.
"But what can I do? If he is sentenced to life imprisonment, Elliot might escape."
Terence calmly responded to my question.
"Escaping from prison is not easy."
"I know. But he has Cassius's strength and wisdom. It might be possible if he takes enough time to try."
Moreover, there was even an eccentric inventor. He might suddenly invent a device like a long-distance transportation device.
"I can't impose my personal morals or wishes on Terence."
There was a high possibility that I would also suffer harm if I treated Elliot half-heartedly.
"So let's do it this way."
Terence remained silent for a moment and then suggested.
"I'll give you three more days."
"... Can you do that?"
"It's possible. Even if Elliot confesses today before His Majesty, the investigation won't end immediately."
"That's right."
The authenticity of the confession would have to be verified, and it would take time to reach a conclusion.
"Meanwhile, we'll keep Elliot here as a prisoner. It won't take much time, but if you want, try to persuade him."
"Yes! I thought that once I went to the imperial palace, Elliot would have to stay there forever."
"I can handle those matters within my authority. His Majesty the Emperor has probably already made his decision, so he really doesn't care where Elliot is."
"I think Liena will be released soon."
"Yes, now that there is justification for dissolving the Iver Merchant Guild, many of His Majesty's concerns will have been alleviated."
"In fact, I have something to tell you about that."
"What is it?"
Terence leaned towards me and brought his ear closer. There was no one nearby, and it seemed unnecessary, but I whispered in his ear. There's nothing wrong with being cautious.
Whispering, every time I spoke, I could see his body tremble slightly, as if I were tickling him. A secret time passed, and his eyes lit up.
"Is that true?"
"It's still just a guess on my part. However, given the personality of the Prince that I learned about in Cassius, I can't ignore the possibility that he's doing that."
"I hate to say this, but it's so absurd..."
"Haha, is it strange after all?"
"No. As strange as it sounds, I believe it."
Terence smiled with a dangerous smile.
"For some reason, I feel like my brother would get away with it if he did something like that."
I honestly thought I was lucky not to be the target of that smile.
"Everything's worth it, so go back to the palace and check it out."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Terence took out his pocket watch from his pocket and looked at the time. It left an impression on me because it was a rather old-fashioned item.
"I guess we should head to the imperial palace soon. Let's bring those who will take Elliot Rudd."
"I'll tell Elliot to get ready."
I opened the door to Elliot's room and told him to get ready to leave. But the response I received was shocking.
"What? Are you telling me to go like this?"
"Why?"
"Do you know how many days I've been wearing the same clothes? Ethel, go quickly and find clean clothes."
"No, what kind of clothes are you talking about? Do you know where you're going now? Stop talking nonsense and get ready."
"Since I'm going to see His Majesty the Emperor, I should dress more neatly. Don't you know that? And I look good in bright clothes. Please take note."
"I'm so surprised that I'm speechless."
I closed the door and talked to Terence, who was still by my side.
"Even if you're irritated, you can't hit him because of the artifact. Tay, be careful too."
Terence had a strange expression. He spoke slowly with a voice that seemed to have a lower temperature than before.
"... It seems like you've become very close while you were here."
"Close? That guy and me?! Where the hell did that happen? When did Elliot try to treat me like a maid? Or when did I become speechless at his absurd request?"
"That was a funny joke."
When I firmly denied it, Terence nodded and said he understood.
"I almost regret it. For the decision I made a moment ago."
All I knew was that I had come to hate Elliot even more than before.
"N-No, I don't want to! Go away!"
In front of the security guards' annex, Elliot fought when he saw Terence trying to get on the same carriage as him. He had strangely felt intimidated from the first time he met Terence today.
Like a herbivore instinctively sensing danger.
"Wow, Your Royal Highness... How can you ride the same carriage as a criminal?"
The members of the investigation team, holding Elliot by both arms and leading him away, also seemed perplexed.
"It's fine. It doesn't matter. Personally, there's something I want to share with him."
However, it seemed that no one dared to stop the prince. Terence got on Elliot's carriage and waved at me.
"What can I say, he's crazy."
I muttered as I watched the carriage drive away.
The next afternoon, Terence was alone in his place, drinking the medicinal tea Ethel had given him. Yesterday, he observed Elliot confessing his sins one by one in front of the emperor.
"Now that things have come to this point, I have no choice but to confess. Yes. I was so obsessed with money that I abandoned the favor that Princess Cassius had done for me. Please kill me!"
Elliot's performance wasn't very good, but it wasn't something that could be overlooked either. The Emperor listened to Elliot's confession in a deep tone and expressed to Terence his opinion that he seemed to be the main culprit.
"I think it would be best to proceed that way."
Indeed, it was an order to determine Elliot as the main culprit and liberate Liena. The emperor was more interested in the benefits he would gain from this incident than in the true culprit.
Terence also confirmed the evidence brought by the person who sent the letter to the chamberlain. He perfectly and completely pointed out that Elliot was the culprit. And the two executive members who pointed at Elliot confessed.
The emperor found it reasonable not to delve deeper into this matter. Moreover, Terence heard that yesterday, while he was away, Duke Cassius secretly requested an audience with the emperor.
"What did they give in return?"
More land? Or one of the many mines in the northern part of Cassius Territory?
Considering that the emperor easily hinted to Terence to release Liena, it was clear that whatever the price, it was a considerable one.
Duke Cassius, who was said to be a very stern person, also seemed upset when they imprisoned his beloved daughter. He made all sorts of requests to the emperor.
"So, if they don't release her today, he might come to protest."
Terence remembered the woman who whispered in his ear yesterday in the security office annex. The touch that tickled his ear, the beautiful pink hair swaying before his eyes.
Thinking about all that, he sipped the bitter tea she used to make for him every day. The taste of the tea lingered on the tip of his tongue, but the residual image dissipated.
"After all, the flavor is different."
He didn't know like the one he drank in some run-down tea house when he served inappropriately as someone's escort.
This happened even though they brought an old servant with a reputation for preparing delicious tea inside the imperial palace and entrusted him with the job.
The headaches that had always been an obstacle in his life ceased. The recipe wasn't wrong. But the taste was different. Only the taste was different.
"Now is not the time."
Terence smoothed his bangs and composed himself. Today was his only chance to use the information Ethel gave him yesterday.
At that moment, Jack approached Terence with a stern expression. The news he had been waiting for had finally arrived.
"His Highness was right. My God, how could something like this happen...?"
"They didn't catch you, did they?"
"Of course not! I was very careful."
"Good job. Tell me specifically what you saw."
After listening to Jack's story, Terence was in a very good mood, but he didn't smile at all. It's still too early to laugh.
He poured himself a sip of lukewarm tea and headed towards the emperor's palace. The emperor was a bit surprised to see his son visit him without any message.
"Are you here to have dinner with me? I'm happy, but it's too early."
"I have a request for His Majesty the Emperor."
"Only one? Two or three are fine, so feel free to say as much as you want. I'm having a lot of fun these days thanks to you, so what can't I do for you?"
In addition to what was obtained from Duke Cassius, there was also the property of the Iver guild, which was to be transferred to the national treasury, so the emperor had a wide grin.
"I need you to go somewhere with me right now."
"Where?"
"Since it's within the imperial palace, you can only bring the minimum number of people."
"Boy. What's going on?"
"I think it would be better for you to see it with your own eyes rather than hear it from me."
"Mmm."
The emperor, rubbing his chin, soon smiled mischievously.
"I'm not sure, but it sounds fun."
"It won't be fun. It's quite a serious matter and Your Majesty might be surprised."
"If you say it will surprise me? With that much said, I definitely have to see it with my own eyes. Lead the way."
Things went well according to plan.
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