C153
Given that the portrait in the search brochure was not visible, Liena did not consider the strange reaction of the security guard to be a significant issue.
Liena opened her mouth once again, thinking that he must have frozen because it was the first time in her life that she encountered someone of such a high rank as a princess.
"Oh, and before that, please bring me something to eat. It's a pity, but I haven't eaten in several days."
Then the guard took something from his arms, but contrary to Liena's expectations, it was not food.
Soon, a metallic object clicked around Liena's wrist.
"Liena, you are being arrested on charges of large-scale investment fraud."
Said the agent who handcuffed Liena.
"What?"
Liena simply blinked because she did not understand his words and actions.
However, instead of explaining, the agent loudly shouted inside the security office.
"I caught Liena!"
In an instant, all eyes were on them.
Security guards ran towards Liena, throwing passionate glances at them.
"Oh my God! It's really Liena!"
"Hey, rookie! Did you catch her?"
"I searched the entire capital and couldn't find a single hair. Where did you get her from?"
The security team member who held Liena's arm tightly as if to prevent her from escaping scratched his cheek.
"Did she come in by herself?"
"Why? Did she say she came to surrender?"
"Well, she didn't say anything like that."
Investment fraud? Arrest?
"Wait a moment, what does all this mean?"
Liena looked at the security guards and asked, but they completely ignored Liena's words and continued talking among themselves.
"Anyway, it's fine, it's fine! How incredible that an outpost security force like us caught such a big fish!"
"We're finally free from overtime!"
"Rookie, you have a special talent at this level!"
"Haha, I didn't do much."
In the end, Liena was taken to the prisoner carriage without receiving any explanation.
After a while, she found herself in a familiar place.
The interrogation room of the Imperial Palace prison. A place where those who have committed serious crimes of interest to the imperial family are brought.
Even a few months ago, Liena had been investigated several times here as the owner of the Iver Guild.
At that time, she was clearly acquitted of all charges, and the case was closed, so why was she brought here again?
"Hey! What the hell is this?"
Liena could not understand it at all and shouted as soon as she saw the investigator who entered the interrogation room.
"Why bring me back here?! I know nothing about Iver's crimes!"
The investigator looked at her bewildered.
"What are you talking about? What does Iver have to do with this?"
"Then why did I come here?"
"Do you ask because you don't know? You're here for the investment money you received to build something called a warp portal."
"What?"
Seeing Liena's reaction, the investigator laughed as if it were ridiculous.
"Ah. Are you going to keep acting ignorant? It's a quite cliché tactic. Whenever they get caught, they say they know nothing and wash their hands."
"N-no! I really don't know! How do you know about the warp portals? And what do you mean I took the investment money and ran away?"
"If you're going to pretend you don't know until the end, read this. I don't plan to spend energy explaining it."
The investigator pulled out one of the documents he had brought and held it in front of Liena.
It seemed to be the synopsis of an event.
Liena frantically read the content of the document where Bunny appeared in the first line.
It took quite some time to read a single document.
It's not that the content was difficult. Although she read it once, twice, and reread it three times, she couldn't leave the newspaper because she couldn't believe it.
After reading it four times, Liena managed to accept her situation.
The document that Liena had in her hand was so crumpled that its original form was unrecognizable.
"...Isaac, that bastard!"
The only person capable of such a bold act was Isaac Cassius, to whom Liena had given full authority over the Bunny business.
Indeed, she had given up hope that the Bunny business would run smoothly from the moment she was locked up.
But she never would have imagined that he committed fraud by revealing the suspended warp portal plan.
"I feel wronged!"
Liena looked at the investigator and shouted.
"All of this was planned by my uncle Isaac Cassius without my knowledge! I had almost no involvement in the operation of the Bunny Merchant Group!"
The investigator who heard that raised his eyebrows.
"That's strange. Does it make sense that you, the owner of the group, were not involved in its operation?"
"I was busy! I was so distressed about my personal life that I couldn't even concentrate on work!"
"Is it true? But in an interview with a certain newspaper some time ago, you said that you pay close attention even to the smallest tasks in the Bunny Group."
"Well, that was for publicity purposes..."
"Even your acquaintances testified that you always paid special attention to the group's operations. I heard you worked so much that you couldn't get enough sleep."
In that way, it would seem like a competent businessperson!
Liena's head throbbed strongly as the lies she told to cover up past failures held her back.
Most people thought Liena only provided funds to Iver and did nothing else.
At that time, making that claim was the only way to escape Iver's criminal charges, but in fact, it was a humiliating choice for Liena.
Who is the person who achieved unprecedented success by harmonizing the two talents of Elliot and Cecil?
Liena, who wanted to regain her past reputation, spread awareness that she directly leads the Bunny Merchant Group through various channels.
"Of course. If possible, don't talk about me. Bunny is your own achievement, and I'm fine as long as you're happy."
Isaac also took on the role of a shadow so that Liena could receive all the attention alone.
Liena trusted him wholeheartedly, not even knowing that beneath that polished face lay abominable intentions.
"Anyway, I'm innocent! Call the employees and ask them. They will testify that I didn't even go to the company!"
"Well, what are you so proud of?"
The inspector sighed and banged the table with his fist.
"Those who know something fled like you! The only employees left are the ones who were recently hired!"
"That, that can't be..."
"If you want to ask them, start by telling me where they are!"
"I don't know! How would I know that?"
"Then just give me general information about those guys. Even the resumes they had when they were hired have disappeared."
Liena recalled the Bunny employees. They were all people Isaac hired.
She could remember roughly the names and appearances, but detailed information like professional history and hometown were blurry in her mind.
To Liena, they were just cogs forming the higher positions of Bunny. She didn't remember the gears in detail.
"I don't know. My uncle took care of everything."
Apart from that, among the various questions posed by the investigator, there were few that Liena could definitively answer.
"Does it make sense for the owner of a company to be so ignorant? Are you asking me to believe that now?"
The investigator who concluded that Liena's statement was false clicked his tongue.
It was a very annoying attitude.
"Wait a moment, you."
Only then did Liena realize an important fact that she hadn't felt before due to the impact of being falsely accused of investment fraud.
"Why are you speaking to me informally?"
Even if all the charges against Liena were true, she was Princess Cassius.
A high noble that most nobles couldn't even lift their heads to.
However, the investigator's attitude toward her from the beginning was very arrogant.
This was an act that went directly against the strict class order of the empire.
"Judging by the fact that I don't know your face, you seem to be a commoner or a low-ranking noble. What kind of rudeness is this?"
When Liena pointed this out, the investigator's eyes widened, and then he made a strange sound.
"I am Liena Cassius of the proud House of Cassius. Be polite."
"...Haven't you heard the news yet?"
The investigator tilted his head and then made a strange sound.
"Liena, you are no longer Cassius. Duke Cassius has expelled you."
A terrible silence fell in the interrogation room.
"Ha."
Liena stared at the investigator in incomprehension and suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! How absurd! You can't be serious!"
It was a story she couldn't hear without laughing, so Liena held her stomach and laughed.
Did Duke Cassius expel her from the family? Did her father and brothers abandon her?
She laughed so much that tears came out.
"..."
The investigator looked at Liena as if she had lost her mind and then opened his mouth.
"Just now, Duke Cassius has requested a meeting with you. Originally, it was against regulations, but His Majesty the Emperor specifically allowed it. Be grateful."
Shortly after, Duke Cassius entered the interrogation room with the investigator present.
"Liena!"
The man, who had looked haggard while she was out of sight, grabbed Liena by the shoulder and spoke.
"Don't worry too much. I told the victims that Cassius would pay back all the invested money. Since it's such a big incident, you may not be able to avoid a prison sentence, but I'll try my best to..."
"Dad."
Liena said with a smile.
"I heard a joke that my dad abandoned me. Isn't that really funny? Please quickly tell that person that it's not true."
"... Liena."
"Eh? Hurry up."
The duke avoided Liena's gaze.
"I'm sorry."
It took Liena some time to fully comprehend the meaning of that brief phrase.
A moment later, a shock as if her head had been split in two hit her.
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