Bab 235: [Chapter 234] Husband and Wife Are One
Mori Trading Company was a big player in the commercial world, having grown most spectacularly in recent years. The story of how the Elandria family's servants suddenly stormed into the company's Imperial City branch—in reality, they only searched the inside, but the rumor spread like that—attracted considerable attention.
However, before the malicious rumor that the Elandria family had acted that way "to steal money like robbers" could spread, a shock hit the social circles that was incomparable.
"The ownership of the Billansher Silver Mine has been transferred to a commoner?"
"The Odurus Lake is occupied by a trading company founded by a lower-ranking noble? Half of the empire's water supply starts there?"
The Crown Prince of the Empire Vista was wealthy, but that didn't mean he could spend his inherited wealth as he pleased. The land traditionally given to the Crown Prince was originally a treasure of the Imperial Family, to be passed down to the next Crown Prince.
Knowing this well, the nobles were skeptical when they learned that several lands that Crown Prince Abelus was supposed to be "managing" well had been divided and transferred to private trading companies. And when they actually learned how the land had been transferred, they were shocked.
"So, the ownership hasn't been transferred, it's just exercising a real estate lien. The Crown Prince's property is being tampered with by a mistress, and she even borrowed money against it? Someone really messed up."
No one mentioned the fact that the person who messed up was a young lady who everyone had praised until a few months ago, or that it all started with the Crown Prince's gambling. It was a crime to insult the royal family, but it wasn't a crime to insult the mistress.
If there had been one or two trading companies that had taken over the bonds secured by the Crown Prince's property, the problem would have been less severe. Those companies would probably be very large and have something they wanted from the Imperial Family, so the Imperial Family could discreetly call in their representatives and subtly persuade them to release the real estate occupancy.
But the fact that this wasn't the case plunged the Imperial Family's dignity into the abyss.
The companies that had taken over the bonds held by Mori Trading Company before it left were small to medium-sized, and their owners were of low status. In other words, they weren't occupying the land to compete with the Imperial Family.
They genuinely wanted the Crown Prince to repay his debts quickly. And they were afraid that if people's interest faded, they would be retaliated against by the Imperial Family, so they used every means possible to spread the current situation. So, if the Imperial Family tried to subtly suppress them, it would only make them look even more ridiculous. It was as if everything had fallen into place as if someone had deliberately planned to disgrace the Imperial Family from the beginning.
In the end, the Imperial Family's entire surplus funds had to be used to repay the debts before the immediate fire was put out. But for some, the fire was just beginning to blaze.
"Alright, explain."
Abelus spoke with a face full of anger. Megara, who had been summoned alone to his office, began to plead pitifully. She had suffered a great deal too, because the promissory notes were in her name, and she had to scrape the bottom of the barrel of the Duchy's assets to make as much repayment as possible.
"Your Highness, I really didn't know. I didn't know that the head of Mori Trading Company was so cunning..."
Bang! Abelus slammed his fist on the desk.
Megara's eyes widened in surprise. And when she heard what came next, her body went limp.
"He was working behind the scenes with Nellusion, playing me? Since when?"
He knew.
When she was cornered, her mind worked quickly. Megara began to sob pitifully. It was important to know how much Abelus knew.
Sure enough, after a while, Abelus spoke first, as if he was frustrated by her silence.
"He's bold enough to meet with him secretly in the Noble Council, so there must have been meetings before that! How far did it go?"
Megara was relieved by that sorrowful voice. Abelus wasn't talking about other deals that had been made between him and Nellusion. He hadn't even mentioned a single word about Mori Trading Company, even though all that chaos was happening outside.
'He's really just suspecting corruption.'
The corner of her pretty mouth turned up under the hand that covered her crying face.
'Then it's all the better.'
Days had passed since that day in the Noble Council when she learned that all the executives of Mori Trading Company had disappeared. While Abelus was dealing with those despicable small and medium-sized trading company people, Megara had had plenty of time to plan, and she was confident.
She waited until Abelus was about to lose his temper and rant, and then she confessed loudly.
Your Highness, what do you mean, how far did it go? We, we checked! How terribly we were deceived...!"
"What?"
Abelus, who had been burning with anger with conviction, faltered.
"Deceived?"
"Think about it, Your Highness. In this empire, no, in this world, who is greater than Your Highness? And who is kinder to this lowly me than Your Highness? Why would I betray my destined love for another man?"
That was... true. Abelus's heart softened as he recalled that Megara had saved his life, remembering her words, "being kind to me." Yes, it was strange for a true love, one that would risk their life for, to suddenly cheat.
If he had thought a little deeper, Abelus wouldn't have doubted Megara's love. Or, it would have been better if the person who seemed to be having a secret rendezvous with Megara hadn't been Nellusion.
Handsome, intelligent, polite, capable... how many compliments had Nellusion received since he was young? Abelus had "never" cared about such superficialities. But he sometimes thought that women seemed to like Nellusion more than him, the Crown Prince.
So, when he heard that Megara was having a secret rendezvous with Nellusion, he had summoned her without thinking and reprimanded her. Megara had awakened him with the right words, leaving him speechless.
Abelus calmed down. Megara approached him and sat on his desk. She stroked his chin seductively and whispered,
"Your Highness, we were all deceived. I'll tell you everything. The fact that all this stemmed from a vile conspiracy."
****
Nellusion thought Abelus's expression was strange.
Yes, his failure to quickly deal with Mori Trading Company was a major blunder. The chaos that had befallen the Imperial Family was so great that even if Abelus jumped up and down, there was nothing he could do.
So, he thought, some degree of loss was inevitable. But since things had turned out this way, he decided to do everything he could to take advantage of the current situation.
Thinking this way, he was summoned to Abelus's office, and there was no one there except the person who had summoned him. Nellusion greeted him lightly, as they often did when they were younger.
"Good day, Your Highness."
"Good day? Yes, good day indeed."
Abelus chuckled, then picked up a pen and threw it with a sharp look. Nellusion didn't react at all to the chill of the pen tip that grazed his cheek.
"You dare to move around at your own discretion, mentioning the Imperial Family's honor. Playing tricks on me without my knowledge?"
Abelus spat out the words with a cold face.
The atmosphere was very cold. Nellusion defended himself to Abelus, who was staring at him with sharp eyes.
"When I mentioned treason against the Imperial Family to shut down Mori Trading Company, it was to convey the meaning that all the people should respect the Imperial Family's honor, Your Highness. It wasn't to say that I represent the Imperial Family's honor."
The name had changed, but the young and ambitious male character in "Betrayal," the one with the blue gem, was a fool who was not lacking in disrespect for the Imperial Family's ancestors. Abelus would know that.
But Abelus still looked at Nellusion with hostile eyes.
"You're quite the clever one. So, you were playing me with the club's con artists?"
The Crown Prince's office sank into an icy silence.
Nellusion's annoyingly calm face hardened slightly. Creak. The door separating the office and the reception room opened with a small hinge sound.
The Grand Duke?
Nellusion finally felt like he was getting a grip on something. Abelus continued his tirade.
"I don't know why the Grand Duke is so desperate to interfere in my life! Isn't it enough that the monster rules the vast north at will and has taken a wife from the gem? He's jealous of me, isn't he! Otherwise, why would he create a fake club and bring you in to steal my money?"
What...?
Nellusion quickly looked at Megara's face. Megara smiled and snuggled closer to Abelus.
"You're right, Your Highness. Everything you say is true. Because of that scoundrel, how humiliated were you this time? Poor thing..."
He had a bad feeling. Nellusion quickly thought. It was good that Abelus was hostile towards Maindelant. But why was he saying these things now, in this place?
Abelus looked at Megara with eyes that seemed to trust her even more than before, and spoke passionately.
"Yes. The people are so arrogant, they say I can't tell right from wrong! Maggie, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known how much damage I've suffered. I thought my sister was the only one who had been interfering with me all my life, but it wasn't. I can't even imagine how long he's been hiding his dark intentions and plotting against me."
Even Nellusion, who was used to such things, was stunned by the sheer delusion. Abelus glared at Nellusion and spat out the words. Each word was intense, as if he had already made up his mind.
"I'm going to hold Maindelant accountable."
"Your Highness."
Nellusion finally spoke.
"What kind of accountability are you talking about?"
"Why are you asking such an obvious question? As a subject, he should bow his head. Maggie?"
As if they had already reached an agreement, Megara, at Abelus's call, stepped out of his arms and confidently explained.
"What else can we do? The Grand Duke is so arrogant. We have to show him the difference in power. We're going to give him a little lesson."
"How?"
"It's nothing big."
Megara now looked very happy.
"A little show of force will be enough to make them realize their place. When they realize that they can't even complain when the Imperial Army is running around their land, the Grand Duke and Duchess will come in person and apologize to me, you, and the Crown Prince."
Cledwin, the Grand Duke of Maindelant.
Megara knew very well that Abelus had felt inferior to that strange man all his life. So.
'Husband and wife are one, so it doesn't matter which one.'
What difference does it make if she tells the Crown Prince that the owner of Mori Trading Company is that girl or her husband?
If she can make Neris Trude kneel and beg.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone