Chương 227: [Chapter 228] Megara, Poisoned
Neris was momentarily stunned as she read the report from the Morie Trading Company.
'Already this much?'
She knew that Megara would try to get money from outside sources when she ran out of her own funds after lending money to Abelus. And the Morie Trading Company was exactly the kind of place Megara would be interested in.
So, before she came, she had already given Joan a heads-up. She told her to lend Megara money without hesitation if she asked. But she also told her to make sure to secure the Marquis's and the prince's personal property as collateral, without offending the other side.
But the amount that came up as 'borrowed by Megara' was bigger than she expected. Neris smiled as her eyes fell on the list of property secured as collateral for the loan.
Joan was the best. She had secured exactly the items Neris had told her to prioritize as collateral.
A silver mine, a lake that was the source of countless rivers, and a castle in a land with thriving trade…
'An important region that the imperial family has traditionally entrusted to the crown prince.'
It was both amusing and absurd. It seemed that the Marquis's property had already been used as collateral, as most of the items Megara had offered Joan as collateral were the prince's personal property. Items that, according to the rules, a mistress should never touch. It was land that Neris, who had been the crown princess in her previous life, had never touched.
If it had been the previous Neris, she might have felt a pang of bitterness at this situation, which revealed how much Abelus cared for Megara. She might have been a little angry. Not because she loved Abelus, but because she realized how ridiculous her treatment by him had been.
But the current Neris didn't care. She just thought,
'It was rotten to the core.'
Only now, after leaving that place, could she see how festering the once-glorious imperial fortress truly was, how close it was to bursting. An empire built on lies, enjoying a glory that wasn't its own, now ready to face a miserable end.
Neris smiled coldly. She picked up her pen and wrote an urgent message to Joan.
To come up immediately with everything once she finished her last task.
****
The attempted assassination of the crown prince in the heart of the imperial capital caused a great stir.
First, Princess Keamil, the first princess, who had been subtly excluded from politics but had received treatment befitting her status as a direct descendant of the imperial family, was placed under house arrest. As she was a member of the royal family, she was not imprisoned in a filthy jail like other criminals, but confined to the princess's palace. However, the treatment of not allowing anyone to enter or leave the princess's palace except for the delivery of food was already tantamount to exile.
Who didn't know that the crown prince was not the age to appreciate his elder sister's interference? But Princess Keamil was known to those outside the great nobles and the closest aides of the imperial family as a quiet and passive person. The fact that such a person had openly tried to kill her brother was a considerable shock.
However, no one doubted the identity of the perpetrator. A senior member with a jewel… given those conditions, and the fact that she hadn't become the crown prince, it was obvious that she had a grudge.
Princess Keamil herself had status, and ultimately there was no direct evidence left by the assassin, so the investigation ended in a day. But the other members of the princess's palace were not so lucky. And Keamil was not acquitted either.
With all the familiar servants dragged away by the imperial knights, Keamil was confined to her room. Only a maid from the imperial palace was there to attend to her.
Keamil was furious. She hadn't done anything. In fact, she had been keeping a low profile lately. What was going on?
'The nerve of her.'
It was a ridiculous accusation. There was no physical evidence, yet they dared to frame a direct descendant of the royal family. There was only one person who could have done it.
'Megara, that bitch.'
She must have whispered it into the ears of the naive Abelus.
But what drove Keamil most insane wasn't Megara. It was the traitors who remained silent, even though she had expected them to cooperate.
She pleaded with her people who were still in politics to release her from confinement and clear her name. And she believed that Nellusion, who had been close to Abelus since childhood, would be the most helpful.
She sent a message, and a reply came back. But it wasn't the answer Keamil wanted.
The excuses were good. His Highness the Crown Prince is very angry right now, they are looking for evidence that Your Highness is innocent, but they haven't found anything…
Sitting alone in her quiet, empty bedroom, Keamil chewed on her resentment. This wasn't the time for this. It was too frustrating.
'I have so much to do.'
Keamil was born the eldest child of the imperial family. Before Abelus was chosen as the crown prince, she was the one learning how to govern the country. Before she was robbed of her position, her hand had naturally, and then secretly, reached into every corner of the country.
The Emperor largely ignored and was mostly unaware of his eldest daughter's attempts to dictate to her younger brother. The imperial family's long-standing shadows had long since fallen into corruption, and their master believed that if he thought he was the best, everything would run smoothly.
So, she was the only one who felt the current crisis. The one who worried most about the empire. Or perhaps the only one who worried about the empire.
'I need to deal with the Grand Duke and his wife quickly.'
Abelus, as the crown prince, must have heard about the imperial family's secrets. But there were limits to the secrets he could hear before becoming emperor, and as Abelus, he probably wouldn't have been very interested in even those few secrets.
The fact that Palos's eye was sealed in the altar of the imperial palace's secret chamber probably wasn't conveyed to Abelus. It was a secret that allowed the imperial family to control the Elandria family and even the Papal State, so it had to be passed down to future generations… but it was best if no one other than the emperor knew, as it would preserve his authority.
Even Keamil had only learned of the existence of that secret chamber by chance when the emperor was ill enough to consider temporarily abdicating before Abelus was born. She had obsessively investigated the information beyond that, spending her own fortune.
That was why Keamil and Abelus actually had completely different attitudes towards Neris's purple jewel. Abelus probably still naively and simply thought that the jewel was a characteristic of the imperial family.
Keamil believed that her zeal for delving into the imperial family's vast records was a salvation for the empire in this crisis. It was just that the damn fools didn't recognize it.
What could she do? Even in the previous generation, only her father had possessed the jewel. The throne wasn't always given to the wisest person.
But the position of 'actually' governing the country should be given to the wisest person. Who could deny that proposition?
'Was it wrong to expect?'
She had been treated unfairly by the Emperor and Empress. Yet, she had put up with their whims until now. She thought it would be fine even if Abelus became Emperor. She would have the real power.
But now, she was resentful that she was suddenly pushed aside as if her past contributions were something she should have just offered. She was truly disappointed.
"Your Highness, is there anything uncomfortable?"
The maid from the imperial palace asked with a stiff face. Keamil didn't hide her displeasure.
"Uncomfortable, wouldn't you?"
"If you need anything, I will bring it."
"That's fine… no, wait. Bring me some cold tea."
A servant, also from the imperial palace, entered from outside for Keamil, who had changed her mind. The servant brought her tea that had been cooled by a precious magic.
The servant and the maid exchanged glances. Both of them had been ordered by the Emperor to "keep a close eye on the princess," and they had known each other since childhood. They could express their opinion that there was nothing unusual with just a glance.
The servant left Keamil's bedroom again, and the maid busied herself with embroidery. Beside her, Keamil looked out the window with dissatisfaction.
'I'll have to wait a few days.'
The servant who had just left was from Silver Moon. It was something even her childhood friend didn't know.
In the past, she would have known immediately if anything happened in the empire. Now, even the head of Silver Moon, who had to be informed of the situation outside, had to send such a subtle signal. Keamil wanted to just hold her forehead.
****
"Your Highness!"
Megara jumped into his arms with a bright smile as soon as she saw Abelus.
"Oh, Maggie. You're really like a child. Do you like me that much?"
"Of course! Honestly, these days, I'm even scared when Your Highness isn't around. It was truly terrifying last time. If Your Highness hadn't been there, I would have died."
It was true that Megara wouldn't have died if Abelus hadn't been there, considering the assassin who had targeted the crown prince, but the two pretended not to know that and smiled affectionately at each other.
Abelus raised an eyebrow when he saw two teacups already set out in Megara's reception room.
"Who was here?"
"My father. Come sit down, Your Highness. I just baked some new pastries, and you can have them while they're still warm."
"Really? Alright, then."
He had only stopped by to see her face for a moment, since Megara was so happy whenever he visited. But he didn't have time to even eat a pastry.
After all, if it weren't for Megara, he wouldn't be alive here now.
Megara, who had happily welcomed Abelus, sat down next to him on the sofa in the reception room. She picked up a new pastry that the maid had brought.
"Here, try this, Your Highness."
"Ah."
A very similar contentment appeared on both their faces. While Abelus chewed on the pastry, Megara picked up another one and put it in her mouth.
"You don't like strawberries, so this one is mine."
Megara's pretty face was lovely even with a pastry in one cheek. Her movements, as she smiled at Abelus with sparkling eyes, were flawless.
She stopped abruptly.
"What's wrong?"
Megara's face turned deathly pale in an instant. Abelus was startled. A dreadful thought crossed his mind.
"Spit it out, now! Over there! Call a doctor!"
Cough, cough. Abelus patted Megara's back and scraped the pastry out of her stiff mouth. His mind was in turmoil.
He couldn't help but think of the person who had most recently tried to kill him.
'My sister…!'
A doctor arrived shortly after. After examining Megara and analyzing what she had spit out, the imperial physician reported with a humble attitude.
"The lady is safe. She did ingest poison. We need to analyze it more thoroughly to be sure, but it seems the strawberry jam was poisoned."
Megara, who had received treatment from the priest, lay on the sofa, occasionally convulsing. Abelus was heartbroken at the sight.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized there was only one culprit. It was rare to find someone who was vicious enough to hold a grudge against the kind and innocent Megara, yet daring enough to smuggle poison into the prince's palace.
'She must have been unhappy that I saved her from death.'
And she must have disliked Megara's honesty in telling him about the problems in their sibling relationship.
The maids bustled about. After a while, Megara, who had finally opened her eyes, asked in a trembling voice.
"Wh-what… happened, Your Highness…?"
"There was poison in the pastry."
A look of horror appeared on Megara's pale face. She shook her head.
"N-no… Your Highness, I would never… "
Megara knew she was being misunderstood as the one who tried to poison Abelus. Abelus comforted her, looking at her with pity.
"I know it wasn't you. If you had done it, you wouldn't have put poison in the strawberry jam, which I don't eat."
Because then, she would be the only one who would eat it.
He was furious as he thought about it. Abelus held Megara's hand tightly and said.
"Don't worry, Maggie. I'll investigate thoroughly to find out what's going on. Just lie down and rest a little more."
Her big, beautiful eyes closed slowly.
Abelus left the room. He was going to round up everyone who worked in the kitchen and interrogate them. And he had to increase the surveillance on his sister. Double, no, tenfold!
Click. As the door closed, Megara smiled faintly.
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