Chapter 30
Chapter 30
Translation: godsn
As a result, it was revealed that she had embezzled and siphoned off royal goods from over twenty departments under her management.
Several chests filled with gold were discovered in Cuisine's residence.
What was even more shocking was the fact that the Black Eye Merchant Guild, the royal family's official trading partner, had colluded in her embezzlement.
"So they kept double ledgers. They inflated the recorded amounts, procured the goods, and then split the leftover difference between themselves. They truly lived in their own little world!"
When the royal knights stormed in, the head of the Black Eye Merchant Guild fled.
"So you're telling me they just stood there dumbfounded and let the ledgers be taken?"
Joaquin Claudio.
The man more commonly known as Duke Claudio or the Regent made no effort to hide his displeasure.
"The auditors, led by the knights, ransacked every place they could—the palace, residences, everything," Catherine replied, equally flustered.
"Damn it, Etienne! What in the world was the Minister of Palace Affairs doing?"
Had the Minister of Palace Affairs been present, the situation would have turned out very differently.
He would have silenced those involved and covered up the incident by any means necessary.
"But the incident happened while he was confined to his quarters after that mysterious assassination attempt near the chapel."
Terrified by the unexplained assassination attempt, the minister refused to enter the palace until the culprit was caught.
And in the meantime, Siseo struck like a storm.
Duke Claudio wasn't even given a chance to properly grasp the situation.
Taking advantage of the chaos, the Queen Dowager and Siseo dissolved the royal merchant guild to prevent further corruption.
They eliminated the very opportunity to monopolize royal supply contracts and line their pockets.
"Damn it, you should have stopped this at least!"
For the Duke, this outcome was even more painful than Cuisine's death.
The Black Eye Merchant Guild had been his secret financial lifeline.
'The guild head fled, and the money was laundered multiple times, so the trail shouldn't lead back to me.'
The Duke's lips twisted into an ugly grimace.
Not long ago, the rebel faction had also contacted him, demanding funds. He had already spent the money meant for the rebels to repurchase Medeia's jewels.
'I thought the Black Eye Merchant Guild would replenish the funds immediately, but...!'
Who could have predicted things would turn out like this?
Now his money pouch had a hole in it, and it didn't look like it would be easily mended.
A mere flap of Cuisine's wings—her petty attempt to cut off her niece's limbs—had spiraled into a typhoon that came back to strike them.
His head throbbed painfully.
Catherine, too, felt unjustly blamed by her husband.
"How was I supposed to do anything when it all unfolded right before my eyes? Did I know Cuisine would lose her mind like that? Or that Her Majesty would suddenly wield her sword so ruthlessly?"
The Queen Dowager punished every official involved in the incident. The sword she wielded still carried weight.
Under the noble pretext of restoring discipline as the royal family's elder, her commands were justified, and thus no one could openly oppose them.
The Duke furrowed his brow.
"Prepare. I must go see Mother."
With the royal merchant guild dissolved, he at least needed to reclaim the position of Head Maid.
He hurried to the Queen Dowager.
But his impatience was in vain—he failed to realize that his mother's fury was still blazing fiercely.
"A new Head Maid? With the palace in such turmoil, is that really your priority?"
Far from persuading the Queen Dowager, he was met with a sharp reprimand.
"...It was my oversight. I have nothing to say in my defense."
He offered an apology, at least for show.
He wasn't afraid of his aging mother, but her position as Queen Dowager made her an inconvenient enemy.
So outwardly, he maintained the role of the dutiful, affectionate son.
"Mother. But how could you handle such major affairs without consulting me? If you had just given it more time—"
The Queen Dowager's expression darkened.
"How much more time should I give? Until lawless scum like Cuisine climb right on top of my head?"
His wife, Catherine, chimed in.
"He does have a point. We can't expose the palace's dirty laundry so abruptly. If we want to protect Her Highness the Princess's honor, we need more thorough preparation..."
Invoking the Princess was always an effective excuse. Playing the role of doting aunt and uncle came naturally to the Duke and Duchess.
"Catherine, wasn't Cuisine your childhood playmate? Are you truly telling me you knew nothing about this?"
But instead of praising them as usual, the Queen Dowager fixed them with a sharp gaze.
"Mother, I was deceived as well! Even after knowing her for ten years, I never dreamed she harbored such poison in her heart. After she became the Head Maid, I even cut off contact to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings."
Catherine made excuses, claiming she had been too busy fulfilling her duties as the Duchess to maintain frequent communication.
"Indeed, you must have been busy. Virna was so deeply wounded by the paper cut that the Royal Physician refused my summons."
Each word the Queen Dowager threw at her carried an unusual weight.
"And now, you two must return to the Duke's estate. Vacate the Cottage House as well. I've kept you here far too long."
The Queen Dowager spoke as if she had been meaning to summon them for this very purpose.
"Collateral branches should not reside in the Royal Palace. If even I, who should set an example, have violated the sacred laws of the kingdom, how can we blame others for looking down on the royal family? It's time to set things right."
The moment the word "collateral" left her mother's lips, a cold glint flashed in the Regent's eyes.
Catherine, too, was startled.
Return to the Duke's estate? Was the Queen Dowager expelling them from the palace?
"Wicked souls will always find cracks to exploit. Whatever Your Majesty does, as the highest authority of the royal family, will naturally set the standard. What is there to worry about?"
Catherine masked her panic with flattery.
"Besides, once we leave, how could we not fret day and night over whether Your Majesty might fall ill? The mere thought darkens my vision."
Yet the Queen Dowager's expression, which should have softened, remained icy.
"Catherine. Are you truly refusing to leave the palace out of concern for me?"
"Wh—What kind of hurtful words are these? What else could I possibly desire in this palace if not Your Majesty's well-being?"
"Indeed, Mother. You know better than anyone what kind of person she is."
The Queen Dowager silently observed the couple.
"Very well. If you insist, then so be it. My head aches. You may withdraw now."
With a dismissive wave, she made it clear she had no intention of continuing the conversation.
In the end, Duke Claudio and his wife, effectively banished, left the Queen Mother's Palace in dismay.
"My second son... his greed knows no bounds."
The Queen Dowager pressed a hand to her forehead and leaned back as Lady Pinatelli handed her a warm cup of tea.
"...Are you all right, Your Majesty?"
"Hyenas lurk everywhere, waiting for their chance. This palace has become nothing but a slab of meat, dripping with the drool of scavengers."
Not only had the man she recommended caused this disaster, but he now sought to manipulate things again without a shred of remorse.
Even her trusted second son had disappointed her deeply.
'With the master gone, only wolves remain in the house. Valdina stands on the brink of ruin.'
The Queen Dowager sighed. She, too, bore some responsibility for this outcome.
"The living must carry on, yet I've lingered too long in the fog. How my ancestors must scorn this foolish ruler."
She frowned and turned away.
"Pinatelli."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"You are the only one I can trust now. The only one who can manage this den of greed with fairness and without ambition."
"Your Majesty's words..."
"I want you to take the position of Royal Head Maid."
A look of astonishment spread across Lady Pinatelli's face.
Her voice, usually so composed, trembled slightly, as if she had never anticipated this.
"That is impossible. I swore before the gods to serve at Your Majesty's side for the rest of my life. As for the Royal Head Maid, I will search again for someone truly worthy of Your Majesty's trust."
"I once swore to keep you by my side for life. But for Valdina's sake, even the gods would forgive me."
The Queen Dowager took Lady Pinatelli's hand.
Since entering the palace at a young age, Lady Pinatelli had remained steadfast by her side for twenty years.
"In this vast place, you are the only one I can trust completely. Everyone else is blinded by the hollow prestige of the Royal Head Maid, scheming only to fill their own bellies. Even Claudio—my own son."
"Mother, how could you make such a grave decision without consulting me?"
The Regent's arrogant words echoed in the Queen Dowager's mind. By no measure did they sound like the words of a loyal subject.
'Joaquin... Surely he wouldn't covet a place he should never reach? No, my son couldn't possibly...'
A faint unease brushed over her.
'I must set things in order. Before my second son entertains any foolish notions.'
The spark of suspicion, once kindled, cleared the haze that had clouded the Queen Dowager's vision all this time.