Seeds of Doubt
"We shall begin today's council meeting with the agenda submitted by the First Princess, Sera."
The expression on King Fehat's face as he opened the meeting was grim. Of course, it was nowhere near as grim as the expressions of Carmel and Count Roberts.
A small cart carrying a single chest was wheeled into the very center of the council chamber. It was the cargo seized from the Lily of the Valley.
I stepped forward, opened the chest, and displayed the black, dried substance inside for everyone to see.
"Four days ago, in the morning, I personally confiscated these goods at Rilton Pier. As you can see, the contents are opium. There were no fewer than 120 crates of opium loaded onto that smuggling vessel. It is an amount sufficient to turn every single citizen of Lurie into an addict."
Gasps and murmurs of shock rippled through the chamber.
I naturally turned my gaze toward Carmel. She pointedly looked away, pretending not to notice.
Fehat asked with a grave countenance, "Indeed, Sera. And what became of the smugglers?"
"Those captured on-site were merely small fry, Your Majesty. The true culprit who seeks to ruin this kingdom remains cleverly hidden. A big fish with the immense capital and audacity required to import such a massive quantity of opium. We must find them and ensure they are executed."
I turned toward the foot of the council table, addressing Count Roberts, whose face had turned a sickly, ash-pale color.
"Count Roberts, this is precisely why I summoned you to today's council. I thought a man as astute in commerce as yourself might have some valuable insights. What are your thoughts on the matter?"
Every eye in the room focused on Count Roberts.
Deviating from his usual fluent and eloquent manner of speaking, the Count pronounced each word with agonizing slowness.
"Princess... As I only pursue legitimate commerce... I know absolutely nothing of such sordid affairs as smuggling. I am deeply sorry that I cannot be of any assistance."
His words were ordinary, but his expression was anything but. Though he spoke in a quiet voice, his eyes glared at me as if they could stab.
He is truly furious. For a merchant, losing money must be as painful as shedding their own blood. In his heart, he probably wants to strangle me.
"Is that so? Then it cannot be helped."
This time, I turned my attention to Carmel.
"Mother, do you have any opinions on this?"
Suddenly finding herself the center of attention, Carmel shook her head with an uncomfortable expression.
"Not particularly... I am not well-versed in such things."
It was a response meant to convey complete indifference, yet her eyes betrayed a distinct, underlying anxiety.
Fehat, who had been listening quietly, stroked his beard and spoke.
"I believe everyone here understands the gravity of this matter. I intend to entrust the investigation of this case to Princess Sera. What say you all? If there are any objections, speak now."
No one raised an objection—not even Count Roberts or Carmel.
Fehat nodded and looked at me.
"Hear me, First Princess Sera Rustier. In the name of King Fehat Rustier, I command you to investigate this opium smuggling case. You must uncover the truth."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
With that, my agenda was concluded, and the meeting moved on to the next item. For the remainder of the council, Count Roberts sat in absolute silence, not uttering a single word.
Once the council meeting ended, I returned to my room.
The faces of those two earlier were truly a sight to behold. Just witnessing their expressions made attending the tedious meeting entirely worthwhile.
By now, letters would be flying furiously between them, desperately discussing how to remove the massive boulder in their path named Sera Rustier.
However, those two could no longer truly trust each other.
In this particular incident, Count Roberts was the only one who suffered a devastating financial loss. Carmel faced absolutely zero risk, so long as her unauthorized use of the royal seal remained undiscovered.
That was precisely why I had deliberately avoided mentioning the royal seal during the council meeting.
Right about now, Count Roberts's mind would be plagued by paranoia. He would be torturing himself with the suspicion that Carmel had simply used him as a pawn.
An internal rift would be the ideal outcome, but even a small crack in their alliance was more than enough. Ultimately, Count Roberts's role was to drag Carmel down with him when he fell.
My heart fluttered with anticipation. After all, this next development was something that had never occurred in the novel I read.
In the original story, Carmel was always the undisputed victor. But things were different now.
Carmel could never defeat Princess Sera—she could never defeat me.
Because I was the protagonist of this world now.
In this reality, Carmel was destined to be defeated by me, to be toyed with and broken at my pleasure.
A story I did not know, featuring my absolute favorite character.
Imagining the sight of a utterly defeated Carmel in the near future, a deeply satisfied smile spread across my face.
"It has been a while, Count Roberts."
Unlike my previous visit, Count Roberts did not offer a warm greeting as I stepped down from my carriage. Instead, he spoke in a cold, sharp tone that carried a hint of murderous intent.
"What brings you here, Princess Sera?"
"I came to have a chat, just like last time."
"Then let us speak right here."
"The First Princess of this kingdom has paid you a personal visit, and you won't even offer her a seat? I am deeply hurt."
Count Roberts's face crumpled like a discarded piece of scrap paper. Without a word, he turned and began walking inside. I followed closely behind him.
Even after we sat down in the very same room as before, his expression remained savage.
"What is it you want?"
"I told you during my last visit. Sever your ties with Lady Carmel and engage in honest work. You were the one who refused my offer, Count Roberts."
"I believe I clearly stated that I know nothing of what you speak."
His voice was thick with suppressed rage. But his stubborn denial was so amusing that I couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Pfft, hahaha! I wondered what you were going to say... Count Roberts. If you truly know absolutely nothing, then why on earth are you so incredibly angry?"
"That is none of your concern, Princess. If that is all you have to say, please leave."
"No, I cannot do that. I have been commanded by His Majesty to uncover the truth of this case. Well, actually, there is nothing left to uncover since I already know everything. Count Roberts, didn't Lady Carmel tell you? That I can read people's minds, if only a little."
"Ha..."
Count Roberts shook his head, scoffing as if he had just heard the most absurd joke. Of course, he wouldn't believe such a claim easily. Not until he was presented with undeniable proof.
"Count Roberts, you intend to ruin this kingdom with opium, and then invite another nation... hm, yes, the Empire, to intervene. Am I wrong? You have already made contact with their envoys several times."
Count Roberts's gaze shifted from mere irritation to something far more intense, dark, and complex. However, he quickly forced himself to regain his composure.
"Do not make up such ridiculous stories, Princess. Reading minds? There is no way such a thing is possible..."
Of course it wasn't. It wasn't even something explicitly described in the novel. It was merely a deduction I had made based on the plot. But judging by his reaction, I had hit the mark perfectly.
"Indeed. It would be quite impossible without having laid eyes on your secret ledger."
"What?"
The anxiety in Count Roberts's eyes began to swell. Well, this wasn't anything extraordinary. It was only natural for someone committing treason to keep a secret ledger. Especially for a man like Count Roberts, who was obsessively sensitive to profit and loss.
"I may not know exactly where it is hidden just yet... but finding it is only a matter of time. I simply need to search this mansion. And even if I cannot find it, fabricating a convincing replica would be simple enough."
"You would... fabricate evidence?"
"Yes. After all, you *are* the culprit, aren't you?"
Count Roberts's face flushed a deep, furious red, before turning a sickly pale.
"Such tyranny...! Do you think the Noble Council will stand idly by and watch you do this?"
"The Noble Council protecting a man who imported opium to poison the country and tried to collude with foreign invaders? Now *that* is a hilarious joke."
Count Roberts glared at me in silence. Then, his hand slowly reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a highly decorated dagger.
"My, how terrifying. What do you plan to do with that?"
"Do you really need to ask? If what you say is true, I am doomed to execution anyway! If so, I might as well take you with me...!"
Overcome by sheer desperation and rage, Count Roberts lunged across the desk at me.
But just before his blade could reach me, a flash of brilliant white lightning erupted, violently repelling him backward.
I reached into my collar, pulling out a small, glittering crystal to show him.
"A defensive spell cast by Monas. And this is a Recording Crystal. Your confession of your crimes, as well as your attempt to assassinate the princess of this kingdom, have all been perfectly recorded right here. Fufu, what a dreadful face you have, Count."
Turning blue, then red, then stark white. What a colorful Count he was.
To the utterly despondent, broken man, I gently extended my hand.
"As things stand, your ruin is absolute. However, there is still one way for you to survive."
"W-What... What is it?"
"You haven't disposed of them yet, have you? The letters you exchanged with Carmel. Hand them all over to me. If you do, I shall pull some strings to ensure you escape the executioner's block. Of course, you must still be prepared for the complete confiscation of your assets and permanent exile."
If I simply wanted to destroy Count Roberts, I could have done so at any time. But that wouldn't serve my ultimate purpose. Frankly, I didn't care about Count Roberts. The real target was Carmel.
He might have destroyed the very first letters they exchanged. But ever since I planted the seeds of doubt at the council meeting, Count Roberts would never have dared to destroy any subsequent correspondence.
Just in case, he would have kept them as insurance to prevent Carmel from abandoning him to save herself.
"I-I understand... P-Please, just spare me from execution..."
Watching Count Roberts bow his head in absolute, miserable defeat, I smiled brightly.
[An error occurred. Reference: 89f9bb47-beff-4522-9ffc-2d0ca7c59f6b at 2026-05-26T16:27:29.914Z]