Chapter 163
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 163
“Let him in.”
At the Emperor’s command, the mirrored doors swung open, and Cedric entered.
Albert’s eyes widened at the sight of the newcomer. The Emperor, his expression indifferent, merely extended a hand toward Cedric.
“The documents I mentioned earlier. Hand them over.”
Cedric obediently presented a thick file.
Durein’s brow furrowed as he flipped through the pages one by one. “Tell me, Cedric. What has transpired because of this drug?”
Finally, it was Cedric's turn to play his part on the stage.
He looked down at the trembling Albert and, in a calm, measured voice, detailed everything his investigation had uncovered. He elaborated on the string of incidents and accidents that had plagued the capital, explaining why Angelic was believed to be the root cause. To bolster his claims, he added the professional opinions of various experts and witnesses.
“...Furthermore, Her Imperial Majesty the Empress’s request significantly influenced this investigation. Her Majesty has been concerned about His Imperial Highness Michael’s condition for a long time.”
“Indeed. Anastasia spoke to me about it as well. I believed Michael would overcome it on his own, but it seems that very trust only exacerbated the situation.”
The Emperor’s sharp gaze fell upon his son and then shifted to Albert.
“This ‘Angelic Party’ is quite well-known in certain circles, is it not? Where did you say it was held?”
“Aboard the ship Kingdom, which is usually docked at El Mare Port, Your Majesty.”
“To dream of a separate kingdom within the Empire... the very name is sacrilegious. And I hear it was no typical social gathering.”
Cedric nodded and presented another file.
Durein took his time reading the documents. As the silence stretched, Albert’s throat grew parched with dread.
“...So, they gathered beastly individuals and engaged in sordid acts.”
“B-but that was merely a party! If no harm was done to others, there is no legal basis to prohibit individual sexual freedom...!”
“If no harm was done to others, perhaps,” the Emperor interrupted. He held up a few documents, fluttering them in the air as he spoke coldly. “I am already curious to hear what you will say about those who died there.”
“They were... th-they were slaves...”
“Slaves? Does our Astor Empire have a system of slavery? I have never heard of such a thing.”
The more Albert spoke, the deeper he felt himself sinking into a quagmire. But the bottom was still a long way off.
“There was a reason you held that party on a ship, wasn’t there? I hear an enormous amount of drugs were sold there. Just how much tax did you evade?”
As a father, the Emperor was enraged that his son had been ruined by the drug; as a ruler, he was furious over the tax evasion. It was the latter that Albert feared most. While he might have been able to argue his way out of the former—given that Michael’s condition had occasionally shown signs of improvement—there was no way to deny that the latter was a clear, calculated crime.
‘If the scale of the tax evasion is discovered, I’m finished! Surely, the Angelic sales ledgers haven’t fallen into the Emperor’s hands, have they?’
Just as Albert’s face turned a ghostly pale, Durein slammed the file shut.
“Albert Kingsley will stand formal trial for tax evasion and insulting the Imperial Family. Until then, imprison him in the Imperial Palace dungeons! Furthermore, I order the immediate cessation of all production at Kingsley Pharmaceutical Company. All drugs already sold are to be recovered to the fullest extent possible!”
With those words, Albert’s dream of becoming ‘richer than a Ducal House’ crumbled to dust. He no longer had to worry about paying evaded taxes and fines; he had to worry about whether he would even keep his life or his title.
Having passed judgment on Albert, Durein turned his gaze to his son, who had grown gaunt in an instant.
“Michael, starting today, you will undergo treatment to purge the effects of Angelic from your system. He might resist, so hold him firmly.”
At the Emperor’s command, the palace attendants rushed toward Michael. He struggled to break free, but being frail to begin with, he was no match for four grown men. Held fast by both arms and unable to move, Michael wailed.
“Father! Please, have mercy! Without that drug, I’ll die! Save me, Father!”
The sight of an Imperial Prince desperately pleading for a fix was both pitiful and pathetic.
As a father, seeing his frail son—who had been a constant source of worry since childhood—reduced to this state made Durein want to strike the ground in despair. However, he recalled his wife, who loved their son even more than he did, yet had been the one to ask Cedric to eradicate Angelic.
He clenched his fist and spoke, his voice low as if coaxing a child. “Don’t worry too much, Michael. Cedric has developed a drug that minimizes Angelic’s side effects while aiding your body’s recovery.”
At that, a spark of fury ignited in Albert’s eyes.
“Your Majesty, please reconsider! Cedric is deceiving Your Majesty to ruin me! He is trying to spread this new drug and make a fortune for himself!”
“That will not be the case,” the Emperor said.
“Nonsense! Whether that drug truly works is questionable to begin with, but if he incites fear like this, who wouldn’t buy it? Cedric will just sit back and rake in a fortune!”
Durein shook his head at Albert, who was shouting in a final, desperate struggle.
“Cedric has sworn to distribute that new drug for free. Far from making money, the Kailas Ducal House has agreed to bear all costs for the drug’s development and distribution. Are you satisfied now, Albert Kingsley?”
“But even I know that there is nothing but water that can remove Angelic’s effects! How could Cedric have possibly found a way?”
It was Cedric who answered the impertinent question.
“Discovering the ingredients was difficult, but there are no eternal secrets.”
“W-what...?”
“Darsenger. It is an herb primarily found in the Firma Kingdom. It is true that they have used Darsenger in folk remedies for a long time.”
“S-see! That means even you knew Angelic was a proven, effective drug!”
“However,” Cedric continued, cutting him off, “that was only possible because Firma produces a fruit called Morphima, which prevents Darsenger addiction. It is a plant not found in the Empire.”
The most challenging aspect for Cedric in creating the new drug, Simon, had been secretly securing Morphima. If Firma were to learn of its use, they would surely have cut off exports.
“If I hadn’t known that Morphima also grows in the Kingdom of Astellone, it would have been difficult. Do you have any idea how much manpower and wealth are being wasted because you were blinded by greed and created such a despicable drug?”
Cedric frowned slightly. “But what can be done? Since the disaster was caused by a vassal, the Ducal House must restore the damage as much as possible.”
“I-I didn’t know Darsenger was dangerous! I saw those documents Your Majesty gave me earlier, but I was told that most of the risks were removed during the development phase!”
Watching Albert deny something so obviously exposed, Cedric didn’t know whether to be glad or sad that his cousin was so foolish. Albert must have been acting out of pure arrogance. Cedric couldn’t fathom where Albert’s confidence—the belief that he had committed a perfect crime—had even come from.
“Nonsense. You knew. If you hadn’t known about its addictiveness and withdrawal symptoms, how would you have dared to treat His Imperial Highness as if he were your subordinate?”
“When did I ever!”
“The day you threatened me to invest, using my father’s legacy as an excuse. You spoke insolently to His Imperial Highness Michael and even spat on the floor of the Empress’s Palace corridor, didn’t you?”
At those words, Albert froze. He had clearly instructed Michael to ensure no one was around that day. But Cedric’s description perfectly matched the events.
“N-no, I, I...”
Cedric let out a small, cold laugh, recalling Harriet, who had meticulously recounted the events of that day to him.
“The person who witnessed it was so dumbfounded they told me, ‘I never imagined the fool who would make an enemy of the Kailas Duke would be his own cousin.’”
Albert couldn’t possibly have missed the mockery and sarcasm laced in those words. But he couldn’t even find the strength to get angry. At this moment, he himself couldn’t understand why he had been so reckless.
He suddenly looked at Durein and cried out desperately. “Th-this is all that woman’s fault, Your Majesty! Leslie Ozer, Baron Ozer’s daughter, was the one who told me about Darsenger. She’s the one who did everything!”
Finally, he sold out the woman who was practically his mistress, but both the Emperor and Cedric merely scoffed.
“Don’t worry,” the Emperor said. “The Firman spy you know as Leslie Ozer—Alesia Peter—is already a wanted woman.”
“Y-Your Majesty...? A s-spy...?”
“And if you were seduced without even knowing that, then you truly are a fool.”
Albert stood dumbfounded for a moment before being dragged out of the Room of Mirrors along with Michael. Even as he was pulled away, his face was etched with shock at the revelation that Leslie was a spy.
In the now silent Room of Mirrors, the Emperor asked Cedric in a dry voice, “What do you think? Do you believe I have acted too late?”
“No, Your Majesty. There will be confusion and backlash for a while, but ultimately, His Imperial Highness Michael and the people will recover. Our Empire will not fall. I will ensure it.”
The aged ruler’s sigh, tinged with regret, lingered in the air. “I seem to only accumulate debts to you and your father.”
“……”
“Thank you, Cedric. I entrust Michael to your care.”
“I will do my utmost.”
Cedric calmly consoled Durein, his uncle and Emperor, and then withdrew from his presence.