Chapter 576: Biting Back
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 576: Biting Back
It was an old man who looked remarkably ordinary.
His attire lacked the opulence of a noble, and his demeanor held none of the majesty of a high-ranking official. Though a smile played on his lips, his eyes were clouded, his spirit seemed dampened, and his complexion was even slightly pale. Compared to the other imperial ministers surrounding him, he looked entirely out of place.
He looked like a common wealthy merchant who had accidentally wandered into the highest political arena of the Empire.
However... the ruby signet ring on the old man’s finger and that familiar face, which no one present failed to recognize, caused Sharp—who had been brimming with confidence and eager to avenge last night’s humiliation—to freeze instantly. His momentum vanished, leaving him staring blankly, as still as a wooden chicken.
"Fa... Father?"
Sharp’s eyes widened as if he were seeing a ghost, his pupils reflecting the old man who was merely watching him with a smile. Seeing a ghost in broad daylight was, of course, impossible; Sharp briefly wondered if he had fallen under someone’s spell and was hallucinating.
But on second thought, this was the Imperial Palace. The Forbidden Spell enveloping the palace sealed the use of all mana and fighting spirit. No one would dare use illusion magic on him here.
Yet, that was precisely why this was impossible. Because the real Old Dion should currently be...
Sharp stiffly turned his head and saw Prince Albert on the other side of the long table.
At this moment, Albert’s expression was terrifyingly grim, his gaze fixed intently on the old man. Yet, Celicia sat right beside him, acting the part of the concerned sister and fussing over him, forcing him to maintain a strained smile in response.
Seeing this scene, Sharp understood in an instant.
This was another one of the Princess’s schemes. After realizing she couldn't use the physical connection to harm Albert’s soul, she had immediately changed tactics and begun to use Old Dion’s body as a pawn.
Of all the ways he had imagined Princess Celicia might respond to his pressure last night, he had never considered this. He couldn't fathom how she could make a soul-less, brain-less body move. For a moment, he was lost, unsure of how to react.
"Sharp? Sharp? Lord Sharp!"
The Pink Bear snapped the dazed Sharp back to reality. From somewhere, the bear had produced a curly white wig and perched it atop his head. He then pulled out a monocle and, mimicking a Grand Judge, peered through it with his round bear eyes as he ostentatiously flipped through the documents in his paws.
"Regarding my previous question, can you explain?"
"..."
Explain?
How could he explain?
Could he say that was merely his father’s corpse being puppeted by Princess Celicia, and that his father’s true soul was currently inside the First Prince?
"He’s a fake!"
After a moment of silence, Sharp suddenly pointed at the old man and hissed through gritted teeth, "He’s an impostor! That is not my father! My father has already passed away!"
Even though he knew the body wasn't "fake"—that in a sense, it really was his "Lord Father"—Sharp knew perfectly well that he could not acknowledge it. Once he did, the opposition could do far too much damage using that identity.
"Oh? A fake? To flatly claim your own father is an impostor... what an unexpected turn of phrase."
The Pink Bear adjusted his monocle, which reflected a strange light. "So, does Lord Sharp believe everyone here is blind? That we wouldn't recognize Marquis Dion? Besides, I recall that everyone must undergo an identity check before entering the palace. Do you think a fake could just stroll into the palace and appear before us so boldly?"
"I..." Sharp’s voice faltered.
"Ah, I see!"
The Pink Bear clapped his paws together in a sudden realization.
"Is this one of those touching stories? Where the deceased father is so worried about his deadbeat son that he returns as a ghost to visit him?"
"No, the palace is covered by a Forbidden Spell. A ghost would find it even harder to get in," Marquis Angus, seated below the Pink Bear, interjected. He had been reviewing the detailed files regarding the attack on the Marquis’s mansion and Sharp’s accusations against Celicia. Seeing the Pink Bear becoming increasingly eccentric, he felt compelled to interrupt and take over the questioning.
"As for this matter, setting aside the many contradictions and oddities for a moment—Mr. Sharp, you claim your father, the elder Marquis Dion, has passed away. The problem is, the passing of a Marquis is a major event. Why have we received no word of it?"
"That... that is because the Empire’s current situation is too volatile. If news of my father’s death got out now, I feared it would be detrimental to the Dion family. That is why I suppressed the news!"
Sharp suddenly glared at Celicia and said in a low voice, "Her Highness Celicia was aware of this as well. When she came to visit, I told her..."
"My apologies."
Celicia interrupted Sharp, taking a graceful sip of her coffee. "I am currently the defendant. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to say anything at a time like this, so please don't ask me."
"..."
The fury on Sharp’s face froze. His bloodless lips parted, but he couldn't find the words.
He looked around at the suspicious faces, at the expressionless Celicia, and then at Albert, who had remained silent from the beginning. He suddenly realized that proving a "real" person was a "fake"—especially when that person was his own father—was an impossible task for him.
Unless he had the courage to expose everything right here and now.
"Regarding this, allow me to explain."
The elder Marquis Dion, who had been observing from the sidelines, suddenly stood up. He nodded to the assembly before looking at his "son." The smile on his face shifted into a complex mix of anger and disappointment.
"This matter must begin with the attack on the Marquis’s mansion last night."
"Please, proceed."
The Pink Bear produced a large bucket of popcorn from somewhere, settling in for the show.
"I believe you have all heard the news. Last night, the Dion mansion was attacked by unknown thugs, resulting in heavy losses. Among the rumors, it is said that Her Highness the Princess sent people to attack the mansion."
"Correct," the others nodded.
Though only one night had passed, rumors that Princess Celicia had personally masterminded the attack were already circulating among the nobility of the Upper District, likely fueled by certain interested parties.
"Regarding this matter, I can guarantee on the honor of the Dion family... that it is true."
"Nonsense! This whole thing was clearly... Eh? What did you say?"
Sharp, who had a stomach full of rebuttals ready, froze and looked at the elder Marquis Dion in disbelief.
"I said, it is true. Princess Celicia was indeed the mastermind behind the attack on the mansion!"
The elder Marquis spoke with absolute certainty. Just as the assembly was reeling from the fact that he had so bluntly pointed the finger at the Princess, Celicia nodded.
"Yes, I did it. I cannot deny it."
"Hmm?"
This time, even the others were genuinely bewildered. Publicly attacking a Marquis’s mansion was a capital crime; even a Princess might not be able to withstand the fallout. And Princess Celicia had just admitted to it?
"As for the reason..."
"The reason was for me."
The elder Marquis took over, placing a hand over his heart with an expression of sincerity and gratitude. "The Princess attacked the mansion to save me—to save an old man who had been imprisoned by his own unfilial son. I was the one who secretly pleaded with Her Highness to do so."
"Ha? Imprisoned? Save... save you?"
Sharp was completely stunned.
Save you? Are you joking? You were a corpse back then, how could anyone save you? And what is this nonsense about imprisonment? You can't just make things up like this! Why would I imprison a corpse?
"Is that so?"
While Sharp was bewildered, the others—who were unaware of the underlying facts—nodded thoughtfully.
Seeing the current state of hostility between father and son, such a thing seemed entirely possible. They were nobles, after all. Throughout history, what kind of sordid betrayals between fathers, sons, and brothers hadn't occurred in these great families? It sounded far more plausible than returning ghosts or resurrected corpses.
"This rebellious son of mine took advantage of my grave illness to imprison me and seize control of the Dion family. It is truly infuriating."
The elder Marquis clenched his fist and shook his head. "But honestly, if that were all, I would have accepted my fate. I don't have many years left anyway; what was meant for him would eventually be his."
"However... once I realized a certain truth, I could no longer sit idly by. I could not watch this rebellious son drag the entire Dion family into the abyss of destruction, nor could I watch him continue down a path of error. Therefore, I took the opportunity during Princess Celicia’s last visit to secretly contact her and beg her to rescue me."
"I see."
The Pink Bear’s expression finally turned solemn. He continued to stuff popcorn into his mouth while asking seriously, "And this 'certain truth' you mentioned refers to..."
"That matter is..."
The elder Marquis took a deep breath, then beat his chest in grief. He spoke slowly, emphasizing every word:
"That rebellious son was actually involved in the recent assassination attempt on His Highness Prince Albert in the Lower District!"
"What?"
"Hmm?"
"What did you say?"
As soon as those words left his mouth, even the most composed ministers couldn't help but look shocked.
They had come prepared for some drama—or rather, the truth—but they hadn't expected the secrets involved to touch upon such a monumental case.
There was no need to describe the shockwaves the assassination attempt on Prince Albert had sent through the Empire, as a prince had nearly lost his life there.
The investigation into the details of that case had been ongoing. Although the mastermind was identified as the now-deceased Prince Andrew, some of his supporters remained hidden in the mist. Recent investigations had faced resistance from various sides and were showing signs of fizzling out.
After all, no one was willing to offend numerous powerful nobles behind the scenes for the sake of a prince who was already "dead" (in the political sense). Most of those currently being scapegoated were just insignificant small fry.
But now, the hidden hand behind that incident had been exposed under these circumstances? And it was a father reporting his own son?
Was this some kind of fairy tale?
Backing a prince, placing bets, and physically eliminating competitors—while everyone did it, having it dragged into the light meant heads would roll!