What Happens When The Second Male Lead Powers Up [EN]: Chapter 243

#243

Starting the Cleanup (6)

When the news of Madame Victoire’s death reached him, Duke Sarnese must have inwardly rejoiced.

“Isn’t that too cowardly, Duke? Aren’t you supposed to be an absolute powerhouse?”

“······.”

Because he essentially gained an entire unproven case.

He must have believed he could manipulate the ‘Embezzlement of Gifts’ case to his liking.

He must have thought that the deceased culprit could never hinder him.

“The Verang Barons have already lost their beloved twins on the same day. Yet, not only are you unjustly accusing these powerless and vulnerable people, but you’re even planning to insult the dead. Those two lived with the Andreji family, driving nails into their hearts even in life.”

“······.”

“How can someone who grew up without lacking anything, someone who has lived as a powerful figure their entire life, think of exploiting the weak in such a petty way?”

I handed the diary to Lady Elisabeth and lashed out.

‘Because I can, and it’s allowed.’ That was the wrong answer.

At least, that’s what I believed.

In a world with leaders like Emperor Frederick and Cardinal Boutier, I didn’t want to hear such excuses.

Marquis François and Baron Verang, who were driven to the edge of a cliff, were also beloved lords.

I clenched my fist tightly. I wanted to reason logically, but I kept getting angry.

Barely managing not to shout was my limit.

“Why didn’t you just come at me with a sword? At least that would have been fair and square.”

“······.”

The Duke opened his mouth as he looked at me, but in the end, he couldn’t say anything and lowered his head.

That was better. His sins couldn’t be lessened with words like ‘sorry’ or ‘apologies’.

It wasn’t just me he wronged, and those who died because of his schemes can’t come back to life now!

“Didn’t you ever think you’d be retaliated against by the dead!”

That’s why I was even more furious with Werner Fenetian.

I wanted to hurl the same words at him.

Instead of being so sneaky, come directly and wield something.

Stop hiding behind your banner and trying to stain only other people’s hands with blood.

I don’t know what your story is, but I don’t want to know any more about the dirty justification of a murderer. I’m not even curious.

“Easy, Your Highness.”

‘Don’t worry. Leave the rest to the adults.’ The Cardinal stroked my cheek and gently soothed me.

Seeing the eyes under the monocle, full of regret, made me choke up again.

There are definitely far more good people than bad people in the world, but it made me feel strangely angry that the wrongdoers are separate and the resolvers are separate.

It was also unfair that my teacher was expressing regret for not preventing this.

It seemed I was still far from becoming a mature adult.

Sir Johann, who was standing silently behind me, smiled faintly when he saw me holding the fire orb again.

“······During the investigation, it was also confirmed that the Duke’s influence was key in postponing the founding ceremony of the Imperial Capital Defense Academy to December. The event was originally scheduled for October, and it is true that it had high flexibility. However, the intentionality of setting the date for December 19, which was the opening ceremony of the orphanage in the barony······.”

Lady Elisabeth, who had been silent for a moment, continued speaking clearly.

After that, the Duke and Eugénie Caisier’s sins came out endlessly.

In particular, nobles gasped whenever the testimony of Gerard Soriau, the Sarnese family’s chamberlain, was mentioned. ‘Good heavens, it’s like peeling an onion!’

For example, the Duke calling Andreji’s son to the lord’s castle and handing him poison, directly commanding the terrorist site through codes, correcting the contents of malicious rumors from beginning to end, and the fact that the previous and former Dukes had also passed information to the Holy Nation.

There was also an exposé that Ginette, a maid of the Imperial Palace, had been brainwashed by Caisier for several years.

Some clerics covered their faces with both hands.

But the most shocking moment was when Caisier revealed an old truth.

“The idea to use the Verang Barons······. It was me. Yes, it was me.”

The old woman’s voice was now resigned.

At first, she begged for her life, saying she would testify if she was spared, then she committed self-harm that was hard to watch, and now she seemed to have given up on everything.

The blood seemed to have stopped flowing from her torn forehead. Her white hair was wet and red.

Soon, a sandy, rough voice flowed out.

“The one who dug up the twins’ personal information······. It was my henchman. I spent a lot of money on that operation.”

“······.”

What is she saying? Even the sub-count, who was in charge of the trial, had a surprised look.

She calmly responded.

“Archbishop. At the time, the Imperial Guard searched the Verang manor and its surroundings for over a month. The culprit who leaked information to the Holy Nation was the Baron’s coachman. The handyman who died at the same site as the twin brothers.”

My eyes widened. This was the first time I had heard this story.

That is, the incident in March last year when I was first attempted to be assassinated.

There were twin priests and clerics who had infiltrated from Fenetian to kill me.

The two criminals murdered the Verang twins, who were trying to enter the palace as Juliette’s maids, and entered in their place, pretending to be the real ones.

The Imperial Guard suspected that an insider of the Baron family had passed information about the twins to the Holy Nation.

So that assassins who met the conditions could be selected from the enemy country.

I expected that when the culprit was caught, the deputy commander of the guard would tell me the whole story of the incident.

But she was silent until now.

“The Imperial Guard tore up the floor of the dead coachman’s bedroom and found gold bars there. All of them were made in the Holy Nation. There was confirmation from the Imperial appraiser.”

Now the reason was clear.

The coachman who sold the twins was also silenced forever.

Lady Elisabeth, Ganael’s fiancée, who had heard about my situation, would never have told me about another tragedy.

I had been suffering from nightmares almost every day around that time.

“Hmph, that guy was a smokescreen. A bait to cover up the incident.”

“What did you say?”

For the first time, a big crack appeared on the face of the sub-count, who had maintained his composure until now.

Commander Erbe of the Imperial Guard also frowned from the witness stand.

Caisier chuckled and shrugged her shoulders.

“I can’t believe the well-bred great nobles are so naive······. Well, what would people who have only grown up well know? Have you ever fought in a small local temple, or have you ever begged for debt in a salon to buy a luxury carriage?”

“Archbishop.”

It was the cleric who had spoken to the Emperor a little while ago who called her politely.

The woman frowned as the old man stared quietly.

“······The one who handed over the twins’ personal information to me was not the dead coachman, but a priest in the barony. The temple was so remote that it wouldn’t be suspected. He had appropriate contact with the Baron family, but he wasn’t very close.”

“Good heavens. How could such a······!”

Baroness Anne Verang tried to rush out. Her husband barely hugged her and stopped her.

The Baroness shed tears of blood.

“How can you talk about murder so easily? To put the blame on the dead! How much have we! Do you even know how we’ve lived!”

“I was trying to live too.”

“Then what crime did our son commit! Why did my children have to go like that at the age of thirteen!”

‘Why! Why······!’ She cried out like a scream and beat her chest. I repeatedly jumped down to the witness stand.

My heart was so heavy that I felt like I would never float again if I fell into the water.

The Baroness leaned on her husband’s arms, held my hand, and sobbed.

She, who had always shown gentle strength, was finally collapsing helplessly.

The Baron sobbed quietly, and Antoinette hugged Elodie, who was wailing, tightly.

I blankly looked at Lady Elisabeth and was startled.

She was about to draw her sword. The pressure of an 8th-level swordmaster was pressing down on Caisier.

Sharp gray eyes emitted a fierce murderous intent.

“Huff, cough······! What is this, what are you doing! Heo-eok!”

“So what did you do with the priest.”

“Now, in front of His Majesty! Keoheok!”

The old woman grabbed her neck and rolled on the floor.

The pressure was so severe that blood started flowing again from her wounded head.

Even though the criminal was groaning in pain, the sub-count didn’t budge.

The Duke, kneeling next to her, was barely breathing.

I hurriedly looked back at the Imperial family. All four of them, including Sir Johann, had the same expressionless faces.

“The priest who brought you the information. What did you do to him.”

“I killed him! Killed, heoeok!”

‘Cough cough! Keulleok keulleok!’ Only then did the old woman cough up dry coughs and gasp for breath.

The deputy commander of the guard instantly withdrew the pressure.

She roughly swept up her dark green bobbed hair and cornered Caisier.

“When. How.”

“After the investigation was over! Ha, about a month later. I transferred him to the, keulleok! Archdiocese where I am. It was easy because I have connections in the Vatican!”

The subsequent confession was shocking.

She called the priest to her diocese to get rid of future troubles.

Then she slipped the carriage off a steep cliff.

She loosened the screws on the carriage wheels in advance and blocked the smooth road under the pretext of road construction.

It ‘happened’ to rain, she said. Caisier said she was ‘lucky’.

“······.”

“······.”

Although the chilling statement was over, no one spoke first. There was nothing to say.

I felt a little tired. Still, I didn’t let go of the Baroness’s hand.

“It seems this is the end.”

The eyes of the audience in the audience hall turned to the highest seat.

The red eyes of the supreme being were burning as they swept through the hall.

“From this moment on, I strip the criminal Simon de Sarnese of all titles and honors, return his territory, and confiscate all his assets to the national treasury. The businesses operated under his name will also be subject to Imperial management. Isabel de Sarnese and Christel de Sarnese have been found innocent and are therefore excluded from punishment, and the latter’s title and pension will be maintained.”

“I receive the Imperial order.”

Everyone bowed their heads before her. Frederick said, suppressing his anger and gnashing his teeth.

“The same goes for Archbishop Eugénie Caisier. Meanwhile, the criminal’s son and daughter-in-law and granddaughter did not actively participate in the conspiracy, but they concealed the treachery and evil deeds of their relatives and steadily benefited from it. Therefore, all three are sentenced to life imprisonment.”

“No. No! That can’t be. My child is only guilty of being incompetent!”

The old woman screamed.

As she crawled towards the Emperor, guards who had been hiding like shadows in various places appeared and subdued her.

Even while the woman was screaming in a cracking voice, the Imperial order did not stop.

“Aaaagh! That can’t be! How can you be so unfair, Your Majesty!”

“Murder, attempted murder, incitement to murder, attempted incitement to murder, terrorism against the Imperial family, attempted assassination of the Imperial family.”

The blood pooled on the floor splattered here and there. The audience quickly stepped back.

“I lived hard! I have been working diligently for decades from the lowest position, working for the Empire. Duke! Say something too!”

“······.”

“The crime of colluding with the royal family of an enemy country to cause a de facto rebellion and causing national chaos. The crime of selling the dignity of the great Liester Empire. The crime of daring to misuse and usurp the authority of the Emperor.”

“Your Majesty! You said you would spare me. The Princess told me so!”

I felt the soul of my partner firmly supporting me.

Frederick Liester closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them.

And he declared without hesitation.

“I sentence Simon de Sarnese and Eugénie Caisier to death for the aforementioned crimes.”

“······.”

“······.”

Simon and Isabel closed their eyes at the same time.

Even though it was an expected ending, it was not easy for everyone.

Some nobles and clerics shed tears with complicated feelings.

The process of washing away old dust and past mistakes was so difficult. But it was only the second generation.

Just like her mother did, Frederick had to overcome this as well.

She was the ruler and commander of the most powerful country on the continent.

If she didn’t make it known that this was evil, wrong, and injustice, if she didn’t draw a clear line, the same crime could be repeated at any time.

So she had to do it now.

Because she hoped that her son’s burden would be lighter even a little in the distant future.

“Escort the criminals to the Imperial Capital Prison.”

Elisabeth ordered her subordinates. Caisier was now shedding tears.

“Your Majesty! Give me one last chance! Give me time to defend myself!”

The Emperor’s gaze sank endlessly.

If it hadn’t been for Aurelia, she might have blown away half of the palace as it was.

The blow the Empire received today will be talked about for a very long time.

“······Everyone step back. Some of the witnesses will be seen again tomorrow. You guys stay.”

She gestured with her chin. The nobles and clerics bowed deeply and left the audience hall in groups.

Those including the Baron family leaned on each other and walked slowly.

Soon, the little ones including Cedric carefully gathered in the center.

Frederick called the wind in a voice so small that it wouldn’t reach the children.

“Taisa.”

“Your command.”

The mercenary behind him responded immediately, as if he could hear it.

“I need to send a final warning to the Holy Nation.”

“Who should I send it to?”

Johann asked as if he had been waiting. It was a light and cool tone.

Even though the Vatican was blocked, it was as if there was no problem at all.

“The Empire’s spy in the royal capital.”

And there was a brief pause.

Frederick made eye contact with Aurelia for a long time and concluded the sentence.

“Duke Wilhelmina Schneider.”