I Won’t Accept Your Regrets

Jeremy pulled out the key that he had stolen last night.

The Duke always kept the key to the safe with him.

Getting the key was already a pleasant result, but more.

The lock clicked and Jeremy smiled at thirty-two.

He pulled the papers from the safe and ran his eyes over them.

As expected, Duke Drua had information about the Marquis Sios’ sins.

In addition to tax evasion to the treasury, it included illegal extortions from the residents of the province, as well as theft from the budget.

If this information passes into Emperor’s hands, Marquis Sios can be executed without further ado.

Jeremy went through the papers one by one.

"So you are tied up here too."

[Four thousand here, Duke Drua]

Drua was expected to be a part of Duke Croft's slander.

The ominous premonition came true.

Duke Drua must have struck up a dangerous friendship with Marquis Sios.

4 000 gold, which disappeared from the treasury.

This very money was now kept in the secret vault of Duke Drua.

What the hell are you thinking of doing with it?

Jeremy once again looked through the papers with a frozen face, but couldn’t find a word about their future plans.

All that was in the vault was 4 000 gold pieces and dirt on Sios.

"What are you going to do with such a pile of gold?"

They weren’t stolen to simply gather dust at the Duke's house.

Parallel to the conspiracy against Duke Croft, they probably had plans to spend such a jackpot somewhere.

As his fears raged on, Jeremy heard the buzz outside.

The servants went to their posts.

Jeremy hastily folded the papers back into the safe. However, as soon as he was about to slam the door, he caught sight of an inconspicuous piece of paper that he hadn’t seen yet.

Jeremy picked up the paper like a possessed.

"Crown Prince…?"

On the paper was a portrait of the prince and the name ‘Lisa Sios’.

"Why is this at all…"

Why is it here?

Couldn't he be blackmailing the first prince and Lisa?

When he wanted to look at the last page, he heard a noise right outside the door.

Jeremy hurriedly dropped the papers and closed the safe.

Finally, he left the office without seeing the name written on the back of the paper.

* * *

"So you seriously decided to enter this perfume and buy incense burners from the East?” Jed asked after listening to my plan.

"Hm. And you, what do you say to that?"

Jed's nervous face froze before my eyes.

Although we were partners, until now, new beginnings have been exclusively his task.

Jed opened his mouth and began to reason:

"No, well, if you look at it that way. Sounds like a good business. The nobles like perfume. They are so choked up that they will never be able to walk past the counter."

Fortunately, the answer received also contained a positive nuance.

"If we add a healing effect to the fragrance, the perfume would be sold out in an instant. And if you add this incense burner to the offer for burning incense at home, the demand will be simply incredible."

When I finished with him, I turned to Lumont.

"Lumont, look about the incense burners from the east. I think it would be better to change the design according to the tastes of the nobility. And we need to launch sales as soon as possible."

"As you say. So when will we get the first perfume?"

"It may take a few days."

Rosa needs time to decide on a venture.

"Good. Then tell me as soon as your part is ready."

"Yes. You won't have to wait long."

Just by looking at the perfume she created, I realized that Rosa was such a character who showed curiosity and wasn’t afraid to face problems.

She initially hesitated to accept such a sudden offer, but I believe that Rosaleen will eventually come to me with consent.

She needs me to get Celine's house back on its feet.

"But isn't it too much work for you? You’re replacing the Duke now."

"Don't worry about me. I'm not going lost my head."

I smiled at Jed and asked Lumont.

"Lumont, what about the problems of Marquis Celine? I asked you yesterday."

"Oh, yes, that's it."

Lumont handed me the report.

"And it's all?"

"And it's all."

Marquis Celine was charged with tax evasion.

Well, it wasn't exactly a Marquis evasion.

Their family's butler was charged with tax evasion for two years, which was discovered and proven.

However, the Marquis didn’t run and didn’t deny responsibility to the state.

Further, the nobles turned to the Emperor with a request to punish Marquis Celine. And Raymond chose to exile in the wilderness, to command a distant garrison in the north.

The north of the Empire is a barren land, and it was a dangerous place that was constantly invaded by foreigners along the border.

It was such a hole that no one would be surprised if Celine died there.

The Marquis was sent to such a dangerous place without due trial.

"There was no proper investigation."

"Yes. The case was completed in less than a week, and Marquis Celine departed north."

"Did His Majesty have his say?"

"His Majesty didn’t mind sending the Marquis into exile."

"I need more information."

"At that time, it seems that the Emperor shifted a lot of responsibilities to his prime minister."

As usual, Raymond solved such problems on his own.

After all, his character always tended him to perfectionism.

"What happened to His Majesty in those days?”

"Nothing too big. I don’t know what was happening then, but six years ago the Emperor suddenly disappeared from the scene."

"6 years ago, then.”

Jed's gaze now turned to me.

Six years ago I fled the Empire.

The moment Raymond retired from politics and the moment of my escape.

While Jed was still staring at me, Lumont's gaze also turned to me.

"It turns out that it was when Mrs. Ellie filed for divorce…"

"Most likely he just wanted to go on vacation. He has been tirelessly working for the good of the Empire ever since the coup," I said, interrupting Lumont's guesses.

Lumont smiled awkwardly, as if he understood what I was implying.

"Haha. Come to think of it, yes, His Majesty has always been so busy."

I took a sip of iced tea and changed the subject.

"Have you found out about the relationship between Sios and the Emperor?"

"Yes. We checked several sources, but couldn’t find anything other than the incident with Duke Croft, in which Marquis Sios encountered His Majesty."

"Search deeper."

"Yes. And… Ellie."

"Hm?"

"The man you asked to find the other day."

Man?

The moment I was puzzled, I remembered that I had asked to find Jeremy.

I thought I saw him at the trial, so I asked Lumont to find him.

"Is he in the Empire?"

"Yes. He is in the Empire, but…"

"Is he in trouble?"

Lumont scratched his chin as if hesitating.

"He visited Duke Drua’s estate."

"Duke Drua?"

"Wait!"

"What?"

Jed coughed and blushed as if dying.

Breathe, Jed.

"Are you okay?"

"You were so surprised that you saw an old woman with a scythe."

He squeezed his neck and turned away, as if he were uninterested in our conversation.

This behavior was a little odd, but Jed wasn’t even a normal person. Therefore, without a second thought, I turned to Lumont again.