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62.

"Of course I do, Your Majesty, if you would permit me."
At my words, the Emperor's face brightened with amusement.
In stark contrast, Marquis Hanela and his daughter stared at the Emperor in disbelief.
"Your Majesty, you must not fall for honeyed words! Is the evidence of treason not glaringly obvious? Every single document from these envelopes contains something utterly abhorrent!"
"That's ‌‌‌right! The invitation ‌‌‌sent to me specifically mentioned the Grand Hall of Peony Palace—the very place you forbade me ‌‌‌to ‌‌‌enter!"
Yet the Emperor regarded me with an unperturbed expression, ignoring their protests entirely.
"I am most ‌‌‌curious to hear how you shall extricate yourself from this predicament. ‌‌Proceed."
Experience truly does matter—he ‌‌‌understands this, which is why he remains so composed.
He believes that denying me the chance to speak would only invite greater calamity.
Naturally, I had already prepared for the possibility of arrest.
Should I fail to ‌‌return tonight, I had ‌‌instructed Joan ‌to send press releases to every newspaper, written in language ‌‌‌‌simple enough for a child to comprehend.
Once published, the Emperor and the Hanella Marquis Family would be branded as absolute villains for condemning me as a traitor without proper investigation—I had taken great care with the wording to ensure maximum impact. Still, I felt a twinge of regret.
A night in an exotic prison wouldn't be entirely unpleasant.
Dismissing such thoughts, I opened my binder.
"First, when ‌‌exactly did Marquis Hanela search my residence?"
The Marquis scoffed dismissively, as though questioning what ‌‌evidence this could possibly provide.
"This morning, shortly after my ‌‌‌aide arrived at work! Surely you don't intend to call the aide's ‌‌‌maid as a witness—"
"Ah, naturally I deemed such testimony too weak to be effective, so I disregarded that approach."
I smiled brightly and handed a document to the Emperor. ‌‌
Upon reading it, ‌‌‌‌the Emperor let out a soft chuckle, while the Marquis stared at him in stunned bewilderment.
The Emperor wore a mischievous expression as he whispered his command to ‌‌‌an attendant, and shortly thereafter, a knight from the Sun Palace Administration departed the Audience Chamber.
"Good. What comes next? You, who prize efficiency, would ‌‌hardly rest your defense on this alone."
"Indeed. Next is the status of metal mold casting orders."
"Hmm...."
"From the beginning, I knew the Imperial seal embedded in that envelope was a forgery. I have seen the genuine seal countless times during my ‌‌‌tenure—it would be impossible ‌‌‌not to recognize it."
At my words, several aides cleared their throats awkwardly.
Particularly among the First Prince's aides, who had come to witness my downfall, whispers erupted.
Conversely, Marquis Hanela forced a laugh and shouted at me loudly.
"Look here, Your Majesty! How else would she know about the seal unless she forged it herself!"
"How discourteous. I had not finished speaking."
"But I have been saying all along—!"
"Through the tracking skills of the Magicians and the ‌‌division of labor among the Winter Palace Administration officials, I was able to determine where the seal was manufactured. And I also identified who commissioned the mold."
As I cut him off mid-sentence, Marquis Hanela's face turned the color of a volcano on the verge of eruption.
Regardless, the Emperor reclined against the armrest, flipping through my documents with evident interest.
"Salice? That's how it reads?"
"That's correct, Your Majesty is well aware that ‌‌‌this differs from my handwriting."
At my rebuttal, Marquis Hanela opened his mouth as if bewildered.
"Of course no one would brazenly write their real name on something ‌‌like that! They'd use an alias!"
"Exactly, what fool would use a name that could be traced back to them, practically announcing 'come arrest me'?"
I scoffed and continued my explanation.
"Therefore, I had the handwriting analyzed. According to the Magicians, it was a subtle imitation ‌‌‌of my own handwriting, and they said they could identify the original owner of the script."
I placed the magical tool directly on the floor.
Yet he remained composed. And for good reason.
He had cleverly instructed his subordinates to file the request through the Guild, and that Guild in turn subcontracted to another Guild....
In that manner, he ensured the work passed through many hands.
However, there was one thing Marquis Hanela had overlooked.
"So I ‌‌‌found the owner of that handwriting and retrieved all the contracts. It seems Marquis ‌‌Hanela was unaware due to the precedents we've established and the fact that the Hanella Marquis Family has ‌had little involvement with the Winter Palace Administration."
While we had exposed considerable corruption among various nobles and caught tax evasion, the Hanella Marquis Family had remained untouched throughout.
Because they were the family of the woman who would become the ‌‌‌First Prince's consort.
But he likely never anticipated that would become the blind spot in this matter.
"The merchants and workshops throughout the Capital City no longer conduct transactions without contracts, meaning they no longer slip through with loose verbal agreements as they once did."
"What, what?!"
Since he had delegated the matter to his subordinates with instructions to proceed smoothly, he would be even ‌‌less aware.
The original contractor was a junior aide ‌‌of Marquis Hanela, who had indeed written with his left hand and altered the address to avoid exposing the Hanella Marquis ‌‌Family. However,
'The Guild he happened to commission was one that had been raided by the Winter ‌Palace Administration twice.'
The Guild Master, sensing something amiss, had traced it and meticulously attached both the original address and handwriting samples.
Indeed, it's best to prepare all documents without any loose ends.
"I will present the documentation regarding the original contractor to Your Majesty. Furthermore, even if they claim they were merely following orders, the creation of a forged seal is a grave crime. Your Majesty need only give the word and we are prepared to make arrests."
I had ‌‌‌‌‌already gathered all information regarding the courier who went to retrieve that ‌‌seal.
At my words, the Emperor laughed loudly.
"Hahaha! How entertaining, Advisor Roselita. But ‌‌there's still no evidence that you yourself are completely innocent."
The Emperor tapped the armrest rhythmically.
I nodded at his words. While other nobles might escape at this point, I knew well that I had to prove myself far more thoroughly than others. ‌‌
I was also not unaware that to the Emperor, both Cassian Artez and I were like useless pieces.
Just then, the Audience Chamber doors opened and the Sun Palace knight who had been guarding my residence arrived.
"Shall I present the first piece of evidence first, Your Majesty?"
At my words, the Emperor gestured to the knight, and he immediately began his report.
The knight straightforwardly proved my innocence.
Renowned throughout the Sun Palace as the ‌‌‌‌most principled and incorruptible knight, no one would doubt his testimony.
After his testimony concluded, I bowed deeply to the Emperor and began speaking with a composed expression.
"Your Majesty, are you satisfied with what I have prepared?"
"It's been rather entertaining, but it seems there's ‌‌still more to come."
"Indeed, Your Majesty. I've saved this for last to prolong your enjoyment."
I withdrew a thin card-shaped magical tool from ‌‌inside the binder. ‌‌‌
"I carry a recording device wherever I go—an occupational ‌‌‌habit, you might say."
At my words, Countess Hanela's Daughter ‌‌‌flinched visibly.
"It was the same when I attended Roselita Salice's tea party as well. Since she ‌‌‍has already informed you that she spent that day alone with me, everyone must be aware of it."
"That's correct."
"I have a recording of our conversation that day."
At my words, Countess Hanela's Daughter lunged toward me.
However, since she was technically charged with treason, the Sun Palace knights nearby swiftly restrained her. ‌‌‌
"Why are you doing this, Countess Hanela's Daughter?"
I gazed at her with a sinister smile playing at the corners of my lips.
"Now it's time to reveal that you were deceived and wrongfully accused." ‌
"P-Please, Roselita Salice!"
"Do enjoy the show, won't you?"
With a click, the recording device began to play.
It was the sound of the pleasant entertainment coming to an end.

*

"T-Treason, you say! I never harbored such intentions, Your Majesty!"
"R-Right. It was merely a harmless jest!"
The situation reversed instantly.

-Regarding the envelope stamped with what appeared to be an Imperial seal, bearing that pale blue color with a ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌pattern resembling falling white snow....
‌‌
Anyone listening to the recording could ‌‌‌plainly see that the envelope's shape described through the audio device matched perfectly with the one they presented, claiming I had created it.
"A moment ago you called her a clear traitor, and now you say she isn't?"
The Emperor let out a soft chuckle at their excuses.
On the surface it sounded almost benevolent, yet the First Empress was visibly tense.
That expression revealed the Emperor's fury was about to erupt.
"First Empress."
"...Yes, Your ‌‌‌Majesty."
"What do you make of this?"
The Emperor asked with a smile that demanded a proper answer.
"It appears there has been a misunderstanding...."
"It seems the meaning of 'misunderstanding' these days has changed to mean thoroughly disgracing and destroying a person?"
"...."
At the Emperor's cold words, the First Empress hastily closed her mouth.
The Emperor watched her and clicked his tongue briefly.
He then spoke gravely toward Marquis Hanela.
"I am ‌‌a merciful sovereign, ‌‌so I endeavor to listen to my subjects' words."
"Y-Your Majesty."
"Therefore, it would be only fitting to return upon them the very crimes they accused her of."
The Emperor's fingers tapped lightly against the armrest.
Marquis Hanela's face drained of all color.
"No, that cannot be! I harbored no such barbarous thoughts!"
And then, desperately ‌‌‌‌grasping at a ‌‌‌lifeline, he cried out:
"Your Highness the First Empress!!"

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