A Snake’s Life Ch 30

Chapter 30

 

A large stack of documents was piled on the desk in the office. Among them, the important ones had been marked separately. The documents contained detailed records of Aiden’s nanny’s embezzlement and tyranny in the palace. Ian reached out and picked up the marked documents.

The documents listed unnecessary expenses—more precisely, amounts that couldn’t possibly be justified. It was evident she had used her status as a prince’s nanny and the confidence of having the Empress behind her to her advantage.

“This, too, is quite a talent. How could she possibly think such amounts could be claimed for a single set of tableware or food ingredient?”

Ian tapped the documents in his hand as he spoke. Whether it was confidence that she would never be caught, or the belief that no one would dare touch her, there wasn’t the slightest attempt at concealment, as the documents clearly proved. From Ian’s position as Zerpell’s aide, the documents were astoundingly sloppy.

Just by looking at the papers, one could tell she had taken her share thoroughly. The amount she had unofficially accepted in bribes must have been significant as well.

“Even without digging any deeper, these documents alone are more than enough to charge her with embezzlement.”

Obtaining them had also been remarkably easy. Though she had been kind in front of Aiden, the nanny was strict with the attendants and maids, and there were those who had been unjustly dismissed or used to vent her anger through abuse of power. Many held grudges against her.

Since she liked being flattered by those around her, it wasn’t difficult to plant spies. Security had been so lax that when handed a large sum of money, they had hastily hired an attendant whose background wasn’t even properly verified. The rest was predictable. The spy told her only what she wanted to hear and seized an opportunity to steal documents. Budget management in the palace was supposed to be handled by the head maid or head attendant. However, the fact that the nanny herself was managing it showed just how high her position had risen within the palace.

Zerpell picked up a fountain pen and began drawing lines through the parts of the expenses that looked suspicious. Nearly 80% of a single page was crossed out. Ian looked at the document in disbelief.

“Where on earth did all this money go…?”

Ian clicked his tongue and said,

“It’s obvious she used it to buy personal items and indulge in luxury. I heard her private room is full of dresses and necklaces. Even assuming that’s permissible for a noblewoman, there are also expensive ceramics, sculptures, and famous paintings worth several times her income. It’s clearly her room, though.”

Certainly, Aiden’s nanny was a noble, and at minimum her attire was allowed to reflect that. Still, her role as a nanny hadn’t changed. The fact that she had used palace funds for personal luxury was more than enough reason for punishment.

“The documents are solid, right?”

“Of course. Even if we stormed in and arrested her right now, she wouldn’t be able to say a word. We could take knights and conduct a search under our authority.”

Although Zerpell oversaw palace affairs, mobilizing knights for a search was a different matter. That’s why he had been aiming to secure military authority. No matter what anyone said, the Emperor was the master of the Imperial Palace, and any search would require his permission. But the Emperor didn’t seem like someone who would agree easily. That was why Zerpell had obtained military authority under the pretext of investigating noble embezzlement, and with it, the right to take his personal knight order to conduct a search.

“This is what you made preparations for last time, isn’t it? Honestly, I didn’t expect it to go over so easily. I was anticipating a struggle.”

“They only hold it; they don’t know how to use it. That’s why they leave all these matters to me.”

“It’s just… a bit deflating. You went through so much trouble persuading the duke and gathering evidence.”

“I prepared thoroughly so they wouldn’t have anything to nitpick.”

When Duke Bert appeared at the central nobles’ meeting after being persuaded by Zerpell, everyone was shocked. The duke, who had seemed like he would never return, had now sided with Zerpell. Thanks to that, the other nobles became wary.

Ian presented evidence of tax increases during war and famine, and the secret siphoning of separately assessed palace military funds. The evidence was irrefutable, and no one could say a word. The other nobles also hesitated, fearing their own wrongdoings would be exposed as Zerpell and the duke pushed forward.

Zerpell hadn’t aimed for everyone from the beginning. He had only targeted the most extreme of the Emperor’s faction. Using the documents Ian prepared, Zerpell skillfully tightened the noose around the nobles. He presented the evidence to the Emperor.

“These documents prove that the nobles embezzled funds for their own luxury. They even tampered with the military funds. That’s no different from hoping the Empire loses in war.”

“Your Majesty! These are baseless accusations!!”

“Baseless, huh…? Then how do you explain these documents? They’re clearly stamped with your family’s seal.”

“Th-that is…”

The Emperor knew better than anyone that these weren’t baseless. He had closed his eyes to it—had even encouraged it. No one had expected Zerpell to turn the tables like this. In fact, no one had expected him to survive. The Emperor only learned that he was still alive after rumors about Zerpell began to spread.

The Emperor clamped his lips shut without a word. The documents were perfect, and the nobles had no way out. With desperate eyes, they looked to the Emperor for help. But the Emperor couldn’t bear the disgrace of being a ruler who had manipulated events to ensure his nation’s defeat in war. He turned his back on them.

The Emperor glanced at Duke Bert. The neutral nobles had taken an ambiguous stance, but with the duke’s appearance, they switched sides and backed the crown prince. Zerpell gave a chilling smile at the nobles now boiling with rage. Driven to the edge, they made a statement they never should have.

“There’s no proof that those documents are real!!”

Zerpell’s eyes lit up. It was as if they had finally taken the bait. He smiled with satisfaction and raised one corner of his mouth as he addressed the Emperor.

“Then I hereby request the right to lead soldiers in order to verify these documents.”

“W-what do you mean by that…?”

“If we search the residences, the truth will come out easily. If they’re innocent, there won’t be a problem. Or… is there something you suspect?”

The Emperor felt he was being toyed with by Zerpell’s intentions. Fury boiled in his golden eyes. His body trembled with anger, but he said nothing.

“S-search the residences?”

“What’s the issue? If there’s nothing to hide, nothing will be found.”

“Your Majesty. I also think it’s the right thing to do. We must thoroughly investigate so that such an incident never occurs again.”

Duke Bert added his voice. Both the nobles and the Emperor knew full well—there was no way nothing would be found. The Emperor trembled, either from humiliation or rage. Even nobles who hadn’t been mentioned in the evidence backed Zerpell, fearing their own crimes might be revealed. They had always flattered the Emperor because of his position, but the moment their own statuses were threatened, they immediately turned their backs on him and sided with Zerpell.

With solid evidence before them, the majority of the nobles raised their voices.

“Silence!!”

At the emperor’s loud shout, the room fell as silent as if a mouse had died. The emperor glared at Zerpell, but he responded with a sneer.

“I permit the search.”

In the end, the emperor gave permission for the search. Only then did a few of the emperor’s noble faction, realizing the gravity of the situation, try to dissuade him, saying they must not retreat.

“If it’s not true, then there’s no problem!! I will hear no more. The crown prince shall be granted partial military authority. The crown prince must take responsibility for his own words.”

Feeling humiliated by Zerpell, the emperor rose from his seat and stormed out. After that, irrefutable evidence began to surface one after another.

After that incident, when the rain ritual even ended in great success, the emperor, even more disgruntled, started throwing various tasks at Zerpell. Unaware that each and every document served as good bait for him, the once-mighty empire had also entered into war thanks to an incompetent leader.

Zerpell thought of the emperor who had crumbled so pathetically. He gathered the documents Ian had compiled on the nanny. Just imagining the expression he would make this time brought a smirk to his lips.

“Thanks to that, everything went well.”

“But why did you suddenly move up the timing for exposing this matter? Weren’t we originally planning to handle it simultaneously with the casino? I’m worried it’ll just make them more alert.”

“That’s the same even now, isn’t it? A preemptive strike isn’t a bad idea either. What’s the status of the casino?”

“According to our investigation, on the surface, it’s simply a place for degenerate nobles to gamble away money. But apparently, there’s a separate space reserved for special guests. We haven’t infiltrated it yet… but we witnessed a carriage entering through the back gate with someone tied up inside.”

Zerpell immediately furrowed his brow. The casino was a place frequented by central nobles, a display of wealth for nobles who had more money than they knew what to do with. Though clearly illegal, it was happening right in the capital. Contrary to expectations that the crackdown on the nobles would slow things down, the casino was still thriving. Perhaps it truly wasn’t something that could be cut off easily. Zerpell was in the middle of an investigation to dismantle the casino.

Ian handed Zerpell another document envelope. In it was a report stating that people—war orphans and displaced residents from territories still suffering war damage—were disappearing near the empire’s borders. Not only at the borders, but the number of missing persons across the empire was increasing compared to the previous year. Most notably, the missing individuals were often exceptionally good-looking. It could be a stretch, but the possibility remained.

With a grave expression, Zerpell flipped through the documents one by one.

“It was quite a struggle to obtain this data. Especially since it was such a remote area, the investigation was difficult. According to an old woman, a carriage came and rounded people up indiscriminately. Because it was an abandoned area, there was no one to appeal to, and she could only watch as her family was dragged away. Those who tried to resist were beaten mercilessly, so they had no choice but to be taken.”

“Disappearing residents and slave trade… they really choose the filthiest deeds.”

“We still haven’t found concrete proof. It’s just circumstantial for now.”

“Judging by these documents, it’s nearly confirmed. But we need solid evidence. Investigate further and gather more data. We must root it out entirely.”

“Your Highness, please take a look at the last page.”

At Ian’s words, Zerpell looked at the final page. There, the name of the key figure behind the casino—its operator—was written. Upon seeing that name, Zerpell’s expression naturally darkened. A chilling energy began to emanate from him. Ian completely understood Zerpell’s reaction. He had been just as shocked when he saw it. Zerpell’s eyes sharpened.

“Are you certain?”

“Yes. They confirmed it multiple times.”

“Ha… they’ve truly fallen to the lowest depths.”

On the last page, to be precise, among the main figures listed, was the Francia family. The empress’s father—in other words, from the emperor’s maternal side.

“They say those with more tend to take more—how fitting.”

Zerpell gathered the documents and handed them back to Ian.

“If things go well, we may be able to bring it all down in one blow.”

Slavery had long been a banned practice in the empire, deemed inhumane. The fact that nobles, who so loved to flaunt elegance and nobility, were buying slaves was enough to spark a massive scandal.

“For this one, make sure to gather solid evidence. I’ll speak with the duke. But first, let’s deal with the matter at hand.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Ian carefully collected every single document. After thoroughly checking that nothing was missing, he stepped out through the door.