“I think she has something to do with Yalon.”
“If that’s the case…”
Zenid’s eyes slightly widened.
I sighed, rubbing my forehead.
Inwardly, I hoped she was really from Tangblaham, a nomadic people to the south.
An apothecary with no connection to Yalon, my mother’s country, Dr. Barmid’s homeland.
But it seemed Dr. Barmid’s concerns were not groundless.
Pressing my temples due to the pounding headache, I said, “Call Dr. Barmid, Zenid.”
“Understood.”
As Zenid left, I sat on the sofa and leaned back.
This was going to be a long conversation.
‘I hope Julion is doing well.’
The Emperor should have arrived at the meeting by now.
Anticipating an impending storm, I quietly waited for Dr. Barmid.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Julion looked at the nobles, who were keeping their mouths shut.
From the moment he entered the conference room, the nobles’ expressions were filled with dissatisfaction.
Then, at the mention of the Duke of Cassian, they fell silent as if someone had poured cold water over them.
“Why is there no response? Perhaps my words do not make sense.”
In a chilly tone, Julion pressed for answers, yet the nobles persisted in their silence.
After a few moments of waiting, Julion had had enough, and started pointing out individuals one by one.
“Count Iel. What do you think of Cassian’s behavior?”
Count Iel’s shoulders twitched and avoided Julion’s gaze. He pursed his lips trying to speak, then glanced around the room.
“You dare not answer the crown prince’s questions; I wonder whom you all are following.”
“Your Highness, it’s not like that. We just want to approach such a serious matter with caution…”
“Caution? Is that why you’ve been letting the Cassians get away with their evil deeds all this time?”
Julion’s words silenced the nobles again.
The question of how to punish the Cassians for their emerging atrocities was the central theme of the discussion. However, the nobles seemed unwilling to provide a clear answer.
Finally, Julion turned to someone else.
“Marquis Ranches, speak for yourself. What do you think we should do with the Duke of Cassian?”
“……Your Highness, that is.”
“Baron Peromia, what about you?”
“Viscount Gera, Count Cherusila. Did you all put a leash on your mouths before entering the meeting room?”
The nobles who were pointed out hesitated and did not know how to respond.
Marquis Thetman was the only one who remained calm. It was because he had already heard what Julion had planned for the day.
‘He hasn’t even started yet, but they’re already getting restless…….’
Marquis Thetman sent a sympathetic gaze towards the nobles surrounding him.
Most of the nobles present were in a similar situation to himself. People who had been chained by Cassian due to the poisonous beetles.
Though he had vaguely guessed that there might be quite a few, hearing the list from Julion surprised him.
‘There are a lot more people who have fallen victim to Cassian than I thought.’
Ironically, those nobles currently defending Cassian probably harbor deep resentment towards him.
But a dog tied to its master will drown when the master sinks.
The nobles were forcibly rendered powerless.
As Thetman observed the nobles and Julion with troubled eyes, a shocking statement escaped Julion’s lips.
“Do you mean to tell me that none of these people are free from poisonous beetles?”
Poisonous beetles.
He uttered the forbidden word.
Gasps and stifled breaths echoed throughout the room, some even starting to whimper.
Marquis Thetman’s eyes widened in surprise, for he had not expected Julion to bring up the issue of poisonous beetles so suddenly.
Julion looked at each of the frozen nobles and spoke in a bitter voice.
“I see no one has asked what a poisonous beetle is, so it must be true.”
It had been a month since the emperor had awakened and handed over the list.
Until then, there had been quite a few voices calling for Cassian to be punished.
However, within that month, most nobles attending the noble meetings had fallen under Cassian’s control.
Julion spoke to the shocked nobles.
“Cassian’s crimes are clear. The nobles’ approval is no longer needed; I will strip him of the title of Duke through the authority of the imperial family and arrest Duke Zikriesen Cassian.”
Julion’s resolute command sent a stir through the audience.
At that moment, Marquis Gera, who had been silent until now, hastily spoke up.
“But, Your Highness, Cassian is a duke. You surely haven’t forgotten that only the Emperor’s decree can strip a duke of their title!”
“That’s right, Your Highness. As the Emperor is still unwell, how can such a significant decision be made?”
When someone voiced opposition, others joined in, protesting loudly.
Julion looked at the desperation of those who had failed to save Cassian and muttered to himself.
“Everyone has gone mad.”
Although he knew they had no choice, the overt support for Cassian was too much.
Regardless of personal reasons, prioritizing someone else in front of the imperial family was tantamount to treason.
‘I can see why Cassian has been so brazen all this time.’
Having nobles in the palm of his hand, he had nothing to fear.
Julion glared coldly at the nobles and continued.
“If that’s the case, then the Emperor will issue the command directly.”
Before the question of how an ailing emperor could give direct orders could be asked, the door to the meeting room opened, and a man walked in.
All eyes turned towards the door, and the entire meeting room fell into a momentary, frozen silence.
Then, from one place, a voice erupted.
“Y-Your Majesty!”
From there, shouts echoed around the room, calling out to the Emperor.
The Emperor slowly made his way to the highest seat while remaining unfazed by the looks and voices directed at him.
Julion stood up from his seat, yielding his place to the Emperor.
“Greetings to the Sun of the Empire. Your Majesty the Emperor.”
Upon Julion’s greeting, other nobles also bowed.
The Emperor chuckled, brushing his beard before taking his seat.
“It seems everyone is wondering how I could be so healthy.”
“We are only surprised, Your Majesty, for it hasn’t been long since we heard that you couldn’t yet speak.”
“Yes, indeed, and it is the happiness of the empire that you are so well.”
“We should hold a festival. How about declaring a festival during the upcoming autumn harvest season?”
The nobles deliberately shifted the topic away from Cassian’s story, attempting to bury it.
However, the Emperor, not swayed, scanned every corner of the meeting room with a seasoned gaze.
Although his mouth curled upward and his expression seemed gentle, his gaze was intense.
As the commotion died down, the emperor spoke again.
“A festival sounds good. But before that…”
The Emperor gestured to the shadows behind him.
The shadows, which should always remain hidden, stepped out in unison.
As the nobles panicked, the shadows surrounded the meeting room, leaving no space untouched.
“We’ll have to pull out the decayed roots.”
As soon as those words were uttered, Julion pulled out a small potion he had gotten from Rohiriel.
With a loud crash, the potion was thrown into the midst of the nobles, and wisps of smoke rose from the shattered vial.
“Cough, what is this?”
“What on earth is going on?”
“Y-Your Majesty! What is this…!”
“…Look here, Viscount! That’s my foot!”
“I’m a Count, not a Viscount!”
Another commotion erupted throughout the room.
But only for a moment.
The smoke quickly dissipated, revealing the state of the meeting room.
“Wow, what in the world…!”
The faces and hands and feet of several nobles were smeared with glittering dye.
Clearly, just moments ago, their skin had been pristine.
Amidst the confusion, the emperor’s command was issued.
“Capture them all and lock them up. They are traitors who dared to try to kill the emperor.”
“Your, Your Majesty!”
Following that, the Emperor gave orders to the shadows.
“Capture those with the same dye as them; they are traitors.”
However, before the shadows could apprehend them, Julion kicked one of the shadow knights to the ground.
At the moment the smoke spread, the traitor, who had sensed danger, tried to escape discreetly. But Julion, who had been closely observing the shadows, caught the traitor immediately.
The Emperor looked down at the unconscious shadow knight with a trembling gaze.
“Bantes, how could you?”
The Emperor’s voice trembled. Because Bantes was the one he trusted and cherished the most.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
“Your Highness.”
Dr. Barmid greeted me and took a seat on the sofa, and soon, Zenid swiftly brought in tea.
Holding a teacup with a reddish hue, I spoke up.
“I called you here because I’ve learned something about Cassian’s apothecary.”
“…Is that so?”
As if already anticipating my response, Dr. Barmid wore a troubled expression.
I took a sip of the tea, and the bitterness that spread through my mouth helped clear my mind.
“As you suspected, Yalon’s medicinal technique was used.”
“Indeed… In that case, there’s a few names that I remember.”
“Were any of them, by any chance, close to my mother?”
The abruptness of my question caught him off guard; he couldn’t answer right away.
Seeing his hesitation, I kindly pressed further.
“There seem to be traces of my mother’s medicinal technique.”
