I Became the Tyrant's Servant

As if waiting for those words, the Marquis of Sherrington burst through the door.

“It must be the culprit!”

Outside the door stood a woman with a familiar face.

As soon as I saw her, I intuitively felt something was wrong.

“…Sally?”

***

I got played.

On my way to the cabinet meeting the next day, I pondered my thoughts.

I was thoroughly beaten by the Empress Dowager.

Sally was immediately arrested at the scene yesterday.

It was because the evidence was so obvious.

Apart from Sally’s first few words, which were nothing short of a confession, all kinds of evidence poured out from Sally’s bag that proved that she was the one who instigated my assassination.

A card bearing the outline of the assassin’s tattoo. A considerable amount for the commission

And a letter from Count Gesban’s butler I executed in the past.

The letter was mainly about worrying about his granddaughter who was taken to the slave market, but there was also a lot of other content that could be seen as a motive to kill me.

The butler’s wobbly handwriting included the process of joining an organization that forced slaves to flee the slave market to find his granddaughter, shocking facts he found while working, and how he finally decided to poison the Duke of Baloa.

[Dear Sally. After every effort to find you, I found out that the Duke of Baloa was behind the slave market. What a heinous person. Selling out good people for her own benefit.

We have tried again and again fairly to expose the true nature of the slave market.

But every time I was stuck before the absolute power of the Duke of Baloa. I realized in the process. Even if we reveal the true nature of the slave market, we’ll never be able to capture the Duke of Baloa.

She’s a crafty manipulator who puts the blame on others and pretends to be a hero who freed the slaves.

I have to save you from such a demon. I couldn’t see any hope. So I had no choice but to take care of things myself. Don’t forget Sally, even though things have failed. I tried to save you.]

As soon as the Marquis Treve saw the letter, he went wild, asking how could he accuse the Duke of being behind the slave market, and Count Linoa also said, “How dare they hire an assassin?”

And I couldn’t protect Sally, who was obviously the culprit, in the presence of other nobles.

And the way Sally looked at me…….

When her widened eyes came to mind, I held my breath without realizing it. My heart ached as if I had swallowed a poison.

It must have been the Empress Dowager’s trap, but Sally’s desire to kill me to the point that she even thought of hiring an assassin was sincere, not made up by the Empress Dowager.

I stopped at the door of the Cabinet meeting.

I couldn’t open the door because I felt frozen.

I stared at the door, trembling. I was distracted by the thought of what would be said at today’s Cabinet meeting.

“Get a grip.”

The current situation was too unfavorable to be swayed by these emotions.

My plan to use the assassination attempt to pressure the Empress Dowager to rescue Peter went awry.

Sally would be blamed for all the crimes, and the opportunity to save Peter and destroy the lawless city would be thrown away.

However, I couldn’t cover up Sally because she was guilty.

Duke Baloa, sides with a sinner for no reason?

It was a perfect act to break down my firmly established position in the aristocratic society.

At a time when the threat of Esland is greater than ever, there should be no disruption within the aristocracy.

“Let’s stay alert.”

I muttered once more.

Sally is nothing but the Empress Dowager’s ploy. I have to be tough to figure it out.

And even if I’m in a situation where I have to give up Sally because I can’t figure it out…….

“I have to be tough.”

After a few deep breaths, I managed to hold onto the handle.

When I opened the door and entered the hall, a sly smile was hanging around my lips as always.

Because I arrived late, all the aristocrats who had already gathered focused on me.

I smiled more brightly and spoke like the Duke of Baloa.

“Your Majesty! Thanks to the tip-off from the Marquis of Sherrington, great progress has been made in the investigation.”

Even I could be deceived by my gentle and bright voice. I actually feel like flying.

On the other hand, the atmosphere in the conference hall was fierce.

“How dare a commoner try to assassinate a noble? This is a terrible incident that shakes the foundation of the empire.”

Count Linoa, whose face turned red due to anger, was galling.

The Marquis of Treve also gnashed his teeth.

“I heard that peculiar trick with my own ears!”

“Your Majesty, we must bring in the sinner and punish her immediately.”

All the other nobles sympathized with the words of the Marquis of Sherrington.

“Let’s drag her right away!”

“I want to see that face somewhere.”

“Let’s see if she can confidently say that she will harm the Duke of Baloa.”

Even in the bloody curses of the nobles, Cardan only looked at me.

As if he’s only going to listen to my opinion.

“……what do you think, Duke? Should we bring the suspect here?”

For a moment, I wanted to swear. But I clenched my teeth and swallowed them.

It was clear that everyone would be surprised if I step back from here.

Rumors had spread that I, the Duke of Baloa, who is famous for being vicious and unforgiving, has been sharpening her sword in this case.

Even if I don’t run wild with anger like the other nobles, I’ll lose my face as Duke of Baloa if I protect Sally.

“Of course.”

In the end, my voice that came out was so soft.

“As there is a clear suspect, it is better to interrogate her in front of everyone.”

While suggesting so, my gut was twisted with fear.

The plan to pressure the Empress Dowager to seize her weakness went awry, the lawless city, the promise she made with Janet. While all of this was going through my head like a typhoon, there was something else I was most afraid of.

What if I can’t save Sally?

A fishy taste of blood spread through my mouth. It seemed that I had bitten the tender skin hard without even realizing it.

But before I could swallow the bitter blood under my tongue, the heavy door of the conference hall slowly opened.

And in between, Sally was dragged in. My eyes closed automatically.

When I opened my eyes again, I was walking in front of Sally, who knelt down with a terrible expression of indifference.

When I made eye contact with Sally, I felt a burning anger.

“I’ll interrogate the suspect.”

Unlike my confused mind, when I opened my mouth, a noble and arrogant voice came out.

“Did you really come there that day to put in my assassination request?”

Please, just say no. Tell them you don’t know what I’m talking about.

I stared at her.

In order to somehow convey my will, I shook my head weakly without even blinking.

“Yes.”

However, Sally answered firmly in a venomous voice.

“I visited that place because it is said that they would kill you if I paid them.”

She glared at me as if to kill me to the point where the veins in the white of her eye burst.

“I must kill you so that my grandfather can close his eyes comfortably.”

At that moment, I was speechless and a hot breath burst out.

Fortunately, the nobles around me were furious before my agitation was revealed.

“You have announced your sins!”

“Let her face the death penalty right now!”

Let’s calm down. I repeated to myself, adding a thicker mask over my face.

I should not be emotionally shaken in front of everyone.

I decided to dig up the evidence that came out when I searched Sally one by one.

The first thing Sally showed her was a bunch of money that she had brought to the shack.

“Where did you get this money? It’s not the amount you can touch while working as a maid.”

I took a step closer to Sally and yelled at her.

“It’s the money my grandfather left me and my lifetime salary.”

I have to prove it somehow. That she’s not the culprit.

But Sally kept on taking it away. Just in time, the amount of money was actually enough for ordinary people to save if they had to save it with difficulty over their lifetime.

“Did you say you saved money all your life?”

Sally raised her chin as I narrowed my eyes.

“Yes.”

“Then where did you get the money when you first asked for me to be assassinated?”

“That is…!”

Sally flinched momentarily.

At the right time, I dug into her agitation mercilessly.

“How much would a maid in a remote territory save for the rest of her life? Did you say that you had an inheritance from your grandfather?”

I leaned my head slightly and looked absolutely arrogant.

“I guess you don’t know about imperial law because you’re not educated. The property of a criminal sentenced to death is returned to the national treasury.”

People around me started to hum, too.

“It really is. Where did a commoner woman get that huge amount of money?”

“That is enough to request twice?”

“It’s suspicious no matter how much I think about it.”

When I saw hope, a smirk came out without realizing it. I had to curl up my mouth so that I wouldn’t be caught laughing with relief.

I threw a wad of money straight in front of Sally.

“It’s not that I don’t know the financial situation of Count Gesban. It is impossible to raise such a large sum of money twice even if you collect all the salaries of you and your grandfather.”

I raised my chin in spite of myself.

“In other words, you can never be the one who bought the assassins last winter.”

My cold snap penetrated the chaotic air at once.

“Confess.”

“…….”

“Who gave you this money and encouraged you?”