106 – 106. I Believe
The first thought that came to mind was escape.
But now, escaping in the form of exile was impossible.
The Empire was not the sole superpower governing the world. There was the Tur Republic on the continent, which could somewhat rival the Empire. Across the sea to the east, there was a powerful nation even superior to the Empire.
“If it had been before my visit to Daesurim, maybe it would have been possible somehow.”
Looking back, that was the last moment when I could have escaped.
Whether war broke out or not, if I had fled, I might have been able to avoid getting involved in the affairs between the princesses like I am now.
Creating a political painting by fabricating a suitable crisis, using it as a pretext to seek asylum in a foreign country, and handling the situation flexibly to prevent retaliation from the Emperor. It was possible at that time. It’s just that I didn’t think about running away.
But now, it was impossible.
The Empire would not tolerate my departure.
To be honest, even going out as an ambassador was impossible.
The Empire, which had witnessed the power of heroin and knew that morphine and heroin were important ingredients, would not simply let me go. The moment they sent me out of the country, they would consider me a living heroin.
“Wherever I establish myself, they will surely kill me.”
Even if I survived, I would have to live in constant anxiety for the rest of my life.
That’s not really living. I decided to erase the option of exile from my mind.
The next thought that came to mind was extracting the charm that the princesses feel towards me.
Victoria liked me because I was an extraordinarily capable loyal subject, and Sienna liked me because I was a cunning dru*g dealer who brought down Daesurim in just a few months. It was a trait that would normally make an ordinary person lose their composure, but the princesses were rather drawn to it.
It was possible to undermine that advantage myself.
“Whether it will work or not remains to be seen.”
For now, I decided to throw a bait to test it.
I didn’t personally throw it, but I summoned a human who could be useful in a certain way.
“Did you call… no, did you summon me, President Allen?”
Draghead Jeon, who works under Sienna.
He used to be a proud member of the Anais Tribe, but now he was just a lackey doing odd jobs for Sienna along with a few nobles. Recently, they even recruited technicians widely to work in the shining glory of Dae Surim.
But today, I was scheduled to run an errand. A very simple errand.
“I heard that there are humans systematically buying up the leaning stalks of Spearmint and Yellow-Red Wheat. I would like you to find out who is behind it. Spare no expense in using people and resources.”
“Is there really such a force?”
“It’s information I happened to come across. It’s urgent, so please hurry.”
“W-Well, if you give me the order, I will follow it.”
Draghead Jeon raised his tension even to his fingertips.
He used to be a Jeon, and he still runs a business, but he looked much weaker. He must have suffered a lot following Sienna, who enjoys tormenting people.
Spearmint and leaning stalks of Yellow-Red Wheat.
These two were among the substances known to the public as ingredients for Morphin.
It wasn’t something people just guessed at; there was a reason for it. It was because of the intentionally leaked information I spread to create a smokescreen.
Not only did I spread rumors, but I actually bought various things. I used leaning stalks for mushroom cultivation purposes.
Spearmint was originally used as an herb, and Yellow-Red Wheat was a variety grown in my hometown, Longkenny. It was reasonable to think that they were related to Morphin.
There must have been several people who tried mixing them with op*ium and experimenting, only to fail…
“I still haven’t gotten rid of the remnants.”
There must still be someone researching the method of making Morphin.
If at this point, the nobles under Sienna’s command were to investigate following my orders? It would naturally lead to misunderstandings.
Perhaps they would even think that the method of making Morphin had been leaked, and Alan Maydoff, who had created a business underworld, had taken action to deal with it.
My instructions received a skeptical glance from Draghead Jeon, who was drawing his own masterpiece.
“Um, is it morphine… or heroin?”
“No. Don’t ask for details, just follow my request.”
“Do I need to hide it from Princess Sienna?”
“I don’t expect you to move avoiding Her Highness’s eyes. You don’t even need to investigate quietly, just ask the questions.”
“Yes, understood.”
Draghead Jeon, eventually accepting my instructions, slowly stepped back. I touched my forehead and muttered as if telling him to listen, “The alcohol was a bit too much. I should have been careful.” It was as if I had experienced saying something inappropriate under the influence of alcohol.
Naturally, this was also to provoke misunderstandings.
‘This way, they might think information leaked from me.’
Sienna showed no signs of being suspicious. She knew enough by now.
But Victoria was different. If rumors reached her ears and she suspected that the responsibility lay with me, I wondered what kind of reaction she would show. If Victoria expressed even a faint disappointment or suspicion towards me, it meant there was potential.
If it went well, I was planning to proceed with the operation.
**
Not long after, the princesses showed their reactions.
Starting with Sienna.
As expected, she didn’t fall for it.
“Milkyul? Alan, why did you mess with the inferior livestock feed?”
“Princess Sienna.”
However, it seemed she didn’t know my intentions.
“I understand that you intend to identify humans who are lingering to make morphine. But is it really necessary? Of course, you said it would be difficult for you to hide it for a lifetime… but it’s not a problem to worry about right now. Just let them play among themselves.”
I threw a lure to identify potential competitors. There seemed to be no need to dispel this misunderstanding.
“I anticipate their existence in advance. There may not be anyone interested in Morfin immediately after the downfall of the Wulfhol family.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“Do you oppose it, by any chance?”
Upon hearing this, Siena hesitated for a moment, then nodded and added, “There’s no reason to oppose what you’re doing, is there?”
Siena’s reaction was this much.
A day later, Victoria, following Siena, also found me.
“I was really grateful before, Sir Alan.”
“There’s no need for gratitude.”
“I know you witnessed the execution ceremony on the orders of Her Majesty. But you willingly stood by my side, knowing you could be a target of the Council. That alone gave me great strength. I’m truly thankful and touched…”
“Your Highness Victoria.”
“Oh.”
This wasn’t it. After a brief blank expression, Victoria got to the point.
“There are rumors circulating.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“Rumors, you say?”
“Yeah. There are rumors that, in a drunken state, you revealed the Morfin production method, or more precisely, the ingredients other than op*ium. It’s said that the rumors started at the agricultural public auction. There are also rumors that diplomats from Darien Kingdom and Telmar Kingdom have already obtained the Morfin production method.”
“I seem to have mishandled the situation.”
“Of course, it’s probably just a baseless rumor.”
Without even listening to my explanation, Victoria confidently concluded that it was a baseless rumor.
She probably knows that the investigation started by Siena’s nobles is the reason behind those rumors. Does she have a firm belief that it’s a baseless rumor because she roughly understands the principles of falconry extraction like Siena? Or did she discern my hidden intentions?
Both were not.
After a moment, Victoria, who had been lost in thought, spoke with a faint smile.
“I am thorough, unlike you, Kyung. I wouldn’t make such a mistake.”
“Your Highness…?”
“Kyung is someone who knows better than anyone what would happen if the morphine recipe leaked. That’s why even now, it’s supplied only to military facilities where soldiers recovering from injuries or severe illnesses are treated. Kyung can’t afford to make a mistake just for the sake of alcohol.”
“…”
“Especially dealing with foreigners? I absolutely don’t trust it.”
How much must she esteem me to trust me to this extent? I hesitated to respond because I wondered if she was genuinely speaking.
“Well… Your Highness, as a human, I drink and make mistakes too.”
“That’s true. But even if so, I believe any mistake Kyung makes would be intentional. Even in a state of mental confusion, Kyung wouldn’t take actions that harm the Empire’s security. …That’s the kind of person Kyung is, as far as I know.”
“…”
“Did I misjudge?”
I couldn’t discern a trace of doubt on Victoria’s face.
The moment I felt that this woman fully trusted me.
If I were to boast of incompetence, she would say, “There’s no need to pretend.” And even if I falsely claimed, “I really leaked the morphine recipe,” she would willingly forgive me, believing there must be a reason. That was the extent of trust.
A very heavy and firm trust. And from that trust, another emotion sprouted.
This couldn’t be destroyed.
Victoria still gazed at me squarely.
“…Your Highness Victoria. If I may, I’d like to ask one thing with your permission. What do you think is the reason I instructed to gather information on a specific ingredient?”
“There must be a reason. You don’t need to explain it.”
“…….”
“I am convinced that spearmint is not an ingredient for morphine. There shouldn’t be any connection, probably. It also seems certain that the formula for morphine was not accidentally exposed through the reaction of the mint.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Then…?”
“As you mentioned, the two ingredients have no significant connection to morphine. It wouldn’t hurt to be prepared if someone misunderstands and takes action on their own.”
“Looks like my speculation was correct after all.”
Only then did Victoria’s face blossom brightly.
Of course, if I decided to take action, I could clash with Victoria. However, engaging in such actions would ultimately jeopardize my safety, making it a futile endeavor. It was difficult to lead her to leave by disappointing her.
“Regardless, I’m glad to see Kyung’s face. There was an issue I wanted to discuss.”
In the end, I returned after only helping to clean up the remnants of the Walfol family.
…
Meanwhile, what was somewhat fortunate was that,
There was someone else who shared concerns about this situation, apart from me.
“Mom is coming in.”
News that the usually quiet Empress Yeonhwa called for Siena. Moreover, it was said that not only Siena but also Victoria were summoned together.
It was clear that she didn’t call them to see their faces.