The Miteron family was bustling from dawn. In particular, the lady of the house, the Marchioness, was in a state of great excitement.
"To think that His Majesty the Emperor has accepted our family's invitation. We are the second after the Havier family, you know? This is a great honor in society!"
She had already heard about the unfortunate incident at the Havier family's tea party. Because of that, the family had been trying to keep a low profile when the reply to the invitation they had sent long ago finally arrived.
"It seems that the rumors about His Majesty's warm heart are true, my dear. To come to our family despite our daughter's mistake must mean he forgives us, right?"
The Marquis of Miteron did not think that the acceptance of this invitation was solely the young emperor's decision. What could a mere five-year-old child know?
'Seems like His Majesty is keeping an eye on me.'
Hadn't there been someone who deserved to be expelled from the parliamentary seats recently? The Marquis was already imagining the day when he would secure a seat in the parliament, feeling elated. The small party, originally intended to invite young noble ladies, had grown into a grand event hosted by the Marchioness. The Marchioness had hurriedly sent out invitations to influential families, and only after all the party preparations were complete did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Though it may be lacking, I hope the party meets your approval."
While she said this, the Marchioness's face was brimming with confidence. The party hall, adorned with all sorts of precious items to showcase the Miteron family's wealth, was impeccable even by her standards.
The garden was also splendid, and the mansion was clean and tidy, making it ideal for a new office. After all, I couldn't leave the guild in the back alleys forever. Feeling the excessive attention on her, Maybel looked around and said,
"I am here! Don't mind me, enjoy yourselves."
Then she took a step towards destruction, guided by the Marchioness.
Unlike at the Havier family's tea party, where I didn't bring the knights inside the mansion, this time it was different. After losing me once, Lisandro insisted on bringing at least ten guards, and I readily agreed. Thanks to that, people didn't easily approach, intimidated by the knights' presence. I took advantage of this to keep passing food to Eidan, who was seated nearby.
"Alright... I'll eat it."
Eidan didn't take good care of his meals, so I had to do it for him. It was amazing to see him grow taller every day.
Looking at Dad, I thought I might grow taller too, but I couldn't be sure since I didn't know how tall Mom was. Besides, I didn't really care to ask about her.
'As long as I have Dad, that's enough.'
While urging Eidan to eat more, I was sitting in a chair, swinging my legs, when a familiar face appeared.
"His Majesty the Emperor."
The voice was tense, and I saw a familiar face. The very person who had caused me to come here: the Miteron Marchioness.
Relieved by my warm greeting, the girl's face brightened. The Miteron Marchioness, fidgeting with her fingers, glanced at Eidan and then bowed deeply. Behind her, the Miteron Marchioness and her husband were watching us closely.
'Probably sent here by her parents to apologize.'
Her flushed face was evidence of her embarrassment. She seemed to be here to apologize for the previous incident, though I had no intention of letting her talk to Eidan.
"Eidan, go to the carriage and get 'that.'"
At my command, Eidan immediately left the party. The Miteron Marchioness, who seemed startled by Eidan's departure, turned her gaze back to me.
"I've come to apologize again for my rudeness last time."
"That's already in the past. It's fine."
The girl's face brightened even more, clearly relieved that everything was over.
'Hmm. This is just the beginning.'
While I was nonchalantly leaning my chin on my hand and munching on macarons, which I rarely got to eat due to the nannies at the palace, a loud noise came from the party entrance.
A middle-aged man, probably in his forties or fifties, groaned as he struggled to his feet, looking exhausted. The sudden commotion drew everyone's attention, and the Marquis of Miteron was the most shocked.
"That, that guy, where is he going?!"
"His Majesty, I have something to say! Please hear my grievance!"
The Marquis of Miteron was the first to block the man's path.
"Hey! What were you all doing while this madman barged into the party?!"
The stern command silenced the party, and only the uninvited guest continued to plead in a desperate voice.
"Your Majesty, I am wronged!"
"Shut up! How dare you speak so freely in front of His Majesty? Do you want to die?!"
The Marquis's guards rushed in and subdued the man. I watched as the man was dragged away by the knights who had moved closer to protect me.
Everyone's attention was on me, and even Lisandro looked surprised.
"Your Majesty, I apologize, but this man is not in his right mind. It would be a waste of your time to listen to him."
I ignored the Marquis and took a step towards the man.
Lisandro stepped in front of me, but I shook my head to stop him.
Arriving in front of the man, I gestured to the guards who were roughly restraining him. The man, freed from the harsh grip, fell to the ground, breathing heavily.
"T, thank you, Your Majesty."
"I, I want to expose the corruption of the Marquis of Miteron."
The Marquis, who had been standing nearby, laughed and said,
"All lies, Your Majesty. You don't need to listen to him."
"Hmm. Since it's all lies, let's hear them out."
"But, Your Majesty, it will waste your precious time-."
I turned to the man, who was kneeling on the ground, and ignored the Marquis's objections.
"My name is Hanson, and I am an employee at the casino run by the Marquis of Miteron."
"Ha! Enough of your lies..."
The Marquis, who had been snorting, took a step back, startled by Lisandro's sharp gaze. The story continued.
"The Marquis of Miteron has been running the casino as a front while secretly taking bribes. I was in charge of manipulating the books."
"So, you're a co-conspirator?"
Although I already knew the facts, I pretended to be interested.
"When I started, I was blinded by money and ignored my conscience. But I began to feel this was wrong. Every time I looked at my family, I felt so ashamed... *sniff*."
I handed Hanson a handkerchief, which I had taken from Lisandro.
"T, thank you, Your Majesty! So, I told the Marquis that this was wrong... and he took my family hostage and threatened me...!"
I was hearing this story for the first time. Another charge was added to the Marquis's list of crimes.
"Indeed. My casino has never manipulated the books. Your Majesty, you've heard enough of his baseless claims. Please have him removed."
The Marquis of Miteron lifted his head confidently and smiled. He seemed to believe there was no evidence.
"Baseless claims, you say?"
Swish. The bundle of documents Hanson pulled from his coat fluttered in the air before slowly falling.
The Marquis was too shocked to speak. I shook my head, understanding his surprise.
'The books I had already seized and processed were now fluttering before his eyes.'
"These are the secret books of the casino!"
The Marquis, regaining his composure, tried to grab the books, but it was impossible. Lisandro's foot was already on the documents.
"If this is true, you must be prepared."
Lisandro, standing calmly, flipped through the pages. His smile grew wider with each page.
The Marquis of Miteron, the host of the party and the owner of the mansion, was suddenly a criminal being dragged away. Just like Hanson, the Marquis's arms were held by the knights. The Marquis struggled and shouted.
"P, put me down! I am wronged! I am wronged, Your Majesty!"
"The evidence is too accurate to deny."
"You can manipulate books, can't you? Sir Donovan!"
"Indeed... but there are other detailed records of corruption, such as tax evasion and smuggling."
The Marquis, who had been caught off guard, opened his eyes wide and couldn't continue.
"Heh. We worked hard to clean up the corruption."
It was tough, but seeing the Marquis of Miteron immediately arrested made me feel relieved. Of course, the Marquis didn't go quietly.
"Hey! Is anyone here? Help me!"
He called for his guards.
"Bring the rest of the kids."
Lisandro called for all the knights. In terms of both numbers and quality, Lisandro had the upper hand. The Marquis's eyes were filled with despair.
While everyone was distracted, Eidan returned to my side.
"Not nothing. Eidan did a great job."
Bringing Hanson, whom I had secretly rescued, into the party hall and securing the books to use at the right moment. Finally, I didn't refuse the knights' protection, allowing for the Marquis's immediate arrest. Everything fell into place, trapping the Marquis of Miteron.
"Indeed, we are a perfect team."
Eidan didn't respond but didn't deny it either. I looked around the magnificent party hall as the Marquis of Miteron was dragged away.
"Now, just one more thing."
Namely, seizing his assets! *** The spectacular downfall of the Marquis of Miteron became a long-lasting topic in society. With multiple minor charges, all his assets were confiscated, and his title was revoked. People commented that he was just unlucky. The internal whistleblower barged into the party where the Emperor was present, causing a huge scandal. The list of the Marquis's vast assets was soon released to the market. Before the speculators could get the information, someone had already bought all the certificates. By the time they asked for information, it was too late.
"Maybel, what you want is yours."
"If anyone says otherwise, beat them up."
That's how Maybel ended up being a good daughter who listened to her father.