āWell, Marquis Crowley Rhodis,What do you have to say for yourself?ā
āā¦ā¦ā¦..I have committed no crime. I have been loyal to the House of Zain and have served it well. Of course, I always will be.ā
Rhodis, his forehead beaded with sweat, still insists on his innocence.
The cunning old aristocrat, who has long had his sights set on the position of his predecessor as Prime Minister, Lockwood Marcell, does not change his expression under the circumstances.
However, hisā¦ā¦ mind and heart was not at peace.
āWhy, you Raidorl! How dare he expose the injustice of the nobles ā¦ā¦!ā
There was no respect left in Rhodisās heart for the royal family of Raidorl.
There is a genuine question. How did Raidorl get the evidence to expose the injustice of the nobility?
āIt is not strange that he knew about the secret communication with the Empire. We have made peace with them. Sooner or later, things will come to light.ā
Butā¦ā¦how did they even get evidence of embezzlement, human trafficking and other injustices that had nothing to do with the empire?
Rhodis does not know how Raidorl uncovered injustices that even Granard and Lockwood could not catch.
āDoes he have a very good secret agent? Or is it some kind of magic? Damn it, heās targeting me, isnāt it?!ā
āI have no contacts with the Empire. Of course, I have not committed any abominable injustice as a nobleman. If you have any proof, I would like to see it!ā
Rhodis glared at Raidorl with a challenging look, but it was not Raidorl who answered him, but Sven.
āā¦ā¦Indeed, we have found no evidence of any wrongdoing on the part of the Marquis of Rhodis.ā
āThen I ask you to put an end to this idle farce. Iām a nobleman with a long history of trade with the Kingdom of Athena and the Kingdom of the Gods. If you treat me like a criminal without any proof, the most powerful people in the world will not stand idly by!ā
āFufuā¦.ā
Sven laughed at Rhodis threatening words.
Sven smiles as if to ridicule the futility of resistance, and a blue streak appears on Rhodisās forehead.
āā¦ā¦Iād like to know whatās so funny. Little Prime Minister?ā
āNo, no, no. Iāve just received some interesting information about the trade. Marquis Rhodis, do you recognise this plant?ā
āThatāsā¦..!ā
Sven took out from his pocket a drug called āscarlet hempā.
Of course, it was familiar to him, as it was something that Rhodis traded with the Kingdom of Athena.
āā¦ā¦,I think I saw something like that in the trade?ćIs it a western herb?ā
If Rhodis says he doesnāt know about it, heāll only be putting himself in a position where heās imported scarlet hemp.
Quickly calculating and not denying that it was a trade product Rhodis decided to keep his ignorance of its efficacy to himself.
āAfter all, it looks familiar, doesnāt it? This is āscarlet hempā, a medicinal herb that grows in western countries. It is a drug that gives the user a sense of well-being, but has the side effect of severely reducing intelligence. ā¦ā¦ It is banned in some countries.ā
āHohoā¦ā¦I didnāt know that.It is the mistake of a lifetime, Rhodis, to have let such a thing into the harbour. Iāll take that as a rebuke.ā
Rhodis covered his wigged head with both hands and shook his head theatrically.
Despite the sorrowful look in his eyes,ā¦ā¦ there was a wise light in his eyes.
āButā¦ā¦these plants are not prohibited from sale in the kingdom of Zain. Iām sure I wonāt be hauled away like the others for inadvertently purchasing it?ā
Whatever the effects or side effects of scarlet hemp are, they are not punishable by law as long as they are not prohibited by law.
At most, he will be scolded to be careful in the future.
āMore importantly, how does the Lordā¦ā¦Sven Arbeil know about the benefits of this herb? I donāt suppose your father, the Earl of Arbeil, was a drug addict, was he?ā
Rhodis puts a smirk and a snide smile on his face and fires back. He even provokes him by bringing up his father.
Sven, however, does not change his expression at the insult.
āOf course not. I only knew about this one because I heard about it from one of the maidā¦..ā
āWhat? A maid?ā
āWell, itās a good thing I have a long-lived and knowledgeable maidā¦ā¦.So, back to the point, Marquis Rhodis. You are under suspicion of a certain crime.ā
āCharges, you mean ā¦ā¦?ā
āWhich crimeā¦are you talking about?ā
Rhodisās brow furrows in nervousness.
āThe charge is the assassination of theā¦ā¦Prime Minister. It concerns the murder of his predecessor, Sir Lockwood Marcell.ā