Chapter 81: I Stole Yooju's First Love
I quickly racked my brain.
The Hunt Duke Family and the Gloucester Grand Duke Family were like the vanguards of the noble faction.
As my relationship with Aster progressed, the Pionea Duke Family became practically closer to the imperial faction, and the Senate was in balance.
'And there's the Malphurion Duke Family in the neutral faction.'
The key to success would be how many families from the neutral faction I could pull to our side.
"I need the majority's agreement. Your family and a few others will support you, but that might not be enough."
"Don't worry about that."
I still had a card left to play.
It was time to get the real price from Daniel.
Aster agreed to submit the proposal without much fuss.
Father was very pleased with my plan and promised to support me.
Thanks to finding Robert and sending him back to the viscount's family, the Chase Viscount Family, which was neutral, also worked hard to support us.
Finally, the day of the Senate meeting arrived.
I paced back and forth, anxious about what might happen.
Despite Father's assurance that it would be quick, it took quite a long time.
Late in the evening, Father entered the reception room, looking exhausted.
Pio and I, who had been waiting, jumped to our feet.
"But why did it take so long?"
Father sighed deeply and sat on the sofa.
A servant brought him a cup of water, and after finishing it, he began to tell the story.
The representative of the Gloucester Grand Duke Family was supposed to be Andrew, but he had gone on a business trip a few days ago, and Tatiana appeared in his place.
"How absurd. I don't know what's wrong with that girl."
"They said you embezzled the royal funds. Robert, who worked with you, mentioned his past suspicion of embezzlement and strongly demanded a reinvestigation."
I knew the truth, and Allison had even become the girl's doctor in exchange for covering it up.
"So, what did you decide?"
"His Majesty dismissed it, saying that the investigation had already been completed in the past and could not be reinvestigated."
Aster said everyone agreed.
The proposal was put to a vote, and with the majority's approval, the establishment of the Royal Medical Institute was confirmed.
"After that, she caused a huge commotion. Everyone's face at the scene was frozen with shock."
"They called for a revote and blamed Daniel. It was so chaotic that even I felt sorry for that damn guy."
After finishing his story, Father said he was tired and went upstairs.
I stayed behind, stroking Pio's fluffy fur, lost in thought.
'Tatiana won't back down here.'
She must be planning something.
I urgently called the butler and sent someone to the Chase Viscount Family.
"Tell them to avoid going out tomorrow. Contact Professor Foreman and ask him to pay more attention to security."
Even after the butler left, I remained deep in thought.
As expected, the thing I feared happened.
Father, who was reading the newspaper, shouted.
"That crazy woman has done it!"
The newspaper Father handed me contained Robert's name, his embezzlement allegations, and accusations that he was using the duke family's influence to return to the medical field.
"She'll probably use this to attack you and His Majesty. The noble faction will be thrilled, thinking they've scored a point."
"His Majesty won't let it go."
"Given this, we need to create an incident on our side."
Tatiana ignored the warning that we wouldn't sit idly by.
Now was the time to reveal everything.
I took a carriage to meet Aster.
After sending an urgent request in the morning, I received a reply asking me to come immediately.
I deliberately took a plain carriage and entered through the side gate to avoid giving the press any material.
I put on my hat and got out of the carriage, avoiding people's gazes.
I met the chamberlain and followed him into the inner palace. Thanks to my previous visit, I felt more at ease.
The leaves, which were deep green last time, now displayed a variety of colors.
"His Majesty, the princess has arrived."
The chamberlain then stepped aside.
Aster, who had been sitting in a chair by the table, stood up.
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I didn't expect the Grand Duchess to go this far."
"Don't worry too much. After yesterday's chaos, I expected her to do even more."
A shadow fell over his face as he spoke.
He rubbed his cheek, looking tired, and sighed deeply.
"Don't even mention it. After the vote, when the Malphurion Duke cast his vote in favor, she started crying and making a scene. She even hit the Malphurion Duke's face..."
I covered my mouth in shock.
It was hard to believe she did such a foolish thing in front of so many people.
"Unfortunately, the Malphurion Duchess saw it and declared she would file a lawsuit."
The situation was getting worse.
To use violence in a public setting because someone didn't share her opinion was beyond the pale.
Perhaps the article was meant to bury the conflict with the Malphurion Duke Family.
"Anyway, our side's business is more urgent. What's the plan you mentioned in your letter?"
"I've dug into the background of the embezzlement case."
Aster crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, urging me to continue.
I told him everything, from Robert's case to the Foreman professor's family.
As I spoke, Aster's face grew sterner.
"What a remarkable woman. She must think that being a Grand Duchess gives her great power."
The air seemed to heat up slightly, responding to his anger.
To be involved in human trafficking was beyond the line.
"Do you have solid evidence?"
"I've already caught the relevant people and filed a complaint."
I handed over all the documents containing the information I had gathered.
Aster frowned as he flipped through the papers, verifying the content.
The evidence was airtight, leaving no room for Tatiana to escape.
"Why didn't you reveal it earlier?"
"Because Professor Foreman did embezzle, and he'll probably have to leave the academy once this is all revealed."
It was an old case, and given the circumstances, I hoped it would pass quietly.
Aster sighed and muttered.
"You're kind to the people around you."
"I feel responsible for what happened, and I'm sorry."
Thinking about the incident with Nivea, I still felt angry.
If I could, I would throw Tatiana and Raymond into the fire.
"We need to give them a taste of their own medicine. There will be some sacrifices, but it's necessary."
Aster's face showed a bitter emotion.
In the early days of his reign, he lost many close allies due to his weak position.
Once he gained control of the army and stabilized his power, he ruthlessly exacted revenge.
Many families that opposed him were eliminated.
But he couldn't take revenge on everyone, so he had to watch the remaining families like thorns in his side.
It seemed he felt guilty for not being able to protect his people when he was weak.
"We need to give them a proper lesson."
I raised my voice, and Aster laughed in response.
To prevent those around us from suffering any more, it was time for a proper retaliation.
Aster and I quietly prepared.
The media had been relentlessly attacking.
Professor Foreman submitted his resignation to the academy, and Robert was quietly staying at the viscount's family.
The most helpless person was the academy's chancellor.
He sent letters to Father and Aster every day, begging for help.
Lily burst in, holding a newspaper.
"Here, look at this article."
I unfolded the extra edition she handed me.
It was the same newspaper that had recently published a special feature on the Pionea Duke Family's ties to the academy.
[Gloucester Grand Duke Family Linked to Human Trafficking Ring.]
I slowly read the bold headline.
The article detailed how a servant from the Grand Duke Family had bought the Foreman professor's family.
It even included an emotional interview with Eric.
"I really shouldn't have touched the money, but I was desperate. I planned to pay it back once I cleared my debts..."
An interview about the hardships of the past few years.
While Eric would likely lose his position, he would probably receive sympathy from the public.
Even if he returned to the hospital after serving his sentence, there would be little backlash.
Now, we just had to wait for Allison's reaction.