No Regression for the Victor - Chapter 8
‘Somehow, it feels like if I just leave things alone, the misunderstanding will only get worse…’
And just as Hyun sensed, the caretaker’s misunderstanding had already reached the imperial family, causing unexpected ripples.
“…Therefore, this is a report expressing concern that Duke Transis may be plotting some suspicious scheme.”
Unlike the Frigid territory, where snowstorms raged throughout the year except for a short summer and which required three full days of travel unless one used a gate, the capital—located far from the frozen lake exile—was enjoying comfortable and peaceful prosperity.
If events were following the flow of the original story, this would be the time when Duke Transis should be secretly grinding his teeth in the darkness, plotting to escape exile and bring that peace to an end… so no one could have predicted this.
Sitting in an office decorated not with the expected luxury, but in a rather simple and frugal manner, an elderly man listened to the report and let out a short sigh before asking the secretary standing before him,
“Did you find any evidence of such a suspicious plot?”
No matter how absolute his power as Emperor, even he could not hand down a death sentence without clear evidence to the head of a family that once rivaled the current imperial Osbrandt line—especially not to Duke Transis, who, before his failed rebellion, held power and support enough to threaten the imperial family itself.
“No, I regret to say that, unfortunately, we have not found any physical evidence that would justify calling for a trial.”
Hmm. The Emperor let out another troubled sigh and massaged his brow. It had already been three years since a prince, not yet of age, had nearly lost his life at that man’s hands. Given his relentless temperament, it was about the time when he might cause another incident.
‘He’s not someone to just sit quietly like that…’
If only he would make a clear mistake so that I could persuade the Council of Elders to approve a death sentence. But instead, he only kept nitpicking and harassing the caretakers with petty complaints—so much so that the caretaker assigned there had already been replaced five times.
“Then, what exactly is it that aroused suspicion? Report in detail.”
At the Emperor’s command, the man who had been bowing at the very front of the desk began to speak.
“Apparently, his attitude has changed dramatically of late. Until recently, he was always complaining about the water temperature not being right, the design on the glass not to his liking, the length of his pant legs being uncomfortable—constantly making trouble for the caretakers. Suddenly, however, he dismissed all attendants.”
“He dismissed them?”
The Emperor inclined his head, urging him to elaborate, and the man continued in a calm voice.
“Yes, now he says he’ll handle bathing himself as long as the water is prepared, he refuses help with dressing, saying it just gets in the way, and even…”
As the man hesitated as if about to deliver something truly surprising, the Emperor quickly nodded for him to go on.
“Yes, and?”
“Even his notorious complaints about food have completely stopped.”
This news made everyone present in the office prick up their ears.
What had Duke Transis been known for before his downfall? He’d been famous as the overlord of the North, supported by the vast Quillan domain, but his fiefdom actually stretched into the central breadbasket of the empire as well, making him a wealthy man who could enjoy different delicacies 365 days a year thanks to the tributes that poured in from all over the country.
Even after his fall, he had been so insufferably picky that five caretakers had been driven away. When the caretakers strained the already tight budget to prepare a variety of dishes, he would flip the table in rage if they weren’t up to his standards—his reputation for being impossible to please was infamous.
And now Duke Transis wasn’t making any complaints about food? The caretaker hadn’t changed either. It was only natural that the caretaker would be suspicious that he was secretly plotting something, even without any concrete evidence.
“My word… what a surprise.”
At this, the man continued, his voice suggesting there was something even more shocking.
“That’s not all. Lately, he’s even developed a new hobby he’d never cared for before…”
As the man paused for effect, every ear in the office waited in anticipation for what would come next.
“He personally harvested pumpkins from the garden. Duke Transis, with his own hands.”
