161. Investigation Begins (3)

At Larael’s words, Duke Anderman’s eyes widened until the whites were clearly visible. He quickly tried to appear composed, but his pupils trembled anxiously. Larael slowly examined his expression before speaking again.

“The s*icide note states that he decided to confess his crimes out of guilt for murdering his father, the previous Count Briznay, and for his remaining family. The note is lengthy, but in summary, it says that Duke Anderman was behind everything.”

“Th-this is slander!!”

Duke Anderman, who had been keeping his mouth tightly shut, cried out in a desperate voice.

“This will serve as evidence of your crimes and will be used as evidence in your trial. The evidence against you is already overwhelming. With this alone, it seems difficult for you to avoid severe punishment. Rather than claiming innocence, it would be better for you to admit your crimes and defend yourself as best you can.”

“…”

“Since you seem to have nothing to say today, I’ll take my leave. I suggest you think carefully before your second interrogation.”

After concluding the interrogation, Larael boarded the waiting carriage with an expressionless face.

On the day Duke Anderman’s interrogation began, the Empress Dowager’s interrogation also started. Edward had wanted it scheduled to match Duke Anderman’s timing.

In just a few days, the Empress Dowager’s face had become unrecognizably gaunt. Her skin, which had always been glossy, was now dry and beyond pale—almost gray. Her hair, which had always been well-maintained and luxurious, was now tangled from lack of brushing and forcibly tied up. It must have been done by her own hands, though she had never styled her own hair before in her life.

When Edward entered the interrogation room, her unfocused eyes instantly filled with hostility, gleaming with malice. Edward briefly looked her over before sitting down. Marquis Argen spoke first.

“Your Majesty…”

“Marquis Argen, the Empress Dowager has already been officially deposed, pending only the approval of the noble council. There is no longer an Empress Dowager in this empire. Address her properly.”

“…Seraphine Anderman.”

The Empress Dowager glared at Marquis Argen who bluntly called her by name. Since she had entered the imperial palace, it was the first time someone other than the Emperor had called her by that name. She glared at Edward, who had orchestrated this humiliating situation, and clenched her teeth.

“Where did you obtain the poison you used to try to assassinate His Majesty the Emperor?”

Marquis Argen asked in a calm voice. Of course, he didn’t expect the Empress Dowager to answer willingly. Since the question wasn’t really meant to elicit an answer, Marquis Argen continued with another question.

“Were there any accomplices?”

At the mention of accomplices, the Empress Dowager’s eyes changed strangely. It was obvious whom Marquis Argen hoped to hear named from the Empress Dowager’s lips. Naturally, she had no intention of giving them the answer they wanted.

“Jayden, I’ll take over.”

Edward, who had been sitting and observing from behind, stood up and moved beside Marquis Argen. He judged that at this rate, they wouldn’t get a single word of response from the Empress Dowager throughout all the prepared questions. It was necessary to provoke her into an agitated state. Edward was the perfect catalyst for that.

“At this moment, you’d want me to call you mother, wouldn’t you, Seraphine Anderman?”

“…I am Seraphine Kazel. The Empress Dowager of the Kazel Empire and…”

“A would-be assassin who attempted to poison the Emperor.”

Edward interrupted her as he sat in the seat Marquis Argen had vacated. Her lips trembled at his words, suggesting he had already succeeded in provoking her.

“The assassins from the Kingdom of Hashiya?”

“…Why are you asking me about that?”

“So you’re finally willing to answer?”

“…”

“Actually, Larael kept one of them alive.”

Whether it was because Edward mentioned Larael or because an assassin was still alive, the Empress Dowager’s thin shoulders began to visibly tremble. Yet her venomous eyes continued to glare at Edward.

“Do you know whose name came from his lips—”

“Edward!!!”

She urgently called out to Edward to prevent him from continuing. The faint smile that appeared on Edward’s face at that moment sent a chill down the Empress Dowager’s spine. But she had no choice.

“Do you have something special to say?”

“…Edward, I tried to poison you. Yes, I was behind those assassins too. It was me.”

“Such touching maternal love. So you knew all along. I hadn’t even mentioned Herwen yet…”

Edward spoke to her with a sneer. A flash of dismay crossed the Empress Dowager’s face, but it was too late now. If the assassin was truly alive, Herwen’s name would certainly come up one way or another. She worried whether anyone would help Herwen now that both Duke Anderman and she were in this situation.

Judging by Edward’s attitude, there would be no mercy. In a situation where she would obviously face execution as an attempted regicide, all she could do for Herwen was to take the blame for his crimes as well.

“Yes, I did everything. Let’s say I did it out of that touching maternal love to put my son on the throne.”

“It may be touching maternal love, but I don’t envy your son Herwen.”

“…Maternal love… Speaking of which, something amusing comes to mind.”

The Empress Dowager suddenly began to cackle. Her behavior was so bizarre that everyone in the interrogation room frowned. Edward stared at her until her laughter subsided.

“Angelina, was it? Well, something like that.”

The Empress Dowager said as she wiped her eyes, having finally stopped laughing. The corners of her mouth twitched as if she might burst into laughter again at any moment.

Edward straightened his back, which had been casually resting against the chair, at the mention of his mother’s name from her lips. His inscrutable eyes quietly observed her.

“I… really couldn’t stand the sight of her… occupying my position… I always wanted to tell you this to your face someday. I hated those hypocritical eyes looking at me as if I was your real mother. I wanted to see that facade stripped away, to see you looking at me with eyes full of hatred. Thanks to that Larael entering the palace, I got to see it sooner than expected. If I’m going to be executed anyway, it would be pleasant to see you suffer. I killed that woman, your mother.”

Instantly, a suffocating murderous intent filled the interrogation room, pressing down on everyone. Edward slowly rose from his chair. It seemed as if all time in the world had stopped, with only Edward moving freely.

The Empress Dowager closed her eyes calmly with a resigned expression. She hoped Edward would lose control and behead her right there. Everyone present would become witnesses proving Herwen’s innocence.

“I knew it. After learning that you tried to poison me, I suspected you might have killed my mother as well. I thought someone as blinded by greed as you was certainly capable of it.”

Despite his composed words, Edward sat back down slowly, his fist still tightly clenched. If a guard knight with a sword had been by his side, he might have acted exactly as the Empress Dowager wanted.

But he still hadn’t uncovered Herwen’s crimes. His impulsive action could provide justification for the Empress Dowager to take all the blame. For the sake of his child, he couldn’t leave Herwen in the empire as a potential threat. Edward forced himself to smile as if at ease. That would infuriate the Empress Dowager even more. But the murderous intent that filled the interrogation room remained.

Edward stared at the Empress Dowager for a long time with eyes as cold as a bitter winter wind, then withdrew his murderous intent and stood up.

“No further interrogation or trial is necessary. Seraphine Anderman, who committed the heinous crimes of poisoning the former Empress and attempting to poison the Emperor, will be sentenced to beheading.”