Chapter 321
Any organization where money gathers is bound to develop corruption, regardless of its scale.
The Emperor also knew that foundations weren’t run with 100% transparency.
Even so, the reason he tolerated it to some extent was because that money helped places beyond the Imperial Family’s reach.
If it was of even the slightest help to the vulnerable classes going hungry, then it meant it had some use.
But the Delphinium Foundation was committing acts that betrayed humanity.
Not mere corruption like embezzlement or breach of trust, but manufacturing addictive and harmful dr*gs, then selling them throughout the Empire.
The Emperor asked in a voice tinged with anger.
“Duke, is it true that the place where the dr*g’s ingredients are grown is an orphanage?”
Ash nodded.
The manufacturing facility was the orphanage Emil had belonged to.
If Count Conwell hadn’t traced Emil’s past works, it likely would have taken a long time to identify the manufacturing facility.
“Not only that, they had built a distribution network by using street children like a cell organization.”
With eyes filled with deep rage, the Emperor quickly grasped the key information.
“The Minister of Finance is also deeply connected to the Delphinium Foundation, hm…”
How long had the Emperor remained silent, pressing his fingers to his brow?
“Chief Justice.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
At the Emperor’s call, Carlisle lowered his head with a dark expression.
“Did you know about this as well?”
There was no way the Chief Justice, who kept the Minister of Finance in check, hadn’t suspected it.
At the pointed question, Carlisle answered with a groan.
“…I only suspected the connection between the two of them.”
“You didn’t have definite physical evidence either, so you couldn’t report this to me.”
“I apologize, Your Majesty.”
Carlisle had long known that the Imperial Palace’s welfare budget was flowing into the Delphinium Foundation.
But the ‘justification’ was clear.
The Delphinium Foundation often hosted charity events in partnership with the Imperial Family.
To report his suspicions by linking Marquis Dunklin and Marquis Crewe, both favored by the Emperor?
If Carlisle made a wrong move, he could face backlash for falsely accusing his political opponents, so he couldn’t raise suspicions carelessly.
“I doubt there has ever been a day when I felt as incompetent as I do today.”
The fact that the third most powerful figure in the Imperial Palace was in league with a dr*g organization strictly forbidden by the Imperial Family was a disgrace to the Emperor.
After all, it was the current Emperor who had elevated Marquis Dunklin to the rank of Marquis, and it was also the current Emperor who had appointed Marquis Crewe as Minister of Finance.
“But the evidence connecting those two is insufficient.”
Even Duke Bayern, after thoroughly investigating the corruption of the Delphinium Foundation, hadn’t found any evidence to prove the link between those two people.
He had only presented concrete grounds for his ‘suspicions’.
At that moment, Ash, who had been silent, opened his mouth.
“Your Majesty, may I put forward opinions?”
“Speak.”
“I understand that the Chief Justice has been keeping the Minister of Finance in check and investigating him for a long time.”
The Emperor and Carlisle nodded.
After all, the fact that Carlisle was watching Marquis Crewe was a secret that wasn’t really a secret.
“Even so, why do you suppose he was able to avoid the Chief Justice’s eyes until now?”
This wasn’t meant to point out Carlisle’s incompetence.
It meant that just as Carlisle was watching Marquis Crewe, the other side was doing the same.
If one knew that his political enemy’s eyes never left him for even a moment, it was also possible to move while avoiding those eyes.
One might have expected Carlisle to feel displeased at his grandson-in-law’s remark.
But instead, Carlisle asked with eyes full of expectation.
“…Since you brought this up, that must mean you have a sure method to connect the two of them, doesn’t it?”
“If they don’t move, then we simply have to make them move.”
Why had Carlisle quietly dug behind the scenes until now, as if merely observing?
For whatever reason he had been showing a sloppy side recently—Marquis Crewe was originally someone who moved in secret.
“The moment we strike the Delphinium Foundation, the Minister of Finance will surely cut off his tail.”
“Wouldn’t that also be movement?”
Even if they had to deal a great shock as though making a decisive move, they had to tear out the root of the dr*gs.
Where abusive dr*gs existed, crime was bound to follow.
If mishandled, it could even cause the Empire to decline.
The meeting between the three men ended only after quite a long time had passed.
