The Regressed Empress Tames the Hunting Dog - Chapter 51

Callid replied with a voice tinged with laughter to those resolute words.

“I think I’m just as thrilled as you are. Who would have thought a day like this would come in my lifetime.”

The thought of Raul, whom he had secretly considered inferior to himself, being helplessly caught by the 2nd prince was too amusing.

It was an absurdly comical picture.

“Today, you just need to do a good job of looking surprised.”

“I’m confident I can do that.”

Bellia answered vigorously.

“Since we moved immediately after hearing that Raul was headed there, they surely won’t have noticed on their end.”

Until now, they had visited the casino irregularly to prevent their arrival times from being predicted.

And whether Raul was there or not, they simply enjoyed their time together and returned.

For just one day when he would let his guard down.

“…His vigilance gradually dissipated, and today he headed there. Not knowing we had set a trap.”

Raul would have even received a report that they were headed to the mansion on the outskirts of the capital today. And he would have unknowingly felt relieved.

Callid stroked his chin with his hand.

His eyes shone brightly.

“I’ve also planted some people here and there to spread rumors, so it’ll be difficult to silence them all.”

Bellia kept getting the feeling that things would work out well.

The carriage sped along, then gradually slowed down.

“Shall we head to the festival grounds then?”

Callid stylishly extended his hand to Bellia as he exited the carriage.

Bellia grasped his hand and slowly got out of the carriage.

Then, with her usual bright expression, she linked arms with him and walked into the magnificent building.

“What is the meaning of this!”

“Wait! Just let go of this…!”

As expected, the inside was in a state of complete chaos.

Several people were being escorted out by the guards.

At that moment, the manager came running breathlessly and tried to stop Callid and Bellia from entering.

“Today, entry is not allowed today.”

“Oh? Has something happened?”

Bellia asked with an innocent expression.

The manager avoided eye contact with an awkward look on his face.

Callid pushed the manager aside and entered. Bellia quickly followed behind him.

Passing by the crowd of gathered people, they headed to the inner depths they had investigated in advance, where the guards stood at a loss facing an intoxicated Raul.

“Your Highness. Please, come this way…”

The guard seemed quite flustered by the presence of the final administrator overseeing illegal facility crackdowns.

As Raul roughly ran his hand through his hair and made eye contact with the surprised-looking Bellia, he quietly muttered a curse.

“Damn it.”

Bellia covered her mouth with her hand, trying to look as shocked as possible at the fact that he was here.

Raul stared at Bellia for a moment, then noticed Callid standing beside her and let out a hollow laugh. As if he had intuitively realized who had orchestrated this situation.

“It was you… Yes, it was you…”

Raul staggered to his feet.

Then he approached Callid and poked his shoulder with his finger, asking,

“You planned this, didn’t you? Right?”

“Aren’t you being a bit too suspicious? Why don’t you explain what’s going on here?”

Callid demanded an explanation from Raul with an expression of complete ignorance.

At this, Raul couldn’t contain his surging emotions.

“You…!”

But he swallowed his words and lowered his head.

…He had lost again this time. Once more, he had fallen into a trap set by Callid.

Raul’s clenched fist trembled.

“Prince Raul. What on earth is this…”

Bellia’s voice quivered pitifully as she asked with a worried face.

Raul took a deep breath at her appearance and calmly asked.

“Bellia. Did you really know nothing about this?”

“We just arrived now. We came in because it seemed chaotic inside… Why are you here…”

Raul closed his eyes at Bellia’s response.

What reaction could he show now?

In any case, this was his mistake that couldn’t be excused.

“…I see.”

Raul answered bitterly and then spoke to the guard standing nearby with a bewildered expression.

“Finish up and come. I’ll be at the guard station.”

“…Your Highness.”

“Anyway, this is my fault. We’ll talk more when we get there.”

Several nobles, including Callid and Bellia, had already witnessed him.

So it was too late to completely cover up this situation as if it never happened.

‘I need to handle this another way.’

Raul walked out of the room with heavy steps.

The people in the casino parted to make way for him.

Bellia and Callid kept their eyes fixed on Raul’s back until the end.

They watched everything from inside until Raul left the building and the guards finished clearing out the illegal facility. Amidst the murmuring noise, whispers about Raul could be faintly heard.

“Callid.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go out now.”

When the whole situation was wrapped up and entry to the casino building was being controlled, Bellia and Callid boarded their carriage, blending in with the people leaving.

“We were really close to getting into big trouble. This time was too dangerous.”

It was almost left to chance.

Although they had made preparations in advance, if the timing had been off, they might have come up empty-handed.

“It was close, but if we hadn’t done it this way, we couldn’t have cornered Raul.”

Bellia agreed with those words.

Even now, Raul would surely be suspicious of them.

But without evidence, he couldn’t corner them based solely on his intuition.

The reason they had deliberately visited this place several times to dispel suspicion was for this moment.

It might have been annoying, but Bellia and Callid still lacked power compared to Raul.

So they had no choice but to carefully create traps.

Bellia sharpened her will, which kept becoming rounded.

“By tomorrow, rumors will spread throughout the capital. Even Raul will find it difficult to escape.”

“But it would be better to move more safely next time.”

Bellia gently rested her head on Callid’s shoulder.

“Still, you did well today.”

Callid looked at Bellia for a moment, then chuckled and put his arm around her shoulder.

[This is the timeline separator]

A knight from the Emperor’s personal guard came directly to deliver the Emperor’s order.

Raul asked in a low, sharp voice.

“What did you just say?”

The knight showed a slightly uncomfortable expression and repeated the Emperor’s order once more.

“…His Majesty has ordered you to reflect on your actions.”

“Ha!”

Raul ran his hand roughly through his hair in an irritated manner and stood up from his seat.

“I will go see His Majesty.”

“Your Highness.”

The knight blocked Raul’s path as he tried to leave the room.

Raul spoke in a low voice, suppressing his anger.

“Move aside. I have something to explain to His Majesty.”

Raul pushed past the knight’s shoulder and left the room.

The knight couldn’t completely block Raul. Although the Emperor had ordered the 1st Prince to reflect, it was given in a somewhat reluctant manner.

Raul strode down the long corridor, grinding his teeth.

‘Callid! What on earth did you do…!’

He couldn’t find any evidence linking Callid to this incident.

Frustrated by this, Raul clenched his fist tightly.

The corridor lined with red carpets was silent.

Only the sound of Raul’s footsteps filled the space, echoing loudly.

Finally, in front of the Emperor’s office.

Raul nodded to the head chamberlain standing next to the door.

“Your Majesty. The 1st Prince requests an audience.”

However, no answer came from beyond the grand and ornate door.

How long they stood like that.

“Let him enter.”

The Emperor’s permission was given.

As soon as the words ended, before the head chamberlain could open the door, Raul opened it himself and entered the office.

The Emperor, who had been quietly looking out the window, spoke in an irritated tone without even glancing at Raul.

“I ordered you to reflect, yet how did you come here?”

“Father.”

“No excuse will work for this incident. I praised you so much…!”

The Emperor had boasted everywhere about how perfectly Raul had carried out the search of illegal facilities, yet this fellow had been playing there himself.

The Emperor felt too embarrassed to show his face anywhere.

“I apologize.”

“Hmph. Enough. What’s done is done. Return to your palace and reflect.”

The Emperor waved his hand as if he had nothing more to say.

Raul bit his lip tightly.

“…I know I’ll look even more foolish saying this. But this is surely Callid’s doing.”

“By what means? Did Callid lure you to go there?”

The Emperor asked.

“I assume you’ve received a report on the situation.”

Raul explained the circumstances of that day.

How Callid and Bellia had visited the casino at the very moment the guards were searching it.

How suspicious it was that they came there on that day, at that exact moment.

“So do you have any evidence?”

“…”

“You fool! What do you intend to do by accusing without evidence!”

Raul found this incredibly frustrating.

Why couldn’t he find any evidence?

“…Have you checked the one who reported it?”

The Emperor asked in a slightly softened voice.

“He has one daughter, and has been working at the casino for a few months.”

“Did he ever meet with Callid?”

“…That’s what’s strange.”

When Callid appeared at the casino, Raul had thought there would surely be signs of him meeting someone or giving instructions. But Callid only played with Bellia at the casino.

He didn’t meet anyone separately, and rather spent time in open spaces before returning. He didn’t even mingle with nobles, let alone employees.

The reports from those monitoring Callid showed no special movements either.

Raul couldn’t even guess when Callid had planned all this.

“What’s strange about it!”

The Emperor shouted again, seeming frustrated.

“By the time you started your investigation, he was already employed as a worker. He was a hardworking father trying to bring his child back from the orphanage.”

The Emperor, having already completed his investigation of the informant, knew all the circumstances.

“But…!”

“Tsk tsk. Then are you saying Callid manipulated that person?”

“Isn’t the situation too intricate?”

Raul cried out with an aggrieved expression.

But the Emperor was utterly cold.

“Bring evidence to prove your suspicions. Your reputation has hit rock bottom now! This isn’t something you can insist on blindly in this situation.”

His tightly clenched fist trembled.

The informant was someone who had never even left the casino building, living and eating there.

According to the testimonies of those who worked there, he worked incredibly hard, saying he wanted to save money to bring his daughter back.

He occasionally heard about his daughter’s situation from others, but he was someone who worked diligently without time to meet anyone inside the casino.

‘Then how on earth…!’

The guards were those Raul had brought. They too had simply rushed over after receiving the report, and seemed quite flustered to find their superior there.

‘If it’s not the informant and not the guards, then who…!’

He simply couldn’t figure it out.