He had blamed everything on his assistant, claiming he had trusted the man completely and that it was the assistant who had stolen the money.
There had been enough evidence pointing to the assistant, and the court sentenced him to death.
However, just a few days before the execution, the Marquess’s assistant took his own life by slitting his neck with a shard of glass.
Some people said he had left a letter for the Marquess before he died, but unfortunately, the letter was never found.
So it remained nothing more than a rumor, whispers behind closed doors.
At that time, Edmund had also been dealing with a far more pressing issue: a group of beastkin who had been robbing and killing humans.
That situation had forced him to travel repeatedly to the human kingdoms, where he had to endure harsh words and bitter insults from humans while investigating the matter.
Primrose hadn’t known much about it back then. She hadn’t had access to kingdom records, so she chose not to get involved.
But now, looking back, she finally understood just how heavy Edmund’s burden had been, facing all that alone, while trying to protect everyone.
No wonder he hadn’t given much attention to the issue with the Marquess of Moonshadow and had left it for the court to handle.
But now that the issue had resurfaced earlier than expected, maybe she could use it to take the Marquess down, while making sure to clear the Marchioness’s name so she wouldn’t be dragged down with her husband.
"Should we investigate this while we’re here?" Primrose slid off Edmund’s lap and sat beside him so she could get a clearer view of the road.
She continued, "You can speak to the Marquess, and I’ll talk to the Marchioness."
That way, she could find the right moment to tell Raven that she wanted to help her get rid of her husband, and even arrange for her to meet with Salem again.
Edmund finally nodded. "Yes, I think that’s a good idea."
He added, "In his reports, the Marquess always claimed he was using the budget to maintain the roads regularly, but from what we’ve seen, the actual condition is far from what he described."
Usually, whenever Edmund planned to visit Moonshadow, he would inform the Marquess at least a week in advance.
That gave the Marquess just enough time to do last-minute repairs, so the roads looked fine by the time Edmund arrived.
But this time, because Primrose had insisted on keeping their visit a secret, they hadn’t sent any notice to Moonshadow.
"And what if he’s been doing something shady behind your back?" Primrose asked, closing the window to keep more cold air from entering the carriage.
Without hesitation, Edmund replied, "Then the court will decide his fate. But in Noctvaris, those who misuse public funds for personal gain are sentenced to death."
Primrose actually appreciated that law. It made nobles and officials think twice before doing anything corrupt.
To her, the Emperor of Vellmoria seemed far too soft, only giving jail time to corrupt nobles, and sometimes letting them go early if they behaved well.
"Then ... what about his family?" Primrose asked while holding her breath.
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