I heard that when it came to exterminating a colony of annoying ants, Cesco only slightly scattered poisoned food in the customer’s house.
(T/N: A company in Korea that specializes in pest solutions.)
And now, Emmanuelle Serig, who was distributed poisonous food through Margaret—in other words, fake evidence—asked.
‘I caught a big fish.’
Princess Emmanuelle had a high-spirited expression on her face, as if she had interpreted my quiet reaction as she pleased, and there was a constant commotion inside the conference hall.
“What do you mean the thesis Princess Deborah is presenting today wasn’t written by her?”
“That’s a dangerous statement.”
“If there are any doubts, wouldn’t it be better to reveal it clearly?”
When Philap stepped forward, the members of Omicron followed blindly.
“Princess Emmanuelle is not the kind of person to make unfounded claims.”
“She is also described as a noble lady who always keeps her dignity, like a magnolia.”
Some of them also sarcastically criticized me, who had the bloody nickname of Viper.
As the favorable mood flowed away from me, Emmanuelle rose from her seat with a confident face and spoke.
“I don’t open my mouth unless I’m certain.”
“There shouldn’t be any lies.”
Isidor only gave her the right to speak as per my implicit pledge, but Philap smiled arrogantly and looked at me with an ‘I knew it.’ expression.
Soon, Emmanuelle slowly stepped forward and spoke naturally to the audience.
“Didn’t you all think that Princess Deborah has been presenting formulas way too often? Including this presentation, it’s already the fourth time.”
As Emmanuelle said, I was brewing the formula fruitfully, like a broth made of beef leg bone, by launching ‘Premium Plus’.
I opened my mouth with a sneer.
“Princess Emmanuelle, are you attacking my formulas, which received a patent by the Imperial Judiciary? You are insulting the imperial family right now.”
As if she had been waiting for these words, Emmanuelle rebutted skillfully.
“I am not attacking the existing formulas. I’m disputing a new thesis that hasn’t been patented yet, and I’m saying how obsessed the Princess is with presenting formulas.”
“…”
“I’m sure you’ve all heard of it. The fact that Princess Deborah worries about her performance due to the public criticism that she is not fit for being the ‘Top of the Academy’.”
As I always showed myself fiercely reprimanding Margaret, asking if she was going to take responsibility if my grades dropped, it was no wonder that she thought that.
“That’s right. There was an external public opinion that deliberately undermined my achievements…”
I grimly muttered as I snapped my neck, and she clenched her fists tightly after being startled for a moment.
“Princess Deborah must have been anxious. She hasn’t been able to show her presence, and only recently did she start getting the academy’s attention, so if she doesn’t present a good thesis at this group conference, everyone’s attention will quickly disperse.”
As a genius of incitement, Princess Emmanuelle continued to speak smoothly, making people understand my psychology.
“Above all, the Princess… can’t handle mana, so it is understandable to be obsessed with formulas. But even so, presenting a thesis that was made by threatening her vassals to achieve results at a prestigious conference as if it is hers is going a bit too far!”
Everyone looked at Emmanuel while holding their breaths.
“And I have evidence to support my claim. The witness was not called for protection.”
She pulled out the evidence I gave her.
Two days ago.
The mercenary wizard I hired for money contacted Emmanuelle’s close associate.
Princess Emmanuelle firmly believed the rumors that I had a lot of internal enemies and that my position was unstable.
‘Philap was talking nonsense in front of me, too. Thanks to him, I was able to check if the rumors spread well.’
In addition, there was a rumor that the rotting pus would burst soon because I, who became greedy about results, was severely harassing my vassals.
In fact, I only had four slaves… I mean, four vassals, but Emmanuelle thought that a princess of the same level as her wouldn’t be that lousy, so she was easier to deceive.
Emmanuelle took out a piece of paper with a complicated formula and waved it.
“This thesis is a formula that was written by a vassal under the coercion of Princess Deborah. As you can see, the handwriting is different.”
“Is it real?”
“There is proof, as expected!”
The Omicron members added fuel to the fire.
“Now, it is only necessary to make sure that the contents are consistent with the thesis the Princess is presenting. Please proceed.”
“Ahem. Very well.”
Isidor, who responded with a meaningful tone, called the servants who were waiting behind as I requested, and they began walking in with a large blackboard, not horizontal, but vertical.
The audience talked noisily as the large object covered by a cloth suddenly appeared.
In fact, setting up a blackboard in advance with a grid as if to solve math was a fake.
“What… What is it? That thing.”
“I will now reveal my academic thesis.”
I pulled the cloth down.
Soon the identity of my thesis was revealed, and exclamations of astonishment erupted everywhere.
Even my father, who was watching me from the reserved seats with a firm face, was taken aback.
“That, what on earth is that thing?”
“Dear heavens.”
“You mean this horrible drawing is a thesis?”
“… Is it a torture device? Does it have electric current?”
“It’s brutal. With that, you would have no choice but to confess everything.”
‘They’re all too much.’
On one hand, I felt bitter, but on the other, I felt ridiculous at the atmosphere of the audience of the academic conference condemning my design as a torture device.
Why was everyone reacting like Belreck?
It was a massage chair.
A massage chair!
I, who was secretly astonished, glared fiercely at Emmanuelle.
“What kind of person told you I would present a formula at this conference?”
As I took a step closer, she suddenly stepped back.
“How can you say I am a petty person who relies entirely on their achievements and is obsessed with formulas! Princess Emmanuelle has tarnished my honor.”
Emmanuelle’s face turned white with embarrassment at the unexpected situation.
“B-but I can’t believe you’re revealing this horrible torture device in an official public meeting.”
Emmanuelle began to utter nonsense as if she had run out of what to say.
“Torture device? Can you take responsibility for those words?”
Rip!
After strongly ripping off a large piece of paper, a paper explaining the function of the massage device was revealed.
“This item is a fatigue relief magic tool designed for my father, who works hard day and night. Here, the ball under the fabric moves around, massaging the stiff neck and shoulders.”
The massage chair was not an easy structure, so it was not possible to draw a perfect blueprint.
However, if someone criticized this tool, it would feel like they were criticizing the filial piety towards the Lord of the Wizardry Association.
‘It’s like a cheat key thesis appealing to emotion.’
“Wow, wow! What a wonderful magic tool.”
“Ahem! I never said it was a torture tool. I said it was a good-natured tool.”
(T/N: This is a play on words, 고문 (torture) and 고운 are pronounced similarly, so I tried to pick a word (good-natured) that sounded kind of similar while still keeping the meaning.)
Suddenly, my father took out his handkerchief and lightly tapped it around his eyes.
As more and more people suddenly changed their stance, Emmanuelle slowly lost her pace and began to attack me, as did William Lemont.
“I’ve never heard the rumor of Princess Deborah being a magic tool designer. You may have threatened your vassals to present it!”
“… Can you take responsibility for those words?”
I took out several patent certifications with the blue dragon seal of the imperial family from my shawl pocket.
“I have been working with my brother Belreck in the meantime to make magic tools. And in here, there’s evidence that I’m an artifact designer.”
[Magic Tools Designer: Deborah Seymour]
As I took out a piece of paper and showed my name in it, Emmanuelle staggered as if her legs had lost strength.
“Are you claiming that my brother Belreck, the successor of Seymour and one of the greatest geniuses in the Wizardry Association, is someone who is driven by my intimidation?”
“I, that…”
“Princess Emmanuelle just tarnished not only my honor, but that of my brother Belreck. Do the Seymours seem that easy to deal with?”
I immediately picked up a chalk and drew a model of the left side of the massage chair.
There was nothing more certain than drawing it myself and showing them. And the audience admired my excellent dexterity for once.
“This drawing is a diagram of the left side of the fatigue relief magic tool. It’s a structure with a magic stone in the slot at the bottom.”
Clap. Clap. Clap.
“This is the invention of the century!”
Suddenly, Count Almare, who was to the left of my father, began to give a standing ovation.
“I’m impressed! Bravo!”
And the elder on the right only clapped.
Soon, thunderous applause swept through the conference hall.
I snatched the piece of paper from the stunned Princess Emmanuelle’s hand and pretended to look through it.
“This is the Premium Plus formula that I presented not long ago. Though it looks different on the outside, pretending to be complicated by lengthening it with all kinds of symbols.”
Since she was contacted two days ago, she would not have had time to properly determine the authenticity of the formula.
At best, she would have compared it with the patent documents she could see.
‘In fact, she wouldn’t even have done it. Since Margaret was so good at acting.’
“Let’s see.”
The 5th Princess personally stepped forward and confirmed the false evidence that Emmanuelle was holding in her hand, and her expression stiffened coldly.
“It’s true that it is a modified version of the existing formula.”
At that moment.
Princess Emmanuelle suddenly screamed.
“L-Lady Brigitte. What’s going on here? You said it was certain information!”
She started blaming others.
Also known as cutting off her tail.
“This is the information that Lady Solin brought me… She said it was certain!”
“I got it from Sir Belenton…”
“Lady Rina…”
Following the tail-cutting, the Omicron members started passing the bomb to each other.
Philap closed his eyes tightly as he looked at that messy sight.
