Grizel took out 3 envelopes from the black ring on her pinky, though the design of her ring is strange none of them are asking why because the variety of the storage rings are common for the upper-class nobles.
"I have 3 envelopes here, this thin envelope is the list of their crimes, this thick one is the collective evidence, and this last one is their names along with their backer and the spies"
Rex and Dion gulped in silence, these 3 envelopes are the information they tried to get but failed in these past years. Even the Imperial shadow couldn't track them, the information of the traitors that related to the rebels in the Western empire.
"To prove my good intention, I will give you this envelope free of charge"
Grizel handed the thin one out of three envelopes, the list of their crimes.
"How do we know this list is not fabricated?"
Rex asked in anticipation, a list of crimes can be easily fabricated without evidence.
"If you agree with my condition and sign a contract with me, I will hand over this list of evidence for you to authenticate yourself"
"What kind of contract?"
The prince just asked her calmly because a cool head is the most basic requirement for negotiations.
"You should open my gift first then asked me once again, Your Highness"
Rex furrows his eyebrows but still opens the envelope and reads the list.
"..."
The silence sold filled the air while he is reading the list.
"It can't be..."
The hands which hold the papers shake as his eyes widen, Rex handed over the papers to Dion as if couldn't find anything to say he let out a heavy sigh and lean back to his chair looking at the roof of the gazebo.
"Your Highness, I believe this decision is not the matter within the range of your authority, these crimes are... too serious"
Dion who is standing behind him clenched his fist as he looked at the very first crime in the list.
The assassination of the Empress.
What people know is the Empress was passed away due to an illness. But the Imperial family didn't reveal the name of the illness to the masses in the name of privacy.
But in truth is even the Imperial head physician and the head priest couldn't name the disease until the last breath of the Empress, it remains as an unknown illness.
Sigh...
"I know, Dion"
Rex said bitterly, he switched from Dion to Grizel then added.
"Miss Belial, I deeply apologies for my immaturity earlier I was too impulsive asking for your condition and contract when I have no authority"
"It's alright your Highness, I still need you to convey my conditions to the Emperor"
Grizel said calmly as she sipping her tea which started to get cold.
"Haha, aren't you heartless Miss Belial?"
Rex smiles meaningfully towards Grizel.
"Pardon?"
"You are purposely using the assassination of the Empress as the bait to lure me and my father, aren't you?"
And before Grizel has the time to answer, Rex continues to say his assumption.
"2 years ago, you disappeared soon after revealing the appearance of the third party, isn't that your way to increase the value of the information in your possession?"
Grizel calmly observed the self-contented prince who is talking about her schemes in a teasing tone.
"And now, if everything is going as the way you predicted I guess you have finished writing the contract since long ago, am I right My Beloved Fiancee?"
Grizel smirked as she takes out a contract from her storage ring and teases him back.
"As expected of My prodigious Prince"
Dion gasped in disbelief, he thought that this wicked prince is the most talented youth in the century who is an expert in schemes and underhanded methods, but now there are 2 of them and the worst thing is these devils are engaged.
'Should I retired early and moved to a peaceful place instead?'
Dion cried out inwardly as his future is going darker, he barely managed to serve an evil lord, now he has two.
"May I asked one thing?"
"Sure, your Highness"
"How did you know that I was going to choose you as my fiance?"
'Because of the novel'
is what Grizel wanted to say to simplify everything, but...
"The nobles in this empire has divided into 3 major factions, Orthodox nobles, Non-orthodox nobles, and neutral faction"
The Orthodox nobles are the descendants of the nobles who helped the Azure empire to conquer and unite the Azure continent, most of them are arrogance and believe that their privileged bloodline is the highest after the Imperial family, they despise the Belial family who has bestowed the title of Archduke, the only one and the highest noble title.
On the contrary, the Non-orthodox nobles faction are consist of the defeated small kingdoms that has no choice but to offer their land as part of the Empire, unlike the Belial Kingdom who managed to avoid the war by offering the authority of the Forest of Demise, these defeated kingdoms undergone huge casualties, it's normal for them to have a grudge against the Imperial family and the Orthodox nobles, these nobles admired the Belial family who openly refused to bow to the Imperial family and managed the territory independently.
And the last is the neutral faction, these nobles choose to focus more on their territories and stay passive in political affairs, consist mostly of lower-class nobles, shockingly the one who holds the highest noble title which is the Belial family is in this faction.
"Your Highness, you are aware that you shouldn't choose a spouse neither from the Orthodox nor the Non-Orthodox faction to keep the balance of power, the only one left is the neutral faction"
Grizel explained calmly to the prince who looks amazed.
"Most nobles from the neutral faction is from the lower-class nobles, if you choose one of them randomly the upper-class nobles will make a fuss about your decision, but..."
Grizel looks at the prince with a twisted smile.
"What if the highest noble and has the most privileged bloodline like Belial family in the neutral faction has a daughter around your age? If I were you I wouldn't miss this chance to silence those greedy nobles"
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"As could be expected of someone who controls the information flow in the Belial castle"
Rex said while clapping his hands as he peeks toward Grizel waiting for her response, but she just calmly asking for another cup of tea to her Butler.
"Hhmm? You don't seem to be surprised about the fact that I am aware of your shady doings"
Dion recalled his conversation with the Prince when they are in the carriage heading to the Belial castle, Prince Rex said he was anxious about the matter surrounding Miss Belial according to the report of their spy who disguises himself as the Head Butler.
"The information leaked from the Belial family were limited by a certain someone from the shadow, and I found all the spies who have malicious intent towards this family were began to spout nonsense and hallucinating, due to the similar strange behavior of the Archduke and his wife, I believe they are also one of the victims, it may be unbelievable but I am sure the one who responsible for this is the Miss Belial"
At first, Dion and the Prince don't want to believe that and assuming it was her self-defense against the malicious spies, but after having this conversation, both of them realized that wasn't mere self-defense but mostly her scheme to control the information flows and manipulate her parents.
"Your Highness, why do you think sir Roze could deliver his report to the Emperor safely?"
Dion gasped loudly behind Prince Rex, the fact that Grizel is aware of the identity of their spy is shocking him.
"You... let him go?"
Rex asked in surprise, from someone who managed to gain the top-secret information about the traitors like Grizel, he has expected that she knew about Roze's real identity.
However, what surprised him the most is the fact that she let him report her shady doings to the Emperor.
"Sir Roze or the ex-Zero of the Imperial shadow, despite his duty as the Emperor's former shadow, he is a close friend of your father and you regard him as your uncle"
Grizel stopped and look at Rex with her cunning smile.
"The question is if both of you found something is strange about him when he stays in this mansion, would you consider me as an ally and mean no harm to the empire?"
"Ha, Hahahahaha"
Rex laughs out loud as if finally finds a new source of entertainment in his life. She let the spy go to report her shady doings, but at the same time, she is establishing a sense of trust that she means no harm for her future allies.
'What a cunning fox'
"It's my total defeat, I won't ask any further, all I need to do is to deliver this contract to my father, right?"
Grizel nodded in satisfaction, her first negotiations with the crown prince can be considered a big success.
'She even knows the private life of the spy, I should go buy a piece of land and just start farming'
Dion cries in agony inwardly as he curses his bad luck having 2 devils to serve.
To be continued...