The crown i will claim — Chapter 25

W-WHAT?!

WHAT DID YOU SAY?! MINISTER ETIENNE HAS BEEN ARRESTED?!

CHANCELLOR SISAIRE HAS TAKEN ACTION AGAINST HIM. HE STORMED INTO THE COUNT'S RESIDENCE THIS MORNING AND PERSONALLY DETAINED HIM.

IT APPEARS EVIDENCE HAS BEEN FOUND OF CHILDREN BEING ABDUCTED FOR... ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES.

THAT FOOL...!!

I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY MORE! GET OUT!!

Y-YES, YOUR GRACE!

DAMN IT ALL!

WE LET HIM INDULGE HIMSELF HOWEVER HE PLEASED! THE LEAST HE COULD'VE DONE WAS COVER HIS TRACKS PROPERLY!

THE CHANCELLOR HAS CHARGED THE MINISTER WITH VIOLATING MILITARY LAW DURING WARTIME.

HE ALSO DISCOVERED THAT THE ABDUCTED CHILDREN WERE SOLD TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES THROUGH THE BLACK EYE MERCHANT GUILD.

THE CHANCELLOR IS CURRENTLY CONDUCTING A THOROUGH SEARCH OF COUNT ETIENNE'S MANOR.

IF THIS ESCALATES, WE COULD BE IMPLICATED AS WELL. WE NEED TO ACT QUICKLY.

IF WE HADN'T FALLEN OUT WITH THE MINISTER OVER THAT INCIDENT WITH VIRNA, WE COULD'VE HANDLED THIS...

I NEED TO SEE HIM. WHERE IS HE NOW?

HE'S BEING KEPT UNDER STRICT ISOLATION DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE CHARGES.

GAINING ACCESS WON'T BE EASY.

EVER SINCE PINATELLI PURGED MOST OF MY CONTACTS IN THE PALACE, I BARELY HAVE ANY INFORMANTS LEFT THERE.

THIS IS BECOMING TROUBLESOME.

FATHER, DOESN'T THE MINISTER STILL HAVE THAT "THING" AT HIS MANOR?

WHAT IF IT LEADS THEM BACK TO US?

DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT.

MINISTER ETIENNE MAY HAVE BEEN CARELESS IN OTHER MATTERS,

BUT HE ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS HIDDEN SOMEWHERE NO ONE COULD EVER FIND IT. THERE'S NO NEED FOR CONCERN.

IN ANY CASE, WE JUST NEED TO GET HIM OUT QUICKLY... BUT HOW...?

FATHER,

WE HAVE MEDEA FOR THAT, DON'T WE?

Episode 25

YOUR HIGHNESS, DUKE CLAUDIO HAS ARRIVED.

MEDEA!

SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAS HAPPENED!

UNCLE, WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE...?

ARE YOU ALL RIGHT? YOU DON'T LOOK WELL.

DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME. THAT'S NOT WHAT MATTERS RIGHT NOW.

MEDEA, THE MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS, COUNT ETIENNE, HAS BEEN WRONGFULLY ARRESTED.

HE'S A LOYAL SERVANT WHO HAS DEVOTED HIMSELF TO BALDINA FOR MANY YEARS.

VIOLATING MILITARY LAW? THAT'S COMPLETELY ABSURD. THIS IS NOTHING MORE THAN A VICIOUS TRAP SET BY DESPICABLE, GREEDY SCHEMERS.

WE HAVE TO SAVE HIM!

HERE, AFFIX YOUR SEAL TO THIS.

YOUR SEAL WILL ONCE AGAIN UPHOLD JUSTICE IN BALDINA.

UNCLE,

I DON'T UNDERSTAND COMPLICATED MATTERS LIKE MILITARY LAW VIOLATIONS.

BUT AFTER EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED, I REALIZED SOMETHING.

QUEZIN, MINISTER ETIENNE, AND EVEN THE MAID WHO ATTENDED ME... THEY WERE ALL LINING THEIR OWN POCKETS.

AND YET, AFTER HELPING AND SAVING ALL OF THEM, I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO ENDED UP WITH NOTHING.

TELL MINISTER ETIENNE THAT MY PITY NO LONGER COMES FREE OF CHARGE.

M-MEDEA? WHAT ARE YOU SAYING...?

I'M... STARTING TO THINK I MAY HAVE COME ACROSS AS FAR TOO EASY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.

I SUPPOSE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ONE GIVES AWAY SUCH PRECIOUS AND FORMIDABLE POWER WITHOUT ASKING FOR ANYTHING IN RETURN.

HOW MUCH ARE YOU ASKING FOR?

OH, UNCLE. HOW COULD I POSSIBLY NAME THE PRICE MYSELF? THAT'S UP TO THE ONE MAKING THE REQUEST.

HMM... THOUGH I DID HEAR THERE ARE GOLD BARS STORED IN CHESTS LIKE THOSE THESE DAYS.

I WONDER... HOW MANY IT WOULD TAKE TO FILL THIS ROOM WITH GOLD.

PERHAPS AROUND 30?

DON'T YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TOO FAR?!

OH MY.

UNCLE, EVERYTHING ETIENNE EMBEZZLED WAS MY-- NO, BALDINA'S MONEY.

ONCE PELEUS RETURNS, MERCY WILL BE THE LAST THING ON HIS MIND. HE'LL HAVE ETIENNE'S HEAD.

AND YET, I'M WILLING TO COVER ALL OF THIS UP FOR HIM. SURELY NO PRICE WOULD BE TOO HIGH FOR THAT!

VERY WELL. I'LL PASS ALONG YOUR TERMS.

YOUR HIGHNESS, WHAT WILL YOU DO IF HE REALLY BRINGS 30 CHESTS OF GOLD?

YOU... HAVE ANOTHER MOTIVE BEHIND THIS AS WELL, DON’T YOU?

WHO KNOWS?

BUT ONE THING IS CERTAIN. MY UNCLE WILL BE FAR TOO BUSY TO THINK STRAIGHT FOR A WHILE.

AFTER ALL, HE’LL HAVE TO GATHER 30 CHESTS OF GOLD TO SAVE THE MINISTER.

ETIENNE WAS NEVER A PATIENT MAN.

NO MATTER HOW DESPERATELY MY UNCLE RUNS AROUND, TRYING TO SAVE HIM,

WILL HE TRULY RECOGNIZE ALL THAT EFFORT?

I WONDER HOW LONG HIS TRUST IN HIS OLD ALLY WILL ENDURE.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE, UMBERTO.

YOUR HIGHNESS...?

Y-YOUR HIGHNESS! PLEASE SAVE MY LIEGE, COUNT ETIENNE!

THE KNIGHTS SUDDENLY BARGED IN AND TOOK HIM AWAY...!

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

HAS SOMETHING HAPPENED TO COUNT KENSINGTON?

YOU CAN DROP THE ACT NOW. THERE'S NO NEED TO BE SO ANXIOUS.

WE'VE GROWN A LITTLE CLOSER THROUGH ALL THOSE SECRET LETTERS, HAVEN'T WE?

WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT, ENSURE THAT THE COUNT INHALES THE INCENSE. I TRUST YOUR ABILITIES, RED FOX.

SO YOU WERE THE ONE BEHIND THOSE NOTES ORDERING ME AROUND?

GOOD. YOU CATCH ON QUICKLY.

NOW THAT IT'S ALL OVER... YOU INTEND TO SILENCE ME, DON'T YOU?

DON'T BE SO AFRAID. THANKS TO YOU, THINGS WENT FAR MORE SMOOTHLY. SO I'LL MAKE THIS QUICK.

NERIL.

YES, YOUR HIGHNESS.

GO BACK TO KAZHEN AND DELIVER THIS TO YOUR MASTER.

MAY I ASK YOU SOMETHING?

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO COUNT ETIENNE?

I WON'T NEED TO DO ANYTHING.

HNG...

HNGH...

Y-YOU THERE! COME HERE! I HAVE A FAVOR TO ASK!

THAT OLD TOAD HAS BEEN LEFT ALONE IN A COLD PRISON WITH NO ONE LEFT TO TURN TO.

I'LL GIVE YOU THIS. JUST LET ME WRITE ONE LETTER!

IT'S OBVIOUS WHAT HE'LL CLING TO, ISN'T IT?

YOU MUST DELIVER IT TO PRINCESS MEDEA!