in the Jar
"When allies turn to enemies, all masks fall."
The Minister's Estate
A coffin arrived at Count Etienne's estate, accompanied by a letter bearing Duke Claudio's seal.
"They think me a fool!"
Minister Etienne's rage was so violent he tore the letter before finishing it.
The scattered fragments told a convenient tale:
The true culprit was not Birna, but her devoted maid—enraged by the humiliation her mistress suffered at the banquet, she had tampered with the drinks.
Overcome with guilt as the situation escalated, the frightened woman took poison and died.
The letter concluded with false pleasantries about restoring their friendship.
A dead servant. A convenient scapegoat.
This was not reconciliation—it was mockery.
The Minister had never intended to maintain his alliance with the Regent indefinitely.
He had planned a graceful withdrawal—a strategic retreat that would preserve both their interests.
But when the Regent sent a false culprit to steal away his daughter's justice, calculation gave way to fury.
"You dare treat me this way, Claudio?"
He thinks I'm trapped. That I need him.
"I'll show you who truly has more to lose."
Etienne moved without hesitation.
Baron Brega—one of the Regent's most valuable vassals—held the lucrative position of Southern Tax Collector.
It was a post rich with opportunity, overseeing the fertile southern provinces.
Etienne leveraged his authority as Palace Minister, citing long-standing corruption charges.
Baron Brega was dismissed. His replacement: Lord Pecs, the Minister's own nephew.
It was a declaration of war.
The Duke's Estate
"Etienne, you've gone too far!"
The Regent's fist slammed into his desk, scattering papers like autumn leaves.
From that moment, the formidable power of Duke Claudio began to fracture.
Officials aligned with each faction turned on one another:
"How dare you claim these are the Regent's orders!"
"We serve Valdina's interests, not the Duke's whims!"
"You sang a different tune when accepting His Excellency's gold."
The Regent's vassals engineered resignations among the Minister's subordinates. The Minister's loyalists halted the Regent's administrative proceedings. Accusations flew. Proceedings stalled.
The Minister commanded vassals and connections built over generations of hereditary nobility.
It was precisely this strength that had made him so valuable to the Regent in the first place.
The Regent had never imagined that same power would one day be turned against him.
Both men led substantial factions. Neither could yield without losing face.
What began as a political maneuver devolved into a destructive stalemate—pride trumping pragmatism.
When arrows that once flew in unison turned upon each other, the wounds cut deep.
The Prime Minister's Office
Prime Minister Cesare welcomed the growing conflict with quiet satisfaction.
"I never thought I'd see this day!"
Was this what the Princess meant when she spoke of opportunity?
"Her Highness is truly... is she actually helping us?"
Cesare's thoughts drifted to the spy Medea had recently exposed.
The maid returned to him in tears, confessing everything:
"Kill me, Master! I will never betray you again!"
She revealed that she had been feeding him poisoned tea—that the Princess had discovered her treachery and held her son hostage.
Discovering the spy had been impressive enough.
But the Princess's resourcefulness in silencing her afterward—that was extraordinary.
"If you want forgiveness, continue feeding the Regent reports. Tell him I keep drinking this poisoned tea."
Now Cesare understood why the Princess had entrusted the maid's fate to him.
The Regent's misunderstanding will create the opening we need.
A changed Medea was breathing life into the precarious throne.
"Don't worry about the poison, Sir. Focus on removing the Minister from power—now that he's split from my uncle."
Cesare's eyes gleamed.
"I have prepared something special for the Minister."
For the first time in months, color returned to Cesare's face—vitality replacing the gray pallor of exhaustion and poison.
The Regent's Strategy Room
News of Cesare's movements reached the Regent quickly.
"Your Excellency, the Prime Minister's subordinates are investigating Minister Etienne for corruption."
"Corruption investigations? Hah!"
The Regent snorted derisively.
"So the Minister and I have quarreled, and now young Cesare thinks he can pick us off one by one?"
"Valdina's so-called genius. All that reputation, wasted on such transparent strategy."
The aide nodded carefully, then ventured:
"You're absolutely right, Your Excellency. Look—he's digging into the Minister's hidden slush funds. Should we warn him?"
The Regent started to agree, then paused.
"Hmm. No. Let the Prime Minister continue his investigation."
"Your Excellency?"
"Once the Minister feels the pressure, he'll realize how much he needs me. Etienne seems to have forgotten it's thanks to me that he's maintained his position safely all these years."
"But, Your Excellency, what if Cesare uncovers something damaging?"
"Don't worry. Even if he succeeds, Cesare won't last much longer."
The Regent smiled with cold satisfaction.
It's been over six months since he began drinking that poison-laced tea. The symptoms should manifest soon.
"How long will that extraordinary brain of his remain intact?"
The Regent chuckled darkly.
"Once the mania takes hold, everything—including Etienne's punishment—will become meaningless."
"I already know the outcome. Let the arrogant old man feel a bit of heat. What's the harm?"
It was a fatal miscalculation.
One Sunny Afternoon
CRASH!
Knights stormed into Count Etienne's residence.
Their epaulets bore the royal emblem of Valdina.
"What is the meaning of this intrusion? Do you not know who I am? Royal Knights, barging in without authorization—!"
Before the Minister could finish his indignant protest, knights seized both his arms and forced him to his knees.
"Lark E. Etienne—"
The Knight Commander unrolled an official scroll.
"You are under arrest for human trafficking, murder, and violations of military law."
"Release me! What evidence do you have?!"
"You won't claim ignorance about the former Head Maid Cuisine and the children who vanished from the palace?"
The Knight Commander unfurled a scroll listing the missing.
"You abducted children belonging to the royal household. You abused them. You murdered them."
"The survivors you sold for profit, creating slush funds with blood money."
"Hell itself will spit out a creature as vile as you."
"This is preposterous!"
The knights moved with practiced efficiency, presenting evidence already compiled.
Cold sweat beaded on the Minister's brow, but he quickly regained his composure, adopting a shameless sneer.
"Even if this were true, do you think you can touch me over the deaths of mere commoner children?"
A fine. A servant to take the punishment in my stead. I have money and power in abundance.
The Knight Commander's eyes narrowed, as if anticipating this very response.
"Minister, I mentioned violations of military law. Do you understand the implication?"
"The children you sold were trafficked through Black Eyes—"
"—sold to foreign nations."
The Knight Commander's voice dropped to ice.
"You leaked royal palace personnel to enemy states during wartime."
"What... what?!"
Violations of military law during wartime carried immediate punishment.
No bribes. No substitutes. No escape.
The Minister's face drained of color.
"Transfer the prisoner to the dungeons. Secure him."
The rope tightened around his neck—a noose of law and evidence woven too perfectly to escape.
Even the cunning Minister could see no way out.
He was dragged toward the door, knights gripping both arms.
"Umberto!"
"Run! Tell Duke Claudio immediately!"
"Yes, Master! At once!"
Umberto bowed deeply, his expression properly terrified.
Etienne was hauled through the doorway, his protests fading into the distance.
The Minister's Study
The estate descended into chaos.
"What's happening?"
"Royal Knights just stormed in and seized the Master!"
"Why are they ransacking our home? What did the Master do?"
"They're collecting... remains. My God."
Amid the pandemonium, Umberto moved with calm purpose.
"I'll leave this to the butler. I must write to Duke Claudio and deliver the message to the prison."
"Yes, Umberto. Go quickly—don't trust just anyone with this."
The butler departed.
Umberto sat at the Minister's desk.
He lifted a quill.
But he did not write what the Minister commanded.
Instead, he penned a single line:
The toad is in the jar.
The fly is free.
He set the quill down with deliberate care.
"Good luck, Master," Umberto whispered to the empty room.
"You'll need it more than you know."
The Trap Springs Shut ## The Toad Is Caught
A minister falls to hubris. A regent miscalculates, blinded by arrogance. And a princess watches her pieces fall into perfect place.
[ To Be Continued ]
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