Chapter 258: The Downfall of the Corrupt Lord
With the disgraceful escape of the corrupt lord, the troubles surrounding this village have finally come to a close. The matter was resolved peacefully, without a single person being harmed.
“…Well, that’s not entirely true.”
Indeed, it was far from the truth. The noble society is not so forgiving as to let such misdeeds go unpunished. Following the incident, the Crocus Duke House formally lodged a complaint against that corrupt lord. Accompanying the complaint were joint protests from the Rosemary Marquis House and the Clover Count House. The great nobles of the Royal Capital, along with one additional party, reprimanded him regarding his management of territory and the conduct expected of a noble. They pursued his statements about punishing Rest and his family, leading to the corrupt lord turning pale and collapsing in fear.
This corrupt lord, known as Baron Habirou, was merely a minor lord who controlled three villages. He made a grave mistake in his choices. Had he realized Rest was a count and humbly prostrated himself to apologize, the situation would not have escalated to such proportions. While his exploitation of the villagers was indeed illegal, it is sadly true that many lords engage in similar practices. Of course, not every local lord is corrupt, but in the feudal society of this medieval world, overlooking such offenses has become the norm, as punishing every misdeed would be an endless task.
“The issue at hand isn’t the exploitation of the villagers, but rather the insults directed at me… A baron should never dare to bite back at a count…”
In noble society, titles carry immense significance. They are a hierarchy established by the king, and to defy that hierarchy is tantamount to rebellion against the royal family. Even if one possessed overwhelming economic or military power, it would not excuse a minor lord’s disregard for those of higher rank.
As a penalty for this blunder, the fishing village was to be ceded to the Clover Count House. Furthermore, the lordship of the Habirou family would be transferred. His son was not permitted to inherit the title, and it was decided that a distant noble relative would take over. The fact that the family was not completely extinguished was a mercy granted because Rest had not revealed his true identity.
Despite the sudden change in lordship, the fishing village experienced no chaos. Although he was called a lord, the true power in that land lay with Madam Sanada, a large landowner, who was the de facto ruler. Even with Rest inheriting the land rights through the Third Prince Rodel, the villagers felt little change. In fact, they rejoiced wholeheartedly at having Rest, whom they revered like a deity, as their new lord, celebrating with festive cheer day after day.
“Well, despite everything, it all worked out in the end. As long as there are no monster attacks like the recent one, this village is self-sufficient, so I won’t have much to do as lord,” Rest explained.
“I see…”
“Understood…”
Upon hearing Rest’s words upon returning to the Royal Capital, his fiancées, Viola Rosemary and Primula Rosemary, nodded solemnly.
“I get it, Rest. But… the part that needs explaining isn’t there, is it?”
“Please don’t try to dodge the issue, Rest.”
“Um… w-what do you mean?”
“Of course, you know exactly what we mean.”
The two of them closed in on Rest from either side.
“‘It’s about bathing with Celestine!’”
“Ugh…”
“‘Explain yourself!’”
“…”
Interrogated by the identical twins, Rest found himself sweating profusely, utterly at a loss.