* * *
I’ve been feeling a little frustrated lately.
Being busy was beneficial, but the only disadvantage was Lacius.
I wish I could spend more time with Lacius, but that is not possible.
Lacius was also aware that I was preoccupied, so time passed without us seeing each other’s faces.
Then, just yesterday, Lacius approached me with a ticket in hand, claiming to have made a reservation.
“I’m sure there will be a discussion if we don’t show up dating like this from time to time.”
“That’s right.”
And now I was riding in a carriage with Lacius to the opera house.
I pretended not to be excited as I looked at Lacius.
Between his thick fingers is a document.
It was a familiar, but lovely, landscape.
“As you requested, Shay, I have received the investigation data on those families.”
“What do you think about it?”
“There are a lot of things to frown upon.”
Lacius slowly opened his mouth after finishing the document.
“Twenty years ago, the Hansen family ran a gold mining business, but people died one after the other. However, he just dismissed them without compensating them.”
“Wow, what a jerk.”
“Viscount Redding assaulted workshop artisans because the parasol was not properly made. One of them lost all of his teeth and received no compensation.”
“Sigh…”
No, why do I feel like I’ve seen this before?
I knew it would be like this, but where had I seen similar scenarios before?
“The worst of them is Fugeriana; they told the imperial family that they actively employ people with disabilities, but the reality is obvious.”
“Please don’t tell me…”
“They either paid them sparingly or did not pay them at all because they provided housing, and they were also not allowed to meet their families properly.”
“…Where are the disabled people employed?”
“It’s been said that they transport items from where Fugeriana’s ship arrives.”
Birds of a feather do indeed flock together.
I wasn’t trying to justify my retaliation for a minor insult, I was simply intrigued.
What sort of people am I dealing with?
So I asked Lacius to look into it. But now look at the investigation’s result.
People will think I’m doing this for justice because Crisiona’s vassal families were such a diverse collection of garbage.
“Gentery is a prosecutor, but… his reputation is not very good. I also have reservations about him.”
“He doesn’t appear to be a fair prosecutor.”
“There’s a story about him being kind to the wealthy while cruel to the poor.”
This is a story I’ve heard numerous times. Having money implies innocence, while not having money implies guilt*.
*(Those who have money are innocent and those who do not have money are guilty. In other words, even if they commit the same crime, they receive different punishments according to their social class)
“At long last, the Latrus family.”
“Hmm.”
They’d obviously be garbage as well, but what kind of garbage?
I pricked my ears, suppressing the already rising sigh.
“They chose commoner women as models and sexually harassed them under the guise of making corsets.”
“Ha….”
“From the viscount’s father to his son, they all have a track record of sexual exploitation as if it were natural.”
“Wow, do they really have nothing else on their minds? Is it because their brains are in between their legs and they have no other intelligence besides that? ”
My mouth spit out what I was thinking in an instant, without filtering it.
Lacius nodded quietly and closed the papers.
“I guess it doesn’t matter what I do if it’s these guys.”
“That’s correct. Do you truly intend to destroy them? ”
Only by robbing their pockets and leaving nothing behind would they realize their error.
I’m not the heroic thief Hong Gil-dong*, but I want to take everything from them and return it to those who have suffered so far.
*(South Korea’s version of Robin Hood)
Simply because I can.
‘Will they come to their senses only when they are forced into bankruptcy?’
They were born with everything, so they don’t think twice about wielding their power.
So what happens if you take their wealth away from them?
I was really curious about that.
“I’m so motivated—!”
It was then.
Neighhh! The startled horse roared and raised its front feet.
As a result, the carriage shook so violently that I hit my head on the ceiling.
I’m not sure what’s going on, but the horse has gone berserk.
Because there was no seat belt in the carriage, I fell down as if I were being thrown forward.
“Ahh!”
Lacius moved his arms like lightning and grabbed me by the waist as soon as I screamed.
As a result, I was not injured. I would have flown out to the coachman’s seat if he hadn’t stopped me.
I panted in surprise.
“Are you all right, Shay?”
“Oh, I was just a little surprised.”
“Your face is pale.”
“I’m fine; was there an attack?”
“No, I don’t think it was an attack… They are civilians.”
“Civilians? Do you mean the person who purposefully caused the accident? ”
The pounding continues. My heart is racing rapidly.
Thanks to Lacius’ firm embrace, I was able to feel relieved, but my rage grew.
“A log has been rolled in front of the horse, my lord!”
The situation was announced by the coachman, who yelled.
It was a tone that assured me that it was not a mistake or an accident.
Lacius lifted the window curtain and looked outside without saying anything.
“Reporters.”
“What?!”
Several hands knocked on the carriage from outside as soon as I screamed in surprise.
“Your Highness, the Archduke! The future archduchess was a former slave, according to a tip! ”
“Please speak up! Are you currently riding together? ”
“Please come out and show us your face! Just a word! ”
“Are you really going to marry a slave?”
They were, in fact, reporters.
They swarmed like bees as soon as the carriage came to a halt, as if they had planned to do so all along.
Of course, each one was holding a pen and a notebook, ready to scribble words they’d hear from us. The braver ones even attempted to open the carriage door.
“Oh, come on.”
They don’t really stop.
They still haven’t stopped harassing Lacius with rumors and false dating gossips, and now they’re attacking me.
Of course, since we only gave stories to ‘Terran Hours,’ it must have been frustrating for then.
There was a significant difference in the number of copies sold, and the princess no longer has any reason to support them.
As a result, they must have reached their limit.
They must have lived a prosperous life as a result of the assistance they had received, so when it was suddenly cut off, they were unsure what to do.
It was only natural for them to look for more provocative articles.
“This will not do; I must go out and say something.”
“Shay. Wait.”
“Don’t stop me, and even if you do, I’m not going to listen.”
“No, I’ll go out.”
Lacius’ voice was noticeably colder than usual.
I was stunned when the air around him turned cold.
‘Oh, he’s angry.’
