Chapter 24

‘Wait, w, why would he bring soldiers just because I touched a man’s chest for a second?!’

I was so shocked I almost screamed, but Ramon shouted first.

“Madam. I have urgent news to report!”

Ramon stopped in front of me, breathing hard and out of breath. He and the soldiers acted as if Brother Vincent did not even exist.

Feeling embarrassed, I quickly fixed my posture and asked again.

“What has you all in such a frenzy.”

“It relates to Viscount Clayton…”

Only then did Ramon glance warily at Vincent standing behind me.

I slashed my hand across my neck twice. A sign telling him to shorten the report.

“There are numerous issues in the construction managed by Viscount Clayton and his son. In particular, the Third Southern Bridge has been found to show signs of imminent collapse.”

“I see.”

“Um… you are not surprised?”

“I suspected it, which is why I ordered the investigation.”

Since I already knew this story, I answered calmly.

Instead, Vincent, who overheard everything, became the one who fidgeted anxiously. I felt a little sorry for the fragile priest.

Ramon coughed awkwardly and continued.

“A, at any rate, this is not the first time.”

“What do you mean.”

“Multiple reports warning of collapse were already sent to the Civil Engineering Inspection Bureau. Yet Viscount Clayton, who is the responsible authority, repeatedly hid all those reports.”

“…”

“At this rate the bridge truly will collapse!”

I recalled the past.

Horses, carriages, goods, and countless people had been swept away by a sudden collapse without any warning.

After searching desperately for survivors, the only bodies we recovered downstream from the frozen river were so damaged that they were barely recognizable.

Families who had waited desperately for the missing to return alive fell into madness at the sight of those broken bodies and wailed like wounded beasts.

Before the catastrophic economic loss, there had been people. People who had lost their loved ones so helplessly.

“We go to the Third Bridge.”

“What do you plan to do there.”

“I will see it myself and decide. Everything comes after that.”

* * *

The scene at the site did not appear much different from usual.

To prevent panic, Ramon had kept the collapse risk confidential and restricted public access by claiming it was for bridge maintenance.

Since construction was occurring all over Lombard anyway, the excuse sounded plausible.

It was a surprisingly competent decision for the castle office.

“Where is Viscount Clayton.”

“We sent soldiers to fetch him. He will arrive shortly.”

Just as Ramon said, a prisoner transport carriage soon arrived carrying Viscount Clayton.

Dragged down by soldiers, he wore a face full of fear. But the moment he saw me standing at the site, he lit up as if he had been saved.

His eyes grew arrogant almost instantly.

“Greetings to the Madam who governs Lombard!”

His intentions were obvious.

If the highest authority of Lombard had come in person, then surely it was to cover up the incident for him. That was what he must have thought.

Clayton shook off the soldiers roughly and fell to his knees right in front of me.

“Oh, how can I express my gratitude that the noble Madam has graced such a humble place with her presence!”

His face, kneeling, came up to a perfect height.

He tilted his head up toward me, the angle just perfect.

“Hold him.”

“W, what? All of a sudden…!”

Smack!

Clayton’s head snapped to the left.

Before he could protest, I slapped him again on the other cheek.

When he tried to leap to his feet in outrage, the soldiers quickly forced him down. This time, I slapped the other side.

“You should lift your head properly, should you not.”

Truthfully, I was furious to the point of shaking.

I had believed the collapse came without warning, but instead multiple reports had already been filed.

It must have been the same in the past. He must have known the danger. He had had plenty of chances to stop it yet ignored all of them.

Because of this greedy pig, territory residents who should not have died ended up dead.

My homeland Lombard had suffered injury it did not deserve.

“M, Madam. How could you do this to me. Madam, you and I made a promise, did we not.”

“What promise. That pathetic bribe of four thousand gold coins.”

Ramon, who had been holding his breath beside me, snorted softly and emphasized “pathetic.”

Greedy as he was, Clayton was still quick-witted.

“No… surely not.”

“Yes. The Madam said your pathetic offer was so insulting she could not tolerate it and scolded us heavily.”

“That is nonsense. How is four thousand gold coins pathetic.”

“To Madam it is pocket change. Bribes need to match the person. Fool.”

Baron Conte clicked his tongue from beside us.

He had spent the whole day acting quiet and harmless, but now that Clayton’s downfall was confirmed he began adding comments with enthusiasm.

Truly the perfect icon of a sycophant.

Since his confirmation shot had solidified my image as an unstoppable crazy duchess beyond repair, I felt slightly bitter, but still.

“Viscount Clayton, do you know how many territory residents have died because of you.”

“D, died? But the bridge is still standing.”

“How dare you talk back to me.”

Clayton desperately tried pointing with his eyes toward the bridge still standing firm, but it did not matter. Every time he tried to speak I slapped him again.

When my hand began to sting I kicked him instead, and when even that drained my energy, I gasped and commanded:

“Drag him away and interrogate him. Force him to confess every crime he has committed.”

“Yes!”

“And from now on all construction budget reports will need my approval. Excessive documentation is inefficient so anything under fifty gold coins is exempt.”

“M, Madam!”

While I was busy crushing Clayton, Ramon had been silently cheering. But at that last statement, his eyes widened.

He seemed displeased that I had broken my vow not to meddle in internal affairs. His pupils trembled faintly as he looked at me.

To reassure him, I added:

“Do not worry. This is the only time I will involve myself in Lombard’s administration.”

“That is not what I meant…”

“I hate working. Who likes it anyway. Even if the Duke himself orders it next time, I will not do it.”

Even after my solemn declaration Ramon pouted.

He disliked even this single exception. For someone who looked so tall and strong, he had an unexpectedly narrow heart.

* * *

The castle office buzzed with unrest.

The moment news spread that Viscount Clayton, a vassal who had served Lombard for generations and one of the most powerful men in the Civil Engineering Inspectorate, had been imprisoned in the underground dungeon, the officials exploded.

Having a duchess from the Capital interfere with Lombard’s internal affairs was already uncomfortable enough. Now she had dared lay hands on one of their own.

No longer able to tolerate it, the civil officials finally approached Edwin.

“Her Grace has ordered the interrogation of Viscount Clayton. This is blatant interference in our internal governance by someone from the Capital.”

“You must immediately revoke the authority granted to the Madam.”

Edwin continued polishing his sword, watching the shouting crowd with blank indifference.

His intentions were always difficult to read. As a lord, he had no real interest in governing. Most matters he left for the castle office to handle.

Officials assumed this time would be the same.

Not to mention he despised the marriage with Elicia in the first place.

So the officials, emboldened, began venting their pent-up anger.

“And that is not all. The Madam ordered renovations to the Holy Church. Not only did she cancel existing contracts without consultation, she even included the outer wall chapel used by commoners in the construction.”

“While maintenance is necessary, the budget means the scope should stay within the inner wall.”

“Twenty thousand gold coins is outrageous.”

They took turns hurling complaints, yet Edwin did not say a single word.

His golden eyes remained cold and uninterested.

“Is that all you wished to say.”

Silence filled the office.

His eyes, bright like molten sunlight, slowly scanned over the officials who had been shouting moments ago.

“I granted the Duchess full authority.”

“…”

“To disregard that is the same as disregarding the master of Lombard.”

His low, cool voice echoed softly across the room.

He did not raise his voice, yet every word carried an overwhelming pressure that none dared oppose.

Like mice before a snake, no one spoke.

“Anything else.”

This was a clear dismissal.

The officials froze.

Until only months ago, this duke had done everything in his power to prevent the marriage. But now, for some reason, he was shielding the duchess.

‘Did that woman from the Capital seduce the lord…’

She did have remarkable beauty.

People had said the rumors were exaggerated, but after seeing her in person, she was breathtaking.

Smooth porcelain skin, slender body, doll-like features, striking crimson lips.

Any young man with blood in his veins would waver.

‘Even His Grace, who cared nothing for women, has fallen.’

Which meant… attacking the duchess now would be difficult.

But if Viscount Clayton broke under interrogation and confessed everything, then they too…

‘Damn it.’

The officials left the office with stiff faces, already thinking up their next move.

They needed to strip the duchess of her authority no matter what.

They would seize even the smallest flaw, latch onto it, and ensure that woman from the Capital never got near internal affairs again.

She was nothing but a pretty face with no brain, so it would be easier than scooping cold soup.

Not knowing what awaited them, the officials laughed.

* * *

Meanwhile, Edwin stood by the window, watching the officials leaving in groups.

“The prisoner.”

“He has been locked in the underground dungeon. Awaiting your command.”

At Gareth’s report, Edwin clicked his tongue quietly.

“In the future, do not wait. Do as the Duchess wishes.”

“Pardon? But…”

Gareth wore an utterly baffled expression.

It made sense. Edwin was a fearsome warrior and iron-blooded ruler respected across the north, but he had never cared for administrative matters.

So even taking interest in Clayton’s case was an anomaly.

After hesitating, Gareth finally spoke carefully.

“My lord, forgive my boldness, but there are somewhat embarrassing rumors. That my lord has feelings for the Duchess…”

“They all have sharp eyes.”

“…What?”

A faint snort escaped him.

Leaning his head against the wall, Edwin murmured tiredly.

“Yes, I keep looking at her. Even when I try not to. When I see that tiny body running around trying to change Lombard.”

“…”

“Is it not strange. She manages to soften the hatred even of those who resented her. Who else could do that.”

Speaking as if to himself, he confessed openly without caring that Gareth stood right there.

“This is troublesome. Things are turning out too differently from what I planned.”

“I am too dull to understand what the problem is. This is your territory, my lord. If the Duchess’s actions bother you, you can simply correct them.”

As expected, Gareth gave a textbook answer.

It missed the point completely, but he was not at fault. No one alive could possibly understand Edwin’s thoughts.

Edwin laughed quietly.

“I do not intend to compete for power with my wife. For all our sakes, I plan to watch for now.”

“…?”

“It was just a manner of speaking.”

Stubborn to the point of foolishness. That was why cautious Edwin kept Gareth near him.

Seeing his lieutenant still confused, Edwin lightly patted his shoulder.

* * *

Late at night, after everyone had fallen asleep, the servant who had shadowed Elicia all day entered the meeting location.

Lady Olden, already waiting, turned eagerly toward him.

“How was it.”

“No issues.”

After scanning the area, the servant leaned in and spoke quietly.

“The Madam does not seem much different from when she lived in the Capital. Even after marrying into the unfamiliar northern lands she has not changed. In a way, one could say she is impressive.”

“Explain in detail.”

The servant had followed Elicia all day.

He kept a reasonable distance and watched carefully so no one would notice him.

When a crowd of officials and soldiers suddenly rushed past, he had to pull back, which kept him from hearing the rest of the conversation. But he could roughly guess the situation.

“It looked like the Madam has taken a lover.”

“A lover. Already.”

“Yes. A young man who appears to be a low-ranking priest from the Lombard diocese. Even from afar, he was tall and broad-shouldered. Anyone could see what kind of relationship they had. They seemed very close.”

Elicia and the priest had used the inspection as an excuse for a date.

They kept smiling at each other, chatting happily without pause. The fact that the infamous Elicia was smiling was shocking enough to make one think the sun had risen in the west.

Then suddenly the atmosphere had shifted dramatically.

The young priest had grabbed Elicia and pulled her into his arms, creating a strangely intimate scene.

The way Elicia’s hand trailed along his firm chest and the look in her eyes remained vividly in the servant’s memory.

The priest had wrapped an arm around her waist and held her for quite a while.

‘At one point I felt like the priest had seen right through where I was hiding… but that must have been my imagination. A common priest could not possibly detect a tail. He was not a trained warrior.’

After hearing the report, Lady Olden murmured:

“So I was right. I wondered why she was going out for inspections every single day despite her lazy nature. So that was the reason.”