Chapter 91
At the lord’s command, Red Bear showed a troubled expression.
“Why? Is there some problem?”
“There is no underground prison in Idor. The village chief’s house also doesn’t seem to have any place that could serve as one.”
“Really? Then tie him up tightly so he can’t escape and lock him somewhere suitable. Tomorrow morning, in front of all the villagers, we’ll hold a public trial and then drag him to Grace.”
Pig Dog shook his head in despair, but Donghui didn’t even bother to glance his way, unwilling to look at him any longer.
“Yes, understood.”
Just as Donghui was issuing orders without pause, the parlor door swung wide open and a woman stepped lightly inside.
What now…
Donghui frowned at the sight of the woman who entered with a radiant smile. She wore a stifling dress buttoned all the way up to her throat, her delicate steps graceful as she approached. But when she spotted Pig Dog kneeling on the ground, she froze in place.
“What on earth is this…?”
The woman looked utterly bewildered, as if she had no idea what was happening in the parlor.
“What’s going on, you ask?”
To Rose’s words, Donghui replied.
That expression—I know it well. That pitiful, tragic look as if she had become the heroine of a sorrowful play. Those pretentious, hypocritical eyes pretending to be a victim while she’s the perpetrator.
Suppressing the irritation rising within, Donghui explained.
“As you can see, this man committed crimes and is now kneeling in punishment. He has been stripped of his position as village chief, and all his property will be confiscated.”
“Th–that can’t be…! Why? For what reason?”
Rose stared blankly at Pig Dog’s trembling back, her face full of shock.
“And why do I have to explain to you? Who are you?”
“I am Rose, the village chief Pig Dog’s cousin.”
The woman quickly bowed her head under Donghui’s piercing gaze, answering with utmost respect.
Pig Dog had told her the lord was just a young, inexperienced girl. But the person standing before her now looked capable of killing with her eyes alone. For the first time in her life, Rose felt fear just from looking at someone.
As Pig Dog had instructed, she politely introduced herself as his cousin, treading carefully to avoid bringing trouble upon herself.
“So, you say you’re his family?”
“Yes, my lord.”
Rose answered nervously, though she believed this had to be some sort of mistake.
To her, Pig Dog was the greatest, most reliable person in the world. That’s why she had abandoned her husband and young son without regret to come here. If everything crumbled now, her life would fall into ruin. So, she convinced herself that Pig Dog could not—must not—be in the wrong.
“Red Bear. You heard her, didn’t you? She says she’s family. Tie her up too.”
But the result of trusting Pig Dog and lying was a one-way trip to the prison.
“Yes, my lord.”
Only then did Rose realize her lie had backfired, and she quickly shook her head in panic.
“What? Why me! No, I’m not family. I’m just his—!”
“What?”
The lord’s sharp, threatening glare made Rose feel like she would faint on the spot.
“I–I’m his mistress…”
Her voice shook as she finally forced the words out. Never before had she been this frightened of a person. That such overwhelming intimidation could come from a mere twenty-year-old girl was unthinkable. Her hands clutched the folds of her dress so tightly that they trembled uncontrollably.
“He even kept a mistress? Unbelievable. Red Bear, tie her up too!”
Looking at the pair—one scrawny as a stick, the other’s face slick with oily arrogance—Donghui could barely contain her fury.
“Yes, my lord!”
At Donghui’s command, the knights rushed in and bound both Pig Dog and Rose tightly.
“Say something, please! Tell them I did nothing wrong! You dragged me here against my will!”
Rose struggled desperately, trying not to be dragged away. But Pig Dog, who had just lost everything, couldn’t even hear her. It all felt like a dream, and he could only mutter the same words over and over.
“This can’t be happening… Something like this could never happen to me…”
The world he thought was unshakable was crumbling to pieces.
Donghui completely revised her original plan of returning to Grace right away. The state of Idor was far worse than she had anticipated. She found herself newly grateful for Morta and Enol’s village chiefs, who had endured hardships alongside their people and tried to overcome them.
“Red Bear. Send word to the castle that we’ll stay one more day. Call for the treasurer and have Delma prepare a temporary distribution center. Tell Monel to bring spare winter clothes for the children and as many blankets as possible. And Den is to continue purchasing winter clothing and blankets and send them to Grace. And Handsome.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Handsome, frantically jotting down her orders, lifted his head with a solemn voice. From experience, he knew the faster the lord spoke, the angrier she was. His eyes shone like a model student paying perfect attention in class.
“Gather the artisans of this village. Start with the carpenters. Blacksmiths too.”
“Yes, understood.”
Having done this before, Red Bear and Handsome could carry out Donghui’s words seamlessly, already anticipating the steps that would follow.
“This is the grain storehouse.”
One of Pig Dog’s servants led the lord and Red Bear to the storehouse, which was far larger than expected.
“Open it.”
At the cold command, the servant quickly unlocked the heavy door at his waist. The sturdy door, which had always seemed unopenable to anyone but the chief, creaked open slowly. The other servants standing nearby swallowed hard.
Creeeeak.
Finally, the iron door swung wide. The knights, standing by to carry out the grains, stared in shock, their jaws dropping.
While the villagers were starving and too weak to manage even a single meal a day, Pig Dog’s storehouse overflowed with more grain than they could ever consume.
Not just grain, but also famine crops, dried fruits, and other long-lasting foods filled the place to the brim.
“Take it all out. Not a single grain left behind!”
At the lord’s fierce command, the storehouse was swiftly emptied, its contents transferred to the temporary distribution center set up in the courtyard.
Even with dozens of knights, the task was too great to finish within an hour. The servants of Pig Dog’s household, along with Beiky and Kevin who had accompanied the party from Grace, pitched in to help.
When working under the chief’s orders, the servants had been lifeless, like paper dolls. But while moving the grain, their faces were bright with energy.
By dusk, the villagers summoned from each household—mostly the heads of families—looked uneasy and resentful. Survival was already a struggle, and now they were being forced into constant labor. Though such work was technically their duty as vassals, Pig Dog’s demands had been excessive. Even in years of famine, he had them build roads, tend his gardens, repair his house—always more than they could bear. No wonder the villagers held such resentment.
The village chief’s garden was so vast that even two hundred people gathered there still left plenty of space.
The moment the door to the chief’s house opened and the lord’s carriage emerged, escorted by armored knights in a straight line, the crowd fell silent.
Where once there had been grumbles and unrest, now fear filled their eyes. If the mercenaries hired by the chief were already ruthless, what of the lord’s knights? At least, the mothers and children hadn’t been brought to this gathering. The women who stood in place of absent husbands were pale with terror, barely daring to breathe.
The knight surveyed the tense crowd, then shouted in a booming voice.
“Pig Dog Fagaya is hereby stripped of his position as chief of Idor Village for extorting unjust taxes from the villagers and embezzling the tribute meant for Lady Grace!”
Red Bear’s voice rang out loud and clear, silencing all whispers. He continued reading the proclamation without hesitation.
“By the lord’s command, the chief’s storehouse is to be opened, and not a single grain withheld from the villagers. Each household is to bring sacks or containers and return here in one hour to receive their portion. Furthermore, the lord has decreed that additional food shall be bestowed as a special gift.”
The villagers could hardly believe what they were hearing.
“Is this true? They’re really giving us grain?”
“What if we’re made to repay it later, with heavy interest?”
Years of Pig Dog’s corruption left the villagers wary of any kindness.
But Red Bear’s firm voice carried no doubt.
“No such thing will happen. Return here in one hour to receive both grain and employment opportunities. The rebuilding of this village will also be discussed. Now, aside from Pig Dog, is there anyone who can represent this village?”
At his booming question, the villagers all turned their eyes toward an elderly man standing at the front.
His hair was white as snow, his body frail and thin, looking like the wind could topple him at any moment. Red Bear frowned, pained by the sight.
Some younger men, misinterpreting the expression, nervously spoke up.
“Old man Billy is the moral pillar of our village. Whenever Pig Dog abused his power, it was he who stood in the middle and tried to stop him. If anyone should represent us, it’s Billy.”
“That’s right!”
“Truly so!”
The moment Billy’s name was spoken, the villagers all raised their voices in agreement.
