Chapter 10 – Pay Back What You Receive
At the far end of the capital, in a barren province, stood Ingrid Prison.
“It really is a country built for corruption,” said a low voice.
He, too, was someone who couldn’t stand the corruption of the empire — so he chose to work outside the palace walls.
That man was Adan Polidium, the prince of the Vastafa Empire — a strange investigator who came and went through the prison like it was his own home, always wearing a black mask.
When he left the prison, Adan removed the mask and changed the ring on his finger. The gemstone in the ring glowed faintly.
As soon as he stepped beyond the boundary of the magic-stone-restricted area, his golden hair instantly turned black.
The dark hair made his sharp eyes look even colder.
He looked like a different man — and his aide, Brode, who was waiting nearby, noticed him and dismounted from his horse.
“Your Highness, another letter from the palace has arrived,” Brode said, handing it over.
“A letter from Father again? I’ll accept his concern — just not his orders.”
“It’s not concern this time, Your Highness. It’s more like… a command.”
Brode sighed deeply.
“How long do you plan to keep cleaning up the empire?”
“Until I can’t see any more dust. My perfectionism is a bit severe, you see.”
Adan pulled his investigator’s hat low over his eyes. Even with the rough hat, his noble bearing couldn’t be hidden.
“You’ve already done enough, Your Highness. His Majesty is getting old. Shouldn’t you return to help him?”
“I am helping — in my own way.”
Brode had no words. Adan’s investigations were indeed for the empire’s sake — but the emperor wanted him to rule and manage, not to solve crimes.
“His Majesty has been sending letters more often lately. If this keeps up, I’ll be caught in the middle and burned alive,” Brode complained as he tore open the letter.
He read it quickly, then groaned.
“Ah… His Majesty says that if you don’t choose a bride by the end of this year, he’ll arrange a political marriage for you himself.”
The emperor was as strict as ever.
“Then let him do as he pleases,” Adan said coolly.
“You can’t be serious! Absolutely not!” Brode shouted, crushing the letter in his hands.
“Why are you getting so worked up?”
“Because marriage is sacred! It’s about love — about two people finding each other and building a life together! I want Your Highness to find someone you truly love and live happily!”
“That’s your dream, not mine.”
“But would you really be happy marrying someone you’ve never met — someone you don’t even know?”
“Of course not,” Adan admitted.
Brode smiled faintly at the honest answer.
“Right? I heard His Majesty wants to form a marriage alliance to keep the Fellum family in check — he’s considering Lady Hedia Antieu.”
There was only one lady from the Fellum circle that could mean — Hedia Antieu.
She was the daughter of Baron Antieu, but because of her magical power, she had been taken under the sponsorship of the Fellum family and raised like one of them.
“After the Fellum heir’s success in the last war, His Majesty’s been nervous. Now, that family’s expanding their businesses and gaining more power — almost rivaling the dukes,” Brode explained.
Hearing that name made Adan’s jaw tighten.
The Fellum family was full of people he despised — arrogant nobles who used their inherited power to trample others.
The current head, Regan Fellum, had secretly built alliances within the palace to manipulate imperial policies for his own benefit.
Adan had been meaning to investigate one of Regan’s shady enterprises someday.
“The Emperor’s clever,” Adan said with a dry laugh. “If I marry into that family, he can keep their power in check without lifting a finger.”
Brode frowned. “But, Your Highness, you hate that family! And you’ve never even met the young lady!”
“It doesn’t matter. I don’t have many options anyway.”
“What do you mean no options? We can still find a good lady for you — I’ll help!” Brode said eagerly, his eyes shining. To choose the next empress was a huge responsibility, but he was determined to find someone perfect for Adan.
“Even a commoner woman?”
“W–What? Of course not…!”
That was impossible. The crown prince’s wife had to be of noble blood.
Adan gave a bitter smile.
“See? That’s what I mean. If I have to choose from that same circle, then it doesn’t matter who it is. Nobles are all the same — same manners, same education, same dull conversations.”
To him, marrying any noble woman — even someone from the Fellum family — made no difference.
“Enough of this boring talk,” Adan said, turning his horse around.
“What? Where are you going now?” Brode called.
“To catch a loan shark.”
His blue eyes glimmered with excitement — so different from when they spoke about marriage.
Brode couldn’t help but admit it — Adan looked more alive on the rough city streets than he ever did inside the golden palace.
***
Charlotte managed to find a teacher in just one day.
When Everett heard about the sudden lesson, she dressed neatly and entered the classroom.
The dress she wore used to belong to Hedia — it was too small for her cousin now, but still far too fancy for Everett.
While Hedia enjoyed freshly baked bread, Everett had once eaten moldy crusts.
In this house, everything was determined by usefulness.
The classroom made that clear, too.
It was the first time Everett had ever been inside.
Books belonging to Hedia and her two older brothers lined the shelves — but there wasn’t a single one with Everett’s name.
She sat quietly at her seat, unbothered. She was long past feeling hurt about it.
A moment later, the new teacher arrived.
She was a middle-aged woman with her hair tied tightly on top of her head, her eyelids painted heavily with black soot. As soon as she entered, a sharp scent of cigars filled the room.
So much for “a good teacher.” Charlotte must’ve chosen someone cheap and cruel.
“Aren’t you going to greet me?” the woman barked.
Her rough voice held no trace of refinement. Still, Everett stood and bowed politely.
“Good morning, Teacher.”
Compared to the people she’d faced back when she was a lawyer, this woman wasn’t scary at all.
“So you can talk. I heard you couldn’t even read.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“Hah. Servants aren’t much different, are they?”
Her eyes looked down at Everett like she was trash.
“Are you… royalty, Teacher?” Everett asked calmly.
The teacher — whose name was Agatha — immediately pulled out a cane from her bag and swung it hard across Everett’s arm.
The blow was merciless. Her arm swelled instantly.
It wasn’t a switch — it was practically a club.
The kind meant to bruise, not to bleed.
Charlotte arranged this, Everett thought.
Agatha slammed the stick against the floor.
“Don’t you dare make jokes like that at the start of class! And you only speak when spoken to! If you have a question, you raise your hand and ask politely!”
She rolled up her sleeves, revealing arms covered in old scars.
She looked more like a thug than a teacher.
“Aren’t you going to apologize? Do I have to teach you manners too?”
The stick struck again, this time across Everett’s back.
With no fat on her body, the pain went straight to the bone.
“Ah—” Everett gasped despite herself.
Her lips trembled from the pain, but she forced herself to speak.
“I’m sorry, Teacher.”
Only then did Agatha lower the cane.
“No more questions until you memorize every word of the Vastafa language,” she said.
“Y-Yes, ma’am. I’ll do that.”
Agatha smiled thinly and leaned close to whisper,
“Don’t be upset about the discipline. These are loving blows. Every strike is for your own good.”
“Loving blows?” Everett echoed quietly.
“Yes. The cane of love,” Agatha said with a twisted smile.
Everett nodded calmly.
Getting angry wouldn’t help.
After all, every time they hit her… they were the ones who would regret it later.
