Chapter 15
Rian let out a sigh and spoke.
“If you need more proof, say so. Besides the wound on the horse’s hindquarters, there are witnesses who saw the sharp needles you attached to your shoes—and saw you kicking the horse with them.”
The moment Rian finished speaking, the man who had brought Bertram forward held out a shoe. There was no need to ask—it was the very shoe Bertram had been wearing earlier that day.
The man named Jensen was one of Almon’s trusted servants. Known for his great strength, he usually handled most tasks that required physical labor.
When Rian even brought up the shoe, Bertram visibly faltered. At this point, anyone who wasn’t a complete fool would know there was no way out.
“Now speak. Who ordered you to do this? Right now.”
“……”
There was no answer, but his eyes alone made it obvious that he was agonizing over it. His gaze darted around anxiously, lips trembling, a mixture of fear and unease written all over his face.
Wanting to end things quickly, Rian signaled to Oswald.
From the moment he’d seen Bertram, Oswald’s hand resting on his sword had been twitching.
How dare you endanger the lord’s life!
Sching!
Oswald’s cold, gleaming blade shot forward, aimed straight at Bertram’s throat.
At the same time, Rian issued a warning.
“If you don’t talk quickly, Oswald might stab you with that sword.”
“P-Please spare me, my lord! Th-This lowly one has committed a crime worthy of death!”
Was it because the sharp blade was right before his eyes? Only then did Bertram seem to truly realize his situation, spraying spit as he frantically begged for mercy.
It was utterly repulsive—how someone who had tried to commit such a horrific act like murder was now crying for his life.
“When did I ever tell you to beg for forgiveness? I believe I asked you to tell me who it was.”
“Please, just spare my life! I’ve committed a sin deserving death!”
“His Lordship is asking who it was!” Oswald roared. “You lazy bastard who does nothing all day while pretending to be the stable master—didn’t you suddenly drive the carriage today just to kill Steward Almon? Everyone here is a witness! Reveal who’s behind you, now!”
Furious, Oswald pushed the sword even closer to Bertram’s neck.
Bertram might not have known, but Oswald was exercising an astonishing level of restraint. Just thinking about the carriage accident earlier that day made his teeth grind even now.
It hadn’t even been a full month since the young lord had wandered lost through the mountains and finally returned. Frail by nature, he surely hadn’t fully recovered yet.
And yet, while Oswald had been away only briefly, his lord had nearly met with an accident. How could Oswald remain calm?
If not for the lord’s explicit orders, Oswald would have wanted nothing more than to cut Bertram’s head off on the spot.
Perhaps he’d put too much force into it—the tip of the sword dug into Bertram’s neck, and red blood began to seep out. Bertram shrieked in terror.
“Aaaah!”
“So speak.”
Rian commanded again in a stern voice. Oswald’s threat seemed to have worked—Bertram’s mouth slowly opened.
“…I-It was Lord Flynn.”
“And?”
Rian didn’t look surprised at all—he’d already known. Almon, too, stood in the same posture as before, as though he’d expected this.
Scott and Oswald, however, gasped in shock.
“Gah!”
“Th-That pig bastard! How dare he—how dare he…!”
The first exclamation came from Scott, the second from Oswald. Now that the mastermind had been revealed, Oswald could only mutter the word “how dare he” over and over, unable to continue.
“A-And Steward Side….”
As he mentioned the other accomplice, Side, Bertram almost unconsciously tried to use the honorific “steward” and quickly clamped his mouth shut.
Old habits were indeed frightening. Rian swallowed a dry laugh and spoke quietly.
“Oswald, take the soldiers and bring Flynn and Side here immediately. Strike while the iron is hot. We’ll finish everything tonight.”
“Yes, my lord!”
He’d been waiting for that order. Oswald sheathed his sword and rushed out like an arrow. Outside, more than ten soldiers were already standing by under Rian’s command.
Rian found himself wondering what kind of expression Flynn would make when armed soldiers appeared in the middle of the night. This time, he would pay dearly for his crimes—despising his superiors, mocking the people of the territory, all while being nothing more than a mere administrator.
Flynn might feel wronged, thinking he alone was being punished, but Rian intended to make an example of him. Punishing every corrupt official at once would only cause chaos.
By utterly crushing Flynn—the de facto representative of the administrators—Rian would solidify his authority as lord, and then gradually replace the officials with people he personally selected.
Tonight was the first step toward all of that.
“My lord… please, please spare me!”
Bertram’s tearful pleas echoed through the quiet stables. But Rian, as though he couldn’t hear a thing, merely gazed up at the night sky with an indifferent expression.
Scott couldn’t bear to watch Bertram being dragged away by Jensen. He lowered his head, staring only at the ground.
There was no doubt Bertram had committed an unforgivable crime, but as a witness, Scott couldn’t help feeling a small twinge of guilt.
It had been Scott who first reported Bertram’s strange behavior before the horse went berserk.
Having rushed to the scene with Rian, Scott had observed Bertram out of habit—and witnessed him moving his foot to kick the horse’s hindquarters.
Feeling something was wrong, Scott had secretly entered the stables to inspect the horses, only to discover faint wounds that hadn’t yet healed. He’d been shocked.
Only then did Scott understand why the lord had ordered him to keep watch over Bertram.
Scott immediately ran to Rian and reported everything. Rian, who had been calming his mother and sister while considering how to deal with Bertram, prepared for tonight’s events after hearing Scott’s report.
Bertram must never have imagined that Rian already knew the truth. He hadn’t even bothered hiding the shoes, nor had he tried to flee.
Fifteen years ago, the incident had passed without suspicion—but now that Rian was lord, there was no way he would let it slide.
To ensure nothing like this ever happened again, Rian intended to establish strict discipline through this incident.
How much time had passed?
“Let go of me at once, you filthy wretches!”
Heavy footsteps shattered the silence of the night, followed by Flynn’s voice echoing through the stables.
Judging by his disheveled hair and half-undone clothes, it seemed he’d put up quite a struggle before being dragged here.
“You lowly scum! How dare you treat me like a criminal? I won’t let any of you get away with this!”
Still not noticing Rian, Flynn continued shouting even after entering the stables.
“Do you not know where you are? Can’t you even see His Lordship standing there?!”
Unable to stand it any longer, Oswald shouted. Only then did Flynn finally regain his senses and spot Rian.
“M-My lord!”
He looked momentarily flustered, but soon threw himself flat on the ground, crying out his grievances.
“My lord! What crime have I committed for you to treat me this way? This lowly one has done nothing but devote himself to you with absolute loyalty!”
“Your mouth works awfully well for someone with no shame.”
Normally, Rian would have kept such words to himself, but Flynn’s disgusting display made them slip out.
“Loyalty? Is that what you call flattering me to my face while cursing me behind my back, all the while scheming how to embezzle more money?”
“What—what are you talking about? This is all a misunderstanding! Please listen to me! Someone is clearly trying to frame me!”
“A frame-up? Heh.”
Rian hadn’t known Flynn possessed such talent for comedy. With a picture-perfect smile at his lips, he spoke softly.
“Almon. Bring him in.”
“Yes, my lord.”
At Rian’s command, Almon—who had been standing quietly—turned and disappeared.
Only then did Flynn sense something was seriously wrong. A chilling aura he’d never felt before was emanating from the lord.
The weak, incompetent child-lord he used to manipulate so easily was nowhere to be seen.
Something’s gone terribly wrong.
Alarms rang in his head, but it was already too late. Having never imagined that he’d been dragged here because of the carriage incident earlier that day, Flynn went pale when he saw Bertram approaching with Almon.
“Where’s Side?”
Rian asked coldly, his gaze fixed on Flynn. As if on cue, Side entered the stables moments later, his body bound tightly with rope.
“He resisted fiercely. It took some time to bring him.”
Standing before the torchlight with a twisted expression, Side showed no reaction upon seeing Flynn and Bertram.
Meeting Rian’s gaze with unflinching confidence, he looked like a man falsely accused. Wherever that confidence came from, he seemed convinced he would be released.
Fine. Try denying it if you can.
Rian stared at Side and Flynn before slowly opening his mouth.
“Now all the conspirators are present. Flynn, are you still going to insist this is a frame-up?”
“My lord, I know nothing of this. Why are you doing this to me?”
“Are you truly going to deny that you conspired with these men to kill Almon?”
“K-Kill him? Then are you saying that the carriage accident earlier today was a planned attempt by these men to murder Almon?”
As if learning this for the first time, Flynn jumped up, pointing at Bertram and Side.
Rian let out a short laugh. As expected, Flynn was nothing more than a smooth talker with an empty head.
Wasn’t he admitting his own guilt with his own words?
“I asked only whether you intended to kill Almon. Yet you immediately concluded it was the carriage accident. Are you still going to deny it?”
“……!”
“Is there any clearer proof than accurately identifying something everyone believed to be a mere accident as a deliberate plan?”
Realizing his blunder, Flynn panicked and hurriedly made excuses.
“N-No! I only thought that because the coachman was here! I have nothing to do with this incident at all! Please believe me!”
“Don’t you think even you sound ridiculous?”
Watching Flynn spew desperate nonsense in an attempt to escape, Rian was once again reminded of just how incompetent the former lord must have been.
To have been played by someone like this—one could easily imagine the extent of that incompetence. Facing Flynn as lord now, Rian found him utterly pathetic.
“Bertram. He’s acting like this—don’t you have anything to say?”
Bertram, already wearing a look of disbelief at Flynn’s shameless lies, was about to open his mouth when Flynn spoke faster.
“You bastard! Speak the truth to His Lordship at once! I don’t know what grudge you hold against me, but if you spout any nonsense, not only you—but your entire family—will not be spared!”
Though he shouted, Flynn’s eyes were pleading with Bertram.
If Bertram told the truth, they would all die. But if he saved Flynn, he would surely be rewarded—Flynn conveyed this message again and again with his gaze.
However, Bertram neither understood nor trusted that look. Before being summoned here, he had already heard Rian’s words.
If he spoke honestly, his life would be spared. If he lied, everyone involved—including their families—would be punished.
Selfish and sharp-tempered though he was, Bertram was still a father of two daughters.
He could not let his daughters die because of him.
