~Chapter 24~
‘Wait, is it really necessary to bring soldiers just because I touched a man’s chest for a second?!’
I was about to scream in shock, but Ramon shouted first.
“Madam! I have something urgent to report!”
Ramon stopped in front of me, breathing heavily. He and the soldiers didn’t seem to care about Brother Vincent at all.
Feeling awkward, I quickly fixed my clothes and asked,
“What’s all this fuss about?”
“It’s about Lord Clayton…”
Ramon glanced at Vincent behind me.
I made a cutting gesture at my neck, telling him to just give a quick summary.
“There are many problems found in the construction that Lord Clayton and his son were in charge of. Especially, there are signs that the third southern bridge might collapse soon.”
“I see.”
“Aren’t you surprised?”
“I already expected something like this, that’s why I ordered an investigation.”
Since I already knew, I answered calmly.
Strangely, Vincent looked even more anxious after hearing us talk. I felt a bit sorry for the timid priest.
Ramon cleared his throat and went on.
“And, um, this isn’t the first time. There have been several reports about the danger of collapse sent to the civil engineering office. But Lord Clayton kept covering it up.”
“If we leave it like this, the bridge will really collapse!”
I remembered the past.
People, horses, wagons, and supplies were all swept away without warning when the bridge collapsed.
After a desperate search, we barely recovered the bodies from the frozen river downstream—but they were so damaged, it was hard to even recognize them.
The families who had waited, hoping their loved ones would return alive, lost control and cried like animals when they saw those bodies.
Before the economic disaster, there were people who lost their families in such a heartbreaking way.
“We’re going to the third bridge.”
“How will you handle it?”
“I’ll see it myself and decide after that.”
At the site, things looked normal.
To prevent chaos, Ramon had kept the danger secret and told people the bridge was just being repaired.
With so many construction sites in Lombard, it was a believable excuse.
Actually, it was a pretty good decision—rare for officials at the castle.
“Where’s Lord Clayton?”
“I’ve already sent soldiers, so he should arrive soon.”
Just as Ramon said, a carriage carrying Lord Clayton arrived.
He looked nervous as he was dragged out by soldiers. As soon as he saw me, he seemed relieved, thinking he’d be saved.
His attitude changed instantly and he became confident.
“Greetings to the lady who rules Lombard!”
I could see right through him.
He must have thought that the top authority coming in person meant I was going to help him cover up the problem.
Lord Clayton roughly shook off the soldiers and knelt in front of me.
“Oh, my lady, I’m so grateful you came all the way to this poor place! How could I express my thanks?”
His face was right at the perfect height for me.
He looked up at me, so the angle was just right.
“Grab him.”
“W-what? What are you—?!”
Smack!
Lord Clayton’s head turned to the side as I slapped him.
Before he could protest, I slapped him again on the other cheek.
He tried to stand up angrily, but the soldiers forced him back down. I slapped him on the other side, too.
“Hold your head up properly.”
The truth was, I was furious.
I thought the bridge had collapsed without warning, but now I knew there had been reports of danger before.
It must have been the same in the past. He knew about the risks but ignored them. There were chances to prevent disaster, but he wasted them.
Because of this greedy pig, people who didn’t have to die, died.
My home, Lombard, was hurt when it could have been safe.
“Madam! How could you treat me like this? Didn’t you promise me something?”
“What promise? The four thousand gold coins?”
Ramon, who had been quietly listening, muttered “small change” under his breath, mocking the amount.
Even though he was blinded by greed, Lord Clayton was quick to catch on.
“No way…”
“That’s right. The lady was so insulted by your offer of small change that she came to us, furious.”
“That can’t be! How is four thousand gold coins small change?!”
“To madam, it’s nothing. If you’re going to bribe someone, at least do it properly.”
Baron Conte, who had been quiet all day, finally joined in, clicking his tongue.
He was the perfect example of a sycophant—joining in now that Lord Clayton was finished.
Because of the baron’s words, I was now definitely seen as a crazy person, but oh well.
“Lord Clayton, do you know how many people died because of you?”
“D-died? The bridge is still standing!”
“You dare talk back to me?”
Clayton pointed at the still-standing bridge, but I didn’t care.
Every time he protested, I slapped him again.
When my hand hurt from slapping him so much, I kicked him, and when I ran out of energy, I ordered:
“Take him away and interrogate him. Make him confess every crime he’s committed.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“Also, from now on, all construction expenses must be approved by me. But to keep things efficient, you can skip proof for anything under fifty gold coins.”
“Madam!”
While I was dealing with Lord Clayton, Ramon looked shocked.
Maybe he didn’t like that I had broken my promise not to interfere with the castle’s business.
I added,
“Don’t worry. I’ll only interfere in Lombard’s business this one time.”
“That’s not it…”
“I don’t even want to work. Who likes this stuff? Even if the duke himself asks, I won’t do it again.”
Even though I promised it was only once, Ramon still pouted.
Even if it was just once, he really didn’t like it. He looked tough, but was a surprisingly sensitive guy.
News quickly spread through the castle.
Everyone was shocked that Lord Clayton—an old vassal and a powerful official—had been thrown in the dungeon.
It was already uncomfortable that a lady from the capital was interfering in Lombard’s affairs. Now she had even touched one of their own.
Officials, deciding they couldn’t let it go, went straight to Edwin.
“Madam has ordered Lord Clayton’s interrogation. This is clear interference in Lombard’s business by a capital woman!”
“You must take away all her power immediately!”
Edwin, who had been cleaning his sword, just looked down at the angry officials without saying a word.
He was always hard to predict, but as lord, he usually had little interest in running things, letting the officials make most decisions.
They thought he’d act the same way now.
Besides, Edwin had never wanted to marry Elysia anyway.
The officials let out all their frustration.
“That’s not all! Madam ordered repairs to the cathedral, broke contracts, and included even the outer wall’s church in the project.”
“I understand repairs are needed, but with the budget, we should only fix the inner wall’s church!”
“Twenty thousand gold is way too much!”
Even after all their complaints, the duke said nothing.
His eyes, bright gold like melted sunlight, looked coldly at the men who had been yelling a moment ago.
“Is that all you want to say?”
The room fell silent.
“I gave madam full authority.”
“Ignoring this means ignoring me, the lord of Lombard.”
His low, chilly voice echoed in the room.
Even though he spoke quietly, every word carried a heavy, undeniable pressure.
Like mice facing a snake, no one dared to speak.
“Anything else?”
He was clearly telling them to leave.
The always-cold duke had changed.
A few months ago, he would have done anything to stop the marriage, but now, he was protecting the lady.
‘Did that woman from the capital really win over the lord…?’
She was certainly beautiful.
Her porcelain skin, slender body, delicate features, and red lips could catch anyone’s eye.
‘Even the lord, who never cared about women, has fallen for her.’
For now, that meant no one could touch madam.
But if Lord Clayton confessed to everything during the interrogation, then even the officials could be in trouble…
‘Damn it.’
As they left the office, the officials were already planning their next move.
They had to take away madam’s power, no matter what.
They would dig up even the smallest mistake and use it against her, to make sure a woman from the capital could never interfere in Lombard again.
She might be pretty, but she must be dumb—so it should be easy.
The officials smiled, not knowing what was really coming.
Meanwhile, Edwin stood by the window, watching the officials leave.
“The criminal?”
“He’s locked in the dungeon, waiting for your orders,” answered Gareth, his assistant.
Edwin clicked his tongue.
“From now on, don’t wait for me. Do whatever madam wants.”
“What? But…”
Gareth looked confused.
It was strange, since Edwin was a respected warrior and strict lord, but he usually didn’t care much about running things.
For him to get involved in Lord Clayton’s case was unusual.
After hesitating, Gareth spoke carefully.
“My lord, forgive me, but there are some strange rumors. People say you and madam…”
“They have good eyes.”
“Excuse me?”
Edwin let out a small laugh.
Tired, he leaned his head against the wall.
“It’s true. I keep watching her. Even when I try not to, I see her running around Lombard, trying to change things with that small body.”
“Isn’t it amazing? She even wins over people who used to hate her. Who else could do that?”
Ignoring Gareth, Edwin spoke almost to himself.
“This is a problem. Things are turning out very different from what I expected.”
“I’m not sure what’s wrong, my lord. This is your land. If you don’t like what she’s doing, you can stop her.”
As expected, Gareth gave the perfect textbook answer.
He was completely wrong, but it wasn’t his fault. After all, no one could truly understand Edwin.
Edwin smiled.
“I’m not fighting her for power. For all our sakes, I’m just going to watch for now.”
“…?”
“It’s just a way of speaking.”
Gareth was almost too serious—but that’s why Edwin kept him close.
Edwin patted his assistant’s shoulder.
Late at night, the servant who had been following Elysia all day went to the secret meeting place.
Mrs. Olden, who was already waiting, looked straight at him.
“How did it go?”
“No problems.”
Looking around, the servant spoke quietly.
“Madam doesn’t seem much different from when she lived in the capital. Even though she married into the north, she hasn’t changed at all—pretty impressive, actually.”
“Tell me the details.”
The servant had followed Elysia all day.
He kept his distance and watched carefully so he wouldn’t be noticed.
He saw a group of officials and soldiers running, so he backed off and missed some of the conversation, but he could guess what happened from the mood.
“It looked like madam already had a lover.”
“So soon?”
“Yes, he seemed to be a low-ranking priest from the Lombard church. Even from far away, you could tell he was tall and strong. They looked very close.”
Elysia and the priest used their church tour as an excuse to go on a date.
They laughed and smiled together—seeing Elysia smile was so rare, he thought the sun must have risen in the west.
But suddenly, the mood changed.
The young priest suddenly grabbed Elysia and hugged her, creating a strange atmosphere.
The servant clearly remembered Elysia’s hand touching the priest’s solid chest and her surprised eyes.
The priest even wrapped his arm around Elysia’s waist and held her for a long time.
‘Honestly, I felt like the priest could see right through my hiding place… but that must be my imagination. How could a simple priest spot me? He’s not a trained warrior.’
Hearing the report, Mrs. Olden muttered,
“I knew it. It was odd for her to go on church tours every single day… So that’s why.”
