Chapter 9

At my words, the Fox Merchants’ Alliance began to stir.

I pressed the point further.

“Surely you know what punishment awaits someone who commits fraud? Naol! Since they seem unaware, explain it to them!”

“Yes, my lady.”

Naol, who had memorized the information in advance, began to explain solemnly.

“The punishment for fraud under imperial law is that the perpetrator must repay twice the amount they scammed from the victim. If they are unable to pay compensation, both the individual and their family are bound to serve as slaves equivalent to the debt.”

“So that’s how it is.”

I tilted my head arrogantly and scanned the Fox Merchants’ Alliance.

Human psychology is a funny thing.

Even an ordinary citizen who has lived a law-abiding life will flinch when they see a police officer.

Moreover, I am a high-ranking noble—a duke’s wife—and they are at best viscounts.

There was no way they could avoid feeling pressured.

“The amount you demanded from the House of Valfruga was 1 billion marks. Twice that would be 2 billion marks. Do you all have the funds to pay that compensation?”

Of course not.

After deciding to carry out the “blank shot intimidation” plan, Naol and I had given up even properly reviewing the IOUs.

Instead, we investigated the Fox Merchants’ Alliance.

They were a small group of merchants operating around the territory. Two among them were viscounts, but they held no land.

They were neither rich nor particularly poor, just ordinary men who probably climbed treacherous mountain roads in the middle of winter to chase that money.

Even if we combined all their assets, they still couldn’t possibly repay 2 billion marks.

In other words, by my logic, even their families would end up enslaved.

Understanding the situation, the Fox Merchants’ Alliance turned pale and raised their voices.

“W-what nonsense is this! When did we ever commit fraud?!”

“That’s right! Fraud? How dare you accuse us like this!”

“Say you don’t have the money to repay us instead of threatening us like this!”

At Naol’s signal, the soldiers behind us struck the ground with their spears.

Thud!

The synchronized movement sent fear into the merchants’ eyes.

It had been worth training them for three hours the previous day just to coordinate that strike.

“Where do you think you are raising your voices like this?! The person before you is the Duchess!”

Naol also raised his voice with force.

Completely overwhelmed by the atmosphere, the merchants’ eyes darted nervously.

Even if they didn’t fully understand, it was obvious their minds were running wild with speculation.

In the silence where even a falling needle could be heard, I spoke as though granting a monarch’s final mercy.

“Of course, it would be proper to handle this according to the law. However, since the contract is quite old, it seems there may have been some misunderstanding on your part.”

The expressions of the ten merchants shifted rapidly.

“I will give you until tomorrow. Those who confess their crimes will be spared. Those who do not—”

The soldiers raised their spears toward the merchant group.

The sharp blades glinted blue under the light.

Of course, that too had been rehearsed the day before.

“Will be dealt with according to imperial law.”

Among fear, confusion, doubt, and regretful expressions, one man wore a particularly interesting expression.

He was also the man Naol and I had found suspicious.

The leader of the merchant group.

Lewan.

He glared at me with a bitter expression, as though our plan had gone wrong.

“What fraud are you talking about?! We are innocent!”

Lewan shouted desperately.

“Do I really need to answer that? You should know better than I do what fraud you committed.”

“We haven’t committed any fraud! Are you trying to oppress us with your authority? So this is House Valfruga’s will!”

His voice was persuasive, making it seem as though we were using our rank to crush others.

It was almost laughable, considering he knew our house had already fallen into ruin.

I let out a faint, contemptuous laugh.

“So what? Weren’t you the ones who willingly entered the castle of Valfruga?”

I turned my gaze to the spears and spoke slowly.

“A blizzard will soon arrive. Do you know? Many people go missing in our territory during snowstorms. Once they disappear, they are difficult to find.”

I smiled faintly and looked back at the now pale merchants.

“You should be careful not to lose your way on the road.”

Before executing the “blank shot intimidation” plan, I had prepared extensively.

I investigated the Fox Merchants’ Alliance and trained soldiers to create the right atmosphere.

And finally, I prepared this man.

“Wow… wow…”

Even though the once-great ducal house had fallen into ruin, it still had something left.

People.

The key members of the ducal house had been loyal for nearly a thousand years.

Of course, many had betrayed or left, but some talented individuals remained until the end.

And this man was the most skilled in tracking, assassination, and intimidation among those left in the castle.

…That was how he was introduced, at least.

I looked at him skeptically.

He wore a thick rubber-like apron, stained heavily with blood.

The sight of him gazing at me in an almost ecstatic way was slightly unsettling.

He had light brown hair and a harmless, almost kindergarten-teacher-like appearance, but the bloodstained clothes gave him an eerie aura.

Snapping back to reality, the man greeted me cheerfully.

“Oh, right! I should introduce myself! Hello, my lady! I’m Butcher Crimson!”

Right. Someone in a secret organization couldn’t exactly live a clean life.

I forced myself to calm down.

He looked at me with sparkling eyes.

“My lady… I’ve really wanted to meet you… Can I shake your hand?”

I held out my hand, and Butcher grabbed it with both of his, looking deeply moved—as if meeting a celebrity he adored.

“…He’s really trustworthy, right?”

I asked Bella while looking at him.

“Of course! He’s an expert in tracking, assassination, and intimidation, just as my lady requested!”

I looked at the man still staring at my hand in admiration.

“…Really?”

“Well… he is a bit dangerous, but his skills are reliable. He used to be the head of a secret organization that handled covert and dangerous work in the castle.”

“What does he do now?”

“Animal slaughter.”

“……”

“He had no money to keep the organization running, so he had to earn a living. But he was truly a once-in-a-generation genius in that field! Back when the duke’s grandfather was still alive—!”

“That’s enough.”

I cut Bella off and looked at Butcher.

“Butcher.”

At my call, he looked up like a puppy being called by its owner.

“Yes, my lady!”

“I have a job for you.”

“What is it?”

“Follow a certain person and listen to everything they say.”

Lightning seemed to flash in Butcher’s eyes.

If he had been in sleep mode until now, he was fully powered on.

“Really? Really?! Is it finally hunting time again?!”

His somewhat dull demeanor vanished, replaced with excitement like a dog seeing a leash.

“Who? Who? Who do I spy on? I’m so happy! I get to carry out the lady’s order!”

It seemed this kind of work truly suited him.

“So happy…”

He hesitated, then asked again.

“My lady, if I complete it well… can I serve you for just one day?”

He pouted slightly.

“I’m tired of slaughtering animals… I want to serve a cute lady like you…!”

“Hey! Serving the lady is my job! You ungrateful brat!”

Before I could say anything, Bella shouted.

“I want to serve her too! That’s unfair!”

Suddenly, they began fighting over serving me.

It was giving me a headache.

“Enough.”

At my words, they both froze and looked at me.

“Fine. If you do well, I’ll let you take turns for one day.”

“Yay!”

“My lady…!”

Butcher cheered while Bella looked devastated.

“However, only if you do your job properly. Understood?”

“Yes, yes, yes! Don’t worry!”

I have to do well.

Butcher clenched both fists tightly.

It was the first mission he had received from his master in a long time.

When the new lady was announced, he hadn’t expected much.

She would probably be like the previous mistress.

The previous mistress had grown bored of the castle, looked at the children of the estate—including Butcher—with disgust, and was cold and indifferent even to her own children.

Hysterical, neglectful, and even involved with other men while accepting jewels in return.

“If she hadn’t died, I might have killed her myself.”

But this new mistress was different.

Her appearance alone was enough to make anyone smile, but inside her was the spirit of a lion.

And she had given him such an interesting mission.

It had been so long since he last had a job.

Butcher hid in the ceiling and watched the merchant group as they descended into chaos.

“We’re ruined if we follow that plan!”

“Fraud?! We’ve never heard such a thing!”

“I-I can’t die like this! If we confess that everything was Lewan’s scheme—!”

“Enough!”

Lewan slammed the table.

“That is a lie. Fraud? What fraud?”

“But…”

“My life is on the line too! If you die, I die as well! It’s all lies! They just don’t want to pay us!”

He spoke calmly, but panic already consumed the merchants.

“But that’s a duke… If they really kill us and leave us in the snow…”

“I-I don’t know what to do…”

“Do you really think such a huge sum could be obtained so easily?”

Lewan’s eyes gleamed fiercely.

The plan could not fail.

“Do you think confessing will save you? We are already in the same boat!”

He left the room sharply.

Butcher followed him through the shadows.

Back in his room, Lewan kicked a chair violently.

“Damn it!”

He paced anxiously.

“No… don’t tell me they figured it out? Impossible. We prepared this so carefully.”

It couldn’t fail.

His master had spent decades planning this.

A plan to swallow House Valfruga.

There was no way a ruined house could suddenly produce 1 billion marks.

The house would simply surrender the castle.

And even if they somehow did prepare the money, it wouldn’t matter.

It would mean they had drained their entire remaining funds, making the castle easy to seize with a small push.

He wasn’t afraid of the arrogant duchess’s threats.

After all, failure meant death anyway.

At that moment, someone knocked on his door.

It was one of the Fox Merchants’ Alliance members assigned to the plan.

“How is the situation?”