Chapter 174
Chapter 174
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 174
Chapter Title: The Lord Exercising His Droit du Seigneur (15)
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“P-Prison?! Agon’s been thrown in jail?!”
“Yes. They say he got caught running a scam.”
“What...? But Agon’s not the type...”
“Who knows. Apparently, Lord Agon’s claiming it was all his subordinates’ doing without his orders, but it’s a hard story to swallow, so the folks in Horn aren’t buying it.”
“Oh...”
Probably, Agon’s telling the truth. I hated the guy, but I knew he wasn’t the type to commit a crime like that. It felt like he’d been unfairly wronged. Poor man.
But... we were strangers now anyway... I was worried, but not overly so. Was it because I was still angry? Part of me even felt a bit satisfied thinking he was getting his due. Calling me a whore to my face... What a pathetic man. A good scolding might do him some good.
“Ahaha... That’s too bad.”
-Creak
“Is that so? Then, do you want to help get that man out?”
“Ah, my lord...”
I’d thought that in my heart, but it was too embarrassing to say aloud, so I just laughed it off. That’s when the lord suddenly entered the room. Along with a question about whether I wanted to rescue Agon.
“No... I’m not sure.”
“I see. But we must get him out.”
“Huh?”
“There’s a reason we need to free him.”
What could that reason be? Seeing the lord’s unusually serious expression sparked my curiosity. He wasn’t about to send me back to that man now, was he? No, that couldn’t be, but it made me anxious anyway.
“He has to return to Freha for you to get divorced. Kahaha! Even as lord, I can’t marry a married woman.”
“......Marriage?”
“Yes. Our marriage.”
“Ah, aaah... My lord!”
But of course, nothing like that happened. Instead, what the lord wanted was to officially tie the knot with me. Marriage, that is.
Just hearing it filled me with so much joy that tears welled up, and I rushed into the lord’s arms. He smiled broadly and embraced me tightly. I heard some tutting from the people around us, but... it must have been my imagination? My head was so full of uncontainable happiness that my mind was foggy, creating illusions.
Aah, I’m so happy... I’d hoped and prayed for this, but I hadn’t dared to expect it for fear of disappointment... To think I could truly become the lord’s... I must be the luckiest woman in the world.
“Which brings me to this... I need your help. Even if we get him out safely, that man might refuse the divorce.”
“My help...?”
“Yes. Say, with a letter or something. Hm, best if it’s embellished a bit.”
I didn’t quite understand how a letter would help, but if it was a request from the lord, I had to comply. I nodded to show I understood, and he gently stroked my hair with a warm hand.
====
How could things go this wrong... Agon, unable to believe—no, refusing to believe—this unbelievable turn of events, writhed in agony from the gut-wrenching pain. He’d been betrayed by the comrades he trusted.
He’d thought overcoming hardships together had made him closer to his caravan members than family, but it was all a delusion on his part. Stabbed in the back, Agon ended up locked in a cell on charges of fraud he hadn’t committed.
‘Damn it... Why the hell did those guys...’
He insisted he was innocent, but his subordinates’ testimony that he’d ordered it all meant the guards wouldn’t believe him. With clear evidence, even Hanric couldn’t help. In the end, Agon was confined to a solitary cell, drowning in despair.
‘I haven’t even sorted things with Rozina yet, and now this...’
In his tearful state, Agon worried about Rozina. It pained him to think of her waiting faithfully for his return. If only they’d give him a chance to explain... As Agon burned inside with anxiety, someone came to see him.
“Agon of the Smith Merchant Group, you lucky bastard. Word from Freha—they’re gonna help you out.”
It was the guard captain who’d arrested him.
***
“I-Is that true?! They’re really getting me out?!”
“Yeah. They said they’ll pay off your debt in installments over a few months. Thank the lord of Freha.”
“...The lord’s helping me?”
“Yep. Not the pushover the rumors make him out to be—no, wait, he kinda is. Using his own money to bail out a scammer... Ha! Unbelievable.”
Agon harbored ill feelings toward the lord, so the sudden aid felt suspicious... but the thought of seeing Rozina again made him drop his doubts. Without it, he’d rot in jail.
If the lord planned to steal Rozina, he wouldn’t have bothered freeing him. Rejoicing in this unexpected stroke of luck, Agon yelled at the guard captain. He wanted out of Horn as soon as possible.
“Then let me out already!”
“Look at this guy barking orders. You’re a criminal, punk. I told you—they’re paying in installments. Can’t release you till it’s all cleared. Gotta be thorough.”
“Damn it! I’m innocent!”
“Bullshit. Everyone says you ordered it, and you’re the only one denying it. Who’re we gonna believe, huh? Use that brain if you got one. How’d a moron like you even pull off a scam?”
“No, really...”
But Agon couldn’t leave. He was stuck in the cell for months. It wasn’t indefinite, but thinking of Rozina waiting tore him up inside.
“At least let me write a letter... I’ve got family; I need to contact them.”
“Letter? Oh, right—one came for you. From your wife, they say... Kinda jealous. Even crooks like you get married. Whatever.”
“For real?! From Rozina?!”
-Plop
“Don’t know if it’s Rozina or whatever—heard the Freha lord sent it on her behalf. Here. I’m out; read it and cry your eyes out.”
“Ahh... Rozina...”
After the guard left, Agon stared at the envelope for a long time, tormented by how he’d hurt her heart again. Slowly, he broke the seal. Reading the opening line asking after his well-being brought tears of sorrow. Even in this mess, her worry for him made her all the more lovable—and guilt-ridden.
“I’m sorry... Sniff, hu... Rozina...”
“...Huh? Wait... Rozina?”
“Ah, no! No... Don’t! Stop it! Please, stop!”
But then, as if the rest contained some horrific revelation, Agon’s hands shook violently as he screamed. Loud enough for Rozina in Freha to hear.
-Clang clang
“Fuck! Let me out! I gotta get out!”
-Clang clang!
“I need to go back right now! Please, let me out! Fuck!”
Unable to hold back, Agon crumpled the letter and hurled it away, gripping the bars and howling. But nothing changed. Trapped in solitary, he screamed in horror until exhaustion claimed him.
====
To Agon.
Are you doing okay? I heard you’re in prison... For fraud, of all things. It must be a misunderstanding, right? I believe you. You’re the kind of man who lives by his own moral code, without needing laws.
But others don’t seem to believe you. They say you have to pay up to get out. That fake debt you somehow racked up... Maybe, separate from believing you, they just need the money.
Ahaha... Isn’t it so unfair? You’d just paid off your debts... And now this out-of-nowhere pile, several times bigger... How does the world work like this?
But we can’t just despair. They say there’s always a way out, even if the sky falls. Luckily, I have a way to earn money. If I push a little, I can get you out. I was really disappointed back then, but we’re still husband and wife. We have to stick together.
Even if that way... is something utterly filthy... It’s okay, right? No other choice... Ahaha, guess I can’t deny your words calling me a whore. Selling my body for cash...
But don’t worry. Like you said, the lord is so kind... And, well, he’s amazing in bed too. I won’t have it hard. So don’t worry about me—stay healthy and hang in there till you’re free. I’ll endure too.
That’s it for now. Time to head to the lord’s chambers. Please don’t think of me as dirty for this...
Your wife, Rozina.