What Are You Going to Do About It?
I wasn't some exceptional person. If you really thought about it, those guys standing over there and I weren't all that different. The current me, or the me from my previous life. There wasn't a single fundamental difference between us. It all came down to the environment we were born into and had lived through. I wore these neat, pristine clothes, behaved impeccably, and lived in a luxurious, abundant world. They, born in the back alleys, lived without abundance, acted cocky, and swung their fists because the law always felt farther away than a punch. I had no intention of denying that fact.
But Serena was different. She was the daughter of a noble house with merchant roots. Even though she'd grown up under gambling-addicted parents, she hadn't gone astray. Instead, she was a sincere woman who sacrificed herself for her younger siblings. Even in the midst of financial hardship, she never exploited the people of her territory. Rather, she worked hard to implement proper governance so they could survive. That's why, paradoxically, I had originally planned not to get involved in this matter, just as I'd initially resolved. I was confident that Serena would handle it well on her own eventually, even if not right away.
"Who the hell are you?"
I shook off my thoughts and slowly turned my gaze toward them. Whether they still hadn't grasped the situation or simply assumed that I, tied to the Floberhart barony, was equally worthless, they kept staring at me with those crooked postures. I took a step forward.
"...Why are you..."
Serena's eyes trembled faintly. I understood perfectly why she wouldn't want this seen. She needed the Helios Marquisate's help, but she probably feared that exposing every ugly detail might lead to the engagement being broken off.
But...
'Even if I didn't know, Father would have already known.'
Father wasn't the type to let things slide so easily. With the Helios Marquisate's intelligence network, learning about the Floberhart barony's circumstances wouldn't have been difficult. Since they'd decided to proceed with the engagement between Serena and me, the preliminary investigation must have been completed long ago. The fact that they still moved forward meant they considered it within an acceptable range.
'...Whatever.'
It wasn't a situation that required me to explain all that in detail. I lightly ignored Serena's gaze and stepped past the gate.
Once inside the barony, those men couldn't lay a hand on anyone beyond the gate. This was, after all, the territory of nobility. No matter how reckless or dismissive of the baron and his wife they were, causing a disturbance in a noble's domain required staking a great deal.
"Ha. Acting all high and mighty in front of a woman, huh?"
The expressions on the faces of the men watching me step boldly before them were oddly strained. Without the slightest hint of panic, they seemed to be cautiously sizing me up as I stood calmly in front of them. Yet they couldn't quite shake off the swagger etched into their bones, so their mouths kept running even then.
"......"
I didn't speak. I simply stared at them with lowered eyes. Sometimes, staying silent carried more pressure. It was a lesson from my father. I wasn't sure it would work for me since I didn't possess his same gravitas, but it was worth trying.
"I asked who you are."
The lanky man in the lead frowned and stepped forward, reaching out. Maybe my silence frustrated him. Or perhaps he believed the justification was on their side. Seeing him recklessly extend his hand, I let out a small internal sigh and moved.
Naturally tracking the path of his outstretched hand, I seized his wrist in a firm grip.
"Ugh...!!"
Twisting his wrist hard, I took another step closer. The corner of my mouth curled up slightly as I spoke.
"What are you going to do about it?"
Acting refined. Acting noble. Pretending at such things didn't suit me at all. Being informal fit me far better. To be precise, their kind of demeanor felt more familiar and comfortable to me.
"This son of a bitch!"
"Let go of that hand right now!"
I watched as they drew small daggers from their coats with a sharp click.
"Did the baron and his wife borrow money from you?"
They wouldn't actually stab me. They didn't have the nerve. No matter how wildly they rampaged in front of the barony, they wouldn't truly dare lay hands on a noble. Of course, they might cross that line as time went on, but not yet. That was something that would happen once Serena became entangled with the male lead anyway.
"Y-yeah."
Even as the dagger's edge caught the light sharply, my complete lack of reaction seemed to rattle them more than anything. Most people cowered before a blade. Serena, the baron couple, even the two young siblings—they all shrank at these men's threats. So the sudden appearance of someone who didn't flinch had thrown them off.
"Get lost. And stop causing a scene."
"Kugh!!"
I shoved the man whose wrist I'd twisted back toward his companions and muttered under my breath.
If they backed off now, that would be fine. This was ultimately something Serena and the male lead were supposed to resolve. Unless a bigger problem arose later, there was no need for me to step in and clean it up.
"I don't know who you are, but do you really think you can handle the consequences? You don't care what happens to the baron and his wife, is that it?!"
Of course, that was only if they had actually backed down. Seeing them raise their voices desperately to avoid losing face, a sigh escaped me. They were probably shouting loud enough for Serena and the children to hear.
"Ha."
It was almost impressive how ridiculous they were.
"W-we have a contract, too. If you mess with us, we can't guarantee what'll happen."
In the end, all they had to cling to was justification. Proof that the baron couple had borrowed money. A contract. The belief that they were protected by imperial law. But.
Justification.
In all things, justification is important.
If I grabbed a random passerby and beat them half to death, that would clearly be illegal. But if that person had threatened me with a weapon and I acted in self-defense, then it became legitimate. Who struck first? Who provided the pretext? That was justification.
However.
This was a medieval world. A society where status existed as an undeniable reality. Even if I, a noble and the son of a marquis house, beat someone on the street, I wouldn't be punished. The justification would work heavily in my favor.
"The crime of daring to draw a blade against the son of Marquis Helios."
"...He-Helios."
"The crime of insulting a noble and committing rudeness."
"Is he serious...?"
"And."
They had a contract? Proof that money was borrowed? To hell with it.
"The crime of daring to insult, look down on, and disregard my fiancée."
If I cut off all their heads and tore up the contract, that would be the end of it.
"Pay with your lives."
Unfair? Life was unfair to begin with. Just because you were born into a different environment, you had to bow your head. Because you'd lived a different life, you had to kneel.
"S-sorry... We're sorry..."
I looked down at the three men who thudded to their knees and pressed their foreheads to the ground.
"Guide me to your boss. I don't have anything to say to small fry like you."
"Y-yes, my lord..."
In truth, I hadn't expected to end up handling this annoying business after coming all the way here. But now that the situation had arrived, I realized something about my father.
'So this is why he sent me.'
He knew everything. That the baron couple weren't actually managing the territory. That they had even borrowed money from these lowlifes. Knowing all of it, he had still sent me here. The thought began to take shape.
'You're really bothering me with this.'
A sigh slipped out, but there was no need to show it. I frowned for a moment, then shook my head and turned to Serena.
"I'll be back shortly."
It couldn't be helped. When I thought of it as something that needed to be handled anyway...
'Still annoying, though.'
It was better than having to come back here again later. The carriage ride had already taken nearly two hours. Four hours round trip wasn't exactly easy, even if it was relatively close. Besides, it felt wrong to stay overnight at Serena's family home when we weren't truly engaged or married.
'I don't want to get too close.'
More accurately, I didn't want to earn the future male lead's jealousy.
"......"
Serena bit her lower lip and looked at me with eyes that seemed faintly moist. I shrugged my shoulders and answered as if it were no big deal.
"It's fine. Nothing will happen."
"...Yes. Please be careful."
"I will."
Ha. Why had I ended up taking on this annoying task? It was because of that kid, obviously.
"Please protect our sister a little. I'm begging you, hyung."
Damn it. How could I refuse when he looked at me with a face like that and spoke so desperately? Seriously.
I miss my peaceful bed.