Duke and Duchess Reunion - Chapter 73

Chapter 73

Vernon, who had been making a troubled face, soon remembered why he had visited the Marquis Adenauer’s residence.

When he handed over the documents one by one, saying that His Majesty had asked him to deliver them, Aneta, who was leaning against the bed’s headboard, took them and asked,

“How is Chris? Has she woken up? ”

“She woke up last night. She’s eating and sleeping well without any pain.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Yes, it’s a relief amidst the misfortune. So, worry about yourself now. Who are you to worry about someone else when you were the worst off among the three?”

Vernon lamented that he wouldn’t live long because of her, but Aneta wasn’t the type to listen to such words.

She skillfully let his words go in one ear and out the other as she tore open the envelope. As she pulled out the contents, Vernon wisely kept his mouth shut.

The first thing she grabbed was the personal information of the wandering mercenaries. The common thread identified through the documents was that they all came from the same orphanage.

They had all left the orphanage before becoming adults and took up the sword to earn a living.

Spend Orphanage. Aneta repeated the name she had heard only once or twice and picked up another document that was with it. It contained the orphanage’s children’s personal details and financial records.

Aneta focused on the latter. The document, which compared and analyzed discrepancies, indicated only one thing.

‘They embezzled not only the donations but also the government support funds.’

Although embezzlement is a severe crime, there was no way they would have brought unrelated documents.

Aneta couldn’t help but recall Carlos’s words.

“You might think differently if you hear the whole story.”She had a feeling why he had said that, but she hoped she was wrong as she turned the pages.

As Aneta read the characters listed on a sheet of paper, she could catch a glimpse of the world the children lived in. Contrary to the records that suggested generous support for the children, the reality of the orphanage was extremely poor.

The director and his wife collected second-hand clothes from the village to dress the children, and even the poorly sourced food they bought cheaply was rationed.

All the remaining funds were spent solely on providing a comfortable life for their children.

The abuse committed by the couple did not end there. The director, who had a terrible drinking habit, would invariably use violence whenever he returned drunk.

His wife was no different. She made the children do all sorts of chores, saying it was the price for feeding and housing them, and then took all the money they earned.

‘There’s no way the children, who couldn’t eat or rest properly, would be in good condition.’

Aneta grimaced and lifted her head. Carlos, who had been reading the same documents, didn’t look pleased either.

“Carlos. I think it’s time to tell me what the mercenaries wanted from me.”

“Yeah, it’s about time.”

Carlos put down the documents he had been holding to reveal the story he had postponed until confirming Randolph’s claims.

His gaze toward Aneta was serious.

“What they wanted was for the children of that orphanage to have a chance to live like normal kids. They also said they would admit all their crimes but wanted the money they received from Erez Bauter to be delivered to the children. They said it was the price of their lives.”

The reason the mercenaries accepted Erez’s request was to earn money for children like their own siblings. Having picked up the sword without any skills, they couldn’t miss the opportunity to earn a large sum at once.

They also planned to leave the empire after entrusting the money to someone reliable once the job was done. It was more of an escape than a departure.

However, with Carlos’s intervention, all their plans fell apart, so Randolph’s final goal was only to deliver the money. That was why he had confessed everything to Carlos.Carlos told Aneta and Vernon all the facts he knew.

There was no other meaning in conveying the stories of those who would not find peace even if their bones were separated from their flesh.

Carlos simply hoped that Aneta would choose without regrets.

“Was there anything else? Any other demands? ”

“No. They didn’t beg for their lives.”

Aneta placed her forehead on her hand and sighed deeply.

Hearing the whole story might change her perspective. Unfortunately, the meaning of that remark aligned with what she had feared.

The orphanage in question was privately owned. This meant that, even if they received support funds, it was not under Aneta’s jurisdiction.

However, through this incident, Aneta felt the need to place private facilities under state management.

“Carlos. You were right; my mind has changed. I didn’t expect to have to pay the price for this kind of deal.”

Just like during the diamond incident last time, and now this, perhaps she had a knack for attracting those with stories. Aneta concluded her serious contemplation.

“Alright. Let’s allocate the commission fee to the children as the mercenaries wish. However, I think it would be best to use it in a way that allows the children to learn whatever they want without restrictions. That way, they can be self-sufficient when they leave the orphanage.”

“That’s a good idea. If we hand over such a large sum to the children all at once, they’re likely to become targets for crime. No matter who they intended to pass the money to, this seems the safest option.”

“If they don’t trust us, we can have it notarized.”

Vernon and Carlos agreed with Aneta’s suggestion in turn. Vernon, feeling a bit anxious, asked Aneta,

“But Aneta, you’re not thinking of forgiving them just because their situation is pitiful, are you?”

“Don’t worry, that won’t happen. Just because they have a sad story doesn’t mean it will beautify or erase the memory of them targeting my life. Besides, I’m not the only one whose life was threatened.”

Fortunately, Aneta firmly dismissed the idea. From her perspective, it was a perfectly natural reaction.

“The extent to which I can be lenient is just the commission fee.”

The mercenaries shouldn’t keep the issues regarding the orphanage to themselves; they needed to inform others. If they couldn’t trust the Lord, they should have informed a governmental official, the media, or an organization.

If it were Aneta, she would have demanded the orphanage in exchange for exposing Erez’s orders.

There were plenty of other ways to get the word out. If they had committed such an act because other methods didn’t work, she might have conflicted over their punishment, but the mercenaries didn’t.

Without any other attempts, they chose to sacrifice innocent people. Aneta could firmly state that it was the worst choice, and she had no intention of forgiving them.

Just as the director and his wife were perpetrators against them, they too were perpetrators against Aneta and the other two. No matter their story, that fact remained unchanged.

“How do you plan to deal with the mercenaries? ”

“We’ll ask His Majesty to sentence them to life imprisonment.”

“Why not have them executed like Erez Bauter?”

“As a matter of principle, the death penalty would be justified, but as you know, this is a special case, and I have to take that into account.”

It was right to show flexibility, considering their circumstances, rather than strictly enforcing punishment without thought. Aneta rubbed her still-tingling arm and said what she thought was the most appropriate punishment.

Once again, neither Carlos nor Vernon objected.

Life imprisonment was tantamount to social death, and they would be deprived of their freedom until their last breath. To some, it would seem worse than death.

The Empire never used taxes to pay for prisoners, and food and supplies were always paid for by brutal labor.

“All that remains is the orphanage.”

The imprisonment wasn’t limited to the mercenaries. Aneta predicted that the director and his wife would receive a sentence of at least 30 years. Furthermore, since they had embezzled support funds for personal use, confiscation of their assets was entirely justified.

It was almost certain that the Spend Orphanage would become state property. Carlos, knowing this, pointed out what should be prioritized over punishment.

“First, how about finding a suitable person to take over the director’s position? ”

“Absolutely”

The Spend Orphanage would send someone she’d picked, chosen, and vetted.

Aneta ran through a list of suitable candidates in her head, figuring it was her final reward for turning a blind eye to her doppelganger.

***

For the first time in the Empire’s history, a House of Glory has been executed. The news, hard to believe, swept through the system, leaving it in shock.

Russell openly revealed the truth about the incident and presented evidence.

The detailed revelations were aimed at preventing anyone from questioning Erez’s execution.

As Russell intended, no one would dare speak of Erez’s punishment, for to do so would inevitably turn them against both the Emperor and the House of Glory.

No one would willingly incur such tremendous losses just to find a flaw in him.

Moreover, the families of the three kidnapped by Erez belonged to different factions: Adenauer of the Emperor’s Faction, Raphaeli of the Nobility, and Deven of the Neutral Faction.

Since he kidnapped not just members but also the heads of these families, it was natural for the nobles to remain silent in unison.

As Erez Bauter’s crimes and death were revealed, the mercenaries’ actions also came to light.

When Russell asks Aneta if she wants to meet them while they are being transferred from the underground prison to another location, she declines, and the meeting does not take place.

Despite the surrounding objections, Aneta began addressing matters one by one while sitting up in bed. Thanks to her efforts, the replacement of the orphanage director occurred simultaneously with the arrest of the former directors.

However, there was no guarantee that similar incidents wouldn’t happen again. After much contemplation, Aneta called for Isabel and expressed her intentions.

“From now on, we need to regularly inspect orphanages in various regions. Select a few suitable people from among the servants for this task, Isabel.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Aneta chose to pay existing servants additional wages to conduct these inspections rather than hiring new people. Isabel accepted this order without objection, agreeing that this approach was more reliable.

After Isabel left the room, Aneta organized the letters sent by Russell. They discussed a new policy requiring private facilities to be under state supervision to receive funding.

Russell planned to ensure that if any unfortunate events occurred in the protective facilities, the local lord would also face repercussions. This way, the Lord would be compelled to take the lead in protecting the vulnerable.

As these matters progressed smoothly, Carlos dealt with the guild that had received Erez’s commission and the Bauter family.

Those involved in Erez’s crimes were to receive punishments befitting their misdeeds. Among them, the butler Jin, who was deeply involved in many of the wrongdoings and played a crucial role in the death of the former Marquis Bauter, was not spared from death.

Aneta recalled the news of Jin’s capture and death by the pursuit team as he tried to flee with Erez’s jewelry. Since she had never met him, she felt no particular emotion.

‘In contrast, Erez Bauter’s death still doesn’t feel real.’

It was strange to think that someone who had glared at her with a sinister expression was now gone, regardless of their relationship. It felt odd.

But it was inevitable karma. Aneta remembered the poisoned cup she had to accept under Erez’s threats.

Though she was the one who drank the poison, Aneta thought that, at that moment, it was truly Erez Bauter who held the poisoned cup. She leaned back against the chair.

Now, the ill-fated relationship has truly ended.

With the death of Erez, the original protagonist, Aneta could finally become the true master of her own life.