After the heavy storm, Hans and the estate guards started to investigate why the embankment had weakened.

Despite all the years they had spent reinforcing and expanding it, nothing like this had ever happened before.

They needed to establish whether the problem had originated during construction or had developed later due to poor maintenance. Only by uncovering the true cause could they prevent a similar incident from happening again.

Hans then presented the results of the investigation.

“While preparing the wheat fields in late autumn, several villagers apparently took soil from the embankment to use in their farmland. Since they disturbed and dug through the packed earth, part of the embankment eventually collapsed.”

“…What exactly are you talking about? Weren’t they supposed to gather soil from the forest? They took dirt from the levee instead?”

“It seems the area around those fields was quite far from the forest, so transporting the soil back and forth became troublesome for them.”

Richel’s expression instantly turned cold.

There had certainly been countless complaints during the embankment’s expansion. The forests where the soil was gathered were far away, making the work exhausting and inconvenient.

Nevertheless, once construction was finally completed, everyone praised the fact that life had become much easier.

Tasks that had previously required endless trips with wheelbarrows or heavy carrying frames could now be completed in a single journey with a large ox cart. Richel could still remember the villagers thanking her, looking proud and grateful, as though it had happened only yesterday.

And yet now, they had torn apart the embankment itself just to steal soil from it.

“The villagers claim they intended to restore it properly once spring arrived.”

“What kind of nonsense is that?! Do they think the embankment is some public soil storage pit for the village? Something they can dig up and refill whenever they please?!”

She slammed her hand against the desk.

The impact sent a dull ache through her injured ribs, but she was so furious and incredulous that she barely even felt the pain.

Hans lowered his head and apologized.

“I am sorry, Madam. This happened because I failed to manage things properly.”

“How many villagers were involved? Was it the entire village?”

“Only about six people actually dug out and used the soil. The others merely turned a blind eye to it. But it seems everyone knew. Even the villager who warned us that the embankment was dangerous already knew about this.”

While carrying out the investigation, Hans had bitterly reflected on his own complacency.

He had never once imagined that the villagers would begin treating the levee like a public storage pile of dirt.

Richel questioned him again.

“What about the other areas? That wasn’t the only section we expanded.”

“There were no problems elsewhere. In the other farming areas, the forests are closer, and the roads are frequently patrolled by the guards, so…”

Hans continued.

“The six people who dug out the soil have been locked in the underground holding cells. What would you like to do with them?”

By digging up the embankment, they had stolen territory that did not belong to them and used it for their own benefit.

The whole village knew about it, yet turned a blind eye while keeping it hidden.

This matter deserved severe punishment to set an example.

Richel rose from her seat.

“Take me there. I need to see their faces myself.”

The villagers were imprisoned in the basement of the guardhouse.

The underground chambers were damp and freezing cold, and filled with an oppressive gloom.

As soon as the prisoners saw Richel, they dropped to their knees and began to beg.

Fear had turned their faces pale.

“We were wrong, Madam. Please forgive us just this once. We never thought it would become such a big pro-problem…”

“We only wanted to finish the work faster!”

“We’re sorry. We truly planned to restore it before spring came. We never imagined there’d be rain like that…”

Richel recognized their faces.

They were the same villagers who had stepped forward actively during the heavy storm.

The ones who had run through the rain gathering people together.

She bit down hard on her lip.

‘So that’s why they worked so desperately back then.’

As she watched them during the storm, she felt that her efforts over the past three years were finally paying off.

She was convinced that these people had followed her willingly through danger and hardship because they trusted her.

‘How pathetic.’

They had only acted that way to lessen their own guilt.

This disappointed her.

At the same time, she felt pathetic for feeling disappointed at all.

She was always like this.

She had placed expectations on a territory that she could simply leave behind after the divorce.

She felt hurt.

Feeling sorrowful.

It felt ridiculous that she cared this much.

Richel spoke coldly.

“The embankment belongs to the territory. Taking soil from it was no different from stealing the territory’s assets.”

“W-we intended to restore it! Winter is always dry, so we never thought it would turn into something this serious…”

“You didn’t know? Every single one of you knew it was wrong. That’s why you hid it and kept quiet about it.”

“Th-that’s… we…”

The excuses continued.

Words she no longer wanted to hear.

Richel turned to Hans.

“Confiscate their farming rights and expel all of them once spring arrives. Spread word of this throughout the territory so everyone understands what happens if something like this occurs again.”

“Madam? Madam! What are you saying? Expulsion?!”

Panicking, the villagers rushed towards the iron bars.

They clung to them desperately and begged for mercy.

They spoke of their young children, saying that they had nowhere else to go and that expulsion would mean death for them.

Agricultural territories were notoriously hostile towards outsiders.

Even if they exhausted themselves doing the harshest labor, many still failed to obtain farming rights.

“Please, Madam! Punish us some other way instead of banishment!”

“If we’re driven out like this, where are we supposed to go? Please, show mercy!”

Ignoring their pleas, Richel turned away.

The sounds of crying and desperate begging continued behind her.

Just as she was about to leave the underground corridor—

“Aaaagh!”

One of the villagers slammed violently against the bars and shouted.

“This is unfair! You worked us to the bone just to expand a useless embankment! If it weren’t for that, we never would’ve done this! If not for that damned embankment—!”

His resentment erupted into furious shouting, and those around him immediately agreed with him.

Richel ground her teeth and slowly turned her head.

Several swords that the guards had set aside were leaning against the wall. Without hesitation, she seized one and slammed it violently against the thick wooden bars.

BANG!

The villagers clinging to the bars screamed and staggered backwards in terror.

Richel stood glaring at them, her breathing ragged and uneven. Every emotion inside her churned violently.

Betrayal towards the territory.

Disgust towards House Isle.

And bitter self-loathing.

Her eyes burned with emotion.

Hans hurried towards her at once.

“Madam, I’ll handle things from here. Please return to the estate.”

Without saying a word, Richel threw the sword to the ground and turned away.

Her emotions were in complete turmoil.

As she returned to the estate and climbed the stairs, tears continued to stream down her face despite her efforts to stop them. The servants stared at her in shock before quickly stepping aside one by one.

It was only when she reached the floor where the study was located that she finally stopped to catch her breath.

But even then, more tears slipped silently down her cheeks.

‘What exactly has changed? The only difference now is that instead of crying because of Edwin, I’m crying because of the territory.’

While acting as Count and managing the territory, Richel believed that she had changed considerably.

She threw herself into her work, putting the pain caused by Edwin behind her. As she saw the results of her efforts, her confidence grew.

But now, it all felt meaningless.

Once again, she stood alone on the estate, crying by herself.

“…Richel?”

It was Edwin.

Apparently, he had been shut away in his room the whole time, yet he had somehow chosen this exact moment to come outside.

Startled, Richel hurriedly wiped her face and turned away.

She didn’t want him to see her like this.

Edwin rushed towards her and grabbed her.

“What happened? Why…? Richel, were you crying? What happened to make you—”

“It’s nothing. Let go.”

“You were crying. How is that nothing?”

“I said let go!”

Her voice rose sharply.

Fresh tears spilled down her face.

She began to sob again, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

But Edwin refused to let her go, instead asking pointless questions.

“Why…? Is it because of me? Did I do something wrong again?”

Richel could not hold herself together any longer.

Crying in front of Edwin was something she had done countless times before.

She had cried while clinging desperately to Edwin, who had ignored her.

She had cried after turning away from Edwin when he snapped at her in irritation.

Sometimes, she had even cried without knowing why.

‘Why… why does nothing ever change?’

The three years she had spent rebuilding herself after enduring great hardship melted away without a trace as old emotions rushed back.

She was fed up with herself.

She felt unbearably pathetic.

Shoving Edwin away, Richel shouted.

“I told you to let go! Being with you is exhausting and horrible! Hngh… hhk…”

In truth, the blame was misplaced.

The pain she was experiencing at that moment was not Edwin’s fault.

And yet, she still hated him.

If not for him, she would never have had to go through any of this. Even if she had, her heart would not have been shattered quite so completely.

The miserable emotions inside her continued to grow.

Whenever she gave her heart to something, it always ended this way.

The more deeply she cared, the more pitiful she became.

“Hngh… hhk… why do you make me feel so miserable? Why do you make my life this painful?!”

Her sobs burst out uncontrollably.

Tears poured endlessly from her, accompanied by broken breaths.

Her body bent forward, unable to withstand the force of her sobbing.

Startled, Edwin grabbed her again.

Richel hit his shoulder with her fist.

“Let go! I said let go!”

“I’m sorry. This is my fault. I shouldn’t have done that. I was selfish. Just like you said, I…”

Edwin’s eyes slowly reddened.

His expression, already trembling on the verge of tears, became increasingly more distressed until the tears finally spilled over.

Even while watching him cry, Richel continued to blame him.

She remembered all the years she had spent by his side.

She remembered her endless struggles, and how she had given everything, yet nothing ever came back to her.

The awful emptiness inside her had never truly faded. The Edwin standing before her now looked exactly like the Edwin she remembered from years ago.

“Please let go! Just let me go!”

Unable to hold on any longer, Edwin finally let go of her.

Richel staggered as she turned away.

Ena rushed over immediately to support her.

“Madam, lean on me more.”

Ena’s voice remained steady, but her concern was clear.

Richel clutched tightly at her hand.

The tears continued to fall unmercifully.