Chapter 87: Maelstrom of Turmoil
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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Teottry
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Polton’s political landscape was in chaos. Segeric’s death in battle had resulted in a pyrrhic victory.
Even at Segeric’s funeral, the attendees were more concerned with the future of Polton’s political scene than with paying respects to the deceased.
“So who’s the next Baron?”
“Wouldn’t it be the Lady?”
“But Lord Ailgar is still alive.”
“He’s a parricide who assassinated the Baron and murdered his own brother. Those who served Lord Segeric won’t stand for it.”
“Still… Lady Usebia is a woman…” Similar conversations took place throughout the funeral. Those with a keen sense of the political climate were careful with their words.
“It’s pointless for us to speculate. Sir Allen will decide who becomes the next Baron.”
“So it’ll be Lady Usebia then.”
“Most likely. He’s become even more powerful than Joang. Who can stop him now?”
Allen himself was an exceptional knight, and he commanded a hundred mercenaries. He was also Usebia’s future husband.
Moreover, the recent wars had eliminated or weakened all those who might have opposed him.
“It’s quite… convenient… isn’t it?”
“But there’s still the Baroness.”
The only wildcard was Adelia, who remained by Segeric’s grave, inconsolable.
Having lost both her husband and her eldest son, she bit her lip, holding back tears.
The greatest sorrow in the world was to lose a child, but she didn’t have the luxury of grief.
She had heard the rumors. If she remained passive, her remaining son would also meet an untimely end.
Composing herself, she lifted her head. Her gaze fell upon Allen and Usebia, standing together like a married couple as they greeted the mourners.
Usebia, being shy, allowed Allen to take the lead, making him appear almost like the chief mourner. Adelia’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
As time passed, the mourners gradually departed. By the time dusk settled over the hills, only Allen, Usebia, and Adelia remained at the gravesite.
I had Dreng stationed at the entrance, preventing anyone from entering. I stood beside Adelia, who still lingered by Segeric’s grave. Usebia clung to my arm.
“Have you spoken with Ailgar?”
Adelia flinched, turning to me with a look of surprise.
She seemed to think her visits to Ailgar in the dungeon had gone unnoticed.
She likely hadn’t considered that a mere jailer would report her movements to me, an outsider.
This was a warning, a demonstration that my influence extended throughout the entire family, even to the lowliest jailer.
Adelia, being an intelligent woman, would understand my warning.
“What do you intend to do with Ailgar?”
“He will be publicly hanged.” I stated firmly, making my intentions regarding Ailgar clear. This also implied my intention to install Usebia as the next Baron.
“My husband and my son are dead. Both within a month. And now you intend to take my remaining son from me…?” Adelia reacted as expected. It had been worthwhile to keep Ailgar alive.
“He’s a parricide who assassinated the Baron and murdered his own brother.”
Adelia remained silent. Even though revealing Usebia’s role in the assassination might have saved Ailgar, she didn’t.
She seemed unaware that Usebia had confessed everything.
That was why she was concerned for Usebia’s safety. Her daughter, who had resorted to such extreme measures for love, might do something rash.
To save her son, she might have to sacrifice her daughter. She was paralyzed by indecision.
It had been worthwhile to silence Usebia. As a reward, I squeezed her ass, and she squirmed, clinging to my arm.
Her eyes, glowing with desire, indicated her arousal. My training had been successful.
“Usebia hasn’t been trained to be a successor.” Adelia was unaware of her daughter’s current state.
“What matters is that she’s the rightful heir. Besides, is there such a thing as a perfect human being? Those around her can compensate for her shortcomings.”
Medieval society was strictly hierarchical. Usebia’s lack of experience wasn’t a valid reason to deny her inheritance.
Seeing that her arguments were falling on deaf ears, Adelia changed her approach.
“Usebia. Do you feel the same way?”
“Yes…?” Usebia, preoccupied with me, hadn’t heard the question. Adelia frowned.
Flustered, Usebia tugged on my arm and answered as I had instructed her.
“Y-Yes, I feel the same way.” Of course, that wasn’t the answer, nor the attitude, Adelia was hoping for. She glared at me disapprovingly and turned away.
Once she was out of earshot, Usebia’s insistence grew.
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“M-My lord. Let’s go back. Quickly…!”
I embraced her, our bodies pressed close together. I nibbled on her earlobe and whispered,
“There’s no need to go anywhere. No one can see us here.”
Usebia’s eyes widened as she understood my meaning. She glanced around nervously.
“B-But…”
I grabbed her ass firmly with both hands.
“Haa…” She moaned, burying her face in my chest.
“We made a promise. You must be available to me whenever and wherever I desire.”
“I-I’m sorry, Master…”
“I’ll let it slide this time.” I led Usebia into a dense thicket at the edge of the clearing. Soon, her moans echoed through the woods.
In just a few months, she had lost her husband, followed by her eldest son. Her other son was also on the verge of death.
How had things come to this? Was it the karmic retribution for her husband’s countless sacrifices of their vassals for his own ambitions? Perhaps she was now paying the price for her inaction.
“Oh Lord… please save my child, Ailgar.” Adelia made the sign of the cross. With her husband and eldest son dead, she couldn’t lose her remaining son.
That was why she waited in Usebia’s room. Allen’s power stemmed from his position as Usebia’s betrothed.
If she could persuade Usebia, she might be able to save Ailgar.
Usebia returned to her room late that night. Leaves clung to her clothes, as if she had been rolling around in the undergrowth, and her hair and clothes were disheveled.
“M-Mother…?” Usebia, startled by Adelia’s presence in her room, hastily adjusted her clothing.
“You…” Adelia suppressed her scolding. Now was the time to win her daughter’s favor.
“I need to talk to you. Come sit.”
Usebia sat beside her cautiously.
“Is it about my brother?”
“No, I was just wondering how you and Sir Allen are getting along. You’ll be married soon.” Adelia concealed her true intentions. Her daughter had already given her body and soul to Allen. A direct approach wouldn’t work.
Usebia, relieved, smiled brightly.
“I’m happy. I feel like I’m walking on clouds every day. I’m sure I’ll be even happier after we’re married.”
“I hope so. But there’s something I’m worried about.”
“Worried? About what?”
Adelia continued, her voice even more cautious.
“It’s a wife’s duty to please her husband, but men are fickle creatures. If you give in to his every whim, he’ll quickly grow tired of you.” Adelia was indirectly advising Usebia to refrain from the perverse acts she had witnessed.
Usebia, however, understood her mother’s subtle warning, realizing it referred to their sexual activities.
Her face flushed crimson, remembering her recent boldness in the outdoors. She instinctively crossed her legs.
“But Allen wants me all the time. I can’t imagine him ever growing tired of me.”
“Physical pleasure isn’t important. It doesn’t last forever. Trust and faith between husband and wife are far more important.” Adelia patiently tried to reason with her daughter. The Usebia of before meeting Allen would have readily agreed, but…
“Trust and faith are important, Mother. But you can’t ignore physical pleasure.”
“You…?” Adelia was taken aback by her daughter’s transformation.
“When I’m with Allen, my mind goes blank. It’s like I’m not myself. Every time he ravishes me, I’m overcome with such joy it brings tears to my eyes. I feel like I’ve been missing out. I wish I had met him sooner…” Usebia, her face flushed and her eyes glazed over, spoke of her relationship with Allen like a woman experienced in the ways of love.
The image of her naked daughter and son-in-law flashed through Adelia’s mind.
Allen was a powerful, dominant male, the kind she had never encountered, a man born to conquer women.
What disturbed her even more was the realization that the dominated woman in her fantasy wasn’t her daughter, but herself.
That realization brought her back to her senses. A wave of heat washed over her, and a tingling sensation spread through her body.
“S-Stop it-! H-How indecent! I didn’t raise you to be so vulgar…!” Adelia, her face flushed and flustered, looked more like an unmarried maiden than a mother.
Emboldened by her mother’s reaction, Usebia went a step further.
“Mother, you’re a wise woman. Wiser than Father. But he always ignored you. Perhaps it’s because you underestimate the importance of… intimacy.”
“W-What…!?” Adelia stared at her transformed daughter in disbelief. Usebia, unfazed, continued.
“You always emphasized the importance of producing heirs. Allen’s different. He says that a husband and wife should be open and honest with each other, and enjoy themselves to the fullest. Children are a natural consequence of that process.”
“That’s absurd! Have you forgotten the marital teachings of the Sisters?”
“Hmph, what would someone with no experience know?”
“You… you…!” Seeing her mother spluttering in indignation, a thought suddenly occurred to Usebia.
She took her mother’s hand, intertwining their fingers, and looked her up and down.
“Perhaps… Mother, you don’t know… how pleasurable it is to be intimate with someone you love.”
Adelia’s eyes widened in shock, and she abruptly stood up from the bed. Flustered, she stammered,
“I-I’ve given birth to three children…!”
“That doesn’t answer my question.” As Usebia also stood up, Adelia instinctively began to back away.
The sudden shift in their dynamic made Adelia forget her original purpose.
“I-I should be going. It’s late.” Adelia fled the room, her pace so swift that Usebia didn’t have a chance to stop her.
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The next day, shaken by the unexpected turn of events, Adelia changed her strategy. She summoned the heads of the most influential families that supported the political landscape.
There weren’t many. Segeric’s faction had been decimated by Allen’s machinations, and Ailgar’s forces had suffered near total annihilation in the recent war.
All that remained were the families of the advisors, who, despite having lost most of their members except for Borden, still retained some influence. It was a testament to their long history.
“I need your help. You don’t want Usebia to inherit the title of Baron, do you?”
In an era of clearly defined gender roles, no man would welcome a woman as their superior.
Moreover, she had heard about the conflict between Allen and the advisors during the last battle due to the advisors’ greed for glory. They, too, would want to remove Allen from power.
“That’s a difficult request.”
“We lack the justification…”
“Sir Allen’s popularity is immense. From the lowliest peasant to the young nobles, everyone admires him. How can we possibly oppose him?” Contrary to her expectations, however, none of them responded favorably. Something was clearly amiss.
“Don’t tell me… you’ve made a deal with him?”
“Ahem…” The family heads averted their gazes. As if anticipating Adelia’s move, Allen had already extended his influence to these families.
Adelia, having failed to secure their support, desperately searched for a way to save her son, but Allen acted faster than she anticipated. Ailgar was hanged that very day.
“M-Mother…!” Ailgar, trembling on the gallows, dropped abruptly as the platform beneath him gave way. His neck snapped, and his body went limp.
“Agh!” Adelia fainted and fell ill. However, thanks to her servants, she was kept informed of the unfolding events.
The succession ceremony was held immediately, and Usebia inherited the title of Baron. In the subsequent awarding of merits, those who had sided with Allen, including Muel and Dreng, were prominently recognized.
“The Lady seemed like Sir Allen’s puppet, and Sir Allen acted as if he were the Baron himself, making all the decisions for the family.”
The servant’s words weren’t an exaggeration. What was even more shocking was that no one seemed to object.
“Is that so…” Adelia, resigned, mumbled weakly. Just then, someone came to visit her secretly.
“There’s something you must know…!” It was Josephine, who had been hiding in her family’s territory. She had managed to infiltrate the inner chambers, evading Muel, thanks to the help of the men she had slept with.
Believing that with Segeric dead and without an heir, eliminating Allen would pave the way for her son to become Baron, she revealed the truth.
“You’re saying… this was all Sir Allen’s plot?!” Adelia finally realized that the entire family had been playing into Allen’s hands.
Fear gripped her as she grasped the scale of his insidious and ambitious scheme, but she overcame it. She had to avenge her dead husband and sons.
“Sir Enoch, send a letter to my father. We must act quickly.” She dispatched Enoch, a knight who had served her family since she was a child, to request aid from the Count.
“Your command is my will!” Adelia remained at the city gates until Enoch was no more than a speck in the distance. She returned to the inner castle late that night.
“Did you send the message to the Count?” Allen was waiting for her at the gate, as if he knew her every move.
“C-Could it be…?” She realized. She was still trapped in Allen’s grasp. And his reach was far greater than she had imagined.
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