Chapter 212
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
His heart never left her side for a moment, but the danger made it impossible for him to join her. Instead, Cain sent Lehman to accompany the Kristin party.
To Agatha, Cain only said he still had matters related to the Borgia family to handle. He didn’t even tell her directly but conveyed it through Lehman and Charlotte.
He didn’t accompany her farewell for two reasons.
First, there was much to do to execute the plan to punish the Count.
Second, he feared seeing Agatha leave might shake his own resolve.
After the day he felt the child move, Agatha returned to her cold demeanor.
“As the child’s father, I will let you feel its presence, but nothing more.”
Cain gave Agatha just that much space and never dared to cross the boundaries.
Repenting for the days he acted selfishly and ignored her feelings, Cain stepped back from Agatha’s side.
The ship’s horn blew nearby.
From a distance, Cain watched the ship set sail.
This was not a permanent farewell. It was only a brief separation to keep her safe, and he would quickly catch up.
Repeating this to himself, Cain couldn’t tell if he was speaking to her or to himself.
How long he watched, he didn’t know. Soon, the ship disappeared beyond the horizon. Cain continued to stare in that direction for some time.
“Commander, we are ready.”
Aleini, a senior knight, took over Lehman’s duties as assistant. Hearing the report, Cain rose and moved.
No more dwelling in thoughts. From now on, every nerve in his body needed to be on alert.
“I’ve already recruited merchants who spread rumors among the harbor commoners. The word is out that the Count’s actions are intolerable, and unrest is growing.”
Since arriving in Pahel, Cain and the Vernat knights had acted swiftly.
They enlisted merchants who played key roles in spreading news to widely publicize Count Schuck’s atrocities. They also secretly stationed knights among them to create a tense atmosphere.
The local people’s pent-up rage was stoked to the point that a small trigger could cause anyone to take up arms and rise in rebellion.
“It will be tonight.”
“Yes, we will prepare thoroughly.”
It was time to end that vile life with his own hands.
Cain clenched fist trembled slightly.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
Suddenly, chaos erupted at the harbor. Merchants, long exploited by Count Schuck’s mercenaries, could no longer bear it and took up arms.
Starting with them, minor nobles oppressed by the Count banded together to fuel the uprising.
Count Schuck’s unfair confiscations, illegal usury, abuse, imprisonment, and countless other crimes spanning more than 30 years were enough to explain the revolt.
It was strange that they had been quiet for so long.
The riot quickly escalated into a rebellion as if it had been bound to explode someday.
People grabbed whatever could be used as weapons and marched on the estate.
At first, the Count sneered, thinking them powerless and uneducated. But as the unrest spread, he grew uneasy.
His belief that mercenaries would easily suppress the riot was proven wrong as the crowd’s size grew rapidly like a rolling snowball.
“Big trouble! Dozens, maybe over a hundred people, have gathered outside the estate!”
The head maid rushed to the Count, who was hiding in his innermost chamber, shouting. Her face was pale.
“What are the mercenaries doing? Send them out immediately to push those people back!”
“There are fewer than ten mercenaries inside the estate now. They won’t be able to handle even half of those outside.”
“What? Where has everyone gone? Only ten left?”
The problem was giving the mercenary command to the Grand Duke. The Grand Duke had left the manor almost daily to hunt down Cain Vernat, taking all the mercenaries with him at the worst time.
Realizing he had too few guards, the Count’s body trembled like a leaf.
“When will His Grace return? Send messengers quickly…!”
“No one can be sent out now. The moment the estate doors open, people will pour in. What do we do…?”
“Damn, I’m losing my mind.”
The blasted Grand Duke was no help at all. The Count slammed his teeth together.
BANG!
Thunderous noise echoed through the estate . The servants shouted, “The sky is falling!” and collapsed to the floor.
“What, what is that noise?”
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