“You dare kick over the bucket serving porridge?! Who gave you the dog’s guts?! Do you know how many lives this grain could save?! Huh?!”
After screaming at the One-Eyed Wolf, the man abruptly turned around.
Under the shocked gazes of the crowd, he walked over to the young girl whose skirt had been stained.
He bowed low, his face masked with humble concern and terror.
His voice dropped an octave, trembling with caution.
“La—Lady Tia! Are, are you alright?! Did this porridge burn your precious body? And your dress, this, this…”
He turned back and glared fiercely at the dazed One-Eyed Wolf, his voice rising again, filled with fury.
“This blind, wretched dog! Acting wild right in front of you! He actually dared… he actually dared to soil your dress! He deserves 10,000 deaths!”
Tia held up her skirt, her deep blue eyes narrowing slightly as her gaze landed on the tax official, whose forehead was already beaded with fine sweat.
Her voice was calm, showing no hint of anger or joy, yet it carried a natural sense of distance.
“You know me?”
The tax official bowed reflexively, the smile plastered on his face appearing stiff due to his nerves.
“Who wouldn’t know you! For anyone serving within Hela City, how could they not know you? Lady Tia, I am one of the city’s tax officials, named Derek.”
“This fool soiled your dress. It is absolutely unforgivable! Rest assured, I will make him compensate you for this dress double—no, ten times over!”
Hela City was built by Earl Harris.
Everything in the city, with the exception of the Inquisition, was under the Count’s management.
As one of Hela City’s tax officials, Derek was naturally under that same management.
Therefore, the Daughter of a Count was essentially one of his top superiors.
No matter how much power he held over the commoners, he was nothing in front of the Young Lady.
Viola and Lily moved to stand behind Tia.
After seeing the filth on her skirt, their gazes turned sharp and menacing.
Tia’s gaze slowly drifted from Derek’s face to the hideous One-Eyed Wolf before lightly swinging back.
She asked a single question.
“Do you know him?”
The question was soft, but it made Derek’s back stiffen instantly.
He waved his hands almost immediately, denying it with absolute certainty.
“No! I don’t! Absolutely not! It’s just… as you know, those of us who handle taxes occasionally walk the streets. It is inevitable that we run into these types of people.”
As if to prove he was telling the truth, he whipped his head around and barked at the One-Eyed Wolf, who was standing there like a statue.
His spit nearly hit the man’s face.
“You bastard! Why are you still standing there like a block of wood? After doing such a thing, get over here and kowtow for forgiveness! Are you waiting for me to invite you?!”
The One-Eyed Wolf had been completely stunned by the slap and the series of rebukes.
Hearing Derek’s furious cursing, he finally snapped out of it with a shudder.
He looked at Derek’s murderous expression, then at the girl whose cold, noble temperament seemed entirely out of place in this filthy street corner.
A wave of immense fear surged from the depths of his heart.
He stumbled forward two steps.
The previous ferocity was nowhere to be seen in his single eye, replaced only by terror and confusion.
“La—Lady Tia… I, I really didn’t know you were here!”
Tia interrupted him gently.
Her voice remained steady, yet it carried an inexplicable chill.
“Oh? Are you saying that if I weren’t here, you could kick over porridge buckets and kill people in public as you please?”
“No! No, no, no… that’s not what I meant! My Lady, I…”
The One-Eyed Wolf was incoherent, sweating profusely in his anxiety as he looked to Derek for help.
Derek internally cursed the fool for not knowing how to speak.
He squeezed forward a step, a forced, flattering smile on his face as he tried to smooth things over.
“Please calm your anger, My Lady. This fellow is just a crude, brutish ruffian. He doesn’t know how to speak properly! Please don’t lower yourself to his level. It would be bad for your health to get upset…”
Tia turned her gaze toward him, her eyes clear.
“So,” she tilted her head slightly, her tone carrying a hint of almost naive confusion, “Lord Derek, are you speaking up for him?”
The smile on Derek’s face froze instantly.
A wave of cold air rushed from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.
“Uh… no! Absolutely not! How could I speak for such a villain! I was just… just afraid his foul language would soil your ears, My Lady!”
Cold sweat rolled down his cheek.
His heart raced.
‘Who was it that spread the rumors that Earl Harris’s daughter was gentle, kind, and a naive girl who was easy to fool?!’
Her every look and smile was indeed beautiful, but she was like a rose with thorns.
If one wasn’t careful, their hands would be covered in blood!
He had a terrible premonition.
If he had answered even one of those light questions incorrectly, his head might have ended up separated from his body…
Tia seemed to accept his explanation and nodded slightly, her tone softening.
“That makes sense. After all, Lord Derek is a tax official of Hela City, representing order and justice. If you truly had a deep relationship with these bullies who oppress the weak…”
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the surrounding commoners, who were as quiet as cicadas in winter but had a small spark of hope reigniting in their eyes.
“Then I fear many innocent people in Hela City would be living in misery without peace. That would be the Count’s failure, and your personal failure as well.”
“Yes… yes, My Lady, you are absolutely right! As a tax official, fairness and justice are most important!”
Derek’s back was now completely drenched in cold sweat.
He knew clearly that the Count’s daughter wouldn’t say these things for no reason.
She had likely seen through his true nature long ago and was simply using this method to warn him.
However, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Since the Young Lady chose to give him a warning, it meant he still had a chance to reform—unlike a certain someone who, until now, hadn’t even received a direct glance from her.
He didn’t dare help the One-Eyed Wolf anymore.
Instead, he braced himself and asked cautiously, “Then… according to your wishes, My Lady, how should this bastard be handled?”
Tia glanced around and smiled faintly.
“Does that even need to be asked? He has likely done many bad things in the past, hasn’t he? Have the Inquisition investigate it thoroughly, and then sentence him according to the law. As for the porridge bucket he kicked over…”
“Lord Derek, you can send people to distribute porridge for one week. You should be able to manage that, right?”
Derek nodded frantically.
“I can do it! I can do it!”
As he spoke, he felt a secret sense of relief.
Turning the One-Eyed Wolf over to the Inquisition?
While there was some risk, there was plenty of room to maneuver.
After all, many Inquisitors had ties to their interests…
Just as he thought this, he saw Tia lightly brush her stained skirt. She added one final sentence in a matter-of-fact tone.
“By the way, since this matter started because of me, I will accompany the investigation. Only then can we ensure a fair result. Lord Derek, what do you think?”
“Then, then I shall trouble you, My Lady…”
Derek lowered his head, his heart jumping in shock.
He completely abandoned any thought of helping the One-Eyed Wolf.
…Had she seen through him just because of a stray thought?
Furthermore, she was extremely protective.
For the sake of these two maids, she chose to pull the problem out by the roots.
This was too terrifying.
Was she really that Canary trapped in a cage by the Count?
Or was even that image something she had deliberately cultivated?
Thinking of this, Derek broke out in another cold sweat.
In his heart, he placed the Count’s daughter and her maids in a position of “people who must never be provoked,” even surpassing Earl Harris himself.
However, just as he was lost in thought, a sudden change occurred.
The One-Eyed Wolf, who had been panicking in fear, seemed to realize he was doomed.
As if he had gone mad, he lunged directly at Tia.
His sharp fingernails looked as if they were about to pierce the girl’s slender neck.
Unfortunately, Derek was one step ahead.
“Bastard!”
He shouted, stepping forward to block the One-Eyed Wolf and pinning him to the ground.
He had wanted to say a few words to give the man a sliver of hope so he wouldn’t be desperate enough to seek death, but in the next second, he saw the One-Eyed Wolf’s body convulse.
The man spat blood and died on the spot.
The scene fell into a dead silence.
Was this… a silencing?
This time, a chill traveled straight up Derek’s spine.
It felt as if he had been dragged into something massive, and this One-Eyed Wolf he had kept was hiding some unspeakable secret behind his back…