[Chapter 102] Pretending Not to Know

Looking at his stunned subordinates, Cledwyn smirked slightly. He pulled out a chair to his empty right and gestured for Neris to sit there. As she complied with a glance, he raised his chin slightly.

"Please, have a seat, everyone."

People hesitantly took their seats.

Despite the probing and openly staring gazes from a dozen or so individuals, Neris remained calm. Cledwyn made no additional remarks about her eyes.

"Let's begin the meeting."

And he truly began the meeting.

First, there was an explanation of how successfully the last traitor Cledwyn went to apprehend had been eliminated. It was mentioned that Aidan, the leader of the 'Platinum' who had been besieging a region in the East, was killed, and the accomplices received different types of punishments according to their crimes."

Before Cledwyn entered, it was a topic that everyone was interested in, but now, no one had the presence of mind to listen and understand the explanation. They were all too busy scratching their heads full of confusion and various speculations.

Suddenly, Neris looked up.

One person, then another. She met the eyes of everyone from those close to her to those far away without missing a single one.

Those who met her gaze quickly averted their eyes and focused on the meeting content before three seconds had passed. Despite the lack of any hint of blame in her composed gaze, there was a sense of tension and a quickening of the mind.

Observing how effortlessly she captivated the people's attention, Cledwyn quietly smiled.

'He smiled.'

'He smiled?'

The Maindland people, strictly speaking, had seen the Lord's smile before. No, many times. He often wore a smile that seemed to know everything and nothing at the same time.

But this smile was not the kind that made a guilty person sob and confess their sins, like now, that is...

'Are you pleased?'

Yes, the smile now didn't seem to convey a sense of satisfaction.

A new confusion spread among the people.

Whether they spoke or not, the meeting continued. Finally, after the explanation of the recent expedition concluded, it was time to report on the matters dealt with at the White Swan Castle.

"The epidemic in Rodear has ended without any issues. The infected items have all been incinerated, as reported by the Rodear officials."

"There is a report that the catch in the Dorenab region has decreased to half of the usual amount. Support funds through the lords..."

Completed tasks, ongoing tasks, and preparations for the Duke's return.

Each responsible person's report proceeded flawlessly. And finally, it was time for the report related to the flooding in Pechernon.

"As mentioned in the brief report this morning, an incident occurred at the point where the Buoy River meets the sea, resulting in casualties and property damage in Pechernon."

Neris spoke up. Cledwyn nodded.

"I've read the report. We may need to look into the details further."

"We are preparing to provide a formal report after the meeting. And in the official report, we plan to describe in more detail, but due to an unfortunate incident during the relief process in Pechernon, some individuals involved are currently under investigation."

The term 'unfortunate incident' froze the meeting room as cold as ice.

Whether noble or manager, no one felt at ease. The leader of this incident emerged from the managers, and many nobles were involved.

Where was the common sense? There was no moral or legal justification for diverting relief supplies meant for the distressed villagers in immediate need to falsely accuse a specific individual.

Crimes of that nature were particularly strictly punished, even if it was due to the actions of the previous generation that caused powerful individuals to engage in corruption.

As they inwardly braced for a somber atmosphere, Cledwyn spoke calmly to them.

"They will be executed at dawn tomorrow."

Those who were relatively close to the confined nobles shuddered. Execution... It was an even harsher punishment than they had anticipated.

Among the dismayed individuals, Rex spoke up with a slightly uncomfortable expression.

"Your Grace, considering there was no actual harm... Of course, there is a concern that punishing the wicked or those who caused harm to the people with severe penalties from the 'Central' might give the impression of excessive severity."

"I have been accused of undermining my decisions without proper justification or objection, causing harm to the people with my brief opinions. The advisor's solution was supposed to be based on individual competence above the norm. If it were someone else, what would Pechernon be like now? The intended extent of harm from the wrongdoing cannot be ignored. It's execution."

Without considering a rebuttal or carefully choosing his words, Cledwyn immediately countered. It was the right thing to say, and with his forceful tone, Rex fell silent.

It was always like that. In fact, their Lord was too clever for anyone to counter. Everything he said and did seemed right, and the outcomes were always good...

As the moment passed when the fate of those who caused the trouble this time was decided to be execution.

"I agree with the opinion of Lord Bronson, Your Grace."

A clear voice interrupted the flow.

In this meeting room, no one dared to challenge the Duke's words once he had spoken. They all looked at the person who dared to speak up in astonishment.

Neris remained composed, whether she was the center of attention or not. She earnestly countered,

"How can one not consider the outcome in punishment? If their crimes had succeeded, it would be natural to show an example by executing them, but that's not the case. If all prisoners are executed, the level of punishment for those involved should be raised, and the scope of those being punished should be widened for fairness, which may lead to administrative gaps. I suggest life imprisonment."

People looked nervously between Neris and Cledwyn. And a moment later,

"Then handle it that way."

Cledwyn nodded.

Silent astonishment spread.

After the meeting ended and people left their seats, they walked and conversed with those in a reasonably close position, regardless of whether they were lords or managers. This was because Rex, who had represented the managers until now, and Neris, the current representative of the managers, had advocated for clemency for the nobles.

"Lord."

By chance, Rex ended up walking with Hilbrin. At Hilbrin's soft voice, Rex blinked.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Perhaps you know something about the advisor? Did you know she possessed Jewel Inside?"

"Oh, no. I only found out today."

For some reason, even after hours of continuing the meeting, she still wore a veil until the end, which seemed strange. Hilbrin had spent less time face-to-face with Neris than Rex, so he had fewer doubts.

Upon Rex's response, Hilbrin sighed.

"Where did they bring such a person from? Our Duke is truly remarkable. Surely, he is not of noble birth, right?"

Both Rex and Hilbrin had independently investigated the advisor before Neris arrived. They knew that her mother was from the Elendria lineage, but they had no clue about her relationship with the royal family.

Rex gave a wry smile.

"Surely. If not Jewel Inside, I wouldn't know. Such a distinct trait was revealed, and if she were of noble birth, she would have mentioned it from the beginning."

"Oh, I see."

"Hilbrin, being a simple person, didn't scrutinize things as quickly as Rex. A friendly noble approached him, nodding his head, and asked excitedly,

"Lord, did you see it today? Your Grace changing his opinion, did you see it?"

Normally, it was considered impolite in Maindland for lower-ranking individuals to interject in conversations among higher-ranking people. However, this noble was one of those involved in the recent Pechernon incident and was a cousin, so he was delighted with the outcome of this meeting.

Knowing this, Hilbrin naturally included him in the conversation.

"Who wouldn't have seen that? Probably, in just an hour, rumors will spread even to the lower town."

The Duke had decided to execute someone, and he had even tried to push through without listening to objections from his subordinates. But then, someone appeared who directly opposed it.

It was unprecedented.

And was the opposition even accepted?

"Isn't the advisor remarkable? Look at what she's saying. I've never seen anyone speak so boldly in front of His Grace. Moreover, the way the victim herself countered so logically, His Grace had to make an exception for her. If it were someone else, where! It would have been impossible."

Certainly, as usual, people like Rex would lose their words or close their mouths from the beginning. There was no one who could win an argument with the Lord.

But now, someone who could do that had appeared.

"Indeed, it was a convincing argument."

A quick and accurate response as if there was no need for time to organize thoughts. A solidity felt only by someone who knew exactly what their words meant. And amidst flawless logic.

Some abilities were such that even a few simple conversations could convey them to the other person. And people felt that skill in Neris.

Instead of thinking that Neris was being favored in today's exceptional situation, they admired the effectiveness of her objection, which was indeed exceptional.

Seeing Hilbrin lost in thought, the noble spoke up.

"The advisor seems to have been born in Maindland due to her courage. When you think about it, her mother coming here with her and possibly being related to the Duke's family? Well, before the fourth generation, there was a royal and Duke's family intermarriage. So..."

"Could she be a hidden branch with royal blood?"

"Yes, so His Grace might have greeted her first yesterday."

Hilbrin and Rex were speechless. They understood why this noble didn't act as discreetly as his cousin and others.

They should speak up. Did it seem like looking at a younger sister's face?

"Well, I don't know..."

But in such matters, it was best for others to save their words.

Watching the noble, still excited, going to praise the advisor to others, Hilbrin exchanged glances with Rex. And they both smiled, realizing that their opinions had aligned after a long time.

"For now, let's pretend we don't know."

"Everyone probably knows, but there's no need to bring it up unnecessarily."

It was a rare moment when the opinions of the managers and subordinate lords aligned after a long time."