Of course, in the very next second, Madam Bijia found out exactly what these soldiers intended to tear down.
Rumble rumble…
As wall after high wall collapsed, the courtyard of the residence was completely opened up to connect with the street.
“You all…you…you’re going too far…”
But before Madam Bijia could even finish her trembling sentence, a group of people suddenly charged out from a side street—only to stop dead in the next moment.
“Milord, look at this…”
It was the city guard captain who was friendly with Knight Bes, along with the servant who’d gone to fetch them.
“What’s this? You said someone was causing trouble—was it this?!”
The city guard captain’s eyes nearly bulged from his head.
This you call causing trouble?
This was practically a purge! Was this servant blind or stupid?
Didn’t he see the family crest on the carriage?
The Marquis’ household.
Without the king present in East County, Marquis Bartios was basically the heavens here!
What were they trying to do…?
Forget him, even his direct superior would be completely baffled seeing this scene…
“You lot! What’s your business here?”
A lightly armored soldier standing by the roadside stepped forward, sizing up the city guard captain.
“Ah? Ah…we, uh haha~ were just passing by, um…patrolling the street, sorry, sorry to bother you.”
He quickly forced a laugh, nodding and bowing to the soldier.
“The Marquis’ household is conducting official business. All unrelated people—get lost!”
“Yes yes yes! We’ll be gone at once! Gone at once!”
The city guard completely forgot their actual duties.
It was like receiving a royal pardon as they fled down another street.
“Hey! Wait up…wait for me!”
The servant who had gone to fetch them was now drenched in cold sweat too.
Go back and tell the madam they didn’t come?
Forget it.
Going back now felt no different from delivering his own head…
With that thought, the servant also ran off after the city guard.
“Here, tear this down too! Open up a hall passage!”
The silver-armored knight commanded, having the front gate and entry doors of Knight Bes’ residence smashed to bits.
Finally, the carriage drove directly into the house’s main hall.
“Hmm…whoever’s in charge here—come out and speak!”
It was only at this point that they did what any proper visiting party ought to do first: look for the master of the house.
“M-milord, I…I…I’m the mistress here…Bi…”
Having witnessed everything from the side—from horror, to anger, to despair—
Madam Bijia now looked completely pale, trembling as she knelt before the carriage.
That neck of hers which was always proudly raised like a strutting hen…could no longer lift up.
She could only lower it deeply, pressing her forehead hard against the rubble-strewn ground.
As lowly as dust.
“You don’t need to say your name. Your name isn’t even worthy to reach our young lady’s ears!”
The silver-armored knight spoke again.
Her words seemed to suddenly snap something in Bijia’s mind, making her recall last night……that little slut’s words.
She’d said the money was from the Marquis’ young lady, that she could work for her now…
But last night, Bijia had been completely overjoyed at being able to plug her “hole” of debt, and had practically chosen to ignore those words.
Or rather—who would believe such a claim right off the bat?
She was just a low-born second daughter of a knight’s concubine.
How could she possibly have connections to the Marquis’ young lady?
Bijia was still blankly pondering this when, above her, a cold, seemingly emotionless voice suddenly came from the grand, luxurious carriage.
“Last night…did you take something you shouldn’t have?”
“I…I…”
The voice wasn’t loud, but it seemed to shake her very soul, making her head swirl with a strange dizziness.
Adding to it all the countless soldiers and knights standing to the sides—
Madam Bijia’s fragile “noble lady” nerves could no longer take it!
“I’m sorry…I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I truly didn’t know…I really didn’t know…”
Bijia was trembling all over, unable to even string together a complete sentence.
So she admitted it?
Inside the carriage, Ileia’s brow twitched.
Compared to her nominal daughter, this mistress of the house was clearly not very clever.
Shouldn’t she have gone to fetch Jenny by now, then used Jenny’s birth mother as leverage to beg for mercy?
Though Ileia had already blocked that route for her, the woman didn’t even think to try saving herself—completely panicked.
Couldn’t even play the part of a small fry villain properly.
Truly worthless trash.
Thinking this, Ileia’s opinion of this “vicious mistress” dropped into the negatives.
She then disinterestedly waved her hand.
“Since you know you’ve done wrong, you must pay the price…take her out to the street, and cut off her hands.”
“Yes, young lady!”
“Eh? Wait wait wait! Young lady! Young lady, I know I was wrong! I truly know…ahhhh?! What are you doing?! Let go…let go of me!!”
Several soldiers roughly dragged her by force, hauling Bijia right into the center of the main street.
From the buildings and alleys nearby, many people secretly watched.
Some were Bijia’s neighbors, some friends of Knight Bes, and others simply unrelated passersby.
But whoever they were, they soon all recognized this wretched woman.
“Isn’t that…Knight Bes’ wife?”
“Click click…must’ve offended the Marquis. How tragic!”
“Where’s Knight Bes? Why hasn’t he shown up?”
“Heh, if I were him I wouldn’t come out either. Are you stupid?”
But compared to the crowd whispering in secret, Madam Bijia was already desperately begging for her life with everything she had.
Unfortunately, it was completely useless.
“Bijia Bes!! For stealing funds from the Marquis’ estate! Now…punished by having both hands severed!!”
The silver knight’s eyes swept across the crowd from under his visor, his powerful voice booming out.
So that’s it…theft, huh.
She actually dared steal from the Marquis’ house…tsk tsk…
“W-wait…I…I can explain…please don’t cut off my hands, I beg you…please, this is all a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!!”
Bijia was still
The futile struggles of Madam Bijia were useless, as her hands had already been forcibly pulled out by the soldiers.
“Wait—”
Whoosh—!
Thud!
A flash of light from the sword.
Blood sprayed out, staining the ground of the street bright red.
Plop…
There was no room for hesitation.
The moment after the command to “Cut”, her hands had already fallen to the ground, mixing with the dirt and dust.
“DF…”
“Shut up! Or do you want to lose your hands too?”
Someone nearby tried to scream, but was immediately silenced by a companion covering their mouth.
“Aaaah—!! Ahhh hahh…”
And at that moment, as Bijia’s shrieks gradually weakened, leaving only pitiful whimpers and sobs behind…
The carriage’s curtain was finally drawn back.
Supported on either side by two silver-armored knights…
A magnificent demon slowly stepped down from the carriage.
That white hair was like a ribbon binding up the entire blue sky.
Her red eyes were as mysterious as sinister starlight occasionally flickering within dark clouds.
She was known as “the Jewel of East County,” and also whispered about as “the Blood Blossom Demon.”
Her face seemed to wear no makeup at all, and her body appeared almost too slender and petite—but she was beautiful to a point that ordinary people dared not even look directly at her.
“The weather…doesn’t seem too pleasant today.”
The young lady stood by the carriage, slowly raising her head to look at the clouds gathering overhead.
Tap tap tap…
“Milady!”
Just then, from the side, Yumina appeared—guiding out a simply tidied-up Jenny.
Behind them, several soldiers were still dragging along that short, fat man like he was a dead dog…
At this point, he’d already been beaten so badly he could only let out faint groans.
The area around his crotch was soaked through…making people instinctively unwilling to go anywhere near.