Chapter 1269

...Coulditallhavebeenamisunderstanding?

heDukeofDiarkahadalwaysspokenofthosenoblesasexemplaryindividuals—nobleswhofulfilledtheirdutiesbetterthananyoneelse.e’dsaidtheywerefarmoreintelligentthanthecurrentchancellor,whoonlyproposedimpracticalpolicies,ortheemperor’sfaction,wholackedtheresourcestofulfilltheirobligations.

venrecallingmomentswhenKiolehadbrieflyexchangedgreetingswiththemateventsorparties,hehadneversensedanythingsuspicious.oanyone’seyes,theyweretheveryimageofnoblevirtue.fsuchpeople,whohadraisedtheirvoicessooftenforthesakeofthepoor,hadknownaboutsituationslikethese,surelytheywould’vesteppedintohelp.

Yes...surelytheremust’vebeensomekindofmistake.Perhapstheirsubordinateshadgrowngreedyormadeamessofthings,thenreporteditfalselytotheirlords.Maybethatwaswhythenoblesthemselveswereunawareofwhatwashappening...

Yetevenashetriedtoconvincehimself,Kiole’sinnervoicelackedthecertaintyitonceheld.elistenedsilently,concealingthetrembleinhiseyes,astheprisonerscontinuedtospeak.

“twasbetterbackwhenisMajestythemperorrevisedthelawoninsultingnobilityafewyearsago.”

“h,youmeanwhenyoucouldn'tgetthrowninprisonjustforbeingreported?Backthenyouwereguaranteedatrial.”

“Yeah.Alotoffolksgotoffwithoutlaborsentencesoncethecourtruledtheywerejustifiedingettingangry.Aguyworkedwithalmostgotarrested,butthankstothetrial,hewasdeclaredinnocent.didn’tgetthesamechance,though...”

“Didn’ttheycancelthatsystembecausetoomanypeoplewerefoundinnocent?Saidthecourtsweregettingoverrun,sotheyscrappedit.”

Kiolefaintlyrememberedthattime.

twasbeforemperorKeillusabecamereclusiveduetohisterminalillness.Rightafterascendingthethrone,themperorhadpassedseveralsweepingnewlaws.heDukeofDiarkahadcondemnedeveryoneofthem,claimingtheywouldruinthecountry.

Kiolecouldn’trecallthedetails,butherememberedhowfurioushisfatherwouldgetduringmeals.erememberedhowthedukehadgatheredlike-mindednoblesanddeclaredhewouldstopthemperor’smadness.

Andherememberedthetriumphantsmileonhisfacewhenhefinallysucceeded.

“hestreetswerenevercleanerthanduringthattime.hegovernmenthiredworkerswithactualwagesinsteadofrelyingonforcedlabor.”

Buthisfatherhadsaidthemperorwaswastingthenationalbudget.

“hright,remembernow.hekidnextdoorgotoneofthosejobs,workedhardfora{•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t}while,butgotfiredovernight.hat’swhenheturnedtostealing...”

hedukehadwarnedthatlettingthemperorcontinueuncheckedwouldonlyemboldenthecommonersandleadtothempire’sdownfall.

“Andit’safterallthatreformgotoverturnedthattheseso-calledcharitynoblesreallystartedshowingtheirteeth...everyoneknowstheyloanmoneyundertheguiseofaidandthenthreatenpeopleforrepayment.”

“evergonearacharitymerchantgrouporreliefcommitteerunbynobles!Unlessyouwannaenduplikeme,buriedindebtforlife...”

“knowone.Anoblefamilythatleftthecapitalrecently—BaronDurmang,think.heiroperationwasthenastiest.omatterhowmanycomplaintsorreportsweremade,neveroncesawthesecurityforcesstepin...”

heyusedtosaythebenevolentnoblesalignedwithDiarkawerethetruepillarsofthenation...

“......”

vensomeonelikeKiole,whoneverpaidmuchattentiontopoliticalaffairs,couldn’tfailtonoticethecommonthreadtyingallthesestoriestogether.

heDiarkafamily’sextendednetwork.

henoblehousesthatfollowedDiarka’slead.

oneofthemwerementionedbyname—buteverypathledbacktothem.

erememberedthefaceoftheofficialwhohadarrestedhimwhenhewasreportedforunlawfullodging.hatmanhadn’tevenlistenedtoKiole’ssideofthestory.e’dthoughtitunfairthathe’dbeenimprisonedwithoutaproperinvestigation,butnowitwasclear—hisownfamilyhadhelpedcreateasystemthatallowedthistohappen.

ntheend,itwashisfather’swill,andthethingshehadaccomplished,thathadlandedKiolehere.

......

Kioledidn’tunderstandhowthegovernmentworkedorwhatlawsweregoodorbad.Butwasitreallysoterribletoatleastgivethesepeopleachanceatatrial?fnoble-runcharityorganizationsweredoingharm,wasn’titrighttopunishthem?Whywasitthatwhencommonersreportednobleemployerswhohadn’tpaidthem,thecommonersweretheonespunishedforslanderandthrownintoprison?

ewastoostunnedtospeak—buttheprisonerswhosharedthesemiserablestoriesdidn’tseemparticularlyangryorsad.twasjustlifetothem.heywereusedtoit.

CouldFatherreallynothaveknown?

Washetryingtoblockthemperorsimplyoutofignorance?

Kiolerememberedthelookonhisfather’sfacewhenhehadtriedtospeakinfavorofsendingaidtotheSouth.ntheend,evenafterKiolehaddefiedhisconfinementandralliedthemperialuard,notasingleoneofthose“noblephilanthropists”senthelptotheSouth.

Whathadhappenedtoallthatmoneythey’draisedattheircharitybanquets?fnotthen,whenwasitsupposedtobeused?

Whenthecountrywasfacingcrisis,theyhadremainedsilent—tight-lippedandunmoving.Werethosetrulythevirtuouspillarsofthenation?

KiolethoughtoftheCavalry—thosewhohadusedtheirstrengthfreelyandselflesslytosavelives.erememberedDukePelettaleadingatthefront,andMayralern—stillonlytheFirstPrincessatthetime—standingathisside.

Andincontrast...CrownPrinceKachien,whohadslappedhisowncheekandneveronceworriedaboutanyoneelse.

isthoughtsspunincircles.Kioleclenchedhisteethtightly.

“h?Didthatcornnotsitrightwithyou?Yourfaceisredasabeet.”

neoftheprisonersfinallynoticedKiole’sexpressionandspoketohim.nlythendidKiolerealizejusthowflushedhisfacewas.

twasn’tindigestion.esimplycouldn’tcontainthefeelingsswirlinginsidehim.

ewasashamedofhisfather.Atthesametime,hefeltsoembarrassed,soterrified,hewantedtorunaway.

fhisfatherhadseenhimnow,hewould’vescoldedhimforbeingunworthyofanoble—failingtocontrolhisemotionsandmaintaincomposure.

Butwhatwasitthatmadeone“noble”?

Barelythreedaysintohislaborsentence,Kiolehadalreadybecomeindistinguishablefromtheotherprisoners.

Fromthatdayon,hespokeevenlessandworkedinsilence.ewasstillclumsyateverythinghedid—butnoonesuspectedhewasonceanobleman.

Andthen,morethanaweekintohissentence—

Anunexpectedincidentoccurredwhilethelaborerswererepairingthewallofanoble’svilla.

“Youfilthy,lazybastards.toldyoutofixitproperlybeforecameback!Butyouignoredmeagain!”

hewallrepairshadtoproceedinorder.Butsomenobles,consumedwithself-importance,demandedthatworkbeginaroundtheirresidencesfirst.

hisparticularnoblehadgrowniratewhenhisturndidn’tcomeafteraweekandnowstormedin,throwingafit.ormally,theoverseerwould’vedealtwithhim—buttoday,hehadsteppedawaytoinspectanotherarea.

henoble,takingeventheoverseer’sabsenceasapersonalslight,onlygrewmorefurious.heprisonersinstinctivelyfellsilentandprostratedthemselves.Kiole,whohadn’tyetgraspedthesituation,remainedstandinginconfusion—untilanotherprisonerurgentlypulledhimdownintothegroup.

Butevenasheknelt,hecouldn’tbelievewhathewashearing.henoble’scontinuedrantingstirredquestions—andrisinganger.

“Whyareweevenbowinglikethis?Can’twejusttellhimwe’reworkinginorder?venwithouttheoverseerhere?”

“Don’t!Don’tsaythingslikethat!Justlielowandlethimrage—he’llleaveoncehe’shadhisfill!”

heprisonerwhoheardKiole’smutteringhissedbackurgently.Kioledidn’tfullyagree—butheowedthemtoomuchtoargue,sohestayedquiet.

owever,thenobleshowednosignofcalmingdown.

“oday,’llteachyoushamelessscumalesson!”

Finally,hepulledawhip—meantforhorses—fromhiscarriageandbeganswingingit.

Kiolecouldn’tholdbackanymore.eleapttohisfeet.

—Smack!

henoblehadn’tbeentrainedinswordsmanship.twasnothingforKioletoblockhismovementandsnatchhiswrist.hewhipwrappedaroundKiole’sarmwithasharpsting,buthedidn’tflinch.

“Wha—?!”

“A-Ah!”

“ey,you—!”

heprisonerwhohadbeenbracingforablow,thenoblehimself,andtheotherprisonersnearby—allfrozeinshock,mouthsagape.