Chapter 57

"Forgive me!"

The Minister of Finance bowed deeply, his body bent in two. If I continued to remain silent, it seemed he would press his forehead to the floor. My left cheek was swollen and red.

"I suppose you thought I was just a peasant. Please raise your head."

"To raise a hand against a mage! Indeed, indeed, I am truly sorry!"

His Majesty said that I could decide the punishment for the minister and his family. I had the authority to sentence the person who raised a hand to death, considering my contributions.

No, no, I don’t want to take a life.

The minister’s face was flushed, and I was afraid he might collapse from the blood rushing to his head.

"I will have him stripped of his rank and made a commoner. I will resign and take responsibility. But please, spare my eldest son!"

"I hope you do not resign. Your eldest son is not involved."

"Ah! Thank you for your consideration!"

"Be grateful to Alesia. Rehabeam will be stripped of his rank and sent to the frontier for five years of forced labor. If he harbors resentment against Alesia, it will be troublesome. After the forced labor, he will be banned from entering the capital. Your eldest son will not be punished. You must atone for the sin of raising your second son poorly through your work."

With His Majesty’s words, the matter was settled.

This is His Majesty’s office. The Empress even rushed here, and all the royal family members are gathered. The minister’s life must have been shortened by this.

I don’t want to be recognized as a mage if possible. Rehabeam didn’t know my true identity, so he showed his true colors. This is for the best. Fewer commoners will fall victim to fools.

"Alesia, let’s go to the farm."

Prince Marcus gently placed his arm around my shoulder and guided me out of the room.

In the carriage.

The air felt as cold as if it were from a land of eternal summer, given the prince’s foul mood.

"Your Highness, you don’t need to worry so much. I’m fine."

"I am worried, but also angry. Alesia, to be hit like that..."

My left cheek is swollen and dotted with purple bruises. I knew it was hit hard, but I didn’t know how hard. Rehabeam was used to hitting people. He must have been violent to those beneath him. Now he will know the pain of being treated that way.

"Your Highness, it’s not just Falir who is terrifying. I think nobles like him corrupt the country from within."

"You’re right. If I had been there, I would have cut him in two. What a despicable man! Still, Alesia, you’re strong. You were hit in the face and had your collar choked, right?"

I couldn’t help but smile wryly.

Compared to the torture I endured in my previous life, that was nothing.

"I’m fine. But thank you for being so angry on my behalf, Your Highness."

"Call me Marcus."

"Right. Thank you for being angry."

"Marcus."

"Marcus-sama. Hehehe."

After sighing again, the prince said,

"I can’t calm down. No, let’s stop. By the way, Edna’s marriage has been decided. Her fiancé is the second prince of the Barwara Kingdom."

"Really? Congratulations. It’s reassuring to know she’s going to a royal family."

"Yes, but she won’t return to this country."

"…I’ll miss her."

I won’t see her running up to me with a laugh and calling out, "Alesia-chan!" The back of my nose stung.

The carriage stopped, and the prince followed me out.

"I want to apologize to your parents. This injury happened while you were summoned here."

"That’s not necessary."

"No, I won’t feel at ease."

The farm workers changed their expressions when they saw my face, but they managed to calm down after hearing about Rehabeam’s punishment: "stripped of his rank and sent to forced labor" and "banned from entering the capital." Hakim muttered, "If he had become a commoner and we found him around here, he wouldn’t have gotten off easy," with a serious face, which was a bit scary.

"I’m sorry. It’s the royal family’s responsibility."

"It’s not your fault, Your Highness," my mother interceded.

"Your Highness bows to commoners?"

I turned in surprise, and Isabelle was standing behind us. She usually doesn’t enter when important people are around.

"Alesia, did you fight back?"

"If I had fought back, I would have been more injured. But I did provoke him a bit. He was insulting peasants."

"Alesia, what did you do?"

My father was exasperated. As he applied a piece of silk to my cheek, he said with a pitiful look,

"Don’t take such risks. Are you trying to shorten my life?"

"Father, I heard that Edna’s marriage has been decided. I want to give a roll of silk we wove as a wedding gift. Is that okay?"

"Of course, they’ll be delighted. A dowry that saves many lives will make them very happy."

The prince, who had been listening silently, said,

"Is that okay? That silk was meant for the poor in our country."

"Through Edna, the ties between our country and the Barwara Kingdom will strengthen, which will contribute to the safety of the people in this country."

As I said this, an idea flashed in my mind.

"Your Highness, I have a proposal."

"What is it?"

"I’ll work on the plan and explain it to you in detail after I fill the barrels with water tomorrow."

"Alright. I look forward to it."

By the end of the day, the news of Rehabeam’s misconduct and punishment had spread to all the nobles, their families, and servants in the capital.

The fact that the minister’s son, who didn’t realize he was hitting a mage, was stripped of his rank and sent to forced labor was significant. For nobles, the loss of rank and forced labor is a punishment almost as severe as death. The minister’s son was no exception, which must have been shocking.

Being hit in the face was not in vain.