Chapter 46

#046 Living Twice (4)

"After his father was taken to prison, Claudine seemed to harbor poison."

"She completely changed. She was gentle when she was young."

The two village representatives, 'Teddy' and 'Mari,' began their story with trembling voices.

I glanced at the plates of the two middle-aged people.

Indeed, it seemed to be an uncomfortable situation, as the main dishes, untouched, were getting cold.

"Claudine's father... enjoyed gambling. At first, he only invited acquaintances for small games, but eventually he started inviting villagers to the inn."

"I heard about that. He would诱导他们用皇室或贵族赠予的物品作为赌注，并在赌博中使用欺诈手段夺走一切。”

“Yes, yes. That’s correct, Your Highness.”

Mari sighed deeply and lowered her head.

Ten years ago, Cardinal Boutier caught a scene of fraudulent gambling here.

Bengazame said he clearly remembered how the criminal spat at the villagers and cursed them as equally dirty when being dragged away.

"After my father was taken, Claudine focused solely on renovating the inn for a while."

"The villagers also remained quiet. But a few months later, a high-ranking nobleman came, and from then on, Claudine began to demand a commission on the gifts."

"Has the village of Luka ever collectively resisted?"

Christel asked Teddy. I was curious about this part too.

Even if the Le Chiffre Inn was a famous landmark in Luka, if the entire village had united in refusal, there would have been nothing Claudine could do.

The villagers seemed to number around a thousand, and the inn staff were also from this place.

In contrast, Claudine, in her twenties, was essentially alone.

"At first, we thought it was just nonsense."

"Most people ignored Claudine, and some even pointed fingers at those who went to the gambling den. So when Claudine took over the inn, things turned out this way..."

"Don’t say that."

I stopped him.

It was unacceptable for the perpetrator to be so brazen while the villagers felt guilty.

The middle-aged man trembled slightly as he looked up at me.

"When something you’re used to receiving suddenly disappears, anyone would act defensively. Especially if it affects their livelihood, the reaction is predictable. Putting out the fire that day was an action you took to protect your livelihood, and there’s no need to feel ashamed. Claudine should be ashamed for threatening your lives."

The two representatives fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded and wiped their cheeks.

For a while, the dining hall was filled only with the sound of sniffling and murmurs of gratitude.

"Let’s proceed as planned."

The prince, who had been staring at me intently, finally spoke. His handsome face showed no emotion.

The 'plan' meant arresting Claudine by the prince’s authority and sending her to the castle prison.

It was the simplest and most certain method, and it was also the approach that Emperor Frederic had taken ten years ago.

The prince last night had not hidden his displeasure at the fact that the same kind of incident, which his mother had resolved, was happening again.

I nodded slightly in response to his words.

Since the situation was now clear, it was time to clean up and prepare to leave.

"Let’s go out."

The prince said to the village representatives.

While they might have seemed like unwelcome guests, I knew he was considering their well-being.

In a situation where they were already exhausted from sharing their difficult circumstances and crying, it would have been too much for them to stay.

Moreover, if Claudine saw them in this state, she might suspect something.

The middle-aged men quickly got up from their chairs and bowed deeply.

“I have one more question.”

At that moment, Christel spoke clearly.

“If you could go back to the day the inn caught fire, would you do the same thing?”

“No, no. No, Lady.”

Mari shook her head in denial. Teddy also bowed and replied.

“At that time, there was a drought, and we were very desperate. But now... even without the gifts, we can manage to live without anyone going hungry if we support each other.”

“...I see. Understood.”

Christel, who had been deep in thought, answered. Soon, the two representatives left the dining hall.

I watched the door close and then spoke softly.

“Lady, surely...”

“I think the villagers of Luka need a second chance.”

Christel looked at me with her clear, azure eyes.

Her resolve was so vivid that it left me speechless.

“According to what Your Highness said, it was an action they took to survive. But because of that, they’ve been held back for ten years. If the innkeeper is arrested now, their immediate suffering might be resolved, but...”

She trailed off, a rare occurrence. Her fingers tightened around the glass.

“Even if Claudine is defeated, their broken spirits won’t automatically recover.”

As she spoke, Christel shone like the only star in the night sky.

I stared at her, a bit dazed.

I knew she was the protagonist of *I Quit My Job and Became an Otherworld Noble Lady* and a character that Eunseo loved, having heard it countless times.

When I first met her, I felt she had the demeanor and appearance of a protagonist. But...

“I want to give the people of Luka a new life, just like the one I gained. Ideally, in a way that they can stand up on their own.”

Only now did I truly realize that she was the 'protagonist.'

Seeing her intolerance for injustice and her unwavering sense of righteousness.

“Your Highness, what if we do this?”

Christel turned her gaze to the prince. The man’s thick eyebrows twitched slightly.

*

The next morning.

The Le Chiffre Inn in Luka Village was bustling from the early hours.

It was the day the prince’s party was leaving.

Even though the staff knew there would be no salary this month, they moved tirelessly, unloading expensive luggage and tidying up the rooms.

When high-ranking guests came, Claudine Green would inform them that the gifts from these guests were their monthly wages.

Even her nephew, Maurice, was subject to this rule.

Given how cold she was even to her family, it was clear that complaining to her would be futile.

So the staff just worked hard.

Living as prisoners in the inn was a painful and sad experience, but thinking of their neighbors and families who were enduring it with them made it somewhat bearable.

“There’s too much dust on the carpet. How can His Highness step on this? Bring a new one and replace it!”

“Yes, Ms. Claudine.”

Claudine Green smoothed out her furrowed brow.

To satisfy the esteemed guests, everything had to be perfect, but the naive and simple villagers fell short in every aspect.

Still, thanks to the meticulous teaching and discipline by her father and herself over the past decade, the villagers were now mostly capable of doing their jobs.

Despite the monthly training fees, it was frustrating to see them throw tantrums over 40% of the gifts.

They trembled, fearing they would starve without the Le Chiffre Inn, yet they hated contributing to the inn.

It was pitiful and pathetic.

“His Highness is coming.”

One of the inn staff hurried down the stairs to announce.

Claudine quickly checked her hair and clothes, then gestured and signaled to line up the staff in two rows.

She didn’t forget to quickly scan their attire. It seemed there were no issues.

Soon, heavy and light footsteps echoed up the stairs.

-Thud, thud, thud

-Clack, clack, clack

A breathtakingly beautiful pair of a man and a woman appeared on the new carpet.

Seeing them, Claudine Green instantly put on a kind and warm innkeeper’s face.

Her voice also became gentle.

“His Highness, Lady. May your journey be smooth and safe. Thank you for choosing our Le Chiffre Inn.”

Then she bowed deeply.

There was no response from the two, but it wasn’t surprising that royalty or high-ranking nobles wouldn’t engage with commoners.

She stared intently at their backs as they walked out the main door.

Fortunately, the situation she had feared did not occur.

When the prince mentioned inviting the village representatives for lunch yesterday, she had been secretly tense.

Teddy and Mari were respected figures among the naive villagers.

She had been wary that they might say something unnecessary to the prince while she was tending to the ailing viscount, but it seemed her warnings had been effective.

After the lunch, the prince and the lady had strolled in the inn’s backyard alone, and today they were leaving the building with their arms crossed.

It seemed they were so engrossed in their romance that they didn’t notice anything else.

This was good for her.

“Enjoy it while you can.”

“What’s enjoyable?”

Claudine turned her head in surprise.

A dazzlingly bright purple gaze was looking down at her.

She quickly lowered her eyes, scolding herself for speaking aloud.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Thank you for your service.”

“I am honored. It was a privilege to serve the prince of the Holy Kingdom,”

“No, I was talking to Maurice.”

The prince cut her off gently.

Claudine almost bit her tongue in shock.

On the opposite side, Maurice was hurriedly bowing to the prince.

The useless nephew had been in charge of the prince’s room for the past two days and had been scolded several times.

All her harsh training had been in vain.

While she was deciding to give Maurice a severe scolding, the prince led his two attendants out the door.

The most important event of this quarter was coming to a successful end.

“Long live the prince! Long live the prince!”

“Thank you to the crown!”

All the staff of the Le Chiffre Inn and the villagers of Luka came out to the square and raised their voices.

Many were prostrate on the ground.

A dozen royal carriages, already loaded with guests, were slowly turning the corner.

Claudine watched the last carriage disappear with a satisfied look.

That’s when it happened.

-Boom!

“Aaaaah!”

With a deafening explosion, the Le Chiffre Inn began to burn.