Chapter 94
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I'm a homebody who ended up possessing the body of a villainess locked away in a desolate tower. Chapter 94 Whoosh— Crash! Branches and stones flew through the air like hail from every direction. The tightly shut, ornate front gate of the Stefan Trading Company—or rather, what had once been ornate—grew increasingly dilapidated. Even the letters spelling "Stefan Trading Company" began falling off one by one, leaving behind the ridiculous sight of "Stfan Trading Company."
"Stefan Trading Company must compensate us!"
"Compensate! Compensate!"
"Stefan Trading Company must refund the silk curtains!"
"Refund! Refund!"
Without exception, people raised their hands in unison, demanding refunds. Among them, it was not uncommon to see those hurling moldy silk curtains into the trash alongside other refuse. In the midst of the escalating protest, a pitiful-looking woman pushed through the crowd and climbed onto the platform.
"Cough, cough!"
After coughing several times, she brought a magical amplifier to her lips and addressed the gathered masses.
"I am Hannah, an innocent devoted reader who fell in love with 'The Secrets of the Monster Duke' the moment I first laid eyes on it."
Having introduced herself as someone suffering from a respiratory ailment, she continued her narrative between fits of coughing.
"Naturally, I had no doubt this masterpiece would become legendary, and so I unhesitatingly purchased the silk curtains chosen by the Monster Duke. Cough, cough!"
Her voice alone had stirred the hearts of the crowd, and now with a sorrowful gesture, she pointed to the ruined signboard of the Stefan Trading Company.
"Yet you betray the hearts of devoted readers and inflict this illness upon us—cough! I cannot even give my beloved son a goodnight kiss for fear of passing this disease to him, nor can I embrace him. I have dragged my ailing body here despite it all. Cough, cough!"
Though her tragic tale had captured everyone's attention, what she truly sought to convey was singular. That they must teach these swindlers a lesson. As she stepped down, an outburst of furious cries erupted from the crowd.
"Such pitiful devoted readers must not be sacrificed! Moreover, the Stefan Trading Company has already betrayed readers before—with false knights!"
False knights? Beyond the crime of peddling worthless curtains, this new charge sparked fresh outrage.
"They spread false news while hurling baseless insults at their competitors! Such an unscrupulous merchant guild must be expelled from the Empire!"
As if waiting for that cry, responses echoed from others.
"Report them to the Imperial family!"
"But shouldn't we receive refunds first? Stefan Trading Company must guarantee the survival rights of the Patient Association!"
"We must receive not only refunds but compensation for damages—including all costs of treatment at the Temple!"
The atmosphere grew heated of its own accord as the indignant crowd fueled one another. Watching from a distance, I allowed myself to laugh freely in my heart. 'This is going perfectly.' It wasn't merely amusing—I felt utterly refreshed, as if a weight had lifted from my very soul. Watching the Stefan Trading Company's pristine gate crumble to ruin before my eyes felt like a decade-old constipation finally releasing. 'If the Blaire Grand Duke were here, he would surely feel the same satisfaction as I do.' In truth, he remained unaware of my involvement in this affair. ...Honestly, I felt no need to inform him. After all, I had no intention of facing the Stefan Marquis House—who had committed every despicable act imaginable and attacked the very people I had raised and sustained—through fair and honorable means alone. A coward deserves to be treated with equal contempt. That's just how it works. So what I did was.... 'At this level, they could easily become professional actors.' I had specially hired professional agitators who were now standing on the Platform, microphones in hand. Hehehehe. Yes, those people who kept coughing while shouting slogans until their voices grew hoarse were... That's right. So-called 'fake' patients. In fact, these fake patients were the very professional agitators who participated in that Poleta leather blackout curtain refund scandal! Having witnessed their impressive performance back then, I made inquiries and eventually discovered they belonged to a secretly-operated Guild, and without hesitation, I sent them a hiring proposal. Offering double what the Stefan Marquis House had paid them. Perhaps that's why the agitators mixed among the genuine crowd seemed to shine even more brilliantly. But it couldn't be helped. The severity of respiratory illness caused by the moldy curtains was far more serious than expected, and if the protest had consisted only of real patients, they would have all collapsed from illness before even reaching here.
"Clear the way, all of you!"
Neigh! At that moment, an angry shout rang out from somewhere, accompanied by the loud neighing of horses. Soon, a carriage drawn by eight horses appeared, and its occupant was none other than Stefan Marquis.
"You wretches!"
Surrounded by an iron-tight guard, he exposed himself to the crowd, and fury erupted from him.
"What in blazes is this! How dare you be so insolent!"
Seemingly surprised by the larger-than-expected crowd, he suddenly contorted his face in displeasure. The trembling tips of his whiskers seemed to vividly reveal his rage.
"How dare you pull such stunts in front of my, Andrew Stefan's, Trading Company. You've all lost your minds, tsk tsk!"
At the appearance of the culprit I'd been waiting for, the woman who had first climbed onto the Platform raised her voice.
"Stefan Marquis! Please guarantee the survival rights of the Patient Association!"
"Refund us for the garbage curtains!"
But despite their earnest pleas, Stefan Marquis merely scoffed.
"A refund? You're saying ridiculous things."
He clicked his tongue defiantly and issued orders to his soldiers.
"What are you standing around for? Deal with them at once!"
Just as Blaire Grand Duke had done when he came to suppress the disturbance in the Territory, he too believed this matter would be swiftly suppressed. But there was something he didn't know....
"Ian."
With my arms crossed, I gestured toward the back. I had already witnessed with my own eyes how Blaire Grand Duke quelled such disturbances, so I had already anticipated armed conflict. The conclusion? There's always someone faster than the one who's fast. I had asked Ian to come on temporary assignment.
"I'm not sure what your main profession is, but do you happen to know any skilled fighters? Or... colleagues who are good at fighting?"
"Is it dangerous work?"
"Well, there might be a situation where I need to use some fists."
"...I'll prepare for it."
And Ian had truly brought friends with a terrifying aura from somewhere. Though they all concealed their faces beneath robes, their measured strides made it clear they were no ordinary combatants. Well, in any case!
"Now!"
When I met his gaze and nodded, Ian's companions began pouring out from the alley near the Merchant Guild.
"Kyaaaah! We're victims!"
"Shut your mouth and get out of the way... huh?"
The private soldiers of the Stefan Marquis House, who had stepped forward to disperse the gathered protesters, began falling one by one to the men blocking their path. Eventually, even the Knights standing beside Stefan Marquis himself joined the fray, but they couldn't hold out long before being knocked down. 'Oh, they're actually quite skilled?' It was the moment my preconception—that street thugs, no matter how talented, could rarely overcome trained Knights—shattered completely.
"H-hiiek!"
Stefan Marquis's face drained of all color as he watched the last Knight fall. Backing away hesitantly to avoid the surging crowd, he couldn't hide his desperation.
"D-damn it!"
After glancing frantically around and realizing no one remained to protect him, he suddenly raised his voice in a desperate shout.
"H-how dare you threaten me! Do you want to be executed for insulting nobility!"
He scraped together what little dignity remained and made a final stand, but...
"The dead speak not!"
The professional agitators' abilities were truly exceptional. At that, the respiratory patients—already seething with rage—shrieked and hurled stones and eggs at Stefan Marquis.
"Exactly!"
"Those who died in accidents when carriages overturned cannot speak!"
"What? Overturned? This is completely insane! Wait, you're the one I hired before...!"
By the time Stefan Marquis belatedly recognized one of the agitators he'd previously employed, it was far too late. No matter how much one loves money, it cannot compare to one's life. Only after being struck by a half-rotten tomato did Stefan Marquis come to his senses, crying out in anguish.
"Fine, fine, I agree!"
He ultimately signed the refund agreement with trembling hands born of fury. But where did the refund agreement come from, you ask? Naturally, I had prepared it beforehand and distributed it among the people. Meanwhile, the enraged respiratory patients continued their petty revenge—pretending it was accidental as they struck his head or plucked at his beard...
"Let's go, Ian."
"Very well."
Taking one final look at Stefan Marquis's face grinding with rage, I turned away without hesitation. 'It seems to be over now.' Or was it? Much to Stefan Marquis's misfortune, this was merely the beginning.
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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