Reset Life – Chapter 71

Chapter 71: I’m…… a First-Timer (1)

Imperial Calendar Year 372, January 14th.

It’s been two months since I unwrapped Artshever’s gift.

Two months since I’ve been through hellish hardships thanks to that damned gift.

Exactly ten days ago, I left the Imperial Capital Nek, leaving behind a mountain of invitations to balls and banquets.

My destination is the Hiltenpens Barony in Ado, the closest of the five regions of Orknesia to the Imperial Capital.

A major administrative and judicial incident has occurred here, and the second son of the Duke’s family is personally stepping in to resolve it. Originally, the Imperial Government would dispatch administrative and judicial officials, but the Duke of Orknesia exercised his authority to adjust the selection.

“These are the materials regarding the recent embezzlement case, Sir Arisein.”

Baron Hiltenpens Val Anslan, with his tanned, muscular physique that belied his middle-aged appearance of over forty, his impressive height, and well-suited brown curly hair, handed me a stack of documents with a blatant sneer.

Like most of Orknesia’s vassals, this man has a particular tendency to look down on me.

I responded as impassively as possible.

“Is this all?”

“There are some parts that are still under review, so I’ve kept them aside……”

“Bring everything. There’s nothing the Baron should be hiding from me here. Bring everything, including the 372 year-end settlement, the 373 budget execution draft, the Mountain Patrol Unit operation plan, and the City Council settlement.”

“Understood.”

This time, Baron Hiltenpens wore a frankly unpleasant expression. The meaning behind it was clear: ‘What are you going to do with that, you little punk?’

I ignored him and turned my attention to the documents. Baron Hiltenpens stood still for a few seconds, and I turned my gaze back to him, maintaining my business-like demeanor.

“Is there anything else?”

“I’ve prepared a dinner banquet for you, since you’ve come all this way. Will you be able to attend?”

“If it’s prepared for me, then I should. Send someone later.”

“Understood. And while you’re here, please entrust any small errands to Lucy here.”

For a moment, I almost dropped the documents. Just hearing that name made me feel like a migraine was about to start.

“Please take good care of me. Please call me Lucy.”

Fortunately, this (?) Lucy was a demure-looking maid. She looked barely old enough to be of age. And although it’s a bit much to think this way upon first meeting……

“Alright, Lucy. Then prepare some tea.”

“Yes, Sir Arisein.”

The maid, with her long, flowing red hair and incredibly seductive aura, bowed her head and left, swaying her hips in a provocative manner that would make any man’s heart skip a beat.

Her breasts were larger than Levidian’s, her waist thinner than Aila’s, and she was much taller than me.

Hey, Baron, assigning such a maid exclusively, what are you thinking? And look at the way she walks. She’s definitely not a maid, no matter how you look at it.

Watching the Baron’s smug grin as he stood still even after Lucy left, I asked, with the same impassive expression I’d maintained all along,

“What else?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I’ll send someone with the materials you requested soon. Then, please excuse me.”

“Yes. See you at dinner.”

Baron Hiltenpens made a regretful expression and left.

Sigh, I knew it would be like this, but to be treated so blatantly like a stray dog, honestly, it’s infuriating.

In the Imperial Capital Nek, the second son of the Duke’s family holds a fairly high position of respect. However, when you go to the countryside, especially to my father’s territory of Orknesia, my ranking drops quite a bit.

The ruler of Orknesia is my father, and the current regent governing the region is my uncle.

Even before I died, it was pretty much decided that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the position of regent of Orknesia would be inherited by my uncle’s son, in other words, my cousin.

Unlike my brother, who will inherit the title of Duke, I will be in charge of administration in the Imperial Capital later on. Or, like before I died, I’ll be involved with the Imperial Army.

In any case, I’ll be stuck in a minor position unbefitting of a direct descendant of the Duke.

In social circles, I’m treated with courtesy simply because of my family and position, in other words, my bloodline.

However, when it comes to power, the story changes.

In places where scale and immediacy are required, it means I’m eliminated in the first round of interviews.

The Hiltenpens Barony is a minor position even within Orknesia, but it’s one of the important gateways across the Dolen Mountains. Therefore, if the Gray Forest decides to attack, it becomes a crucial stronghold for the defense of the northeastern part of the Empire.

That’s why the Mountain Patrol Unit, said to be unmatched in the Empire when it comes to guerilla warfare, is stationed here. It’s a natural consequence, considering the rugged terrain of the Dolen Mountains.

Additionally, it’s a place intended to be used as a military stronghold, and due to the barren land, the people are a bit rough around the edges. Should I say their survival instincts are strong, or well-developed? They have a good grasp of what will benefit them, based on the premise of survival.

Well, to Baron Hiltenpens, I’m probably just a foolish young master who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and has a bright future ahead of him.

It’s also true that most of the vassals in Orknesia think that way.

Sigh, I knew it would be difficult, but my father is really determined to make me suffer this time. Oh dear.

“Sir Arisein, I’ve brought the tea.”

“Ah, yes.”

Lucy approached, carrying a tray, with a seductive smile on her face and a provocative gait that would make any man’s heart pound.

The clothes maids usually wear—maid outfits that have the attribute of causing excessive sexual excitement in certain individuals—are designed to be form-fitting. These clothes, which Jay and Lucy (the male one) tearfully praise, have the function of highlighting neatness and innocence.

But why does this woman exude so much sex appeal even when wearing such clothes? Huh? Who is she trying to seduce?

If you look at the maids in our family, they generally have neat movements and walk with a proper gait. It’s natural for their hips to sway when they walk because they’re women, but even that kind of walking is restricted for maids in noble families.

But this Lucy, whose walking style is the polar opposite of the overly masculine Lucy, is, how should I say it…… Ah, right. It’s a sight I’ve seen countless times.

She placed the tray on the desk and began setting up the tea. Suddenly, a strong fragrance filled the air. Cough, it’s suffocating.

And she’s deliberately opened her neckline, revealing her provocative white skin and a glimpse of her cleavage. Her neck, which should be covered, is completely exposed.

It’s a presentation that dramatically satisfies the tastes of certain individuals, but…… Even Jay and Lucy wouldn’t think she’s a maid from our family if they saw her. Right?

“Oops……”

She made provocative sounds as she placed the teacups and teapot. It means she knows how a woman’s unconsciously soft voice affects men. Of course, it’s a skill not usually required of ordinary maids.

I glanced at her hand while reading the documents.

Clean and white. Just white hands that seem completely unrelated to any menial tasks.

My suspicions are growing.

“Is there anything else I can do for you?”

After finishing the tea setup, she asked with a bright smile, holding the tray against her chest.

She deliberately pressed the tray against her chest, creating a provocative image of her ample bosom being squeezed.

And somehow, her clothes seem a size too small. Hey, did you borrow clothes from a lower-ranking maid? Because all of yours were being washed?

Feeling a sense of absurdity and ridicule that I haven’t felt in a long time, even from my brother, I lifted the teacup and smelled the aroma.

Sigh, this confirms it.

I don’t know where this hostess rolled in from, but it seems she hasn’t learned how to make tea properly. Damn it! The Baron is really determined to treat me like a fool.

“Stay outside the room. I’ll call you if I need anything.”

“Huh? Ah, I understand.”

Lucy seemed flustered and widened her eyes, then lowered her head and headed for the door. Her gait seemed a little less lively. It looks a bit neater that way.

After she left the room, I tossed the documents I was holding and leaned back in my chair.

“The Baron is really determined to butter me up.”

He probably thinks of me as a typical spoiled kid, steeped in nobility. Arrogant, greedy, and self-indulgent.

He can’t think otherwise, considering how he took me, who just arrived today, to a back room, made me sit down, and started making me work, just to irritate me, and then assigned a seductive maid to me.

When people get angry, they need to vent. Those in power are quite accustomed to venting their anger on those below them, and a significant portion of the tasks nobles assign to their servants involve taking out their frustrations.

Think about it from this perspective. Assign a seductive maid to a hot-blooded young man who is furious. That’s enough material for a whole Red Book.

What’s even more ridiculous is his intention.

He wants me to give him something to hold over me.

He might as well just kneel at my feet and beg. Then I might throw him a bone.

I have no intention of taking the bait, especially when it’s so obvious, even if he tries to sugarcoat it and present the woman beautifully.

“Sigh, I have no one on my side.”

Honestly, at times like this, I miss Aila.

She has a gruff personality and a special talent for getting under people’s skin, but she’s a good friend who ultimately helps me.

But right now, I have no one I can confide in, let alone Aila.

This is also a punishment. A punishment my father has given me.

The circumstances that led to my current situation are roughly as follows.

If it weren’t for Artshever, if I had known he was a demon, I wouldn’t have lifted a finger against the serial killer. However, thanks to Namias and Lucy, I ended up catching the serial killer who was also a demon Inquisitor.

There weren’t any particular rumors circulating the day after the Grand Ball, but after about a week, the story of the ‘Knight of Light who defeated the demon’ swept through the Imperial Capital Nek like a storm.

For the record, I am the Knight of Light.

The guards who flocked to the scene after seeing Namias’s holy fire, the citizens who happened to be looking out due to the commotion, and the Achuni Battle Priest who happened to arrive at that moment all witnessed me slaying the demon.

Most of the people in the Imperial Capital came to believe that I had defeated the demon, and I couldn’t stop the rumors from spreading because I didn’t know about it.

It was beyond embarrassing; it was perplexing.

To describe what happened afterward, it was a series of events that I disliked from beginning to end.

While the Security Bureau and the Temple were engaged in a power struggle over the aftermath of the serial killer who was also a demon, an incident occurred.

My father decided to punish the adults who allowed two minors to get involved in such a dangerous situation and failed to stop them.

My legal guardian, my father, was also included in the list of those to be punished, but the stricter a person is, the more likely they are to impose penalties on themselves as well.

Most people expressed disapproval.

After all, it meant indirectly punishing me, who had become an object of reverence for both citizens and nobles, and punishing the Duke of Orknesia, who is a central figure in the Empire.

The first to react was the Grand Sunshine.

‘It was an oversight on the part of the Grand Temple to miss the demonic presence. However, regardless of the reason, the fact that the Child of the Sun cooperated with the light to defeat the demon cannot be a reason for punishment. Demons are like natural disasters, to which Imperial law does not apply. If someone lends a hand to prevent a natural disaster, it doesn’t matter whether they are a minor or an adult.’

The above statement was released, and the proposer and announcer was High Priest Damachi Ir. For the first time in my life, I felt genuinely grateful to that old man.

However, my father’s, the Security Bureau’s, argument was as follows.

‘Although possessed by a demon, the serial killer falls under the jurisdiction of the Security Bureau. Arisein Pen Herduke, despite being a minor, interfered in the case before the demonic nature was confirmed. This is clearly a case of civilian intervention in security matters. Furthermore, it is also a fact that a minor was wandering around in a legally unauthorized place at a legally unauthorized time. This can only be seen as a lack of legal awareness on the part of the individual involved and those around him who failed to protect the minor who should have been protected.’

It’s also an indictment, and the fact that he included himself in the list is typical of my father.

The incident was about me catching the demon-serial killer, but the focus of the issue was on the fact that I was a minor.

As a result, the case was brought to trial before I could do anything about it, and due to the Emperor’s special order, which stemmed from his interest in the widespread rumors in the Imperial Capital, a verdict was reached quickly.

The main points of the verdict are as follows.

‘The actions of the defendant, Arisein Pen Herduke, were personal actions taken for personal gain while violating Imperial law, and it is recognized that this constitutes distrust of Imperial law and the Imperial Security Bureau and interference in security matters. However, Imperial law does not have any specific provisions regarding supernatural beings such as demons, and while the defendant may not have known about it, this court agrees with the official view of the Grand Sunshine that he resolved the crisis that befell the Imperial Capital. Therefore, in accordance with the law of Public Loss Reduction applied since the founding of the Anopuri Empire, no specific punishment is imposed on the defendant’s actions. Furthermore, any specific form of commendation is also prohibited.’

I was found not guilty. It’s what they call extenuating circumstances.

This eliminated those who questioned my wrongdoing. After all, who would dare say anything when his own father stepped up and tried to punish himself along with me?

Ah, but that doesn’t mean my father stopped the whippings.

Although I couldn’t be held legally accountable in public, as the head of the household, he could still reprimand me as he pleased.

I made my own guesses. What kind of punishment would I receive?

The most likely punishment was, of course, confinement.

Actually, I had been thinking that I should lie low for a while because I couldn’t handle the fame, so confinement was more like a vacation for me. I looked forward to the confinement order with a pounding heart.

However, I had underestimated my father.

Even keeping me, who had become the most popular person in the Imperial Capital, confined within the house would have been uncomfortable for him.

‘If you want to make such a big contribution, then go ahead and try!’

My father even shouted, which was rare for him.

Thus, I arrived here in Hiltenpens, to resolve the troublesome embezzlement issue.

Accompanied only by four escorts for protection purposes.

I considered the current situation. A sigh escaped my lips.

“The future is the problem. If I don’t even dress properly, they’ll definitely find fault with me……”

Since I couldn’t even bring Marlin with me, I’m unable to receive even the minimal assistance necessary to maintain my usual level of grooming.

The servants of this house will take care of the simple things, but judging from the dedicated maid the Baron has provided, it’s clear how they perceive me in this house.

How should I repay this disrespect?

First, if I perfectly resolve this embezzlement case, I can effectively shut the Baron’s mouth. However, that wouldn’t be enough for revenge.

I need to teach him a lesson so that he’ll be completely cowed when he meets me in the future, even if it’s just a meeting with Baron Hiltenpens. Hmm, what should I do?

Oh, shouldn’t I solve the embezzlement case first?

While I seriously requested relevant materials from the Baron, this is actually a case I could solve as soon as I arrived.

Because this incident happened before I died. And there’s nothing more to say since I wrote the basic preparation documents and the follow-up documents for the case.

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