Chapter 37: Disaster in the Night
Chapter 37
37.1
When Olidesi said softly, "Sir Osborne Karagaran... do you dare to let someone check your whip to see if there is any Sun Crystal or Silver Dust on it?"
There was a low murmur from the crowd.
"Horsewhip!" Hesong muttered. "Yes, he came into our studio waving his whip around, showing off. If he had scattered Sun Crystal and Silver Dust in the studio, the whip would have been covered in that powder."
Osborne's expression changed completely.
His arm moved subconsciously, trying to hide the whip behind him——
However, as soon as he made this move, his arm froze.
"He made a mistake." Cecilia whispered softly.
The action of hiding the whip betrayed Osborne; everyone saw Osborne's action, and the citizens' expressions became strange.
They subconsciously looked in the direction of Prince Rokolan, and in the dark night, Prince Rokolan's expression became very dangerous.
"What I hate most is being taken advantage of." He said slowly.
Osborne's lips trembled as he forced a smile and tried to explain, "Your Highness, this seems to be some... minor misunderstanding..."
"A minor misunderstanding?" Prince Rochlan scoffed, turning his head to look at the Knights of the Royal City. "Check his whip."
A knight reported in a low voice, "Your Highness, Nighthawk's eyes can detect tiny flashes of light; she has confirmed that there is silver dust residue on Osborne Caragaran's whip."
When the knight's voice fell, the alley was quiet for a moment; Osborn's face turned pale.
Duke Hugh Carragher's expression was impassive, and he offered no words to defend Osborne. Lady Agnes and Cecilia also remained silent.
Osborne looked at all this and finally couldn't hold on any longer. His knees gave way and he fell to the ground.
"Your Highness, I was wrong." Osborne choked, his face dejected. "I was impulsive. Euridice Arquitas and I... it was just a personal grudge..."
The citizens' anger exploded the moment Osborne fell to the ground:
"Osborne Karagarang, he admitted it!"
"Goddess, he set the fire—"
"My parchment scroll shop! All my savings have been burned!"
"Your Highness! Please deal with Osborne Karagaran!"
"Punish him!"
Shouts of anger and pain echoed through the alley like the waves of the Little Sapphire Sea. A group of shop owners and citizens affected by the fire stood in the alley, clenching their fists. Some had red eyes, some gnashed their teeth, and some were still wiping the black ash from their cheeks.
They made furniture, parchments, spices, clocks, and cloth; they were the flesh and blood of the city. When they united and raised their voices in anger, not even the Karagaran family—not even Prince Rokolan—would have an excuse to easily forgive the culprits of the fire.
What the nobles feared most was not the royal family, but all the citizens. A deep fear appeared on Osborne Karagaran's face.
Prince Rokolan turned slowly and waved his hand slightly.
"The Knights of Kaderinburg," he ordered coldly, "take Osborne Karagaran to the dungeons of Kaderinburg. He will be tried by the Grand Judge of the Royal City."
Two knights rushed forward and held down the still trembling Osborn.
Prince Roquelan said this, looking coldly at Duke Hugh Karagaran, who had remained silent. "Grand Duke Karagaran, do you have any objections?"
Duke Hugh Carragher bowed slightly to the Prince.
"As a father, I regret that Osborne has done such a wrong thing." The Duke's voice was very sad. "Please punish him according to the Hydebot Code. I have no objection. - In addition..."
Duke Karagaran paused, took a deep breath, walked to the front of the crowd, bowed solemnly, and saluted the citizens in the alley.
"Fellow citizens," he said, "I failed to raise my children well, and Osborne Caragaran did something unforgivable. For this, I am deeply sorry."
The crowd was silent for a moment, and the citizens looked at each other. Duke Karagaran said solemnly: "Here, on behalf of the Karagaran family, I solemnly promise that all losses incurred by the six shops destroyed by this fire will be borne by the Karagaran family."
Some in the crowd were stunned, while others were overjoyed. A low murmur of disbelief echoed:
"He said...full compensation?"
"Hey, does that mean we can rebuild the store?"
"That's not a small amount..."
Some people looked at the owner of the parchment scroll shop, who was originally angry and had the loudest voice. The middle-aged businessman was also a little stunned.
"Oh," he stammered, "the shop burned down. I really can't accept it, but now... uh, if the Duke can really compensate me in full, I... I'm not an unreasonable person..."
A complex feeling of relaxation and awkwardness spread across the alley. Master Catherine, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly stepped forward and whispered, "Your Highness."
Her robe was still stained with black ash from the burning wood. Prince Rochlan looked at her, and Catherine gave him a not-so-standard aristocratic salute.
"Your Highness," she said, "this matter was resolved because Euridice Arquitas bravely stood up and prevented a frame-up."
Some in the crowd were stunned, while others couldn't help but nod slightly. Someone whispered, "She's Hesong's wife, right? If she hadn't revealed the truth about the wood, the culprit would be Zoe, the carpentry shop's apprentice, not Osborne Karagaran."
Little Zoe had stopped crying, but there were still traces of tears on her face.
Master Catherine paused, her tone steady and her voice clear, "If it weren't for Olidisi's bravery in standing up against the real arsonist, Osborne Karagalang, the Karagalang family would not have compensated everyone for their losses."
Prince Rochlan looked at Master Catherine and suddenly smiled.
When she was young, Prince Rokolan was a famous beauty throughout the entire Void Continent. Even with such a smile, she still had a charm that made people breathe lightly.
"So," the prince asked quietly, "you have come to ask for a reward on her behalf... on behalf of Euridice Arquitas?"
Master Catherine also smiled slightly: "Those who do wrong should be punished, and those who ensure justice should also be rewarded, right?"
Prince Rokolan glanced at Oulidsi:
The night wind blew, and the alley was still filled with the smell of burning wood. Euridice Arquitas stood beside the scorched remains of several shops, his head slightly lowered, as if he was thinking about something. He was not excited about getting the attention of Prince Rokolan.
"So," Prince Rokolan asked slowly, "Eurydice Aquitas, what reward do you want?"
He paused, his lips curled slightly. "Money compensation, a brand new shop, or a heavier sentence for Osborne Karagaran? You can tell me. I will formally submit this request to the Grand Judge of Kaderinburg at the upcoming trial."
People turned their eyes to Olidesi, who raised his head and looked calmly at Prince Rokolan.
In the mid-moonlight of Sunday, her eyes were surprisingly bright.
"I can make the essential oils Her Majesty the Queen wants," she said.
37.2
Sitting in the carriage heading back to the South Hill, Hesong Karagaran looked a little dazed.
He said in a daze: "Did we really... let Osborne Karagarang be punished?"
After Hesong said this, no one spoke in the carriage for a while.
The night wind was chilly, and the crimson light of the Sunday moon slanted across the dirt road that led from Ravenmont to the countryside. The carriage moved slowly along the dirt road, its wheels making a rhythmic creaking sound.
Hesong turned his head to look out the window of the carriage. There was no fire in the city of Ravenmont, and it had fallen into a dark sleep again. However, there seemed to be some burning smell of the fire in the air of the city.
When Hesong said in a trance: "Did we really... let Osborne Karagarang be punished?"
There was a moment of silence in the carriage.
Then, Zoe, who was sitting in a corner of the carriage, sniffed: "Well, it's like a dream. It's really thrilling."
Master Catherine, who was driving the carriage, seemed particularly calm.
She said softly, "I don't think it's that thrilling. ...Oulidsi."
Olidesi in the carriage hummed softly, and Master Catherine said softly, "Actually, you've been on guard against Osborne Karagaran for a long time. When he came to 'visit', you noticed the sun crystals and silver dust he spread, right?"
Hesong and Zoe were startled and looked at Olidesi; Olidesi's mouth corners were slightly raised, and his fingers were lazily fiddling with the curtain rope hanging by the carriage window.
She didn't say yes, nor did she say no.
Master Catherine, who was driving, sighed: "You are really brave."
After hearing this, Oulidesi finally smiled and said, "Master, you are the same. You are very brave to ask Prince Rokolan for a reward."
Master Catherine curled her lips. "My shops have all burned down. Zoe and I are homeless. That old fox, Hugh Karagaran, wants compensation. Who knows what he'll do next? I have to fight for something for myself."
"Don't worry," said Oledsi, "I have my own plans. I won't let the carpentry shop burn down in vain. We will get more."
Zoe, who was huddled in a corner of the carriage, couldn't help but shout, "Oulidsi."
Oledsi hummed, and Zoe whispered, "That spice oil...what exactly do you want to do? Is there really no problem?"
Olidisi's movements paused slightly.
When she said to Prince Rochlan: "I can make the essential oil that Her Majesty the Queen wants."
Prince Rochlan suddenly narrowed his eyes.
He also said, "What do you want?"
Olidisi did not answer immediately.
Prince Rokolan looked at her and smiled meaningfully. "Okay, I'll give you three months. If you can make what she wants in these three months... whatever you want, I can give it to you."
Master Catherine whispered, "What you want is to get close to Prince Rokolan and... Queen Lucinda, right, Oulidesi? Offering the spice oil to the king is just your means."
Olidisi suddenly smiled.
"Yes," she said. "Compensation? The punishment of the Karagaran family? I want all of them—but even these are not enough."
As she spoke, she looked out the carriage window, a cold smile on her lips: "What I want is far greater than these."
Oledsi had a strange look on her face, and Hesong looked at her worriedly: "Ouledsi."
"Um?"
"The spices and essential oils His Majesty desires are not so easy to obtain," he whispered. "Prince Rokolan has only given you three months. What do you want to do next?"
The strange expression on Oulidesi's face suddenly disappeared.
She said with a smile, "To make this spice... First, I have to go find Simon Karagaran at the blacksmith shop."
Hesong was stunned. Oulidesi smiled and said, "Osborne Karagaran was punished, but Simon, the accomplice, did not pay the price... This is not acceptable."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
