CHAPTER 564: THE PUNISHMENT 3

TL: Rui88

After the meeting with his various subjects concluded, Paul told Steward Philip that he wanted to be alone for a while. He walked silently towards his office.

Upon entering the room he had once thought he would never return to, Paul stretched with all his might.

Night was already beginning to fall, with the last afterglow of the sun lingering on the horizon. There were no candles lit in the office; it was dim. He made out the furnishings in the room by the faint light filtering through the window. It was still the same as before he left. How familiar it all was. He was finally back here.

Paul walked gently to his desk. A stack of documents still lay upon it. Paul remembered they were all official papers he had yet to deal with.

He went around to the back of the desk and placed his hand on the “ergonomic chair” he had designed himself. A warm, familiar touch came from his hand.

“Oh, old friend,” Paul said to his chair, “I thought I would never see you again.”

He sat down with a plop, leaned back against the chair, and propped his feet up on the desk in front of him. He let out a long sigh, then stared blankly at the dark ceiling.

Just then, Paul suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him from all directions, attaching itself to his body, making him desperately want to have a good sleep. Yet when he truly closed his eyes, the sleepiness vanished in an instant.

He remained in this state for an unknown length of time until a sudden knock on the door interrupted his reverie.

“Come in!”

With a creak, Steward Philip’s head poked in from outside the door.

“You startled me, Lord Grayman. Why haven’t you lit a lamp?”

The old steward walked into the office, skillfully lit the candle on the candlestick, and the room was instantly brightened.

“Philip, is something the matter?”

He had just told the steward that he wanted to be alone, so Philip must have had a reason for seeking him out.

“Lord Grayman, Sir Abbott has returned. He wishes to speak with you in person about some matters.”

“Hansel?” Paul was somewhat surprised. What did he want with him? Was there something that couldn’t have been said at the meeting earlier, that he had to see him alone?

Paul instructed Philip, “Let him in. I will wait for him here.”

“Yes, Lord Grayman.” The old steward bowed slightly and withdrew.

In less than two minutes, the sound of footsteps echoed in the corridor outside again, followed by another knock on the door.

“Come in, Hansel.”

The door to the room was pushed open, revealing the face of the Director of the Department of Agriculture.

“Forgive the intrusion, Lord Grayman.” He entered the room and turned to gently close the door behind him.

Paul remained leaning back in his chair, only lazily tilting his head towards the sofa beside him. Hansel sat down on it with a plop.

Paul asked him, “It is so late. What matter do you still have to discuss with me?”

“Uh… in fact, I am not here on my own behalf, but… on behalf of everyone.”

“Everyone?” A look of confusion appeared on Paul’s face. It was only then that he suddenly noticed the incredibly grave expression on Hansel’s face. This fellow usually had the air of a dandyish young master who didn’t take life seriously. The expression he wore now was exceedingly rare.

Paul asked strangely, “By ‘everyone,’ do you mean Old Ford, Cecil, Victor, and the others? Did they send you?”

Hansel finally managed a slight smile, “Lord Grayman, please do not misunderstand. In fact, no one assigned this task to me. It’s just that I can guess some of the thoughts in everyone’s hearts, and they also coincide with some of my own. That is why I felt it necessary to come on behalf of everyone. As for these certain thoughts, perhaps it would be awkward for those who are sufficiently close to you to say them to your face, whereas I…”

Paul pointed at him, “A stranger from Crystal Shrine, who also holds the status of a royal representative.”

Hansel nodded, “Yes, perhaps it is more appropriate for someone like me, who has a certain distance, to discuss this with you.”

“Interesting!” A smile appeared on Paul’s face. He stood up from his chair, walked around the desk to a small table in the corner, picked up the wine bottle on it, and poured two glasses. He held one in each hand, handing the one in his left to Hansel. The two lightly clinked their glasses and each took a sip.

Paul said, “I never expected that these subjects whose families have served the Grayman family for generations… would have things they cannot say directly to my face, hehe. Since that is the case, Hansel, you may speak for them.”

“Lord Grayman.” Hansel’s expression became solemn again as he got straight to the point. “During the meeting just now, regarding the slip of paper that Justice Thomas handed you…the one about how to deal with the traitors…concerning its contents, you seemed… to have some reservations?”

“Well…”

Paul did not know how to answer.

The paper handed to him by the Chief Justice had very simple contents…for every person who participated in the rebellion, annihilate their clan.

This punishment, unless otherwise specified, meant that the entire family…regardless of gender or age, even including close servants…would all be put to death, eradicated root and stem.

At the time, after reading it, Paul had not directly agreed, but he had not objected either, because he wanted to appear more decisive in the face of rebellion.

But that momentary hesitation was still noticed by a keen observer.

“Hansel,” Paul said with some helplessness, “I hate that class, not specific individuals. This kind of indiscriminate, one-size-fits-all approach, I feel it’s a bit… a bit much.”

“Even though it posed a danger to your life this time?”

“Hansel, do not confuse the issue. I will certainly deal harshly with the bastards who threatened my life, but their families…women, children, the elderly…they may not have known anything from beginning to end. To be implicated and thrown into prison or even lose their lives because of it, this…”

Paul shook his head.

“Lord Grayman!” Hansel said with a serious expression, “For you to have such thoughts shows that you are a kind person, which is very good. But if the descendants of the traitors grow up, and let’s assume that through their deliberate planning they gain great power and seek revenge against you, what then? Have you considered this?”

Paul replied, “Of course I have considered it, but as long as we take strict precautions, it seems impossible. Think about it, a family that is already finished, how much strength could its descendants have to cause me trouble?”

“Lord Grayman, you need to consider the worst-case scenario. You cannot wishfully hope that the other party will act according to your thoughts.”

Paul replied faintly, “If, after everything that should be done has been done, I am still… then I can only say it was fated to be so.”

Clap…clap…clap!

Hansel applauded Paul, but the expression on his face became increasingly sarcastic.

AN: The protagonist in this book is sometimes also the object of the author’s criticism, haha.