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Can’t We Just be Happy? (17) – unedited

Following Aunt Aja’s guidance, the people of County Abitz headed to the village chief’s house. What was the story they were trying to say to bring armed soldiers to this country? I couldn’t stand still, so I followed them with Merson.

I couldn’t go inside the village chief’s house, so I squatted in front of the house and waited for the story to end. We were right in front of the house so that Merson could jump right in if we hear a loud noise.

Even Auntie Aja couldn’t take her steps off easily and stood around the village chief’s house. She poked her head back and forth through the closed curtains to see if she could see from even the slightest crack.

“What is going on with the people of County Abitz?”

“It’s obvious, wasn’t it that the village chief’s granddaughter sent it?”

“Count Abitz was the Count Chenin was married to?!”

Startled, I jumped up. So, does it mean that it wasn’t Theron Abitz that gave information about me to the demons, but it was Chenin after all?

Yes, it has to be. The only outsider who knew I was in Sezaine was Chenin.

“Right, who else is going to come to this countryside?”

I hurriedly put my ear close to the door. As I thought, they never seemed to be armed soldiers sent by Chenin. When she visited Sezaine last time, Chenin was almost alone without any attendant, so what kind of power did she have to move armed men?

I could hear voices intermittently, but it was hard to understand exactly what he was saying. Then bam! the door opened and my body was pushed out by the recoil.

“Uwah!”

Merson caught me and I wasn’t hurt, but I was very surprised. Can’t they just pretend to have a presence considering someone who is secretly eavesdropping on them?!

“The story ends more easily than I thought, and the Count will be satisfied. Oh, put your worries aside for a moment. Madam be fine for a while.”

It was an obvious threat. I didn’t know the specifics, but looking at the hustle and bustle of the agent’s words, he must have asked for something with Chenin as collateral. He must have brought the armed men along on purpose to look intimidating.

The people of County Abitz, who had finished speaking, left Sezaine without looking back. The village chief stumbled, and Merson hastily supported him.

“Oh no…. My baby.”

“Merson, let’s go inside.”

The village chief sat down on the sofa, and Aunt Aja served medicinal tea. On the table were documents with the Abitz family seal on them. And underneath the document was also the village chief’s signature.

The village chief struggled to open his mouth as he couldn’t take his eyes off the document with anxiety.

“The document stated that half of the Sezaine estate will be given to Chenin within this month.”

“What?! So suddenly?”

“They will plow the land for farming and build something. They didn’t tell me when I asked. Saying it was for Chenin.”

“Chenin obviously asked for Sezaine to be vacated until this year.”

“That is for the other half and then give out the other half.”

Look at these scammers?! A fire flared inside my stomach. Even a loan shark wouldn’t do this! Our village chief has no debt!

Aunt Aja, who was surprised just like me, asked in an urgent voice.

“What if you don’t give it to them?”

The village chief’s head bowed to the floor.

“Our baby… Chenin won’t be safe. How can I do that ….”

Huh… Chenin was literally being exploited. I thought this was only a threat to his status, but the Count went beyond that and was touching her life.

Even Aunt Aja couldn’t open her mouth any more. It was because she knew better than anyone how precious Chenin was to the village chief.

A sharp wind was approaching down to the neck of the peaceful Crown Prince.

After hearing the dark content, each of them fell into their own troubles, and the atmosphere quickly became somber. It was the village chief who broke the atmosphere in the midst of only gloomy sighs.

“I have to go to the capital and bring Chenin.”

“Oh my gosh! What did you say, I feel like my heart just dropped.”

“Until now, she said she liked it, so I let her go, but I can’t bear to see her risking her life any longer!”

“Do you think we can breezily go and say ‘Chenin, the village chief says to go home’!”

Aunt Aja, who couldn’t see it anymore, shouted loudly at the village chief. She was right, but from the village chief’s point of view, it was impossible to leave it alone.

“Then do you want me to just wait? Give them all the land, divide it up, and only act at that time!”

There are two ways to make the Sezaine estate completely the Count’s.

One is to pass it on to the children between the two, and the Count maintains it until the child becomes an adult, and the other is to pass it on to the spouse when the owner of the estate is no longer able to manage the estate. That means Chenin’s death.

Aunt Aja let out a complicated sigh, which rose from the depths of her stomach. The village chief’s wrinkles seem to have deepened.

To put it bluntly, the village chief gave up his territory and the stability of the villagers solely for Chenin’s sake. But the end may be Chenin’s death… It was a series of tragedies.

The village chief put the documents deep in the drawer. I couldn’t think of a proper solution to overcome this crisis now.

At first, it was considered impossible to change Chenin’s mind. She was ambitious enough to drive out the villagers she’s been with since childhood, in one day, but it didn’t seem like it would work to provoke sympathy using the village chief.

So how about warning her that the Count might kill her? It’s good that I don’t have to act on my own to stop the nonsense.

Ugh, I can’t think of a way, and I’m getting a headache. If Chenin returns to the village, the village chief will not have to worry about losing the territory, and Chenin’s life will also be safe.

“Erina?”

Merson called me.

“What?”

He raised his arm. Without realizing it, I grabbed his hand and held it tightly.

I felt a tremor in his hands. It wasn’t Merson’s. When I became aware of the trembling that started with me, my body trembled more strongly than ever before.

What is this? I felt dizzy as thoughts that added to my worries swirled in my head.

And even though my body didn’t tell me to, I jumped out of my seat and got up. Still holding Merson’s hand.