Droit du Seigneur: His Lordship's Right of the First Night - Chapter 4
“I heard it’s the procession for the new lord, but the carriage is only carrying luggage. It seems the lord will come later,” Martin said.
It was common for a newly appointed lord to send his knights and subordinates ahead when first arriving at the fief. They would prepare to receive him in a way that maintained his prestige, moving his belongings first to ensure he could live comfortably as soon as he arrived.
“Moving his household from the capital won’t be easy. Since he’s highly esteemed for his contributions on the battlefield, he probably has many valuable spoils of war.”
“Ah, yes…”
“That sycophant Baron Hans is making a fuss and being a nuisance as usual. Just look at him, what bad luck.”
Martin clicked his tongue, lamenting how his business had been ruined for the day due to the early roadblock.
Baron Hans, who had a sardine-like face, was lording over everyone with his soldiers. He periodically swung a whip in his hand to threaten the gathered people.
Fwip— Crackle!
“Eeek!”
“Be quiet, all of you! Filthy peasants. If anyone disrespects the new lord and displeases him, they won’t be spared, so be prepared!” Baron Hans shouted.
He had been despised by the fiefdom’s residents for his sycophantic behavior and self-serving ways during the previous feudal lord’s reign. While most of the previous retainers had been ousted, he had managed to stay by using deceitful means. Now, taking advantage of the castle’s temporary vacancy, he was acting as if he were in charge.
Rumors said he had handed over his entire fortune and his young daughter to a powerful figure in the capital to secure his survival, which was why he looked more gaunt than before.
Normally, when a fief lord changed, the retainers were also replaced, but initially, those familiar with the existing system were still needed, so some luckier ones remained. Baron Hans was trying to curry favor with the new lord by diligently preparing to welcome him.
His unusually long, pointed brown shoes clicked noisily with every step.
“The procession is coming! Get ready! When they arrive, everyone clap loudly and throw flowers!”
The sound of horses’ hooves echoed from a distance, signaling the arrival of the lord’s knights. A large carriage, kicking up dust clouds, rolled forward. Seeing this, Baron Hans swung his whip at the people again.
“Hey, you! Yes, you in the green dress! You’re too ugly, you’re ruining the view. Get down on the ground!”
Desperate to be the first to gain the new lord’s favor and secure his position, Baron Hans was anxious. He needed to quickly recover his lost fortune.
This thinking led him to force the market vendors and residents to clean the streets from dawn, but only the knights arrived, not the lord. He was greatly disappointed, and even the luggage-laden carriage was more modest than expected.
Still, he thought that if he welcomed the knights well and treated them generously, they would speak favorably of him to the lord later. He felt no guilt for disrupting the livelihoods of the workers and ruining their day.
“Hey, all of you, step back! Do you want to die?”
The soldiers under Baron Hans, acting just like him, made people frown with their behavior. As the people pushed back, Louise was also forced to step back.
“Aah! No, Oliver!”
A shrill scream tore through the air. Looking in the direction of the sound, Louise saw a woman from the fruit stall with a half-crazed look on her face, screaming. The market vendors held her back as she tried to run toward the procession.
A little boy, apparently her son, had slipped through the barricades and run toward the opposite side. The child, short and chubby, ran to the middle of the road, clutching a kitten he couldn’t let go of in time to avoid the carriage.
“Waaah, Lucy! Lucy, no.”
“Whoa! Whoa…”
The coachman, startled by the suddenly appearing child, pulled the reins. The horse reared up, neighing loudly, and the knights’ procession following behind also came to a halt. Baron Hans, furious at the sight, drew his sword from his belt.
“You dirty little brat! How dare you ruin the welcome ceremony I prepared? You’ll pay for this!”
People, expecting the worst, held the crying mother back and silently wiped away their tears. Since Baron Hans was involved, the boy was likely to lose at least an arm or a leg. Defying a noble meant certain death.
The best they could hope for was that the blade would spare his right arm. Powerless neighbors could only pray for that.
“Ollie, no! Please, save my child! Please…!”
“Mom! Mommy, waaaah, waaaah…!”
Baron Hans raised his menacing sword as if he were about to strike at any moment. Just as everyone closed their eyes, unable to watch, Louise darted forward.
Thinking of Mildred, she instinctively flung herself into action, rolling to the side with the child in her arms, narrowly avoiding the blade.
This caused Baron Hans to swing his sword into empty air, making his face turn red with rage.
“Stop this!”
“And who are you? Do you want to die too?”
“He’s just a child! Please, have mercy!”
“What? These worthless creatures dare to defy me… They must have a death wish.”
Baron Hans, his anger reaching its peak, raised his sword once more. His eyes were wild, ready to strike Louise.
But then, something caught his eye.
The trembling child clutched tightly in the girl’s arms, her light auburn hair falling over her shoulders, her large green eyes, and the glimpses of her slender calves beneath her skirt stirred a perverse desire within him.
