The Wicked Wife's Dark History Keeps Coming Back To Haunt Her - Chapter 98
“Of course, that’s possible. Keeping the streets safe is precisely the duty of the guards, isn’t it?”
The guard, recognizing Nina’s noble status, bowed excessively.
Indeed, in this world, status was everything.
“…Wait, isn’t this guy the one we caught the other day causing a ruckus at the gambling den?”
“What’s he done this time… Did he cause a commotion in front of the Duchess?”
The guards roughly hauled up the man subdued by the knight.
“He was assaulting and attempting to abduct this child. Please investigate thoroughly to see if there are other offenses.”
“This scumbag… Always up to no good. Don’t worry! We’ll conduct a thorough investigation!”
Nina coldly watched the man, who protested loudly about being wronged as he was dragged away, then turned to Collin.
“Can I call you Collin?”
“Y-Yes…”
“Alright, Collin. Where are your siblings?”
“At h-home…”
“Are your siblings in danger right now?”
If the man had accomplices, one knight wouldn’t be enough to handle the situation. Reinforcements would be necessary.
But when she asked, Collin shook his head firmly, as if to say the man was the primary threat.
“Miss Catherine.”
“Yes, Duchess!”
Nina turned to Catherine, who was looking at her with overly eager eyes, and asked politely.
“I think I need to check this child’s home. Would it be alright if we continue our conversation later?”
Though she felt bad for Catherine, Nina didn’t want to involve her further if she wasn’t going to take full responsibility.
“If it’s alright, I’d like to come along too.”
“Hmm…”
Should she let her?
Judging by the child’s condition, their home was likely in the slums—not exactly a suitable place for a noble lady to visit.
‘I’ve seen plenty of filth, so I don’t mind…’
But if Catherine wanted to join, there wasn’t much Nina could do to stop her.
***
The capital of the Nessman Empire, Tenon.
As the heart of the nation, it boasted beautiful and majestic architecture, creating a splendid view.
But even here, the shadows of poverty loomed.
The slums.
While the Emperor’s benevolence extended the most charity to this area compared to other cities, it wasn’t enough to uproot the deeply ingrained poverty completely.
People whose spirits had collapsed couldn’t be saved unless they chose to save themselves.
Eyes hollow, some begged while sitting in the streets.
Others lay drunk, sprawled on the ground.
Fights broke out in narrow alleys, thick with a stench that seemed enough to make even healthy individuals sick.
Collin had to traverse this dangerous area daily.
“…They’re absolute scum. How could anyone force children to do such things?”
Catherine gritted her teeth in disgust.
The man they caught earlier was indeed scum, just as Catherine had described.
His actions were textbook fraud.
The man had suddenly appeared in front of Collin one day, claiming to be his father.
He said he’d been suffering from amnesia, unaware of Collin’s existence, but had recently regained his memory and came to find him.
Though it was a flimsy lie, the children, who had recently lost their mother to illness, were easy prey.
They’d longed for a father they’d never met or even seen.
At first, the man treated them kindly, but it wasn’t long before he turned to violence, forcing the children to beg on the streets and stealing their earnings.
Even when Collin realized the man wasn’t his father, he endured it, fearing his siblings would be harmed if he resisted.
The man was nothing short of a beast in human skin.
“…This is our home.”
Collin led them to a shabby little shack and stopped in front of the door.
Creak.
As he pulled on the doorknob, the door opened without resistance, unleashing a torrent of foul odors.
“Ugh, the smell… it’s unbearable,” Catherine groaned, covering her nose as she gagged.
The air reeked of mold and decay, so acrid it felt like it could rot one’s lungs.
It was an environment unfit for human habitation.
“Kids, I’m home.”
At Collin’s call, two children cautiously emerged from the corners of the shack.
“Brother…?”
Seeing the children’s appearance, Nina’s expression darkened.
It wasn’t just Collin who had suffered violence.
The other two children, with their frail limbs and faint bruises, bore evidence of the same abuse.
