You Stay

You Stay

"Yagna, you may stay."

Lynn admitted that he was tempted. It was truly hard not to be.

And with her loyalty at 72 points, even setting aside whether her scheme was viable, she should be trustworthy.

In an age when most people could barely read or count, those who could were already rare talents.

Let alone a baron's daughter who had received a proper court education.

"I will remember your kindness forever!" Yagna rose to her feet excitedly.

Her plan had been a tremendous success. Not only had she gambled on the right person and become a Baroness again, but her new husband was even a handsome man who suited her tastes.

Although marriages among nobles were mostly built on interests, leaving little room for love.

Having an attractive partner was undoubtedly a blessing.

But Lynn's next words plunged her into an icy abyss.

"I'll make this clear first, Yagna. You are not a Baroness."

Yagna froze for a moment, then placed her right hand over her ample chest and asked anxiously, "I don't understand. Is my appearance not enough to move you?"

Her looks were undoubtedly an important asset, and she knew exactly how valuable she was.

Whether in appearance or family background, she met the standards of a Baroness.

She had chosen to stake everything not only for revenge, but also to preserve her status as a lady. She had never expected such a crushing blow at the very last moment.

"Your beauty is indeed breathtaking, but regrettably, I already have someone in mind for the position of Baroness."

To Lynn, the position of Baroness was also a resource.

If he wanted to strengthen the Territory System as much as possible, he had to make full use of that resource. Using it on Yagna would truly be a waste.

At the end of the day, she was merely the daughter of a deceased baron. She lacked influence and foundations; aside from a pretty face and a possible claim to the territory, she had little use.

Lynn only needed her to bear Shallow Beach Territory's legitimate heir. Whether he married her or not made no difference.

It was cruel, but realistic.

"Can you tell me who she is?"

Yagna refused to give up. She leaned forward, fully displaying her delicate face and graceful figure in the candlelight.

Resting his chin on his right hand, Lynn openly admired the girl.

"When the time is right, you'll know. For now, all I can promise is to let you remain by my side and help you take revenge in the future. Of course, if you wish to speed up your revenge, you can also assist me in managing the territory within your abilities. To put it more plainly, at most, I can make you my mistress."

The Northern Kingdom nominally enforced strict monogamy. Even the King could only call women other than his wife mistresses.

However, if a mistress was capable enough, she might not be unable to climb above the wife, perhaps even meddling in the court and ruling the nation.

In the court of the current King of the North, there were two mistresses with overwhelming power.

Yagna bit her lip and remained silent for a long while before finally replying with difficulty, "I need time to consider."

For her, everything had gone smoothly today.

Her carefully prepared plan for revenge had been accepted by the Lord, and she had also gained a man who pleased her.

Two happy events had come together. What she should have received was a dreamlike time of happiness.

But why had it turned out like this?

At that moment, the howling cold wind outside seemed to pierce the thick stone walls and batter Yagna's heart.

"Until you've made up your mind, I'll allow you to continue living in the Castle." After saying that, Lynn rose and headed for the door. He did not set a deadline for her answer, giving Yagna plenty of time to think.

But given the current situation, did she really have a choice?

If everything she said was true, where else could she go besides White Bear Territory?

Go seek refuge with the Marsh Duchess again?

That was completely unrealistic. Her baron father was dead, and she had lost the grounds to return to the court.

Lynn had just stepped out of the sitting room and had not yet closed the door when the lean Second Brother emerged from the shadows of the corridor.

"Big Brother." Second Brother clearly wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Mm. Let's talk upstairs." Lynn nodded.

The two went up to the second floor of the Castle one after the other and entered the baron's bedroom.

The Castle was already so shabby that the bedroom's furnishings were easy to imagine. Apart from the necessary fireplace and bed, there was only some ordinary wooden furniture.

It was said that the room had once been decorated with valuable cashmere tapestries and animal pelts, but those had long since been taken away by the knights who fled.

Second Brother was anxious. The moment he shut the bedroom door, he hurriedly said, "Big Brother, that woman is not simple."

"A widow in her teens, her former husband dying under suspicious circumstances, and yet she could continue living in the Castle as a widow. I suspect she is colluding with that Territory Steward. There's something wrong with both of them."

When Second Brother killed, he always struck at joints or soft spots. His analysis was just as precise.

If Lynn had not been able to see attributes and loyalty through the panel, he would most likely have shared Second Brother's opinion.

The truth was that Albert was probably an honest man. He simply could not withstand Yagna's persistent pleas and reluctantly allowed her to stay in the Castle temporarily, waiting for the next Lord to deal with this troublesome woman.

As for Yagna's astonishing wisdom, it could only have been her own work.

Her way of doing things was typically noble. To achieve her goals, everything could be used as a bargaining chip, including herself.

And she understood very well how nobles dealt with one another.

Nobles these days favored being straightforward. They never spoke in riddles.

From meeting to reaching an agreement to getting into bed, it generally took no longer than a single dinner.

Even when Lynn had been a Horse Bandit, he wore a mask, and the wanted posters only depicted him with that mask on.

While traveling the Northern Border, he occasionally borrowed the identities of nobles he had killed and seduced quite a few lonely noble ladies. Some were married, some unmarried; some were good women, some bad.

"Second Brother, your analysis makes a lot of sense. Those two truly are not simple, but there's no need to worry. I can handle them."

Lynn's confidence came from his current identity as a baron, and even more from the force in his hands.

A Horse Bandit who had run rampant through the Northern Border would not be capsized in a tiny baron's territory.

Today, he had not even needed to produce the letter of appointment issued by the duchess. His bearing alone had convinced Albert that he was undoubtedly the baron.

"Big Brother, are you really going to marry her? I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but her voice was really loud. I accidentally heard a few things." Second Brother was blunt by nature and always said whatever was on his mind.

"She'll just stay in the Castle. She can read and count, so she can be useful in managing the territory."

"No, Big Brother, are you really planning to be a Lord long-term?"

"What else would I do? You've seen White Bear Territory as it is now. There's nothing but serfs, and the warehouses are empty. At the very least, we need to hold on until the Autumn Harvest before we can make any money."

(End of Chapter)