Upright and Brave! [Seeking Recommendation Tickets and Favorites]

The Steward, Frank, felt his legs tremble slightly as he looked at Claire, who was smiling on her seat. Unlike those idiotic nobles, he deeply understood that Claire was far from the childlike appearance she projected; she was a demon in human skin.

If that weren't the case, he wouldn't have suggested hiring an assassin to eliminate Claire back then. He always felt that as long as Claire remained in the Barony, he would eventually end up in the same position as the previous Knight Captain.

"Steward Frank..." Claire said softly.

Frank below quickly responded, "Yes! Viscountess!"

As he spoke, he glanced next to Claire. This time, they weren't alone; a new face was present, the new Tax Official—Robin. Seeing him, Frank's heart sank again. He had known for a long time that Robin had collected all the tax documents from the Barony over the years and was sure to uncover something, but he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.

Frank closed his eyes and prayed silently. Confessing now was out of the question; he could only pray that the other party was incompetent and hadn't discovered anything.

Seeing his reaction, Claire chuckled inwardly and continued, "Frank, for three generations, your family has managed the Barony for our Griffin Family. You've never been late with the annual taxes. You must have worked hard."

Frank dared not reply, knowing that what followed would be something else entirely.

As expected, Claire's voice turned stern the next second, and she reprimanded, "But I had the Tax Official investigate the taxes, and it turns out that for all these years, the annual taxes for the entire Barony have been around one hundred thousand, yet you've only submitted about ten thousand gold coins. Where did the other ninety thousand-plus gold coins go?"

Frank's body trembled with Claire's scolding, and he subconsciously retorted, "Viscountess, please let me explain. These tax regulations were set by the previous two Stewards; they have nothing to do with me!"

"Huh? The previous two Stewards were your grandfather and father, right? Nothing to do with you?" Claire laughed.

Frank said without hesitation, "If the Viscountess wishes to arrest them, I am willing to testify!"

This was truly filial impiety!

"Robin, tell him," Claire waved her hand.

Robin immediately stepped forward, flipped through the documents in his hand, and read, "The decree stating that wheat exceeding seventy centimeters in height must be taxed was issued during your tenure. The tax on childbirth was also issued during your tenure. The decree requiring taxes for coming-of-age ceremonies was also issued by you..."

Frank's face grew paler as he listened, and his body began to tremble involuntarily.

Robin continued to drone on, "You've been Steward for thirteen years. Calculating the total, you embezzled a total of nine hundred and sixty-three thousand, seven hundred and eighty gold coins from the Viscountess!"

Claire smiled slightly and asked Frank, "Any objections?"

"Viscountess, it's not like that!" Frank immediately knelt on the ground and crawled forward in panic, saying, "I didn't take all this money alone; Baron Eugene and the others were also involved! I only took a portion, less than a hundred thousand gold coins."

With a flick of her finger, Claire sent a strong gust of wind that blew Frank, who was crawling towards her, flying backward.

To claim less than a hundred thousand when his entire fortune now was less than twenty thousand—how could such words come from his mouth?

The fallen Frank immediately got up and desperately kowtowed to Claire, tears streaming down his face. "I'm sorry, Viscountess. I truly know I was wrong. I shouldn't have been greedy. I'll return all the money I have! Please, spare me!"

Claire placed her index finger to her lips and said, "Shh! Don't cry, it's unsightly. You are, after all, the Steward of the Viscount's Manor."

"Okay! I won't cry!" Frank quickly wiped away his tears.

"I called you here because I will give you a way out. Otherwise, the place we're meeting now should be in prison."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Frank nodded in agreement.

"You said you were willing to return all your money to me?" Claire asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I am!" Frank quickly replied, afraid of being a moment too late.

"How much money do you have now?"

"Thirty thousand gold coins! I'm willing to give it all to you!"

Claire cursed inwardly, Damn! As Viscountess, I actually have less money than him?

"I need you to do one thing for me. After you've done it, I'll let you live, though you can't be Steward anymore."

"No problem! Just tell me, Viscountess, I will definitely accomplish it!" A person like Frank, who could betray his own father and grandfather, would do anything as long as his life was saved.

"Good! I like talking to smart people like you. Only your life is yours; everything else is unimportant."

"You're right, Viscountess!"

"The matter I am entrusting you with is..."

After Frank left the Viscount's Manor, he felt a chill down his spine. He glanced back at the manor and saw Claire leaning out of the balcony upstairs, waving at him. Her smile was like greeting an old friend.

Frank quickly forced a smile and then quickened his pace, leaving the Viscount's Manor.

After Frank left, Robin, who had been following Claire, hesitated and asked, "Viscountess, are you really going to let him go?"

Claire smiled faintly and asked, "Guess."

Frank didn't even go home; he hurried back to the room where the nobles had been discussing matters. The nobles were still there.

"Creak!" The sound of the door opening drew the attention of the nobles inside.

Baron Eugene asked curiously, "Frank, why are you back? You look a bit unwell."

"Do I?" Frank quickly reached into his clothes, fumbling around his body several times, but couldn't find a handkerchief to wipe his sweat. He appeared exceptionally flustered. Finally, a noble handed him his handkerchief.

"Thank you." Taking the handkerchief, Frank frantically wiped his face.

"What's wrong with you?" the nobles asked.

"It's nothing, it's just a bit hot outside." Frank walked to his seat and lay down. Only when his body sank into the soft sofa did he feel like his true self had returned.

As soon as Frank sat down, he said, "I just went to the Viscount's Manor..."

"Oh?" The attention of the nobles present was immediately drawn to him.

"The Viscount agreed to send troops, and wants us to go discuss it tomorrow." Frank didn't even notice that his address for Claire had changed; before, he had always referred to Claire as "he."

"So you went out just now to the Viscount's mansion? I thought you went home," Baron Eugene immediately picked up his wine glass. "Let's toast to the honest and brave Steward Frank!"

The faces of the other nobles also broke into smiles, raising their wine glasses to Frank and cheering.

However, Lord Wilbur asked, "Didn't he propose any conditions? It's impossible for him to help us send troops for no reason. Aren't you always at odds with him? Why would you suddenly go see him? And your complexion after you came back..."

"Smash!" Frank directly smashed the wine glass in his hand onto the ground, splashing wine onto everyone. He had already endured enough anger from Claire, his nerves were stretched to their limit. Coming back here, Lord Wilbur still wanted to interrogate him?!

"You, damn it, if you want to ask, go ask him tomorrow! Why ask me! Whatever conditions he has are his business! I'm just a messenger! Damn it!"

At this moment, Frank looked like a raving lunatic. He kicked over a wine bottle on the table, smashing it, then turned and walked out, leaving one sentence behind.

"Anyway, that's how it is. Whether you go or not is up to you!"

After Frank left, the nobles present exchanged glances.

"Has he gone mad? Daring to treat us like that."

"Hmph! He's just a Steward, not even a noble, and he dares to lose his temper in front of us?!"

"Exactly. Even if his ancestors were all Stewards, if his ancestors weren't nobles, he'll never be a noble in this life. They're inherently lower than us! Everyone, don't bother with him. Let's discuss first whether we should go to the Viscount's mansion tomorrow?"

Eugene said, "Go! Of course, we must go! Otherwise, how will we get our goods back? That's merchandise worth tens of thousands of gold coins!"

"That makes sense!"