Transmigrated as Baron, Married with my Lovely Maid-Chapter 21

Three days have passed, but that damned poisonous gas still fills the sky.

The situation in Thornvale Town is chaotic.

Many livestock have died.

The corn and wheat fields have withered and died of their own accord due to exposure to this poisonous gas.

Fortunately, the Vermillion Territory has an abundant supply of meat, milk, corn, and wheat, so I can make up for the food shortage in Thornvale with that.

The Vermillion healers have been busy over the past three days administering immunity medicine to the young and young adults, but it’s quite slow for the adults and elderly.

As Leysha suspected, many of the adults and elderly Thronvale residents, including soldiers within, did not survive the effects of the poison because their bodies reacted too slowly even after being given the medicine.

Even before they were given the medicine, some had already died because the poison spread too quickly through their bodies.

Roughly speaking, about 40% of Thornvale’s residents and soldiers died from the effects of this poison.

The rest survived thanks to Vermillion’s help.

The main streets, usually bustling with daily activity, were now littered with corpses that needed to be buried before the poison’s effects spread.

For the surviving Thornvale residents, I gathered them in the town plaza under makeshift tents, and most of them have recovered.

"Baron Atreus Vermillion is here...!"

This morning, Leysha, Alex, and I went to the plaza to inspect the progress of Thornvale’s recovery.

I didn’t expect the Thornvale residents to immediately greet me with smiles and respect.

"Baron Atreus Vermillion...! Thank you...! If you hadn’t helped us, this town would have been a dead town...!"

"Baron Atreus Vermillion...! Baroness Cecile Thornvale and Baron Chev has betrayed our trust...! We entrust the survival of Thornvale to you alone!"

"Baron Atreus Vermillion...! Please forgive us for belittling and insulting you...!"

Praise, apologies, and respect—those three words were always repeated by the Thornvale residents, including the Thornvale soldiers, every time I visited the plaza.

I had been planning this for a long time, but I didn’t expect their behavior to change so quickly.

It seems Baroness Cecile’s mistake was too serious and rash, breaking their trust.

"Alex, any update for medication progress?" I asked.

"So far...almost all the young and productive Thornvale residents have been given the antidote, and it’s been effective because the effects of the poison have completely worn off, Baron. They can now go about their daily lives, but for now, they are volunteering to assist the Vermillion healers in their recovery," Alex replied.

"Good. The Vermillion healers need a lot of support to keep them from being overwhelmed. What about the Thornvale soldiers?"

"From our observations, we’ve given almost all the soldiers antivenom, though not all of them survived. Especially the older adults. However..."

"However...what?"

"Some of the soldiers who have survived are still in the plaza, helping each other distribute food and cook the necessary meals. But some of them have disappeared, Baron."

"Disappeared? How many are there?"

"One hundred, Baron."

"Quite a large number..."

"Is there a problem with that, Baron Atreus?" Leysha asked.

"Yes, there’s a possibility those soldiers are still in Thornvale town," I replied calmly.

"Eh? Really?" Leysha looked surprised.

Alex was initially skeptical, but then he began to understand my suspicions.

"Alex, those one hundred soldiers...did they bring magical gear too?" I asked.

"Y-yes, Baron... even though we removed their magical gear while they were recovering, it seems they took it back without our permission..." Alex replied, suddenly tense.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp gaze from afar, atop a building.

Five Thornvale soldiers were aiming their bows at my head.

On the other side, amidst the hustle and bustle of the healers and Thornvale residents recovering, I could detect footsteps approaching.

"Baron Atreus...! Careful...!"

Leysha’s quick cry, coupled with the magical shield that formed around me, just barely protected me from a swift arrow that nearly struck my eyeball.

At the same time, I saw a Thornvale soldier on the west side coming to rip my throat with his knife.

CLANG!

The clash of sword and knife between the assassins was loud.

Alex struck first, and the assassin’s ambush attack on me was failed.

"Everyone! Protect Baron Atreus...!"

Alex’s shout immediately mobilized the Vermillion soldiers to protect me from all sides.

Among the panicked Thornvale men, I saw the Thornvale archer and the assassins in the plaza retreat in the same time.

However, there’s one assassin dared to rush in and charge.

With a shadow step, the assassin managed to dart past my soldiers’ defenses.

Leysha had already fortified herself, but I knew it would be futile because the assassin had already readied her anti-magic dagger.

The assassin leaped forward, preparing to stab me in the chest, but—

SMACK!

Rhaevor appeared, striking the assassin’s head with a powerful chop, sending the assassin crashing down like a cockroach that had just been smacked with a sandal.

"Seize him!" Alex shouted, immediately mobilizing the Vermillion soldiers to tie the assassin up.

The assassin, dressed all in black with a mask and a black turban covering his head, looked dazed and in pain.

He glared at me with hatred.

"Cursed Vermillion...! You should die because of this mess...!" the assassin exclaimed in annoyance.

"Well, are you one of those who survived the effects of the poison gas after I treated you? Now you want to kill me? What kind of logic is this?" I asked calmly.

"To hell with all that, Baron Atreus! You’re the one who made Baroness Cecile Thornvale look like a villain, when in fact, you’re the real villain! Oh, people of Thornvale! Wake up and come to your senses! Don’t you realize you’ve been fooled by Vermillion?! You’ve been helped and forced to obey Vermillion without thinking about Baron Chev and Baroness Cecile, who have done so much for your lives in the past?! Don’t just stand there! Fight back!"

Damn it.

It turns out there are still soldiers loyal to Baroness Cecile and Baron Chev.

And there are quite a few of them, a hundred of them.

Even if I manage to clear the poison gas in Thornvale and the people of Thornvale trust me as their new leader, it’s only a matter of time before these loyalists wreak havoc.

"Come on, my friends of Thornvale! We must launch a revolution to reclaim—"

SLAP!

Leysha unexpectedly slapped the assassin so hard that he fell to the ground.

"You impudence! This poison gas is all because Baroness Cecile was reckless, and we were trying to save you from a foolish death! And you’re asking for a revolution?! You’re insane!" Leysha exclaimed angrily.

"Baron Atreus...what should we do with this assassin...?" Alex whispered.

Well, I could simply have him beheaded, then display his eyes and head in the middle of town as a warning to anyone else who dares to rebel, with his head as the price.

But I had another idea.

"Take him to jail. I want the city of Thornvale to focus on recovery," I said.

"Understood, Baron Atreus! Take him to jail!" Alex hurriedly instructed his men to take the assassin away.

"Alex, are attacks like this common?" I asked.

"This is the first time an assassin has attacked so directly, Baron. But Baron Atreus should know that these assassin attacks by Baroness Cecile’s loyalists have actually been going on since yesterday. They’ve been haunting the people of Thornvale who have trusted us, Baron."

"Hmm..."

The people in the plaza were stunned by the assassin’s stupidity.

Some of them questioned my decision not to kill the assassin on the spot.

"Why didn’t Baron Atreus kill that dangerous assassin right away?"

"...perhaps he wanted to uncover the ins and outs of this rebellion."

"Oh, Baron Atreus is so clever...!"

I could hear them whispering and smiling in admiration at me.

But my mind was elsewhere, specifically in Thornvale Palace.

"Leysha, come with me to the throne room," I requested, holding her hand.

"Y-yes, Baron Atreus." Leysha quickly followed me. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

The two of us boarded the prepared carriage and headed for Thornvale Palace.

*

In the magnificent throne room, I slowly walked inside, alone.

The ice statue of Baron Chev still stood proudly in the throne room.

I walked past him, not sensing the slightest sign of life from him.

After that, I sat in the throne room, and at the same time, I heard the sound of the throne room door opening.

Leysha and Baroness Cecile still looked weak, tired, and listless.

Leysha pulled Cecile, who still had to be supported because the effects of the poison were still present despite the treatment.

I felt like Cecile was an anomaly.

Even though the healers had treated her with the antidote we had created, the poison was still strong.

The throne room was tightly closed, and Leysha and Cecile knelt before me.

Cecilia, despite her weak and listless expression, still looked beautiful.

Her ample breasts and toned thighs were visible.

Her tanned skin, combined with her beautiful face, made Cecile look captivating.

"B-baron Atreus...please..." Cecile pleaded, as if in desperate need of help.

Weird.

I’m not sensing any murderous intention or any prideful and ego-boast from Baroness Cecile.

She just like a severely sick girl who need help, that ironically caused by her own poison.

"Leysha, don’t we have any other way?" I asked.

Leysha looked uncertain when she heard my question.

I’d never seen her hesitate to fulfill my wish.

"Leysha...?" I repeated.

"Ah, yes... forgive me, Baron Atreus. I apologize for being presumptuous. But if I may, I’d like to know first why the Baron still retains Baroness Cecile?"

"I understand you dislike Baroness Cecile’s resistance, which has troubled us all in the past, Leysha. However, for the glory of Vermillion, I still need her to map out our future enemies. Our enemies aren’t just Thornvale; there are many Barons, Baronesses, Counts, Countesses, and even Dukes who will make their move after we take control of Thornvale. That’s why I must retain Baroness Cecile for Vermillion’s strategic moves."

Leysha fell silent.

There was no longer any hesitation on her face.

"Y-yes, Baron Atreus... I apologize if my question seemed questionable to you earlier. I simply wanted a proper explanation." Leysha bowed apologetically.

"Don’t worry. It’s natural for you to want an explanation, and it’s my duty as your leader to explain it to you," I replied casually.

"...regarding the alternative for Baroness Cecile’s recovery, I’ve actually already found one."

"Really? What kind of alternative?"

Leysha didn’t answer immediately.

I saw her glance at Cecile for a moment, then back at me.

"I-I’m sorry, Baron Atreus... can I whisper this to you?" Leysha asked, her face flushing red with embarrassment.

"Sure. Come here, Leysha," I said, holding back a smile.

Leysha approached me and whispered, "...that alternative is a ’ritual,’ Baron Atreus."

I was silent for a few seconds, trying to process what Leysha meant by ’ritual.’

"...the ’ritual’ we usually perform?" I asked, confirming.

Leysha simply nodded wordlessly.

"...and I have to do it with Baroness Cecile?" I asked again, because this was the important part.

Leysha nodded again, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"The healers and I have directly observed and checked Baroness Cecile’s condition...and we have indeed discovered that her poison immunity is not responding quickly enough to the antidote we have prescribed. The only way is for Baroness Cecile to push it with her own strength so that her immunity improves...and the only way is with that alternative, Baron..." Leysha continued explaining.

"...and Baroness Cecile must undergo the ritual with me."

"Yes, Baron Atreus. No one else can do it on your behalf, as your bloodline currently possesses the highest immunity."

Well, I never imagined in my life that I would be undergoing a political marriage, quite literally.

But for the glory of Vermillion, of course I had to be ready to do it.

I got up from the throne room chair and walked over to Cecile, who was still kneeling with a weak and listless expression.

I stood directly in front of Cecile, and she looked confused as I towered over her.

"W-What’s wrong, Baron Atreus...? I-Is there nothing I can do to ease this burning and painful poison? I’ll do anything...please..." Cecile pleaded, her voice weak, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"If you’re asking for a cure, we’ve found an alternative to medicine, Cecile. It’s up to you whether you want this or not..." I replied calmly.

"W-What is it, Baron Atreus...? Please...! Tell me...! I’ll definitely do it...!"

Cecilia’s eyes lit up, as if she’d just found a glimmer of hope for a cure.

I guess I’ll have to slap her with the reality of what she’ll have to do.

"Suck my cock, Baroness Cecile."