She’s so Cheeky for a Commoner! - Chapter 72

“Is there anything you have to say for yourself, Baron Patrice?”

“…”

Rei, Cardinal Lily and I had arrived at Baron Patrice’s residence. We were in the manor’s guest room, and I was confronting Baron Patrice. After showing him the relevant evidence we brought with us, he cast his gaze downward and maintained silence.

“Patrice-sama, your silence only serves as affirmation. Why not just accept that and confess?”

“W-We are prepared to help reduce your sentence. P-Please, won’t you admit your wrongdoing and assist us in our investigation of Clément-sama?”

Both Rei and Lily helped to pile on the pressure as well. A phrase used in these situations was the carrot and the stick, and those two were doing precisely that. Most nobles would concede here. However, Baron Patrice maintained his silence.

“Baron Patrice, it is often said that silence is golden… But that doesn’t apply to this situation. You understand that yourself, don’t you?”

“…”

“It was your territory where the trades took place. At this rate, you’ll have no choice but to bear all of the guilt.”

“A-Are you really okay with that? Being the only one to bear all of the guilt? If you don’t accept our terms, it won’t just be you, but your wife and Pipi-sama will suffer as―”

“You won’t hear anything from me.”

Interrupting Cardinal Lily’s words, Baron Patrice’s tone remained flat.

“Baron…”

“I admit my wrongdoings. This scheme was mine and mine alone. I’ll accept any punishment.”

His gaze remained downcast, meaning that we were unable to see his expression. However, his voice was strained, as though he was just barely able to wring those words out, he said he was ready to accept any verdict.

“So you’re okay with it, even if it means that your wife and Pipi will be dragged into your mess too?”

“I do regret that they will be caught up in this. I’m sure that I’ll be executed, and House Barlier will lose everything too…”

“Yes, very likely so.”

Baron Patrice’s voice was shaking. It was well known that he was a timid man. After hearing that the lineage that he inherited, and that he himself would face execution, there was no way that he could remain unaffected. Even so, as the head of his household, as a baron, he did not break confidentiality.

As I considered my options for what action to take from here, the door to the room suddenly opened.

“Father!”

On the other side of the door that had been violently swung open, stood Pipi. It appeared that she had been eavesdropping, because she looked absolutely livid. The room was meant to be soundproof, so I could only wonder how she had managed it. No, at this point that no longer mattered.

After entering the room, with an apparent determination, she approached her father, and, even as her shoulders shook, she spoke.

“Father, why won’t you say anything!? Isn’t it fine if you just tell them! You only did what Marquis Achard instructed you to!”

“Silence, Pipi.”

Without even looking at Pipi who had lashed out at him, his gaze remained downcast.

“Isn’t there something strange about this!? Father, why should you have to bear everything all on your own!? They’re saying that if you tell them the truth, they’ll reduce your sentence! So just say―”

“Pipi!”

“…!”

With a firm tone, the Baron interrupted Pipi’s fervor.

“There is nothing that I can say. I alone will take responsibility. That will be fine.”

“Father… Why…!”

“Claire-sama, thank you for being such a good friend to Pipi until now. I deeply regret that things had to turn out this way.”

“Baron Patrice… Are you really okay with this…?”

“Yes.”

For the first time, the Baron raised his head. His expression was that of a man with firm resolve.

“Father, you idiot… You’re so…!”

Pipi broke down into tears. The sight was difficult for me to bear, but this was my duty. It appeared that the Baron’s resolve was firm. For now, I would have to give up on the idea of getting additional evidence and prioritize arresting Baron Patrice.

At that exact moment―

“Pipi-sama, please don’t be so harsh on Baron Patrice. After all, he’s chosen silence in order to protect you and your mother.”

A gentle voice echoed through the meeting room, entering the conversation. Turning my gaze back toward the door, I was surprised by the person who stood there.

“Christophe-sama…”

“Claire-sama, I ask that you withhold the Baron’s arrest and allow me to explain his circumstances.”

Christophe-sama was also restraining one of the manor’s servants. After handing that servant over to Rei, who seemed to have clued in to what was going on, he calmly approached Pipi before lifting her off the ground and setting her next to her father.

“Christophe-sama, what is going on? What do you mean by my father’s circumstances? That it’s all to protect my mother and I?”

“Exactly as it sounds. My father―Marquis Clément―threatened the Baron, saying that his wife and daughter would be in danger if he were to disobey.”

“―!?”

Pipi’s eyes opened wide with astonishment before she turned to face her father. The Baron once again faced downward as his body began to shake.

“Didn’t you realize that something was off? That the Baron, well known to be a coward, would commit such a grave crime?”

“I certainly did find that to be strange. No matter how I thought about it, the risks always outweighed the returns.”

After Pipi and I had become friends, I met Baron Patrice as well. That meant that I had known both of them for a long time, and knew the Baron’s personality well. It never made sense to me that he’d take part in something like this of his own volition.

“Everything is part of my father’s plan. While forcing all of the risks onto Baron Patrice, he would be the one to rake in the profits―though he may be my father, I must say that he is absolutely vile.”

While Christophe-sama maintained a calm expression and tone, his words were the polar opposite.

“That servant there actually works for my father. In the case that Baron Patrice should betray my father in some way, the servant was ordered to kill the Baron’s wife and Pipi.”

“―No…!”

“It’s the truth. That’s why Patrice-sama was forced to maintain silence.”

Such a despicable method, one very fitting for someone like Clément-sama.

“Pipi-sama, your father is actually a very upstanding individual. Even as his family was taken hostage, even as he was forced to lend his hand to human trafficking, he did all that he could to reduce the number of victims. Baron Patrice even worked with me to secretly release some of the people who had been captured.”

“My father did…”

“Yes. And that’s not all. The Baron made every effort he could to put an end to my father’s evils. Remember the article covering human trafficking that surfaced? That too was the Baron’s doing. Isn’t that right?”

“…”

“I swear that Baron Patrice is not a bad man. Please be proud of your father.”

Hearing Christophe-sama’s words, Pipi looked up at Baron Patrice. In response to her silent appeal, the Baron said―

“Pipi… I’m so sorry I didn’t say anything.”

“Uu… Urk… Waaah…!”

Perhaps because she learned of her father’s innocence, or from a sense of relief, Pipi clung to Baron Patrice as she cried.

“But, Christophe-sama, are you really okay with this? You’re basically just confessing one crime after the next.”

“It’s fine. It’s time that my father pays his dues. In fact, I wish that this had happened sooner so it wouldn’t have had to come to this.”

“Your cooperation is appreciated, Christophe-sama.”

Urged by Christophe-sama the Baron gently freed himself from Pipi’s grasp before leaving the room. When he returned, he brought a thick stack of papers with him.

“This is proof that the House of the Marquis Achard participated in the human trafficking, as well as the details of all the trades.”

“―!”

“If you have all this, surely not even my father will be able to talk himself out of this one.”

“My faith that a day like this might come has finally paid off. Claire-sama, I entrust all of this to you.”

“Yes, I will make sure to meet your expectations and exact justice.”

The documents we received from Baron Patrice detailed the human trafficking operations in their entirety.

“My father really is a poor judge of character. To think, of all people, that he’d try to frame Baron Patrice.”

“I’m aware that I’m a bit of a coward, so I make sure to be ready if I’m presented with the chance.”

“A real coward wouldn’t keep prepared with fangs this sharp.”

“That’s one thing, but this is another. That’s all there is to it.”

That line was something of a catchphrase that I often heard Pipi say.

“Thank you, Baron Patrice, Christophe-sama. With this, I’ll make sure to corner Clément-sama. Rei, Cardinal Lily, At last, it’s time for us to declare our checkmate.”

“Yes, let’s do our best, Claire-sama!”

“Y-Yes!”

Translator Note: Christophe hasn’t really made too many appearances, and I’ve been really suspicious of him, but he seems like an alright guy? But I still can’t rule out some sort of secret motive… We’ll have to see where things go from here. Baron Patrice though, coming up huge.