Even in the darkness, the man’s neatly spread shirt collar caught the eye. The clean jacket, different from the nouveau riche who flaunted all sorts of jewels and accessories, was also noticeable.

The man’s broad chest gradually sank down. Even the neat clothes of Kun, which had been tidy, showed wrinkles.

Even those wrinkles seemed intentional, and suddenly Cedric felt a chill. It was an absurd thought, but given the opponent in front of him, it could very well be possible.

Overwhelmed by indescribable emotions, Cedric’s movements were subtle. The jaw, which had been barely moving under the weight of an unspoken threat, was finally seized. The force of the grip, as rough as the blunt gestures of a rough hand, shook the jaw.

It felt like the intact jaw was twisting. If the grip of the hand had shaken a little more, the jawbone would have twisted completely.

But Cedric endured it. Even if he lost everything, he had to retain at least a meager sense of dignity.

“Ugh…!”

The courageous determination turned into irrelevant thoughts over time. It was because Kun exerted more force.

A faint groan escaped between Cedric’s lips. What he gained was not just pain; his body trembled uncontrollably with the subsequent disgrace.

Watching the satisfied look on Kun’s face as he gazed at his opponent, Cedric’s jaw was eventually pulled out towards him.

“If only you had given me a chance to live…”

“…”

“I should be thankful for that chance and plan to live well in the future. Especially if it’s your grace. If you forget the favor, it wouldn’t be right.”

Even though he tried to block out the sound, the unruffled tone struck his eardrums like a hammer. The voice articulating such cruel words unexpectedly had a certain grace to it.

“If your head is foolish, you should at least stay quiet. Why are you rushing to incite a war after buying a life?”

The reddish eyes that faintly shimmered in the dim darkness were exceedingly upright. Thanks to them, Cedric could directly witness his pathetic appearance beyond the jewels.

Is there another word to describe it? Cedric just felt filthy.

Furthermore, the current situation was incomprehensible.

His pitiful state, having lost everything and become a pauper, the powerless kneeling knees and the restrained jaw, and the damned Kun Freihed, reveling in victory and displaying arrogance—all of it.

“Now you have nothing. No money, no honor, and no pawns you can shake in the royal court.”

Kun explained his situation kindly, driving the wedge in. With each word departing to the outside world, Cedric’s heart was being eaten away.

In the Sahir Royal Family, Cedric had never been suspected even once during the several years of embezzling tax amounts and receiving fraudulent tax refunds. With the favor of being elevated to a high rank by someone behind the scenes, no one dared to provoke him.

Even if the royal family became aware, controlling him would be possible with just one weakness he held. Using that power, Cedric, who pretended to pay taxes, eventually resorted to using someone else’s name.

If Kun had been acting as Cedric for some time, he would have surely known everything. The past crimes Cedric had committed, the tax evasion methods he had employed, and even the method of using someone else’s name to collect taxes, all of it.
Afterward, people began to suspect Cedric’s past. It was inevitable for someone who committed tax evasion, a crime, to commit other crimes.

While digging into Cedric’s past actions, the path of cash he obtained without going through the bank or ledger was revealed.

Initially, it was trivial, a procession of luxury goods purchased by ordinary nobles. As investigators followed the traces, more peculiar things were discovered.

For example, various goods purchased under Cedric’s alias found in the ledger of a foreign merchant.

He had bought drugs for pleasure and various substances seemingly involved in all sorts of crimes multiple times.

Moreover, one of the merchants frequently used by Cedric was a familiar name; it was a merchant who sold poison and enhancers used by the deceased Calis Arhen in hunting.

To think that Cedric’s purchasing agent was a merchant deeply connected to Calis. Given Cedric’s current situation, it was too absurd to dismiss as a mere coincidence.

People speculated that he must have assisted Cedric’s purchases or falsely accused Calis after purchasing them himself.

The underworld merchant who was cornered into a dilemma eventually confessed to everything, bringing the situation to a close.

“This mansion will be sold. The remaining unpaid taxes in your name will follow you until paid off. If you can’t pay, then your future children, and if they can’t pay, your grandchildren. The shackles of poverty and sin will continue.”

Now, all that remained was for Cedric to fall into the abyss.

“Receive the sins of harming others and attempting harm now. Don’t blame others foolishly; blame your incompetence.”

Finally, Kun withdrew his hand. The jaw that had been held for a while was now without sensation.