My Contract Husband Demands a Divorce - Chapter 78

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Yulisian arrived at the village with the Monk and the two mercenaries.
Perhaps having reached the limit of his endurance, the Monk had slouched over his horse like wet laundry and begun to doze.
The two mercenaries let out bewildered chuckles.
“Talk about being carefree at a time like this.”
“He’s definitely a fraud.”
The Monk’s true identity remained a mystery.
At first, Yulisian had assumed the man was one of Kildian’s subordinates, but seeing how he had followed along prepared to throw his life away, that no longer seemed likely.
Or perhaps he was simply this relaxed because he knew a way to stop the demonic beasts.
Reaching out to catch the reins of the Monk’s horse, Yulisian guided them toward the building housing the village vigilantes.
The guards didn’t dare openly drive away a nobleman, but their brows furrowed the moment they spotted the outsiders.
“What brings a person of your stature all the way out here?”
“A demonic beast has been spotted in the canyon. The hunter’s corpse found in the woods this morning was also the work of a monster. We must evacuate the villagers immediately.”
“Right, well. We’ll look into it, but I doubt anyone will listen. We’re quite busy, so if you’ll excuse us.”
Their response was icy.
The promise to look into it was nothing more than a polite formality, spoken only because they couldn’t flatly refuse a noble’s order.
The vigilantes clearly had no intention of heeding his warning.
Yulisian turned his horse around.
“Where to now?”
“To the landowner.”
Finding the landowner’s house wasn’t difficult, as he lived in a renovated old castle perched on the highest point of the village.
Furthermore, the landowner was the practical leader of the community.
Since he collected taxes and managed the residents on behalf of the lord—and maintained close ties to power—it would be difficult for him to reject the words of a capital noble.
Despite that calculation, the landowner’s reaction was much the same.
“My word, it sounds like you’ve been through a terrible ordeal. However, gathering everyone out of the blue is a bit… But if a monster—pfft! Ah, forgive me. Ahem! If a demonic beast does raid us, I will ensure the villagers are evacuated swiftly.”
“By the time they raid, it will be too late.”
“Even so, we can’t just act without proof and stir up unnecessary panic, can we?”
The landowner offered a polite smile. Yet his eyes looked as though he were staring at a madman spinning a web of elaborate nonsense.
Ultimately, Yulisian left the landowner’s mansion behind as well and headed for the square.
Standing in the small clearing that felt almost embarrassing to call a square, he shouted a warning to the passersby.
“People of Glenmoor! The corpse found this morning was killed by a demonic beast. A threat is lurking just below the canyon right now. You must evacuate immediately!”
“What is that unlucky outsider babbling about?”
“They left as a whole crowd, but now there are only four of them? Did the others abandon him because he’s crazy?”
The mercenaries also tried to grab and convince the people walking past, but everyone merely brushed by them with cold indifference.
Exhausted, the mercenaries approached Yulisian.
“Time is running out, but no one is listening to us.”
“What should we do now?”
As they lingered in the village square, the residents went so far as to hide inside their homes.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t anticipated this kind of situation.
Had he been the master of the Southern Metropolis, everyone would have obeyed without a single word of complaint, no matter how absurd the claim.
‘To think authority was such an easy weapon to wield.’
He quietly stared at the empty square.
Even if he was ignored, he had no intention of giving up.
The village population was only about two hundred people. The number of households was roughly forty. It was a scale he could manage to convince by going around individually.
If the people wouldn’t gather, he had no choice but to use his own two feet.
“They won’t listen if we tell them to evacuate right now anyway. Tell them that if they hear screaming from outside, they must absolutely not leave their houses, and if they encounter a monster while outdoors, they should flee to the landowner’s mansion.”
The two mercenaries and Yulisian knocked on door after door, but the residents turned them away harshly. The Monk remained slumped over his horse, fast asleep.
Eventually, they stood once more at the village entrance facing the canyon.
“When the monsters arrive, we have to buy as much time as possible so the residents can escape.”
“Understood.”
“Can the three of us really manage it?”
“Yaaawn… There are four of us.”
“We’ll just have to do what we can.”
They had barely two hours left.
Since the demonic beasts might launch an assault even earlier, he intended to hold his ground while keeping a sharp eye on the surroundings.
Before long, the massive monster he had seen earlier would come charging across the wide fields to slaughter the people and tear the village to shreds.
His heart pounded with dread, but his eyes remained unyielding.
He was pacing his breathing to control his tension while gazing into the distance when a voice called out.
“Hey there, Baron!”
The landowner and the vigilante captain were approaching, leading a group of men armed with weapons.
Their faces were flushed with rage, clearly incensed by Yulisian’s actions that had thrown the village into an uproar.
“Aren’t you taking things a bit too far? Everyone is clamoring for me to throw you out. If you keep agitating the village, it’s going to cause real trouble for me as well.”
In truth, from their perspective, Scheit was nothing more than a nameless nobleman.
At the very least, when he possessed a noble signet, a carriage, and servants, he had looked the part of a high-ranking aristocrat.
Now, however, his appearance was wretched.
Watching him cause a scene with only a filthy monk of questionable authenticity and two mercenaries made them wonder if he was even a noble at all.
It was also strange that the nobles who had departed this morning had returned, and with only a select few at that.
Besides, there was no way they had memorized the faces of the nobles who had stayed for just a single night.
The landowner and the vigilante captain concluded that Yulisian’s group were bandits posing as nobility.
“We must ask you to leave the village immediately.”
“If you refuse to leave, we’ll have no choice but to throw you in prison.”
The vigilantes leveled their weapons at him.
‘Should I slip back in after slaying the monsters nearby?’
That would be too late. The monster he had witnessed earlier was highly menacing. An ordinary person who hadn’t trained their body wouldn’t last more than a few seconds against it.
Yulisian remained silent, searching for a way to stay. As he held his tongue, the armed vigilantes stepped forward threateningly.
It was then.
“Huh? Wait, isn’t that the Baron’s carriage?”
At the mercenary’s remark, Yulisian turned his head.
A massive baggage carriage and about ten mercenaries were rapidly closing in on the village entrance.
The Monk, who had been sprawled out on his horse, lifted his head and let out a soft exclamation.
“Oh…”
The carriage ground to a halt, and Amarynthis stepped out from within.
Yulisian gazed at her.
Pathetically enough, he felt a surge of joy at the fact that he was seeing Amarynthis once more.
At the same time, anger welled up inside him.
He had pushed her away to ensure she reached safety, so why on earth had she come back? A woman who used to tremble at the mere mention of death.
“Why in the world…”
“You said this was the right thing to do.”
Though she stood there shivering, her expression was devoid of fear.
Meeting those eyes that resolutely held onto their light even beneath the overcast sky, Yulisian felt a dread of death for the very first time.
* * *
After exchanging a brief greeting with Shan, I caught my breath and forced the corners of my mouth upward.
Everyone wore bewildered expressions at my sudden appearance.
I assessed the situation by reading the atmosphere and the looks on their faces.
“I am sorry. My husband caused quite a stir, didn’t he? He tends to play mischievous pranks like this from time to time.”
When I stepped up to speak to the man wearing the finest clothes among them, he gave me a skeptical look.
“Right, well…”
“I am Amarynthis Huniswald.”
“I am the landowner of this village. This here is the vigilante captain.”
“I see.”
I intentionally extended my hand, making sure the Rootsild family seal on my ring was fully visible.
It was a seal that anyone managing taxes could not possibly fail to recognize.
The man made a motion to kiss the back of my hand, but his head snapped up the moment he caught sight of the ring.
“As an apology for the commotion, I would like to treat the villagers to a meal. Would it be possible to borrow the landowner’s castle?”
“Pardon? The castle, you say?”
“Yes. Naturally, I will compensate you. Will this suffice?”
My hand trembled slightly as I slipped the sapphire ring off my finger and handed it to him.
Though he accepted the ring with both hands, his expression remained reluctant.
He was likely weighing the true value of the ring and doubting whether the shivering woman before him was genuinely a member of the Rootsild family.
“Even so, to lend the castle…”
This time, I spoke to a servant, instructing them to bring a gold ornament from the carriage.
The moment it was placed into his palm, the landowner’s mouth fell wide open.
“Since you ask to borrow the castle, how could I possibly refuse? If a noblewoman desires it, it is only natural that I offer it up.”
“Have your men gather every single villager. The sick, the elderly, the children, and even the vagrants on the street—every single person, without exception. Can you manage that within an hour?”
“What? An hour is a bit…”
When I placed another chunk of gold in his hand, his tune changed instantly.
“Actually, an hour feels a bit long, my lady. Within forty minutes, I shall scrape up every last soul and gather them in the mansion’s ballroom! What are you all doing standing around? Get moving this instant!”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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