Resetting Lady - Chapter 20

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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04. A Funeral Where No One Cries

“…Finally, I express my gratitude not as a judge or lord, but as the father of a woman who nearly suffered a terrible ordeal.”

The judge removed his cap and the lord bowed his head.

Tom watched an ant crawling on the floor and knew that the tedious time had finally ended. Thunderous applause filled the courtroom. Tom absentmindedly clapped along, then realized he wasn’t in a position to do so and stopped.

That atmosphere wasn’t meant for him. Though it was a small courtroom, there were still about thirty people in attendance. The atmosphere in the courtroom was almost like a festival. Everyone wore excited smiles mixed with laughter.

The verdict was clear. Two attempted robbers tried to kill the lord’s lost daughter and steal her belongings, but were punished by a passing noble youth. The judge was the lord, and the defendant was the noble youth.

The verdict regarding the robbery by the deceased Hans and Thomas was over in less than ten minutes, and the subsequent judgment on Sir Raymond, who had committed murder, concluded with the judge bowing his head to him. The observers rejoiced that justice had been served and whispered about the youth’s handsome appearance. Since it ended before lunchtime, they would discuss what they had witnessed here while eating their packed lunches.

“Look at that, he’s not shedding a single tear even though his own father died.”

Everyone except one person—Tom.

Thomas, the man who died at the hands of a knight while trying to rape the lord’s daughter, was Tom’s father.

“If he cried, that would be a problem too. How could he do that to the lord’s daughter… Ugh.”

“He deserved to die.”

Tom, who was called by a nickname because he shared his father’s name, hung his head at such whispers. He was indeed the child of a man who deserved to die. Those words sounded like “Why don’t you hurry up and die too.” Their true feelings were probably not much different.

“Not saying anything until the end, well done. How brave.”

Was not speaking brave? Tom was curious about that, but what the gentleman was giving him was more important. What he received before the trial was too little. Just one piece of candy. He acted as if it were something precious, but to Tom, who dealt with the bakery owner Dale every week, it was nothing special.

And he considered himself quite old to be pleased with just one piece of candy. Tom put the candy he received when the gavel struck three times and people left the courtroom into his mouth. It was quite sweet. It had a different fragrant and gentle taste from the hard sugar that Dale, the bakery owner, would occasionally put in his mouth.

The gentleman had said he must stay quiet during the trial.

He gave him candy to eat when bored, saying he would give a reward if he behaved well. So Tom behaved well. Now he would receive his reward.

Tom was confident in enduring if there was compensation.

“Is it over now?”

“Yes, here you go.”

A shining gold coin fell into Tom’s palm. Tom fingered the gold coin he was seeing for the first time in his life. The gentleman gathered Tom’s fingers with his gloved hand.

“Don’t show it to others.”

He gripped firmly once more with his other hand.

“You have to live alone from now on.”

* * *

“Tom, something terrible has happened.”

The neighbor woman came looking for Tom, who was doing trivial and dirty work as usual. She was with other unfamiliar men. They took Tom and brought him before a cold, stiff corpse.

“Is this your father?”

“Yes.”

There was no need to ask.

Tom’s father, Thomas, was dead.

Thomas and Hans, who should have stood trial, couldn’t stand because they both had holes in their heads, but someone had to stand, so a gentleman in a bowler hat came to fetch Tom. Then the trial was held, and the entire process ended in an instant.

‘How will I live now?’

Tom left the courtroom. The sky was clear and blue. Nine years old wasn’t a bad age for work. In the city, everyone worked. Not just in the city, but everyone in the village worked too. Larry from downstairs, Kerry the blacksmith’s son—they all worked. Only Tom hadn’t done proper work yet.

‘But I’m too weak.’

Because his father Thomas didn’t do proper work, no one paid Tom to work for them. If Tom made mistakes, it would be difficult to get the money back from Thomas. But he couldn’t just play around either.

Only children five years younger played in the back alleys. Nine years old was too old for playing. When he knocked on workshops or houses asking if there was work, they gave him trivial or dirty tasks, and jobs that took a long time. But they didn’t pay him money.

‘How much do you expect to get for this kind of work? I’ll give you food. Eat and clean up a bit more before you go.’

‘If you don’t like it, don’t do it. There are plenty of other kids who will.’

People paid Tom with bread instead of money, or settled the debt at the tavern where Thomas and Hans drank.

Today, Tom touched real money for the first time, not a substitute for money. The heavy weight felt good. Money he had earned. Money earned by selling out his father.

If this was the price for staying quiet for a while, he could stay quiet as much as they wanted.

But how many more opportunities like this would there be?

Now Thomas was dead.

With only one corpse, there were no more opportunities to stay quiet.

He couldn’t earn more money either.

Suddenly, fear washed over him. Tom turned his head toward the lawyer who had handed him the money.

“Um, mister.”

“Hmm?”

“What do I do now?”

Tom grabbed the lawyer’s hand. His father was dead. And for trying to rape the lord’s daughter, no less. Tom, like a child from the streets, had to desperately find a way to survive.

“What do you mean what? You have to live alone. I told you that earlier, didn’t I?”

The lawyer showed displeasure and tried to remove Tom’s hand. Tom clung on more tightly. Starting tonight was already a problem.

He had seen countless people who wouldn’t pay even the minimum when his father wasn’t around. Thomas was a good-for-nothing, but when Tom’s body was worn out, he would come to their houses and shout and break things. With such a father now publicly dead in front of many people, Tom would have to hide trembling in a closet or inside a furnace from tonight, not knowing who might come looking for him.

“I… I have nowhere to go. I’m not feeling well either.”

“Oh my, Mr. Wether, the trial is over, aren’t you going to eat?”

A maid from the courtroom approached the lawyer with familiarity.

“Ah, this kid… Thank you. Is this from the lord?”

“Yes, he’s providing for everyone in the garden. Hey, you should go too.”

“No… no, please, lawyer sir. Please help me…”

“Ugh.”

The lawyer adjusted his hat and pushed Tom away.

“Dispose of the house you’re living in and look for work while reading the newspaper. That’s how everyone lives.”

“Dispose of the house? How?”

“Bring the documents and… that’s not my job. Go to the village clerk.”

“Sir!”

The gentleman strode toward the garden.

Dispose of the house? The clerk? Did he mean sell the house? Then what next? Where would he live and what would he eat? Could he keep living by selling the house?

Everything went black before his eyes. The world was too complicated for a nine-year-old.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

“Huh?”

“They’re providing free meals, aren’t you going? Everyone’s over there.”

She was a pretty woman. Her face made it difficult to guess her age, but she seemed older than Tom. Tom turned his eyes to look at the ground. Was she someone who came to watch the trial? Since he didn’t recognize her face, maybe she was a merchant’s daughter who came from far away.

“It would be strange if I went.”

“Because your dad is a murderer?”

“My dad isn’t a murderer!”

He shouted. But far from being scared, the woman was grinning broadly.

“Right. Not a murderer, but a rapist? No, an attempted rapist.”

“…He didn’t kill anyone.”

He felt like crying. Tom opened his eyes wide, trying not to cry.

“That woman didn’t, didn’t die. And, and she didn’t get raped in the end either.”

“Are you stating facts, or making a defense for your father?”

“De, defense?”

When the girl suddenly used words he didn’t know and Tom made a foolish sound, the girl frowned.

“While you’re at it, try giving an original answer.”

“Huh?”

“If I like your answer, I’ll give you five gold coins.”

Five gold coins. Tom racked his brain for an answer. Five gold coins. She must be quite wealthy. This opportunity wouldn’t come again. Tom pondered what answer would get him the gold coins.

“Um, um… both? In the end, the young lady didn’t die and didn’t get raped either. But I don’t understand why my dad had to die. And… uh, why is rape bad?”

“That’s such a mess of an answer I don’t know where to start pointing out the problems.”

“No, maybe that woman wanted to do it with dad! How would you know?”

“That couldn’t be… true. Honestly, your dad was dirty and ugly. Why would a young, rich woman want to do that with someone like your dad… hmm.”

Tom thought about Thomas’s good points and remembered what he used to say habitually. His pride.

“It’s big down there.”

“Ah.”

The girl’s face changed to look dumbfounded, as if she hadn’t expected that.

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