Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
The events that followed were as she had expected.
Due to prolonged anemia, her labor was premature, and she also suffered massive bleeding during childbirth. Although her life was saved in the end, the child could not survive, being born with severe congenital diseases.
Her husband, believing she had failed to protect the fetus, threatened to beat her to death. However, due to the laws of the Wintery Empire, he eventually beat her half to death and then threw her out of the house.
This way, even the laws of the Wintery Empire could not fault him.
After all, she was the one kicked out of the house; if she died outside, it had nothing to do with him, a merchant.
A knock on the door pulled Fia from her painful memories back to reality. The room door opened, and a man dressed in casual clothes with an imposing presence, along with a demi-human girl with snow-white wings on her back, entered.
“How are you feeling?”
Xi Wei asked gently.
Although the wounds on the woman in the bed had healed, her mood remained extremely low. Her complexion was pale and bloodless, and large beads of sweat dripped down her temples.
“Thank you for saving my life.”
Fia tried to get up to thank him, but Xi Wei pressed her back down.
“Your body has just recovered and needs more rest,” Xi Wei tucked her in, then tentatively asked, “If you don’t mind, you can tell me about your experience. Perhaps I can help solve your troubles?”
Fia’s inner pain indeed needed to be vented.
She didn’t think the man in front of her had any ill intentions towards her. The demi-human girl standing beside him was enough to demonstrate the man’s power and wealth.
So, she didn’t hide anything.
She poured out everything that had happened during this time, without reservation.
“Master, that rich merchant is too much!” Bai Yao clenched her small fists, trembling with anger.
This woman named Fia was, after all, the merchant’s wife and had been carrying his child. How could the merchant persecute his wife like this for a lover?
Later, she miscarried, and he blamed the woman.
He was simply insane!
Xi Wei had already guessed part of the woman’s ordeal. In the current social context, women who miscarried were basically abandoned. They were seen as cursed by evil gods, unable to give birth normally, and were symbols of impurity. However, Xi Wei hadn’t expected there to be a lover involved in this story.
What kind of curse required a pregnant woman’s blood to resolve?
He was knowledgeable, but he had never heard of such a situation, let alone heard it from a priest of the Shrine.
What kind of bullshit priest was this?!
He intended to investigate the entire matter thoroughly, starting with infiltrating the rich merchant’s house.
…”You said someone took Fia’s corpse away?”
Bernas squinted at his butler, looking suspicious.
“Yes, my lord. I saw it with my own eyes, but Fia wasn’t dead then.” The middle-aged butler bowed carefully, recalling, “A young man took Miss Fia away. He was accompanied by a girl with wings on her back.”
“A girl with wings on her back? A bird-person or a demi-human?” Bernas frowned and pondered for a moment. He couldn’t think of any of Fia’s relatives who matched the butler’s description. But if they weren’t Fia’s relatives, why would they care about her life or death?
The laws of the Wintery Empire were now strictly enforced in Dragonflame City.
The King of Winter said he didn’t like slaves, so all slave owners who hadn’t reformed within three days had already been sent to the gallows.
Nobles could now only command their subordinates through employment contracts, providing them with monthly wages. Nobles could also not arbitrarily kill their subordinates; to execute them, the subordinate must have violated imperial law.
The same applied to demi-humans. The trade of exotic races was now completely prohibited. However, employing a beautiful exotic race as a subordinate was a very difficult task, not because it was too expensive, but because they were simply impossible to find.
Dragonflame City was also home to some demi-humans and humanoids.
But they were under the protection of the Wintery Holy Judgment Squad.
They were a group of stern soldiers who constantly encased themselves in armor.
Every day, they patrolled every corner of the city, holding long swords and shields emblazoned with a golden eagle on a black background.
No one dared to disturb the lives of those demi-humans under their supervision.
Therefore, being able to have a demi-human girl following him indicated that the man’s identity was extraordinary.
Bernas was a very smart merchant. When he deduced this, he began to feel annoyed.
As a merchant,
He hated this feeling of being choked by a fishbone.
“BOOM—!”
The gate outside the courtyard let out a deafening noise, like thunder from a clear sky.
Bernas and the butler shivered in unison. The steak knife and matcha cake in his hand almost flew out.
“What’s going on!” Bernas, recovering from his shock, stood up and roared towards the outside, “Who made that noise?”
“It was me.”
Xi Wei walked into the room with Bai Yao.
This infiltration was very successful.
Not only did he meet the main culprit, but there were also no casualties among non-involved personnel. Those servants had already screamed and hidden in corners the moment the door was kicked open.
“Who are you?!” Bernas glared at Xi Wei and asked loudly. Seeing that Xi Wei was wearing armor and holding a long sword, looking formidable, he immediately turned and shouted towards the outside:
“Guards! Where are my guards?”
His voice became somewhat anxious:
“Throw this intruder out for me, damn it!”
“My lord, you no longer have guards.” The butler reminded him earnestly, “According to the laws of the Wintery Empire, except for territorial lords and nobles, all other nobles, including rich merchants, are not allowed to hire guards privately. If discovered, they will be executed for rebellion according to imperial law. Your guards were dismissed by you personally a week ago.”
“Argh! Damn the imperial law!”
Bernas cursed and slumped back into his chair.
“Listen, young man, I don’t care what your relationship with Fia is.”
He said to Xi Wei, “She caused the death of my child, which is why I beat her and kicked her out. I fully complied with imperial law in handling this matter. If you intend to harm me because of this, the Discipline Chief of Dragonflame City will not let you go!”
“He is my uncle!” Bernas added, “And I also have a very good relationship with the current City Lord of Dragonflame City.”
“So?” Xi Wei tilted his head.
“So I suggest you’d better not get involved in this matter, it’s not good for you!” Bernas glared at Xi Wei and screamed arrogantly, but a resounding slap suddenly landed on his face.
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