NOVEL NEXT Chapter 64: Earl Rosewood wants to torture and murder
Earl Rosewood wanted to abolish the death penalty!
All crimes that had been previously punished by death would be punished by long-term ‘community service’ (hard labour) with the possibility of parole instead.
The Death Penalty Abolition Act would only apply to the Rosewood fief, but it would have repercussions for the entire kingdom!
As Deputy Prime Minister Marchioness Cloud finished reading out the main statements of the draft legislation, multiple Imperial Councillors rose to their feet.
“Do you want to increase murder and violence in the kingdom, Earl Rosewood?”
“The death penalty is the best method to discourage commoners from committing crimes!”
“You’re making your fief the home for murderers and gangs, and then they’ll go over to my fief to commit crimes before running back!”
“Do you have anything to say for yourself, Earl Rosewood?!”
Ren Xiyang’s eyes swept lightly across the dissidents and didn’t bother to say anything to these people who didn’t want to hear anything but agreement with them.
Not everyone was surprised by the proposed act though.
Master Gregory, who was now a junior manager among the Council staff, had already known Earl Rosewood’s barbaric plans.
And many other Councillors also knew that Earl Rosewood was planning to abolish the death penalty—Earl Rosewood hadn’t been secretive about it, given that he had asked multiple commoners in the Rosewood fief about the matter.
Deputy Prime Minister Marchioness Cloud scowled. “Sit down and raise your hand before speaking!” she said, slamming down her gavel on the block. “If you cannot be civilised, return your Councillor robes!”
The scolded Councillors flushed red and sat back down.
Prime Minister Duke Mauveine swept his eyes across the room. “First, let me make it clear that this act will only apply in the Rosewood fief. Earl Rosewood, stand up and tell the Council about your reasoning. Then, we will have some questions before reading through the rest of the draft legislation.”
Ren Xiyang stood up and held his hands behind his back. His voice was cool and steady. “There are three main reasons why I plan to abolish the death penalty in my fiefdom. Firstly, the commonality of executions normalises death. It’s not an effective deterrent, given that violent crime continues to occur. Secondly, there’s too much risk that innocents are executed. Torture is not a trustworthy method to extract the truth. And thirdly, death is only a momentary punishment for the executed. After that, what you think happens next depends on your religious belief, but the only certain truth is the life we currently live. Those who have committed criminal actions should remain alive for us to discipline.”
At Earl Rosewood’s last sentence, more than one Councillor suddenly felt a chill. The cold tone, coupled with the black hair, black clothes, and murderous red eyes made the implication become—I want to keep criminals alive so that they can suffer relentlessly for the crimes and truly know the feeling of agonising pain.
Earl Rosewood seemed overly gracious, but now those Councillors were reminded of how he had dealt with the assassins: by forcing them to suffocate in a burning cage of fire.
“—This legislation will be paired with initiatives that will target major underlying causes of crime, so as to prevent crimes from occurring in the first place. Note, constructive criticism for the new act should be sent in writing. Non-constructive criticism will be disregarded.” With that, Ren Xiyang sat down again.
Prime Minister Duke Mauveine took a moment to recover. “Thank you, Earl Rosewood. Now, do we have any initial questions?”
This time, the Councillors obediently raised their hands. Deputy Prime Minister Marchioness Cloud picked them one by one to ask their question.
And Ren Xiyang gave short answers to trolls and more thoughtful answers to more thoughtful questions.
In the end, the discussion of the draft act took up the entirety of the rest of the gathering. And after the gathering, this new piece of legislation catapulted itself into the latest hot gossip among the aristocracy.
Earl Rosewood was too good at putting himself on the news.
While the debate continued outside the Parliament and dozens of letters about the legislation came to the Rosewood door, Ren Xiyang continued with his Capital task list.
The next morning, Ren Xiyang met with Adrienne, along with Rian and Viscount Obsidian. Adrienne had continued to practice over the last month and could now stand on a floating wooden board that Viscount Obsidian had gotten made for her.
Viscount Obsidian had no intention to let Adrienne stand on a sharp flying sword.
Ren Xiyang showed Adrienne some techniques to manoeuvre through the air, while Rian and Viscount Obsidian talked and watched.
Then, that afternoon, was Ren Xiyang’s final scheduled meeting: with the new Baron Cordovan.
(Chatting with Prince Rian didn’t count.)
Ren Xiyang, Kel, Master Otto Silvercharm, and Solicitor Carmine took the Rosewood carriage to the nearby Cordovan house in the inner Capital. The two knights, Sir Allen Copper and Sir Tielo Russet, accompanied them by horseback.
Baltasar Cordovan, now the new young Baron Cordovan, was waiting outside the house for them. He was a nineteen-year-old young man with dark red-brown hair. He wore a stiff-looking red and white military coat with the Cordovan’s sword-and-flame crest, and he showed clear unhappiness at Earl Rosewood’s arrival.
“Earl Rosewood, welcome to my home,” he said coldly.
Ren Xiyang bowed slightly. “Thank you, Baron Cordovan.”
A Cordovan butler stepped forward and lowered his head. “My Lords, please come this way.”
The butler led them to a meeting room on the second floor. There was a large wooden table with chairs on either long side. The Cordovan’s sword-and-flame crest was prominently displayed on a hanging wall tapestry.
There were others already waiting there: the two younger Cordovan siblings, Susana Cordovan and Felipe Cordovan, along with some of their staff and guards.
Baltasar Cordovan took a seat between his siblings, while Ren Xiyang took a seat opposite him at the table with his group.
“Under the King’s order, we must give you fifty thousand gold coins in ten years,” Baltasar said reluctantly.
Ren Xiyang inclined his head.
“You must have known we don’t have that kind of money,” Baltasar sneered. “You may as well state it clearly. You want to take over our fief, don’t you?”
“I have my hands full managing the Rosewood fief,” Ren Xiyang replied calmly. “I don’t want more work. If you’d like help implementing similar things in the Cordovan fief, then we can chat about that.”
Baltasar snorted. “Please, Earl Rosewood, don’t joke.”
“Baron Cordovan, I can understand your reluctance to pay,” Ren Xiyang said. He paused, eyelids lowering slightly. “Say, if I murdered your parents and all your siblings, how would you punish me?” He looked at the middle child, Susana Cordovan. “I’ll leave you, the middle child, alive. That would match what has happened to my family. In such a scenario, how much would you have me pay in compensation?”
Baltasar bristled, placing a protective arm in front of his younger sister. “Stating your intentions in front of witnesses?”
“When His Majesty asked me about the sentence of your parents, I requested community service and compensation. But we have different world views, Baron Cordovan. If someone murdered your family, what would you want as punishment?”
Baltasar grounded his teeth. He knew what he would have wanted—execution and transfer of the entire offending fief to his Cordovan family. But if he said that, then Earl Rosewood might petition King Edric to change the punishment ruling to this instead! But if Baltasar replied along the lines of, I would want you to give me a compensation of 5000 gold, then Earl Rosewood may well murder his family and deal easily with that petty punishment.
“Your parents murdered my family,” Ren Xiyang said. “It was cold and calculated. They had fully intended to kill everyone. They were merely unlucky that I survived. Rather than being angry at me, you should be angry at your parents for destroying your reputations and disrupting your futures.”
“Don’t say that!” Felipe Cordovan said hotly. “You don’t know our parents!”
“And perhaps you also don’t know all about your parents.” Ren Xiyang abruptly changed the topic: “Let us talk in private.”
Baltasar stiffened. Earl Rosewood’s gaze was calm and non-confrontational, but his demeanour and thick magical presence reminded Baltasar that he was one of the strongest fire mages he knew. But Earl Rosewood wouldn’t murder him the moment everyone else left, would he?
“…Fine. Everyone else, please leave temporarily.”
“My Lord—” one of the Cordovan guards protested.
“I said go.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“I’m not going,” Susana Cordovan said.
“I’m not going either,” Felipe Cordovan followed up.
“That’s fine,” Ren Xiyang nodded.
The last person left and closed the door behind them.
Ren Xiyang then cast the latest sound-blocking spell that Rian liked to use. “You’re welcome to tell others what I’ll say,” he said.
Baltasar simply glared at him.
“Have you ever heard of heart demons?”
Baltasar was taken aback. “You mean some kind of dark magic?!”
“No, the proverbial kind. The kind of anger and emotion festers in your heart and negatively impacts your life. It’s better to resolve those problems. Why don’t we duel?”
Baltasar sneered. “I’m not stupid!” However much he hated to admit it, Earl Rosewood was much stronger than him! He wasn’t going to be a Baron Carmine/Anthony Fulvous!
“Then how about hand-to-hand combat? You’re physically bigger and stronger than me.”
Baltasar: “…” He gritted his teeth. It felt like a trap. “No, I decline!”
“Or we could play some other sport instead?”
“No.”
Ren Xiyang inwardly sighed. Coaxing children was hard. “Look, my advice is to not act like cannon fodder.”
Baltasar frowned. “Pardon?”
“Do not act like tools in others’ hands.”
“What are you implying?”
“I don’t want to be your enemy.” Ren Xiyang had better things to do.
The three Cordovan children all looked at Earl Rosewood with clear disbelief.
“My grudge is solely against the people who murdered my family. At least your parents are alive. You may still be able to see them and talk to them. I will never get that with my family. At least there are three of you to work together. I have to manage the Rosewood fief by myself.”
Baltasar gritted his teeth. He didn’t like that Earl Rosewood was right.
“If you want someone to blame, don’t blame the victim.”
Solicitor Carmine had left the documents on the table. Ren Xiyang pushed them forward now.
Susana glanced at her big brother and picked up the documents first.
“Fifty thousand gold across ten years. This document is my contract with you that 10% of that compensation will be spent directly in the Cordovan fief to aid your people,” Ren Xiyang said.
“What, on those charity lunches you like to give out?” Baltasar took the papers from his sister.
“As such, you have the choice to either send me the full payments on some regular basis, and I will organise for that 10% to be spent. Or, you can organise the spending of that 10% yourself, and I will have some of my people oversee that the money has been appropriately spent. The regularity of the payments is also your choice.”
Baltasar scanned through the papers. “Make it 20%!”
“Okay. Take your time to look through them, make a new version, and send it back to me to sign. Alternatively, if you don’t want to pay the full amount…one or more of you could work for me.”
Baltasar put the contracts back down. “We’ll look over it.”
“Then shall I leave first and await your reply?”
“Yes.”
Ren Xiyang stood up. “Then, thank you for your time, Baron Cordovan. Is there anything else you want to say?”
Baltasar had many things to say, but he pushed them back. “No, Earl Rosewood. Thank you for your time.”
Ren Xiyang nodded. “Then I’ll leave first.”
He and his team left the Cordovan house.
After Earl Rosewood left, Baltasar passed the contracts to his solicitors and pulled his two siblings into a private drawing room.
Felipe made a cry of frustration as he childishly punched one of the cushions on the sofa. “Why did Father and Mother do that? Why were they so stupid?!”
“I don’t understand, why did they want to kill Aunt Marie?” Susana added. “I might have not liked Silas, but that doesn’t mean I would want to kill him!”
Felipe’s cry of frustration turned into an actual cry. “I miss Mother and Father. I hate that no one wants to play with us anymore…”
Susana consoled her younger brother, her lips also turned down.
Baltasar rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
If Earl Rosewood murdered his parents and siblings, then he’d want the harshest punishment he could get! Except, the current situation was that his parents had murdered Earl Rosewood’s parents and siblings.
Baltasar let out a deep sigh and felt the heavy mantle of responsibility upon his shoulders and anxiety tightening his throat. He had to make the decisions now.
Ren Xiyang could have absolved Baltasar Cordovan of having to pay back that money, or he could have diverted 100% to the Cordovan fief.
But firstly, he owed Alyssa Rosewood, whose body he had now taken over, and he owed the memories of the killed Rosewoods and other killed staff.
Secondly, it was a statement of intention to other nobles. He wanted to abolish the death penalty, but crimes should still be paid with justice.
And thirdly, he was still human. The Rosewood projects needed money, and he couldn’t turn down such a big money source.
As for the 20% of the compensation for the Cordovan fief? The welfare of neighbouring fiefs affected each other, and the Cordovan fief was next to the Rosewood fief. Improvements in the Cordovan fief would benefit Ren Xiyang.
The Cordovans and their solicitors and managers would soon find out that Solicitor Carmine had written the contract very well: multiple clauses prevented that 20% from heading into the Cordovans’ pockets instead of the Cordovan commoners. In fact, it would be easier and cheaper for them to give the full amount to the Rosewood estate and make Earl Rosewood take over the management of that 20%.
Ren Xiyang was hoping they’d take over that management themselves to save him work.
Rian: Why was I barely mentioned in this chapter???!! Why don’t I count?
Ren Xiyang: *shrugs*
Alternative title for this chapter: Ren Xiyang fails at parenting dealing with children
(This chapter was easier to edit~)