--Pamlock City, The Empire Of Arcadina--

"So you're saying that Baron Rodgers hasn't come back for over a year now?" Asked a 41 year old man.

"Yes.... yes... he hasn't come back yet.!" Replied a petit looking woman.

This woman was Baron Rodgers wife, Baroness Cynthia.

In her mind, her husband had left her because he didn't want to keep funding her luxurious lifestyle... ...but of course, that was far from the truth.

Baron Rodgers was the Baron who had accompanied City Lord Shannon to Baymard.

He had died alongside Shannon.... but in his Cynthia's mind, he had definitely abandoned them because he was broke.

Cynthia came from a low class noble family... while her husband came from a medium class noble family.

But when they lived in Baymard, their pockets were as filled to the brim making their family feel like a high level noble family.

Everything was fine and dandy.... until that moron of a king, took away their happiness and posted them to another city.

There, she had been reminded of her low noble status constantly.

The other women would buy the most expensive bags and clothes.... but what about her?

Whenever she asked for money, Rodgers would claim that he's broke.

Of course she didn't believe him at all.

How could a noble be broke?

He came up with flimsy excuses like: oh.. the city lord had taken part of his shares, or he doesn't have enough money to pay his l mights... and so on.

He stopped fulfilling all her needs, and everyone there immediately treated them like trash.

It was utterly mortifying to have that b**ch Desiora, walk around with her expensive facial potions, chain, shoes and so on.

She felt like her husband was intentionally humiliating her.

Even while he was there, those noble women would laugh at her and tell her that they had seen Rodgers kissing and even sleeping around with other women.

In truth... she didn't really love the man, as he was still a medium class noble.

But what made her angry was the humiliation.

And then it happened.....

The night before he travelled, she had asked for money from him.

But of course, he shut her out of his chambers and the next day he was gone.

2 months later, the noble women were talking about the fact that he might have gone to see another woman who has a child for him.

And of course she had easily believed them as well, because while they were there... he had indeed cheated on her for the first time with several harlots.

In fact, everyone's ideas got into her head.... and 5 months after that, she immediately claimed that her husband was dead... and requested for their first son who was 18 last year, to inherit his father's title and position.

She did this in a hurry, lest that man brings a bastard son to take over his position.

After all although she didn't love him, that didn't mean that she would agree for this position and monthly fee to be given to anyone else other than her children.

She would rather die, than allow that to happen.

And since she had been around these noble women all day, it was clear as day to see that she had been influenced by their stories about her husband.

Anyway, since her family wasn't popular and they were seen as the in between of lower and middle nobles..... the King didn't bother to send his knights to investigate the matter.

Rather, he asked the City lord of that city about the situation.

And when it was confirmed, her son Mathias, was finally made the new head of their family.

Of course to get the city lord to agree, she had slept with the guy on the low and had also agreed to him part of their monthly allowance as well.

He also gave funded her lavish lifestyle by buying her new bags, clothes, and so on.... Of course, this was all done without the knowledge of his 2 wives and 3 concubines.

Today, she was here to find out where her bastard husband was hiding.

She wanted him DEAD.

Lying to the king was a guaranteed death sentence.

So if the king realised that he was still alive, then she would be killed for sure.

In her mind, the only reason that her bastard was hiding, was because she had sort on him too.

He had also lied about Baymard.

So he knew that if he reported her, then she too would report him as well.

Hence he had probably decided to go into hiding like a fugitive.

But no matter what, he had to die.... she that she could have peace.

This was a dog eats dog world.

Many nobles and wealthy people married for political reasons or for social elevation.

And even when there are several wives in one household, everyone normally fights against each other..... just so that they could be favoured by their husbands.

This guaranteed power for themselves and their children.

The children overtake the household, land, knights, and even empires.

So after all the years that she had pretended to love her husband, how could she just sit still and watch him give everything to a bastard child?

No way!!!

She was prepared to take him down before he could even see it coming.

Presently, she had travelled to another city... and was currently staying at Baron Yanger's estate as a guest.

"Don't cry baroness Cynthia... it's okay... I'm sure that we will find him soon enough..." Baron Yanger, in a coaxing manner.

The woman before him looked small and frail.... in fact, she really looked too pitiful to him.

Her husband had been proclaimed dead.... but she had never wanted to give up on him without trying to find him.

He could see the hurt in her eyes, whenever he mentioned Rogers's name.

He had also come from Baymard, but had been posted in a different city from the rest.

As the tears trickled down the woman's beautiful face, Baron Yanger tried his best to resist the urge to hug her.

'Sigh... Rodgers was really a lucky bastard to have had such a woman' he thought.

"Tell me again in detail what really happened?" Yanger asked with concern.

Cynthia wiped her crocodile tears, and began to tell him a story that was 50% similar to the truth.

She of course went through with her white lotus act, instantly making Yanger believe her.

Yanger thought for a while and wondered.

He knew his friend Rodgers very well.

The guy was greedy as hell... and always wanted everything to himself.

From what Cynthia had said, he had left a few months after they had just settled in.

She had also said that their knights had been decreasing in number, and the city lord also took part of their money.... hence he could easily conclude that the issue was money.

"If he had left as quickly as he came, then would it be possible for him to have gone back to Baymard?" Yanger asked.

Cynthia knitted her brows for a second and continued to act pitifully

"Baymard?..... but... but... if he did go there, then wouldn't the king punish him?"

"True... but what if he wanted to go back to Baymard and make his money in secret for both of you?"

"But he didn't leave with many knights....."

"Hmhm... but what if he had close help around Baymard instead."

"You mean....." Cynthia's eyes immediately lit up.

The bastard must've obviously stayed in Baymard with his new family, while he made money.

Dammit!!.... Whatever money he made was hers.

It made sense that he would hide in Baymard.

No one was willing to go there and inquire the wrath of Alec Barn... hence no one would intrude on his space there.

Plus Baymard was a month's journey away from the city she was now deciding in, so the Scumbag probably thought that he could get away from her easily.

She couldn't help but smile, as she realized that she had finally found his hiding place.

In her mind, he was already as good as dead.

"I understand brother Yanger... thank you."