True Tycoon Her Empire, Her Rules

Chapter 199

The villagers stood in stunned silence, feeling the sting of an injustice they couldn’t fathom.

They hadn’t done a thing.

The chief had heard the creature before them, a Werewolf, no less, had been denied some mystical title because of someone’s blunder, and he’d called the culprit an absolute fool, nearly fainting in disbelief.

“My lord, who are you referring to? Who’s this person?” he asked, despite having a sneaking suspicion of the guilty party.

It was likely the descendant of the hunter who once brought wealth to their little hamlet.

Almost reflexively, the chief’s eye’s swept over the crowd of villagers, searching for a particular face among them.

He remembered that family had come to the gathering that day.

Some of the older folks seemed to grasp the situation as well, their gazes falling on a pale–faced young

man.

Aleck Lane, his family was among the wealthiest in the village.

After all, it was the Lane family whose fortunes had spurred the local economy, owning almost half of the mandrake farming contracts.

The Lanes were well–regarded in the village, and Aleck had lived a life of luxury since birth, moving to the city and only returning to his roots during the holidays, carrying with him the airs of a spoiled rich kid.

He was popular with the village youth, loved his liquor, and was known for his drunken rants.

Today, he’d come to the mountain seeking excitement and a glimpse of the rumored Werewolf, never imagining it would all come crashing down on him.

As the accusation sank in, Aleck vaguely remembered something absurd he’d once said, something he’d dismissed as a drunken dream.

He’d never connected it to the odd occurrences plaguing the village.

If only he’d known…

But how could he have confessed?

a swift kick

giving him space to

he could lash out, he felt a painful twist on his ear. It

to the mountain.

recent misfortunes, and Cox was determined to see things

to discover that the source of all this trouble was Aleck. “You’re gonna be the death of me. Look at the mess

and knew the value of hard–won

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forests, and with a deep respect for the spirits of the woods, passed down! from the

son would ruin

for years, and it wouldn’t have been too

have meant a windfall for the Lanes

all was lost.

Cox didn’t hesitate to discipline Aleck on the spot, with none of the villagers raising a voice in

finished and, half–fearing, half–ashamed, bowed

fit, the Lane family will bear it. Please don’t hold the village accountable. Just say the word, and we’ll do whatever we can to

though not entirely

benefited from his family’s fortune for years. If it all ended now, they had

just say

quick to resentment, focusing on losses rather than

Cox demanded the village to share the consequences, it

the family’s roots were still

stance, even earning

matter for the whole village. We can’t let your family shoulder this alone. We’ve

bowed to the Werewolf, asking how they could

that it would spare

a thrashing from Cox, feeling some of the resentment fade, yet it wasn’t ready to let

had offered punishment or penalty, whatever it

If it truly

think of it.

his hopes on Winnie