The Hated Lord Builds A Modern Country

Chapter 2: The Apology

An expensive black car drives at high speed on the freeway without caring for the other vehicles. Inside the car, a man with a business suit and black hair had been tightly gripping the steering wheel. The individual behind the wheel was George himself, fuming in anger, causing him to act harshly. Before he even knew it, a bright light blinds him before hearing a loud crash of two iron before everything went black.

But George hears a voice from one person with both a man and a woman's voice telling him, “Wake up! You are now my new pawn.”

George opened his eyes but what he saw sent chills down his spine. A humanoid with skin that shines like a lamp but with multiple eyes scattered throughout its body. Its eyes gazing at him were enough to make George freeze in his position. It even has a devious grin reaching ear to ear as if it’s a child that found an insect that it would brutally torment.

George wakes up from his sleep like Louis and sees the familiar room from yesterday. Louis gasped for air as the sweat bullets hailed down from his forehead. He uses his right hand and swipes the sweat dripping before getting out of bed. Louis stretches his body while dust tickles his nose and the scent of molding and rotting wood.

Louis looked back at the bed and saw Rosette rising from her slumber. She rubs her eyes before setting her gaze on her husband. Louis smiles and greets his wife, Rosette, who only woke up.

“Good morning.”

Louis only saw his wife’s face turning red and instantly gazing away. Louis could not help but smile with the reaction he saw. After finishing his stretches, Louis changes into his work clothes, befitting a lord, and at the same time, doing his final touches, George, for the first time, so Louis's reflection in a mirror. Short silky golden blond hair, blue eyes, and fair white skin complimented by his six feet height and a fit body.

“Louis is quite handsome, I might say. Too bad his exterior is not as good looking as his interior.”

George, using Louis's memories, explores the mansion built centuries ago. A neglected manor greeted George and, based on Louis's memory. He has no plan to repair the estate, since Louis plans on leaving the territory and staying in the neighboring region, leaving his wife and some maids in the mansion to do the chores themselves.

Louis would only return to his territory when there was an inspection of the capital. He would live in a domain where he can indulge in luxury, and a neighboring fief has that. Louis even wanted to use his fief's little income to fund his luxurious lifestyle.

George wants to punch Louis, but since he occupies the body, he cannot do such a thing. George looks around the mansion and the maids and some servants doing their chores. All of the servants would avoid him, especially the maids. George remembers that Louis had sexually harassed some maids by grabbing their private parts.

“This situation is worse than I expected,” George spoke before sighing.

But almost all of the servants are here. It’s better to gain their trust than to leave a bad impression. I must make sure that my quest should continue without any hiccups since there is a possibility that one of the servants is a said significant character.

I can earn currency and proceed with the mission. I must not leave any pebble unturned in my territory to find all those notable characters with whom I must increase my relationship status. Running a government is not easy without funding. I don’t need money; I need the system’s currency to proceed with my next step.

Louis clears his throat while the servants do their jobs, ignoring him. However, he wants to garner their attention, causing him to yell. “Please! Everyone gathers at the entrance of the mansion. I want to talk with all of you!”

After hearing their lord yell, the servants only worry. They knew their lord, who did not even check their work, suddenly told them to gather in one place. The servants still remember when their lord asked them to go to one place four years ago. The events happened where he brutally tortured a lower servant who stole food to feed her ill daughter.

After thirty minutes, the servants knowing that the worst would come, wait for their brutal lord. Everyone only trembles in fear and hopes for them to be only belittled by words than someone gets physically abused. Twenty people await the most hated lord who they serve with fear.

Alas, Louis Mariano appears before them, knowing it’s nothing good. However, Louis, who is not their lord as his soul was of someone else, had a different thing in mind. George could see the worries of the servant as they looked at him like an evil God waiting for his brutal judgment. Watching the servants fear made his heart feel like a stone chained to it, dragging it down.

With a clear and powerful voice, Louis spoke words that the servants thought they would never hear from him. A comment that they believed that Louis only uses towards someone more powerful than him. Servants were in disbelief as those words echoed in the air.

“I’M SORRY!” Were Louis’s words as he lowered his head to the ground with mud still fresh after a non-stop rain for days.

“I’m sorry for everything I have done to all of you. I am ashamed of how I treated you people like livestock and not as people. I know a simple apology is not enough for everyone, but I assure you that I am sincere. I Louis Mariano lower myself to servants as if I was not lord. But I am lowering myself to show you that I have failed all of you as a leader. I hope for your forgiveness and for you to give me a second chance as your lord. If you want to yell at me the fine go ahead.”

The servants were dumbfounded by the scene that they thought would never come. All of them could not even utter a single word. But watching this made something in them feel light, as if the fear and hate towards Louis broke.

Louis raised his head to gaze at the servants and saw only confusion among them, but he also saw some changing expressions. While others show skepticism if he genuinely is sincere for Louis, he understands those people’s sentiments. However, that’s what he wants to erase. A country cannot grow if its people hate its ruler. George wants to change their sight of Louis as a different person and is not the lord they always fear.

Louis raises himself from lowering to the ground and gazes at his servants again.

“I know that every one of you does not believe my words. Then fine, I will prove it with actions that I am not the old lord you fear.”

What came out of Louis's mouth made all of the servants' jaws drop.

“Half of the funds given to me by the kingdom will be split to you here. I also announce that you can go on a vacation or to your family, but everyone must return here in a month. Suppose you’re worried that this is a way of firing you. I assure you that it is not to remove you.”

“I plan to rebuild this mansion. That’s why I want all of you to leave for a month.”

Louis did not lie since he’s planning to rebuild a new mansion, but he does not want anyone to know of his powers that can summon structure into thin air. Especially when the servants have a high chance of reporting it to the others, nothing good will come, and all the unwanted attention would only hinder his mission.

If my ability reaches the royals and the other lords, they will take advantage of me. Not only that, a high chance that people in the higher-ups will see me as a threat. Other people would plot against me to take my powers. Opportunistic assholes have long existed in the modern world, but those in this middle ages era are still the worst.

Too bad I’m used to assholes trying to remove me in my old life. People who want me out only wasted their efforts. Also, I have a new body whose owner is somewhat a suck-up kind of puts me at an advantage. I am sure those people trying to control Louis will be in for a surprise once they make a move on me.

Louis gaze at the rotting mansion made of stone, wood, and clay for its last day.

“Sorry, mansion, but you’re a liability for me, plus the new building is far better. You will be replaced by a mansion in my old world where one of the most powerful people stays. The White House will replace you, but in order to do that, I must make sure that no one should see my powers.”