A few weeks have passed and it had been a rocky few weeks for the kingdom. After my announcement came, the King had to sift through piles of crimes. It took him several days to read the evidence and render his verdict.

The ones who had committed a severe crime were stripped of their nobility and thrown out on the streets. While they were given a pretty good sum of money to start off with, they still acted as if the King had killed their only child. Even though they were now commoners, they refused to act like it. This turned the other commoners against them immediately. The merchants would raise the prices just to make their life harder. These people would have a rough time because they didn't know the definition of humility.

Penelope also fell into this category. After she accused me publicly in a failed denunciation, the situation was completely reversed. Her parents called her a disappointment and ruthlessly kicked her out in an attempt to save their own skin. Thus, Penelope became a commoner and lost all hope she had to marry someone of noble status. To make matters worse, Millie asked me if she could take her in as a pet.

I let her do just that.

The ones who committed a lesser crime were merely fined and slapped on the wrist. However, this was all it took for them to go groveling home with their tail tucked between their legs. They wouldn't have the courage to try anything else for a while.

As for the Blythe family, they suffered more than anyone else. The Marquis and Marquette were set to be hanged in a few days. It was all everyone could talk about. Whenever they gossiped they did so with wide smiles on their faces. As for the Marquis and Marquette, they cried and begged almost every day, but no one would listen. They were thrown in a prison cell that only had hay to lay on and a bucket for what I will not mention.

As for me, well apparently once you drop out of school they immediately kick you out of the dorm. I barely had any time to grab my belongings before they threw me out. While my underground gambling den was finished, it definitely wasn't a place where I should live. You should never conduct business where you sleep.

So, I realized I had to quickly find a place to live. For women, buying land and property was incredibly difficult to do without a man involved. Sexist, I know. However, that's just the current mentality here.

Luckily for me, I didn't need to rely on a man to purchase my own property and home. I already had such a well known reputation that everyone feared that I would target them. If that wasn't enough, then I could use my reputation as the Black Death's precious apprentice to find a place. I soon found a home that was perfect for me. However, I had to wait a few days until I could occupy it.

So until my mansion on the hill was completed, I had to stay at Lona's. I nibbled on a cookie while laying on the couch in her house. I flipped through a book as I munched on the cookie, ignoring the crumbs that fell on my chest and the cushions.

Lona walked in and put her hands on her hips in irritation. She smacked my feet off of the couch in a hurry. Her tone was stern, "Don't you just look cozy?"

I put the book down and smiled at her, "I'm incredibly cozy. I feel right at home here."

She clicked her tongue, "I wish I could just laze around like you."

I sat up and patted the couch, "Then be lazy with me."

She huffed and pinched her eyebrows together, "I can't be lazy! If I stop moving for a second this child starts kicking me and making me want to hurl! My ankles hurt and everything is just so IRRITATING!"

I nodded as I stood up to give Lona a shoulder massage while she complained and grumbled. I never thought Lona would be act like this while she was pregnant. She seemed to be cranky all day every day. All Joel and I could do was give her a shoulder massage while she grumbled and shouted.

I spoke in a calming tone, "Don't worry Lona. Soon that little alien will be out of you and then you can complain about never getting sleep. But don't you worry, I will be here to help you every step of the way."

She glanced at me, "Every step? So you'll be there while I give birth?"

My face stiffened, "Okay. Every step except that one."

Lona turned around and looked me in the eyes, "You need to be there. I don't have any family that could help the doctor."

I shook my head quickly, "No way. There's no way I'm going to go through that again." She grabbed my shoulder and squeezed it. I gasped, "Ouch ouch ouch! Lona!"

"You have to come. I can't do it alone." She squeezed tighter, "Plus you are the godmother. What kind of godmother wouldn't be there to help?!"

"Okay! Okay!" I cried with tears in my eyes, "I will be there!!!"

She let me go with a smile, "Good. I'm glad you are so willing."

I rubbed my shoulder with a pout. Why the hell is everyone forcing me to be a midwife?!

Lona sat down and chewed on a cookie, "So how much longer do you have to wait for your home to be finished?"

I joined her, "Only a few more days. They finished fixing it up, but now it just needs to be repainted."

She glanced at me carefully, "I'm curious about a mansion that you had to rebuild. I wonder what it looks like."

I giggled and scratched my cheek, "I think it is perfect for me. Once it is completed I will have a house party."

Lona nodded as she nibbled on the cookie. She paused and looked at me with a blank expression, "Aren't you supposed to be meeting Dante today at noon?"

Lona motioned to the clock which showed that I only had 5 mins left until noon. My face paled, "Oh sh*t!" I jumped up in a panic, "Lona, how do I look?"

Lona bit the cookie, "You look like you haven't slept all night, but instead have been lounging around on the couch eating cookies."

"...."

That was a bit too accurate.

I ignored her and flew to my room to finish the last minute touches, then I rushed out of the house running at full speed. As I sped through town, I shouted in apology as I accidently ran into others. I jumped over a cart that pulled out of me. Before I made it to Dante, I was gasping for breath.

He glanced at me, "You are late."

I breathed heavily as I forced myself to smile, "Just be happy I didn't sleep in."

He smirked, "Sleep in? I bet you didn't sleep at all instead."

"..."

I looked away with a pout, "Whatever."

He chuckled as he started poking my puffed out cheeks, "We should go. Everyone is already waiting."

I smacked off his hands and started walking. He rushed up to me and held my hand gently. I shot him a glance, but he only looked at me with an innocent blank look. He really has gotten stickier lately.

Dante glanced around, "Where's Millie?"

"Oh, she's been playing with that new dog of hers. Lately she's been too preoccupied with it."

"... Dog?"

"Don't ask..."

We made it to my new bakery and the smell of sweets wafted out into the street. I took a deep breath and licked my lips. I looked at Dante, "You know what that smell is?"

"... Cake?"

"No. It's success."

We went inside where everyone was waiting. Mathias stood in a corner looking over documents, Bertram was sleeping on a chair, Charles was frightening one of Millie's siblings, and the rest of her siblings seemed to be engrossed in discussing the sweets set out in front of them.

I looked at the bakery in pride. The inside was decorated with a minimalist approach that was particularly soothing. While the first floor was more for ordering out, there were also three separate floors attached upstairs. The top floor is reserved for high paying customers. Although I wouldn't refuse someone due to their social status, I would also make sure to milk the rich people for everything they are worth. The lower the floor, the cheaper it was to eat there. That didn't mean each floor was poor quality, it just meant that there were more tables on the lower floor than the top floor.

I crossed my arms and smiled haughtily, "Nice. It looks like we will be able to open up the store soon." Dante embraced me from behind and nuzzled into the back of my head. My face twitched.

This little sticky bun...

Everyone looked over to me once they heard my voice. One of the brothers waved to me, "Seri! I've been practicing my coffee making! Come try it!"

One of the sisters shouted as well, "I've been making some desserts! Come try them!"

Another Sister shouted, "Try my donuts! I came up with a new recipe!"

My head swarmed as they continued to shout at me. I walked over with Dante close behind me. I looked at all of the offerings as they pushed it to me. I took a bite of each item. My face lit up, "Oh! These taste amazing! We are sure to sell lots of these." I sipped the differently prepared coffees, "These are great as well! We will surely become envied for our delicious food and drinks."

Millie's siblings grinned ear to ear from the compliment. They all looked so innocent and sweet it made me want to pinch their cheeks. One of Millie's sister's glanced around anxiously, "Where is Millie?"

I shrugged, "She should be here soon. She's been too busy spending time with her dog. She probably lost track of time."

After I had spoke, the door opened behind me. We all turned around and saw Millie walking through the door with a smile. She held a chain in her hand and gave it a rough tug. She turned behind her and spoke in a ferocious tone, "Get in here!"

A petite girl was pulled in. Her platinum blonde hair hung down loosely in an unkempt fashion. She was wearing a plain scratchy dress with a chain collar around her neck. She looked around anxiously revealing that she only had one eye. The other eye had been forcibly removed and was sewn shut. The closer you looked, the more you noticed that she had been cut and sewed up. She was even missing one of her fingers.

She rushed over to Millie's side with a quivering lip, "A-Ah M-Mistress.... Please punish me..."

Although she looked far different now, I recognized that voice to be Penelope's.

Everyone: "...."

I watched the scene in front of me in disbelief, ".... What the f*ck is this."