As these words were spoken.
Barto's eyes widened instantly, his gaze filled with disbelief.
"Barto, you don't actually think that I'm unaware of these matters, do you?"
Gwath's lips curled upwards, and he gradually increased the pressure on his grip around Barto's throat.
"Don't forget that when you exploited and forced those freemen into slavery,
it was I, the executive officer of Hipu Town, who covered for you with the authorities.
So, do you really think I wouldn't investigate the reasons behind it?"
Barto's body trembled, his eyes bloodshot from lack of oxygen.
Gone was his previous arrogance; his gaze was now filled with fear, pleading for mercy.
However, Gwath turned a blind eye, continuing to tighten his grip.
At the same time, he casually continued,
"Barto, as your business has grown over the years,
you've not only lost your initial caution but have also become increasingly arrogant.
You've also lost the respect you should have shown towards Grace and me."
Barto's face turned purple, his eyes rolling back as his struggles became weaker.
"So, a disobedient dog like you should be beaten to death by its master.
As for the nobles of Kurah City, I don't think they would stand up for a dead man.
After all, there are more than just you in Hipu Town willing to serve them, aren't there?"
At this moment, with Gwath's final words,
Barto finally lost all signs of life, his struggling hands falling limp.
His head slumped to the side, and he sat lifelessly in his wheelchair, his eyes unseeing.
At this time, Grace stepped forward and glanced at Barto.
There was no trace of pity in her expression; instead, a hint of satisfaction showed.
Initially, for the sake of her family, she, in her early twenties, had been forced to marry Barto, who was around forty.
Grace had thought that even a politically motivated marriage might have its good moments.
However, Barto was a cold-hearted man, very guarded towards Grace.
Moreover, after Grace discovered that Barto was infertile and had a child with Pok, Lola was born.
Thus, the last shred of marital affection she had for Barto vanished without a trace.
"Brother, what should we do with Barto's body?"
Grace asked, and Gwath, without a moment's hesitation, replied,
"Don't rush. Didn't you say Nemo went to Kurah City? Let's wait until he comes back."
"What?"
Grace's eyebrows shot up in confusion.
"Shouldn't we take the opportunity while Nemo is not back to quickly transfer the family assets?"
Facing her sister's puzzled look, Gwath let out a cold laugh, a flash of coldness in his eyes.
"No, since we've already killed Barto, we shouldn't forget about his son, Nemo.
Although you've deliberately indulged him over the years, turning him into a good-for-nothing,
he is, after all, Barto's eldest son and has a more legitimate right to inheritance.
Therefore, he must not be allowed to live any longer. When he returns, lure him here, and then…"
Grace suddenly understood, her enchanting face also revealing a smile that was both pleased and malicious.
At that moment, someone approached from outside.
It was the personal maid that Grace had brought from her natal home, who had served her for many years.
Moreover, because the maid's parents and relatives' indentures were all in Gwath's hands,
she was one hundred percent loyal to Grace and would never betray the two of them.
Thus, when the maid saw the three bodies,
although she was terrified and her face turned pale, she still mustered her courage and reported respectfully,
"Madam, Young Master Nemo has returned."
Grace turned her head and exchanged a glance with her brother.
"Good, take me to him."
After Grace left, Gwath dragged the three bodies to the corner of the inner room.
Then, he sat boldly on the sofa, carefully pondering the events that had transpired.
This morning, after meeting with Grace, he wanted to understand the specifics and details.
So, he had Grace recount everything that had happened in the past few days in great detail.
Immediately, he noticed something amiss.
Initially, Barto inexplicably stepped on a trap, leading to an infected wound.
Subsequently, in order to seek treatment, he sent Nemo to Kurah City to find a senior physician to cure him.
However, Nemo was attacked; although the assailants robbed him of his wealth, they did not kill him.
Afterwards, Pok received an extortion letter and thus sought Grace's counsel on how to resolve the issue.
Consequently, Grace sent for him, and at the same time, Pok received a second extortion letter.
In his fear, he considered taking extreme measures, and Grace, with no other choice, had to kill him.
Nevertheless, Pok had left a suicide note, revealing his and Grace's affair to Barto.
The rest of the story goes without saying; just now, Gwath had personally killed Barto.
"These events seem unrelated at first glance, but in reality, they fit together perfectly.
If there truly is someone orchestrating all of this from behind the scenes, then what is their purpose?"
Gwath pondered for a moment, and as his peripheral vision caught sight of the bodies,
a flash of insight crossed his eyes, and a thought sprang to his mind.
"Is it Barto? Is that person's goal to kill Barto?"
Gwath's lips curled into a bright smile.
He had grasped the truth, realizing that everything stemmed from Barto.
However, two seconds later, Gwath's smile faded, and his expression turned serious again.
"But who is this person? What grudge do they have against Barto?
Moreover, this person is so well-informed that they could even anticipate Barto's patrols in the fields!
To possess such terrifying abilities, could it be… that they are not alone but part of an organization?
Or perhaps they are a high-level magician with psychic powers?
Yet, no matter which it is, Barto, a mere slave owner of Hipu Town, should not have provoked them.
Furthermore, even if Barto had angered them, with their power or influence, they could have easily killed Barto without resorting to such complexities, playing with conspiracies and schemes, using Gwath's hands to eliminate Barto.
Strange… this is truly too strange!"
This contradictory feeling caused Gwath's perception to falter, plunging him into self-doubt.
At this moment, he suddenly thought of something and hastily took out the previous three letters.
After examining them for a long while, Gwath's brows furrowed slightly, and he muttered to himself,
"Could it be that I'm overthinking this, and all of this is truly just a coincidence?"
The reason Gwath said this was because, after careful comparison,
he found that the first two extortion letters and the letter left by Pok not only had different handwriting but also used different paper and ink.