All the people in the bank focused their attention on the red-haired customer standing in front of the consultation desk on the first floor. As they exchanged quick glances with each other, the first floor was filled with the sound of swallowed breaths.
‘A royalty?’
‘What, is this for real? Is it really happening?’
‘Wow, this is a jackpot.’
Eugene, who was entering through the VIP-only entrance on the second floor of the Central Royal Bank, paused for a moment due to the unusual commotion in the air, unlike usual.
Bang, bang.
The branch manager, directors, auditors, deputy general managers, managers, and assistant managers of the Central Royal Bank’s headquarters all suddenly jumped out and knelt down in an instant.
Perza!
If it was a young woman in the Empire with the surname Perza……
“Your, Your…… I greet Your Majesty the Empress!”
“…….”
Klisha scratched her cheek lightly in embarrassment and spoke in a small voice.
“That’s not it…….”
The headquarters staff, who had been kneeling with respectful posture, quickly exchanged glances before shouting again.
“Royal Consort! I greet Your Highness the Royal Consort!”
“…….”
As soon as Eugene stepped onto the second floor, the commotion from the first floor left him dumbfounded. He let out a hollow laugh and leaned against the railing of the VVIP room’s staircase.
‘Haha. What on earth are those people saying right now?’
“…….”
‘Then, why is that woman just standing there?’
No way? It couldn’t be, could it?
Eugene’s face, which usually had a cold expression that made anyone wonder if he didn’t have any emotions, suddenly became blank as if he had been hit by a hammer.
* * *
Pour.
The expensive tea, which exuded an air of luxury just from its fragrance, fell with a clear sound into the transparent teacup.
“I should have recognized Your Majesty first and had a grand welcome, but I apologize for coming out late. If you could spare my life……”
“Hmm…….”
Klisha, who received the teacup, narrowed her almond-colored eyes slightly as she looked around before speaking.
“Where is this place?”
Klisha was sitting in a room with transparent glass on all sides, though the view was distorted and opaque both above and below. She gently rubbed the back of her neck, feeling an inexplicable sense of frustration.
“This is the VVIP room of our Central Royal Bank, a space exclusively for VVIP clients, boasting complete soundproofing, perfect visual obstruction, and full confidentiality. If you could spare my life…..”
“That’s amazing.”
“Ha. Ha. Please spare my life…….”
Willas, the branch manager of the Central Royal Bank, wiped the thick sweat running down his forehead, resenting the bank Chairman for being absent on a day like today.
‘Damn. Of all day. Why today…….’
“Hmm. Well, I’m not trying to do anything that grand. I don’t really need any sort of confidentiality magic or anything.”
“I see… Haha.”
Willas quickly reached out and pressed the gold button next to the intricately crafted vase. As he did, mist-like waves on both sides of the room dispersed, and the view was cleared.
“That’s much better. I don’t really like having my view blocked in all directions.”
“I see…… haha.”
“If my line of sight isn’t cleared on all sides, I would have to use my deadly poison.”
When Klisha added words that weren’t really necessary in a slow tone, Willas’s already pale face became even paler.
“Is…. that so…..”
“Anyway, the main point is that I want to retrieve the trust fund my father left for me…….”
“Father. Yes, yes…….”
Willas nodded absentmindedly, checking the various piles of documents on the table.
“They said something wasn’t working on the first floor…….”
“Oh, that’s……”
Willas cleared his throat before speaking.
“The trust entrusted to us by Lord Issac Mezerine has not yet reached its end of contract….. As you can see here, this product has a 20-year maturity. According to the terms, the beneficiary can only retrieve it after turning 30, or by bringing the trustee’s seal to terminate it. You have enrolled in a product that has a maturity restriction from the beginning…..”
No! This father of mine! He went and got a needlessly complicated trust in the middle of all this!
Klisha bit her lower lip and opened her mouth with a troubled expression.
“Then what should I do? Is there no other way? I’m really in need of some urgent money.”
Willas lifted his head, then, as if to make sure no one was around, he quietly and softly spoke in a low voice.
“Well, how about using the joint trust of the couple’s deposit?”
“Joint trust of the couple?”
“Yes. According to the ledger here, Klisha Mezerine de Perza and, uhm.”
“?”
“…… Ian…… Ian…… Felix…… De Perza’s…… joint trust account for the couple is open…….”
“…….”
“Your Majesty the Empress……”
Willas quietly knelt down next to Klisha inside the VVIP room, from where the blocking spell had been lifted outside, not caring if anyone was watching.
Klisha felt a headache starting to form. She only needed to solve the problem right in front of her, but the world wasn’t making it easy.
“Please stop doing this and get up.”
“……If you’ll spare my life…….”
“Fine, fine, I’ll spare your life, so get up. The conversation isn’t going anywhere if you keep doing this! So what’s going on with the joint account!”
Willas returned to his seat, wiping away the sweat that had flowed down to the back of his neck.
“So, if you withdraw money from there and…..”
“From the joint account?”
“…… Yes.”
Klisha bent over and whispered in a small voice.
“Are you suggesting I use His Majesty the Emperor’s personal trust funds?”
“……Yes. Since Your Majesty mentioned you urgently need the money…..”
“Is that really possible to use that as I please?”
In response to Klisha’s question, Willas half-covered his mouth with his palm, as if he was revealing a great secret and spoke quietly.
“Well, according to imperial law, a married couple is considered one in body and soul…… so, family law applies the principle of joint marital property between the spouses after marriage….. and under banking law, there’s also the principle of daily household spending between spouses…..”
“…… I have no idea what you are talking about. So what’s the conclusion?”
“The conclusion is…….”
Willas, who was leaning forward and speaking with Klisha, had a dangerous yet dark gleam in his eyes.
“The private property of the Royal Family Perza can be used by Her Majesty the Empress. Of course, the national budget is out of the question…… but personal assets under the Emperor’s name are fair game. Not only the Royal Family, but even the vast wealth of the Dukedom of Lecanois as well.….”
“Oh…… La what?”
After becoming worn down by poverty, both Klisha’s body and mind had twisted to some extent, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
“If there’s that much, would it be okay to take a little……?”
“That’s right… it wouldn’t even be noticeable…”
“Haha.”
Klisha smiled brightly.
“Hahaha.”
Willas also laughed heartily, as if matching her mood.
“Hahahaha.”
“Hahahahaha.”
Both of them laughed with satisfaction.
“Knock, knock. Knock.”
At the sudden knocking sound, Klisha, with a look of shock as if caught dreaming of a perfect crime, and Willas, even more startled as though his head had already been severed while committing the crime, simultaneously turned their heads toward the glass door.
‘Tomma… Ryuiken?’
Outside the glass door stood Tomma Ryuiken, a newly rich tycoon dressed in a finely tailored suit, meticulously embroidered by Evanor’s master craftsmen. He waved his hand, flashing a picturesque smile.
“Lady, is your previous proposal for kidnapping still valid?”
* * *
The third office of the Inner Palace.
Last night. The traces of the nearly one hundred assassins had already been cleaned up and disappeared without a sound.
The warm morning sun and fresh air. The Inner Palace greeted a peaceful Monday morning, just like any other. It should have been, but…..
“What you mean to say is…..”
The young Emperor’s long, straight index finger tapped the surface of the large desk a couple of times.
“The marriage register is still valid…….”
The seven aides, who had been standing there from the morning, lowered their heads and looked at each other.
“Is this how you’re going to handle things?”
The Emperor’s eyes, resembling the blue hue of a winter lake, grew colder with each passing moment.
They say that when anger reaches its peak, one doesn’t even feel angry anymore.
“This is ridiculous.”
Count Yuton, who had been hesitating, nervously swept his almost completely gray hair back and reported in a small voice.
“Well, according to the official document from the temple that arrived last Friday….. It states that in the case of a royal divorce, there is no instance where only His Majesty the Emperor’s seal is stamped. Her Majesty the Empress’s seal must also be included……”
“The Empress’s seal? Are you saying that the divorce document is invalid because the Empress’s seal was not stamped?”
The Emperor briefly clenched the official document in his hand, then threw it at Count Yuton and the other aides as he shouted.
“She’s not even the Empress in the first place, so what do you mean by the Empress’s seal! It wasn’t even made!”
Minister of State Affairs Yuton, who was already deep in thought, as well as Minister of External Cooperation Mirhi, Minister of Justice Feron…….
And the rest of the aides, who were shaking all over because they didn’t know when their turn would come, knelt down and prostrated themselves in unison as if they had made a promise.
“When you were going on and on about detours, shortcuts, and all those elaborate excuses, where did that get us! In the end, you’re saying the divorce isn’t possible. What were you supposed to do? What exactly are you all doing together, if you’re not handling things properly?”
Minister of External Cooperation Mirhi opened his mouth after observing the situation.
“We usually carry out our duties according to the usual division of labor…..”
When the Emperor’s sharp eyes turned to him, Mirhi lowered his body even further and continued speaking.
“Your Majesty, this is not something you should simply get angry about. Rather, we could use this opportunity to strengthen our relationship with the temple more…..”
“More what? If you tell me to go beg that old man again and explain the situation, it’s either me or you who dies today.”
“No, Your Majesty.”
Mirhi, Minister of External Cooperation, who had been planning a project to create friendly relations between the Royal Family and the temple all night, kept his mouth shut without even being able to properly say the word ‘f’ of ‘friendship.’ He decided to retreat for now. Either Lord Feron or Lord Yuton should handle the rest.
As everyone anxiously glanced at each other, it was ultimately Minister of State Affairs Yutton who stepped forward to manage the situation.
“Your Majesty, the divorce papers can simply be remade. It won’t be that difficult.”
“Not difficult?”
“All we need is the Empress’s seal. You two haven’t even been married, and now you’re getting a divorce, how can the Empress’s seal be that important in this situation?”
“…… ”
