“Please lend me some money.”
“So, you’re not here to pay back, but to borrow more?”
A few days later, Judith visited a loan shark and nodded calmly.
Smith, who had been silent for a moment, blinked his dark, greedy eyes and looked at his subordinate.
“The Countess must have lost her mind. She’s not here to repay, but to borrow more?”
“Perhaps she misspoke? Surely, no one would be shameless enough to ask for more money when they can’t even pay back the interest.”
Judith truly didn’t want to be in this situation.
“I’m trying to start a business, but there’s nowhere suitable to borrow money from.”
Forget about business funds—she didn’t even have enough for living expenses. She had tried borrowing money from various places, but as soon as they heard she was indebted to Smith, everyone turned her down. He must have been quite the notorious scoundrel.
So, with no other options, she had come to borrow more from Smith.
“I already owe 200 million gold, so adding a little more isn’t going to make a huge difference, is it?”
“…That’s not really something someone borrowing money should say, is it? Hmm? Did you leave your conscience at home, Madam?”
“This is all so I can repay you, Mr. Smith. If you sell me off, could you get 200 million gold for me?”
Although she looked unkempt, Judith was still a fairly attractive woman. And being a noble, she would fetch a high price, but not nearly enough to cover 200 million gold.
“So in the end, you’d be taking a loss, Mr. Smith. But if you lend me the money for the business, I’ll repay it with interest, so it wouldn’t be a loss for you, right?”
Who was she to decide whether it was a loss or not?
Smith was bewildered. Yet, at the same time, he marveled at the sheer audacity of the Countess.
No one in this city—especially not someone indebted to him—had ever demanded more money so boldly like Judith.
Was she shameless? Smith wasn’t sure, but he was impressed.
“No matter what, I can’t do it without collateral.”
“In that case, I could put up my mansion….”
“Don’t even think about pulling that trick.”
Tch, that didn’t work. Judith didn’t even bother to hide her disappointment. Shameless, indeed, Smith thought, nodding to himself.
“Then how about my title?”
“Your title? You can’t offer that as collateral.”
“It can’t be used as collateral, but it can be inherited. If you have a child, you could bring them into the Leinrant family. Or…”
Judith stared directly at Smith.
“It seems there’s a way to adopt Mr. Smith.”
“…….”
She might just end up with an old, money-lending son.
Judith smiled sweetly, like a mother looking at her son. Smith now looked at her as if she had a flower in her hair.
“Exchanging 200 million gold for a Count’s title. Seems like a fair deal, doesn’t it?”
Smith tapped the table with his thick fingers. Fortunately, his deliberation didn’t last long. Whether Judith was in her right mind or not, this was still a profitable deal for him.
“Bring the money.”
Smith’s subordinate placed a pen, ink, and two documents in front of Judith.
One was a promissory note, stating that if she couldn’t repay the debt, she would hand over her title in some form. The other was a…
“A physical forfeiture agreement?”
“If you fail to repay the debt and cannot hand over the title, you will surrender your body.”
Thorough as ever, Judith pouted as she picked up the pen. At this point, there was no turning back.
“But aren’t you curious about what kind of business I’m going to start?”
A few days ago, as Judith sat in her mansion, pondering ways to make money, she had realized something.
In this world, there were only white candles. But in her previous life, she had made scented candles as a side business!
That meant she was the only one here who knew how to make colorful, scented candles. In this world, where there was no electricity and frequent parties, what an amazing business idea this was! It was bound to succeed.
“As long as you repay the money on time, I don’t care if you steal, beg, or whatever.”
Smith glanced over the document Judith had signed. Satisfied, he nodded, and his subordinate placed a money pouch in front of Judith.
“The interest is due at the end of each month. Don’t fall behind, Madam.”
***
After borrowing the money for her business, Judith immediately started making colored candles. Without silicone molds, she chose glass jars as an alternative, which wasn’t bad. She used dyes meant for fabric.
In her previous life, she couldn’t sell candles without *KC certification, so she couldn’t use just any dye, but here…well…
“As expected, it’s all about skill.”
In Judith’s hands was a red candle that would turn into a pretty pink color once it cooled.
And within a few days, the candles sold like hotcakes.
Judith had sent sample candles to her few noble connections, and word quickly spread. At this rate, next month’s interest payment wouldn’t be a problem.
Judith continued to use the surname ‘Harrington’ because she feared that if people found out the candles were made in the cursed Rainland mansion, they wouldn’t sell. Thanks to her secretive marriage to Erne, this was possible.
Thump, thump.
While excitedly making candles, Judith paused when she heard a clattering sound from the front door.
“Who could that be? I wasn’t expecting anyone.”
Was it Mr. Smith? It wasn’t time to pay the interest yet.
Perhaps it was the lawyer, Cliff? Judith stood up.
But it wasn’t either of them.
At the door stood a well-dressed man holding a large bouquet of flowers. When he spotted Judith, he greeted her with exaggerated movements.
“Good day, Countess Rainland.”
“Who are you?”
“My name is Henry Spencer. I served with Sir Erne in the same knight order.”
Upon hearing that name, Judith’s brow furrowed.
***
Henry Spencer.
He was one of the few close friends Erne had while serving in the capital’s security forces.
One day, he had received a report of a body abandoned in the forest, so he went to investigate.
And there, Henry found a body—Erne Rainland’s, whom he had believed was still very much alive.
Henry had met Erne for the first time years ago on the battlefield. Just as the rumors said, Erne was a cold man. He was ruthless to his enemies and distant to his comrades.
He was unlucky, arrogant, and infuriating—Henry had wanted to punch him more than a few times.
Although his personality wasn’t great, Henry owed Erne his life on several occasions.
‘He always seemed like he was on edge, and now here we are.’
Watching Erne fight had always made Henry anxious. It had nothing to do with Erne’s skill. Erne always fought as if he had no regard for his life, as if he was eager to die.
Henry had always thought it wouldn’t be surprising to hear bad news about Erne at any time.
After the war, they would occasionally meet for a drink, but after Henry was assigned to the capital’s security forces, they didn’t see each other as often.
Still, Henry had assumed Erne was doing well.
‘But what in the world happened?’
His clothes were missing, and he was lying in the forest—why?
After collecting the body, Henry went to file a death report in order to have Erne buried in the capital’s cemetery.
And there, Henry saw Erne’s death certificate, signed by a woman named Judith Rainland, who claimed to be his wife.
‘Erne got married? Ern Rainland?’
The Erne Henry knew had no interest in women. Henry had even wondered if Erne liked men.
To top it all off, the marriage and death were reported just a day apart. Henry was certain this woman was somehow connected to Erne’s death.
Since learning about Erne’s marriage and death, Henry had been lurking around Judith’s estate.
There were more than a few suspicious things about her.
“Everything about her seems ordinary, but something’s off.”
In the morning, she would go out with a large basket, visiting other noble estates or shopping at the market.
Then, she would return home around noon and stay locked in her mansion for the rest of the day. Even late into the night, the lights in Judith’s room never went out.
“What in the world is she doing?”
Henry couldn’t figure it out. Now, the only option left was to go into the mansion and see for himself.
Suddenly, Henry recalled something a medium had told him a few days ago.
“This will be a year when forgotten debts come back to haunt you.”
Could this be what the medium had meant?
Henry had a plan. He would charm Judith using his good looks to lower her guard. Once they were alone, he intended to slip some truth serum into her tea or wine.
“I knew this day would come when I would have to use my looks.”
Standing next to Erne, Henry might not have stood out as much, but he was still quite handsome.
Once he got a confession from her, he planned to take her straight to the security forces.
This was the reason Henry knocked on the door of the mansion.
“I’m here to offer my condolences.”
Hiding his true intentions, Henry flashed a charming smile.
***
“How deeply you must be grieving.”
Henry Spencer. Judith recalled his character from the original story.
He was a colleague of Erne and nearly got into trouble early on in the novel by trying to make advances on the female protagonist.
“You didn’t even get to enjoy your newlywed life before you had to arrange a funeral. It must be terribly painful for you.”
As he said this, Henry winked at Judith.
Excuse me, but your words and your expression are completely different. Are you happy that Erne is dead, or am I just misunderstanding?
Startled by Henry’s wink, Judith awkwardly accepted the bouquet he offered.
It wasn’t unusual for someone paying respects to bring white flowers, but…
‘Lilies?’
Not chrysanthemums? Just any white flower would do, I guess. But why are you giving them to me? Shouldn’t they be placed in front of Erne’s grave? He looks perfectly fine, but is he a little dim?
In any case, since he was here to pay his respects, Judith stepped out of the door. As the Countess Rainland, she couldn’t exactly turn away a visitor offering condolences.
Fortunately, in the original story, Henry was a bit of a womanizer but not an outright bad character.
“I should have come sooner, but I heard the news late. How lonely you must have been, living alone in this large mansion.”
“I wasn’t that lonely…,”
“From now on, you can rely on me.”
Why on earth should I?
Judith was momentarily speechless at Henry’s broad grin, showing off his pearly white teeth. What game is he playing?
“Don’t feel burdened.”
Henry must have misinterpreted Judith’s expression as one of discomfort, thinking she was feeling pressured. He leaned in slightly, whispering softly in her ear.
“A friend of your husband is practically like a husband himself, don’t you think? Just think of it that way.”
Excuse me, Sir Henry, does that make sense? Thinking of your husband’s friend as if it were your husband is an affair.
Perhaps because it’s a 19+ rated novel, even the characters who appear briefly seem to suffer from serious moral decay.
🍓 ; *KC (Korea Certification) certification is a mandatory certification system in South Korea that ensures products meet safety, health, environmental, and quality standards. It was introduced by the Korean government to unify various product certifications under one label, making it easier for consumers to recognize that a product complies with safety regulations.
The KC mark must be obtained for products such as electronics, toys, machinery, chemicals, and more, before they can be sold in the South Korean market. The certification process typically involves product testing and evaluation by designated testing bodies to verify that the product meets the necessary standards.
KC certification is similar to other international certifications like the CE mark in Europe or the FCC in the United States, helping to regulate and control the safety of products for consumers.
Omg he’s so stupid
( ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ )