Read the completed novel by subscribing to my pateron using the banner at the bottom of the page!
Stefan was a cool-looking man with short blue hair. He grinned as he clasped Cian’s hand in his.
“Congratulations on your wedding.”
“What? What wedding?”
“You said you needed money all of a sudden, aren’t you getting married?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I get married?”
“What do you mean ridiculous? It’s even more ridiculous that Archduke Dicarsignac hasn’t gotten married by now. Honestly, there’s nothing you can’t do if you put your mind to it.”
If it was just a matter of getting married, then so be it. Even Sigar wouldn’t stop him from bringing in some noblewoman from the countryside whose name he’d never heard of.
But was marriage something that needed to be done in such a hurry?
Marriage was about tying the knot with someone you loved, being recognized by both the law and the gods.
It had to be someone he loved someone who loved him and Dolorosa. It had to be someone Dolorosa approved of. Someone who could withstand Sigar’s hatred.
Did such a person exist? It seemed more plausible that they didn’t.
Cian shook his head.
“It’s not for marriage. I need it for something else.”
“What? I’m hungry. Get me something to eat. Let’s talk while we eat.”
“…You want to talk now?”
“Is there any reason not to?”
It wasn’t enough that he showed up unannounced in the middle of the night and asked for food, but now he wanted to sit down and have a conversation, it was all very Stefan-like.
After a moment’s thought, Cian replied.
“I don’t see why not.”
“Good. I like this about you.”
Then, like he was at his own home, he walked down the hall and into the drawing room.
* * *
A moment later, Stefan smirked at Cian’s explanation.
“Your Highness, you’re quite the romantic. You’ve given her a title, an estate, and a territory.”
“Where the hell did you find romance in my request?”
“You’re asking for money to buy a gift for the girl you like.”
“The girl I like…”
Cian gave a short sigh.
“I’ve made it clear from the beginning. She’s smart and sensible. She’s the kind of person I want to have by my side and work with, just like I did with you, and with Hyzius, and with Nick.”
“I’ve known you for 20 years and I don’t remember ever receiving such a touching gift, so why are you discriminating against me? Isn’t it because she’s special that you’re being nice to her? Isn’t that romance?”
“Who do you think provided the initial funding for the Iacobs business that you are currently running?”
“That’s… Archduke Cian?”
“The one who laid the groundwork for the guild and handed it over to Hyzius?”
“Your Highness the great Archduke Cian.”
“The one who gifted Nick’s family with land when they were about to collapse?”
“The handsome and capable Archduke Cian.”
“Look at that.”
Stefan puffed out his cheeks.
“That wasn’t so much a gift as it was a way to get me to work for you.”
“So, you’re saying you weren’t moved by it? Have you forgotten who it was that came to me crying because he wanted to start a business and didn’t have the money? Please remind me how sincere Hyzius was to the guild and what the situation was like for Nick’s family?”
“Of course, I was moved. But it all had an ulterior motive. You could say it was a sweet trap set by the clever Archduke Cian.”
“A… trap. I don’t remember holding you captive in any way. Shall we take this opportunity to divide the assets? I don’t care.”
“Ah, well, well, well, my dear Archduke, don’t be in such a hurry! When did I say we were going to split up?”
As Cian said, he’d provided most of the initial funding for the Iacobs merchant company run by Stephen. He simply didn’t claim ownership of the funds.
Moreover, Stefan really enjoyed running the merchant company on behalf of Cian.
Cian didn’t interfere with the operations of the merchant company at all. Stefan could try new things and make crazy decisions with the company’s money, as long as it was profitable. How thrilling and enjoyable!
It was to the point where he thought it didn’t matter if he became Cian’s dog if he was able to run the company.
But this and that were clearly different issues.
‘Giving someone what they desperately want and getting them on his side is the way of Cian Aisa Dicarsignac, and from the outside, it may look no different from what he’s always done.’
Stephen was a merchant. When it came to weighing the pros and cons of a transaction, no one could match him.
‘It’s all sentimental and has no practicality. He’s clearly not gaining anything with this gift. It may have started out as a genuine desire to get his hands on new talent, but not anymore.’
He gazed at Cian’s face.
There was a softness to his face as he looked over the papers with a calm expression. Probably because of the woman named Rachel.
What kind of woman was she, this person who was able to make Cian act this way?
‘Cian… hasn’t realized it yet? Well, it’s his first love at twenty-five, so it’s understandable. He’s probably confused because he doesn’t understand why he’s doing this. How cute.’
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Stefan smirked at Cian’s bluntness.
“Just… Watching.”
The face of an archduke who hasn’t realized his love.
* * *
“Again?”
Katie said irritably.
Rachel ran a hand through her hair.
“…Yes. Twelve of them, even.”
“This Berengella woman, is she crazy?”
Rachel was starting to have the same thought.
She knew Berengella was persistent but didn’t expect her to be this persistent. She never got tired of sending her letters.
The first day she sent one letter, the second day two, the third day three, and so on, until today she sent twelve letters.
The content of the letters became increasingly extreme, so much so that it was now almost a curse.
[If you continue to ignore my letters in this way, I will not stand idly by. I will use every means I have to bury you!]
[Are you trying to cover up what you did with just a few pieces of gold? If you don’t come to me right away and beg on your knees, I will never forgive you.]
Katie sighed after looking through all twelve letters.
“Is it because of me that they’ve become more extreme?”
“Uhm…”
She couldn’t bear to say yes.
Katie lowered her head sullenly. It was unusual for her to apologize.
“I think I made things worse for you. You even said it would backfire… I’m so sorry.”
On the day the third letter arrived, Katie suggested sending money to Berengella to quickly take care of this troublesome matter.
It didn’t seem like a problem that could be solved with just a few gold coins, but Katie’s strong arguments could not be ignored, so she sent 10 gold through Peanut, the maid sent by Berengella.
As she predicted, Berengella’s threats didn’t stop. Perhaps because she thought her threats had worked, she became more forceful and annoying.
“Your suggestion was worth a try.”
“Her personality is truly unprecedented.”
These were the words of someone who’d been surrounded by sophisticated, intelligent people.
Rachel suppressed the urge to tell her there were much worse people in the world.
Katie sighed.
“Even the Capital Guard dismissed it as nothing more than a threatening letter… This guy, Berengella’s son, he’s been stripped of his title for rebellion, can’t we report his location and have him arrested?”
Rachel also felt the same way. Then they wouldn’t have to worry about such messy situations.
‘But that’s Archduke Cian’s authority. There must be a reason why Theodore was left alone. It could be for political or strategic reasons, so I shouldn’t get involved in that.’
She’d received so much help from him and didn’t want to cause trouble and ruin his plans.
Fortunately for Rachel, she had a way to stop Berengella’s threats without the help of the Capital Guard.
“Don’t fret too much, I have a plan in mind. Berengella values her reputation, so she would rather die than be embarrassed in front of people. I’m going to use that to my advantage.”
Berengella would suffer much more from being humiliated and criticized in front of others than from having her son commit an affair, or from having her title taken away and her family ruined.
‘It would be more effective if I tried it after I became a countess, but that’s okay. Berengella would suffer much more than ordinary people even if I’m at this level.’
Just then, Cian entered the parlor, having finished his sword training lesson.
Rachel, lost in her thoughts, didn’t notice Cian coming closer and just stared at the letter.
“What are you looking at so intently?”
“Ah, Your Highness!”
Startled, Rachel quickly closed the letter. This was because she didn’t want Cian to find out about her complicated situation.
“Thank you for your hard work today. Didn’t Graham come with you?”
“He said he wanted to stay and practice more.”
” Ah. I see. Graham’s been practicing really hard lately.”
“He’s getting better and better, which makes it worthwhile to teach him. By the way, who dares to threaten Lady Rachel? The contents of the letter are quite disturbing.”
“Ah… You saw it.”
“I’m not the guild’s chief informant for nothing.”
Rachel smiled bitterly and handed the letter to Cian.
There was no point in hiding it anymore. Now that he knew there was a problem, it was only a matter of time before he figured out the whole story.
Cian’s face stiffened as he studied the letter. His voice was cold.
“Berengella… This mother-son pair is troublesome.”
“That’s true.”
“Does she want money?”
“It seems so, but I don’t think she’s decided on how much. At Katie’s recommendation, I sent some gold, but the letters became more intense. It seems like she wants me to kneel before her.”
“How did the guards react? I’m guessing it wasn’t very positive, given how things turned out.”
“Yeah, they said they don’t get involved in commoners’ domestic squabbles. It seemed like the person who received the threatening letter would have to be a noble for them to investigate.”
“Ah… A title.”
Cian bit his lip.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve handled it sooner, but it’s customary for the emperor himself to award titles, so I had no choice.”
“It’s okay. It’s not your fault, Your Highness, and I’m very grateful for your help thus far.”
The corners of Cian’s eyes curved gently at Rachel’s calm reply.
“You must have something up your sleeve to be so calm in the face of a threatening letter.”
“Tell me. Maybe there’s something I can do to help.”
With Cian’s help, Berengella could fall to her feet and never get up again.
After a moment’s hesitation, Rachel calmly explained her plan.
__________________________________________________________________
Enjoy my translations? Check out some of my other novels! The novels that have the most views get more reliable, consistent releases!
- Reasons to Protect the Witch’s Son
- I Found a Husband When I Picked up the Male Lead
- The Contract with the Lord was a Trap
- I Became The Mother Of the Male Lead Who Lives With An Adulterous Man
- By the Time You Came Around, It Was Already Too Late
- After the Ending, I Received the Second Male Lead as a Gift
- Unveil the Truth
