Chapter 62
Seeing the two of them sitting together reminded me of the novel’s plot.
Lorencia had secured her place in the North and gained the people’s trust step by step.
She built a relationship with Cassius, exposed corruption in the ducal household, helped the struggling people of the North, and even requested reinforcements for the fortress walls.
She did all the right things to win people over. And in the end, she helped close the monster gate, securing her path to becoming the duchess.
It seemed she had already gained Cassius’s trust. I had assumed she was staying quiet and doing nothing, but that wasn’t the case.
I could already guess what she was going to say. I tightened my grip on the account book in my hands.
Cassius glanced at the clock and spoke.
“We don’t have much time, so get to the point.”
His voice was indifferent, even when talking about criminals in the North. Then, turning to me, he asked in a softer tone,
“An account book? I heard you requested it. Did you find something interesting?”
“Yes. But right now, I’d rather hear what Lorencia has to say.”
I was really curious about what she would say.
“Go ahead, Miss Lorencia.”
Lorencia adjusted her expression and began speaking.
“…Janice told me about it, so we looked at the account books together. As an outsider, I admit I overstepped my boundaries, and I apologize for that.”
“Continue.”
Cassius gestured for her to go on.
If I really think about it, he’s such an arrogant and cold man.
His ruthlessness toward others was honestly terrifying. No wonder he was the Duke of the North.
“…We found individuals who have been embezzling funds and evading taxes. I only identified two people, but there could be more.”
“And why did you investigate this?”
Cassius asked calmly. He didn’t even seem surprised.
“Janice found them suspicious and met with them several times. She tried to approach them discreetly, but they never revealed much. So I helped by comparing their records with the account books.”
Lorencia spoke smoothly.
Oh, so that’s how she’s playing it. This is just like the original novel.
Except, in the novel, she exposed about five people. Now it’s only two.
“I’m sorry, Your Grace. I couldn’t handle this on my own. I also apologize for not telling you sooner.”
She looked like she was about to cry.
Impressive. She looked completely different from when she was with Theo.
She didn’t hesitate to hurt him before, and now she’s putting on this act?
Something about this smelled fake.
“So, you found criminals in the North?”
“Yes, Your Grace. I don’t think they deserve to live here.”
“Who are they?”
Cassius’s voice remained completely calm.
Lorencia’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
Even Janice seemed uneasy, her eyes darting around.
Did she already know something?
I glanced at Cassius’s sharp profile—his lips curved slightly, his deep, steady gaze, his fingers lazily moving.
“Baron Lumens and Viscount Worst. They have embezzled around 5 million gold over the past three years. That’s enough to feed the people of the North for an entire year, Your Grace.”
Lorencia emphasized the amount of money.
But then, Cassius let out a small laugh.
“Heh.”
He covered his mouth and narrowed his eyes.
Lorencia stared at him, her face frozen.
“…Are you so shocked by what I said? If you need comfort, I—”
“No.”
Cassius lowered his hand.
A lazy smile spread across his face.
At that moment, I realized something.
He already knew everything.
He knew exactly what was happening in his territory.
So why did he let Lorencia do as she pleased in the original novel?
Did he actually help her establish herself in the North?
Ah.
I get it now.
Cassius had allowed Lorencia to rise in the North back then. But this time, he didn’t need her.
A chill ran down my spine.
Then what about me?
I suddenly wanted to test him.
“Miss Lorencia, thank you for your concern for the North. But I think you should focus more on the children instead.”
“Your Grace…! I—”
Cassius’s gaze shifted to Janice.
The nanny stiffened under his stare.
“If this was such a serious matter, you should have come to me directly, not Lorencia.”
Cassius’s voice was cold.
“I’m not constantly away like before. But you went to Lorencia instead of me. That must mean you trust her more than you trust me.”
Janice panicked.
“That’s not true, Your Grace! I just wanted to gather more solid evidence before reporting to you! Please don’t doubt my loyalty!”
Cassius let out a sigh.
“I suppose this means I wasn’t reliable enough.”
Janice’s face turned pale.
He sighed again and dismissed them.
“The children’s lessons will start soon. You should leave.”
Lorencia and Janice hesitated, unsure of what to do.
Cassius’s voice turned sharp.
“Didn’t you hear me? I said leave.”
“…And what about Baron Lumens and Viscount Worst?”
“The master of the house should set the traps for the rats stealing from his storehouse. I’ll handle it.”
That was a clear order for them to stop meddling in his affairs.
Janice grabbed Lorencia’s arm and led her out.
They stumbled as they left the room.
Cassius clicked his tongue.
“…You knew?”
“I knew the nanny took the account books and showed them to that woman. She dared to involve an outsider in North’s internal matters.”
Cassius smirked.
“I suspected she might be colluding with someone from outside. It seems I should keep an eye on Lorencia’s family.”
Wow…
So Cassius had everything under control.
Maybe I had been worrying for nothing.
“Anyway, what about your account book? You had something to say, didn’t you?”
“Well… Actually, it was something similar.”
“Oh?”
“Count Mers is involved in the same kind of corruption…”
“That, I didn’t know.”
Cassius stroked his chin, his face growing serious. Then he let out a deep sigh.
“I had no idea Count Mers was on the list of traitors.”
There was no need to act so surprised…
Even rolling on the floor, it was obvious he already knew.
“Thank you, Charlotte. I appreciate how much you care about the North. You’re a great mistress of the house.”
He even added a special compliment.
Hearing that, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“But, Cassius.”
“Hmm?”
“If you already knew, why didn’t you do anything?”
“The money they stole is still in their vaults. I can always reclaim it later. But right now, the situation isn’t ideal.”
Cassius rested his elbow on the sofa and tilted his head.
With his fingers on his temple, he spoke slowly.
“The monster attacks have already created fear. Some people are considering leaving the North.”
“…”
“If I expose this corruption now, it will only make things worse. Luckily, those fools only stole from my coffers, not from the people’s food supply.”
I understood what Cassius meant. He was like a king of the North, managing countless matters at once.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the entire North was his playing field.
Cassius suddenly seemed even greater, and I could clearly see the immense burden he carried.
It was as if he was holding up the entire North on his shoulders.
“I can tolerate them stealing from my treasury for now. After all, this chaos will eventually come to an end. Besides, even those fools have their own roles to play in the North.”
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• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Freya• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
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Advance chapters of this novel are available of my kofi channel
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