~Chapter 05~
I grinned slyly as I saw Dolores’s mouth open.
“With that money, you could help many more children, single mothers, and widows. Don’t you find it tempting, Dolores?”
“How did you know I help people…” she began.
At that moment, the Lord interrupted Dolores sharply, “You have no shame at all!”
When our eyes met, his face was red with anger.
“I see the Marchioness lacks social experience, but at least I know you should consult with me first before hiring a lawyer or making any decisions!”
“…”
“You don’t need a lawyer to speak properly. Tsk tsk.”
Hmph.
Who would fall for such a low provocation? I looked down on him completely.
“It seems you don’t understand, but from now on, I am the one with authority over everything that happens in the Arista family.”
“So what are you trying to say?”
“Don’t cross the line. Who needs your advice?”
His face turned bright red with humiliation.
I felt a bit satisfied.
But instead of apologizing, he simply smirked maliciously.
It was clear he really didn’t like me.
Meanwhile, I went over to Mary, who was still sitting in the corridor and reached out my hand to her.
“Are you all right?”
“Ma–Ma’am…” Mary stammered, and tears welled up in her eyes—tears of relief, it seemed.
After all, how terrifying must it be for a 17-year-old girl to see a middle-aged man, almost as old as her father, shouting and causing such a commotion?
I felt sorry for Mary, who was quietly holding back her tears, and I also admired her.
“Even if you’re not feeling well, please get up now. No matter how nice spring is, the floor is cold.”
I helped Mary to her feet.
She wept like a child, apologizing, “I’m so, so sorry, ma’am. If I had been more sensible, I wouldn’t have let you see me like this.”
“Don’t say that. You did just fine.”
‘A 17-year-old is still a child. She must be terribly frightened—like a young part-timer being tormented by a rude customer.’
I gently patted Mary’s hand.
Even this sight, however, seemed to displease the lord.
Bang!
He slammed his cane loudly onto the floor, wrinkling his already creased face.
“How long do you plan on keeping your guest standing in the hallway, Marchioness? Are you saying the maid is more important than your creditor and guest?”
“What a troublesome man.”
After a brief sigh, I whispered to Mary, “You know another guest is coming soon? Get ready.”
“Yes,” she replied softly.
After her answer, I turned my gaze back to the Lord.
I didn’t need a mirror to know I was wearing an icy expression.
“Very well. I will treat you as the creditor you wish. Now, please come into my office.”
Tsk.
The lord clicked his tongue and entered the office.
At that moment, I signaled to Dolores, and she nodded as if she had no choice.
‘Great, witness secured!’
The lord glared at us with a look that could kill, following me and Dolores into the office.
Click.
Dolores closed the office door.
After confirming that Dolores had taken a seat diagonally from the lord, I sat in the place of honor.
“Now then, let’s discuss in detail this debt I supposedly don’t know about in the Marquis estate.”
Without further ado, the lord pulled an envelope from his coat.
“It’s a loan note for 6 billion gold.”
6 billion gold.
That was an astronomical sum to mention casually—even Dolores, who is usually not easily surprised, looked shocked.
She probably immediately thought of the 3 billion gold in cash and 3 tons of gold bars I inherited.
Gold prices were pretty low back then, right? I’d have to gather all my wealth and soul to even reach 6 billion gold.
I took the loan document and handed it to Dolores.
“Dolores, would you please check this?”
“Yes.”
Despite the intimidating glare of the Lord, Dolores calmly examined the envelope.
Her eyes began to tremble slightly.
After a moment, swallowing dryly from nervous tension, Dolores revealed the truth.
“Ma’am, the signature of the late Marquis on this loan document is different from what I recognize.”
That’s right. It was clearly a forged document.
In my previous life—so naive and ignorant of the ways of the world—I had been easily deceived.
The lord shouted angrily, “Signatures can sometimes vary subtly—are you saying I forged this loan document?”
Now it was my turn to know the answer to this scam.
“That could be the case.”
“Excuse me? Marchioness, have you finished speaking?”
“No, I haven’t said everything yet.”
I snorted.
“Lord, my late husband didn’t borrow money from anyone—he only sold the gold ring he was wearing.”
The lord, shameless as ever, stuck out his tongue in disbelief.
“Hmph! It seems, Marchioness, that you weren’t on good terms with the late Marquis Arista, as I’ve heard.”
“…”
“Marchioness, don’t you know one of the Marquis’s hobbies was gambling?”
“Watch your mouth! Gambling is a serious crime that should land one in prison for at least 20 years!”
The Lord smiled smugly.
“Good, then you know gambling is illegal. That means I don’t even need to explain what your late husband did with the 6 billion gold he borrowed from me.”
At last, the reason I don’t have to repay his 6 billion gold became clear.
Gambling is illegal, and that loan document is fake.
But the Lord, thinking he could take advantage of me, wasn’t done. He made another blunder.
“Tsk tsk. If you had come with a lawyer from the start, you wouldn’t have had to worry about scandals leaking out, would you?”
Scandal—the one thing every noble fears and the one the lord relied on.
Plus, I had to prove to my subordinates that I was fit to be the “Marchioness representative.”
The lord continued with his subtle persuasion.
“What do you say? If you apologize to me now, I might even reduce the debt you owe. Think about it, Marchioness. You can’t possibly raise the future Marquis, Bliss, in poverty, can you?”
Damn! That was exactly the kind of nonsense I fell for in my past life.
I became so furious that my eyes nearly rolled back.
“Don’t you dare speak my son’s name carelessly!” I snapped.
“What? Are you speaking to me informally right now?”
“I did! Why? For a fraud like you to act as if you care about someone else’s child—how disgusting!”
“You’re so uncultured!”
Clack! My teeth ground in anger.
“You’re laughing? Is it because you’re so full of yourself that you threaten to make a child pay up in front of his parents, you damn fraud?”
“Who are you calling a fraud now?!”
“So, you did transfer 6 billion gold into my husband’s account, didn’t you?”
The Lord’s words began to speed up in his flustered state.
“You stupid woman! Who in their right mind transfers money from a gambling den to a bank?”
“So you’re saying the only evidence you have is that fake signature on the loan document?”
“You think I’ll just give up my money like that?!”
“Yeah, you will! Because I’m about to make you give it up!”
“Huh? How?”
At that moment, Mary knocked on the closed office door.
“Ma’am, the guest you’ve been waiting for has arrived.”
“Tell them to come in.”
Mary opened the door wide without further explanation.
Behind Mary stood some unfamiliar men.
That morning, after I spanked Bliss, I contacted them.
I made sure they would come to the Marquis estate by this time today.
I got up, pointed at the lord, and introduced the men:
“Welcome, soldiers of the Marquis Guard. This man is the gambler and blackmailer I reported. The testimony about his crimes will be given by our lawyer, Dolores!”
In no time at all, the lord was seized by the guards.
“No! Let go of me!”
The Lord’s fierce glare returned to me.
“How did you know I would come today and set such a trap?”
I couldn’t help but chuckle but quickly changed my tone to speak more formally, aware of the guards.
“A trap? You should be ashamed of yourself, Lord.”
Seeing his face contort with anger was like a weight lifting off my shoulders.
The lord started spitting.
“Why are you only arresting me? Do you think I was the only one gambling?!”
I couldn’t hold back a laugh.
‘Well, my dead husband would rot in prison, wouldn’t he? You should rot while you’re still alive.’
Ah, this is so satisfying.
Tonight, even porridge would taste delicious.
But it seemed the lord, facing at least 20 years in prison, had a mental breakdown.
Even in front of the guards, he was still trying to threaten me.
“Marchioness! Do you think it’s okay if the public finds out that the late Marquis Arista was a habitual gambler?!”
I didn’t hesitate to laugh at him.
“How are you going to prove that?”
“What?”
“Do you think anyone will testify that my husband was a gambler? Anyone who does would be confessing to their own gambling crimes.”
That was the truth.
“And what if people find out the late Marquis Arista was a gambler? Does the Marquis’s reputation have any further to fall?”
What I meant was,
‘Is there anyone in the North who doesn’t know my husband was a scoundrel?’
“Excuse me, I’ve already been hated by everyone around me for marrying such a man.”
In my past life, I was foolish enough to think the Arista Marquis’s reputation could fall further.
‘I don’t know why I didn’t realize it back then.’
I should have figured it out sooner.
From the beginning, the subordinates who didn’t attend the funeral would have found any excuse to kick me and Bliss out of the family.
‘It’s unfair, but there’s nothing I can do. I’m already hated by everyone because of my late husband. But this time, things will be different.’
While landing a blow on the lord, I felt a glimmer of hope.
‘From today onward, the words “hard life” won’t exist in my vocabulary!’
