Chapter – 08
“Milady!”
“Are you alright?!”
Before I could even scream, the voices of the butler and the head maid reached me.
Clutching my head, I quickly tried to tidy my messy hair and put on a composed expression.
“Why are you shouting?”
“We heard a scream coming from this direction!”
“Were you attacked by someone?”
“Did both of you hear things? I didn’t make a sound.”
“But there was definitely a sound…”
“Nothing happened, I assure you.”
When I emphasized my safety with wide eyes, the two of them looked at me in confusion, repeatedly checking to make sure I was unharmed.
“Was there an intruder?”
“No.”
“Then where are the maids who were supposed to be near you? They were with you before I left.”
“I sent them on errands. I told Mary to fetch ink and parchment, and Rose to bring refreshments.”
“…Then that’s a relief.”
“I’m fine, so leave me be.”
“But—!”
“Yes. We’ll check on things, so please rest, milady.”
Sebastian tried to say something, but Sophia tugged his arm, and they both stepped back.
Click.
The door shut.
Alone, I threw the ledger aside and grabbed my hair with both hands.
“Ah… insane.”
Even if the family is wealthy, it can collapse over three generations—but why does it feel like this place is on the brink of ruin?
Just looking at the ledgers made my head throb.
Every page was a parade of deficits.
There were some profits, but the losses far outweighed them.
In short, the Hettis dukedom was drowning in debt.
“How on earth did they manage the accounts?!”
The southern lands, famous for their wealth and abundance!
The lands overflowing with grain, hosting lavish seasonal feasts!
The money from tourism alone should have been massive!
“Why is it such a mess?!”
If it weren’t for Cassian, I would have immediately demanded annulment for a fraudulent marriage.
“Alright… let’s take this step by step.”
After possessing Evelyn’s body, I had absorbed knowledge about the southern lands.
According to my memories, the south should have had enough resources to support a luxurious lifestyle.
But the Hettis dukedom…
“Could collapse at any moment.”
Externally, they presented the image of overflowing wealth.
“Reality, however… bankruptcy is a real risk, and they could even lose their title.”
I needed to act quickly.
To regain my composure, I took several deep breaths.
Once I had calmed down, I picked up the ledger from the floor.
“Let’s see what I missed.”
I needed to analyze what expenses had gone out, why such massive losses occurred, and determine the cause.
Recalling my days as an intern before almost being run over by a truck, I tried my best to scrutinize the accounts carefully.
“Could the butler and head maid be skimming?”
On the surface, the ledgers seemed normal.
Except for habitual defaulters and the excessive maintenance costs of the dukedom’s estate, there was nothing unusual.
“Or… it could mean money is being siphoned from essential goods.”
Inflating costs and taking middleman profits—if they were exploiting that, it would explain the current situation.
“I saw earlier that the two of them seemed close.”
Could they have deliberately tried to deceive Cassian?
If so, it was very possible.
All the Hettis dukedom staff were under the influence of the butler and head maid.
“In romances, it’s common for butlers or head maids to embezzle wealth.”
Indeed. If the power structure is corrupt, they would plunder the family fortune for personal gain.
Even the butler’s reluctance to provide the ledgers made my suspicion reasonable.
Moreover, Sophia, the head maid, seemed to only relay information via Mary and Rose, avoiding direct interaction unless necessary.
They must have been wary of someone digging into the truth of the dukedom.
“How dare they exploit our innocent husband!”
Think of how much Cassian has suffered!
How much have the two of them siphoned off?
“How should I punish them?”
Confront them in front of the staff?
First, I needed evidence.
Besides, most of the staff probably sided with the butler and head maid.
As frustrating as it was, stopping pointless expenses had to come first. Punishing them could wait.
“What expenses can I cut immediately?”
I scanned the records sharply, searching for a realistic solution.
At that moment, my eyes landed on the date for the food supplies transaction.
“Hahaha! How much is this in total?!”
“An astounding 3,000 gold coins!”
“The Hettis dukedom’s generosity lives up to its reputation!”
The raucous voices echoed through the run-down tavern rented by the lords, clinking glasses and eyeing chests filled with gold coins.
“I should have done this from the start. Inflating the materials several times over works wonders!”
“At first, my heart was racing, fearing we’d get caught. But now, I only think about how to make it seem legitimate!”
These were the lords supplying food to the Hettis dukedom.
More precisely, they were exploitative nobles—exploiting peasants and delivering low-quality ingredients to the dukedom.
“By the way, why isn’t Lord Ribelt here yet?”
“Perhaps he’s busy preparing materials, as he’s in charge of them.”
“But the transaction is about to start… if we wait, we could lose a fortune.”
They had agreed to take turns delivering supplies, waiting for Lord Ribelt.
As always, they were ready to take advantage of the situation.
At that moment—
“Ugh!”
“Lord Ribelt?!”
The tavern door burst open, and Lord Ribelt tumbled in, rolling across the floor.
“What happened here?!”
“Were you attacked by someone?!”
“Where are the supplies?! The materials for delivery?!”
The man was a mess—bruises covered his face, and his clothes smelled foul.
It looked as though he had rolled through a fertilizer field.
The other lords wanted to avoid him, but they needed to check the state of the supplies, so they hurriedly helped him up and peppered him with questions.
As they anxiously waited for answers, a sudden presence appeared.
“Ah, so you’re all here.”
Unexpectedly, someone entered.
The empire’s pride, the Iron Blade.
The source of endless prosperity.
A historic noble and a product of royal alliance.
The master of the south, Hettis Duke—Cassian.
“W-Why are you here?!”
The lords froze, their breath caught in shock.
The duke is here?!
Their faces drained of color.
This couldn’t be happening.
They still had plans to pocket more money… just a few more times… why now?!
They had avoided detection by using proxies for the dukedom in previous dealings, even receiving payment under false names to evade taxes.
How did Cassian catch them now?
Suspicion and panic flooded their minds, but they had no chance to speak.
Escape became their only thought.
Exchanging glances, the lords abandoned Lord Ribelt and tried to flee.
“Ugh!”
But it was useless.
Duke Cassian’s soldiers had already filled the tavern.
Seeing the armed soldiers, the lords hesitated, then returned inside.
Should they flee through a secret passage? Their heads spun, but—
“Spare… spare us!”
By now, the soldiers had occupied the entire interior. A cold blade rested against the innkeeper’s neck.
Not a single gap for hope remained.
Cassian drove the lords, like cornered rats, to one side and muttered under his breath, twisting his lips.
“Now that the rat hunt is over, the interrogation begins.”
Bang!
As soon as he finished speaking, the tavern doors slammed shut.
Soon after, cries of blood-red terror echoed.
“Ahhhhhh!”
Without hesitation, the punishment for those who had committed evil deeds had begun.
