IWRY 06

Chapter 06

If her father were still alive, he would have pushed things forward with force. But now the situation had become ambiguous. The one who should have been punished was already dead, and the ancestral sword remained in the family tomb of the marquess household.

Moreover, the current emperor was not born of the Empress. Because of that, his legitimacy was his weakness, and he would never dare go against the will of the previous emperor.

So the punishment would likely be demotion of rank or confiscation of territory. Either way, they would probably survive.

Of course, given their current financial state, even if the Emperor spared them, they might end up starving on their own.

Ariel let out a worried sigh as she examined the financial records.

“Right now, the most urgent matter… is the debt to the Kuno Merchant Guild…”

The Kuno Merchant Guild, the third largest trading company in the Empire. When her father’s shipping business collapsed and dealt a major blow to the marquess household’s finances, he had borrowed a massive sum from them.

At that time, it was before the rebellion incident, so the guild had trusted the marquess house’s credit and lent them a large amount without issue. But now the situation had changed.

As soon as the guild master heard that her father had died, he immediately began demanding repayment.

According to the contract, the principal wasn’t due for another 30 years, so there was no legal obligation to repay now—but the guild was being unreasonable. Knowing the weakened marquess house could do nothing against them, they were blatantly ignoring the contract and applying pressure.

“If this goes to court…”

Ariel narrowed her brows.

A legal battle could delay repayment, but… they didn’t even have money to hire a lawyer.

And there was no guarantee they would win. Court trials were ultimately battles of connections and power.

So Ariel had first sent letters to the Kuno Merchant Guild asking for understanding, while selling off everything in the marquess household that could be converted into money.

They were precious treasures collected over centuries by her ancestors, but there was no choice. Even after selling all of them, it still wouldn’t be enough to repay the debt.

Ariel put down the financial records and picked up another parchment on the table.

It was a list of lower-ranking nobles who had borrowed money from the marquess house. There was still a large amount of money they had not returned.

Ariel had sent them letters two days ago requesting repayment. There had been no replies.

“…I can’t just keep waiting.”

She rang the bell on the table, and soon the butler entered the room.

“You called for me, young lady.”

“Butler, none of them have replied yet, correct?”

The butler nodded with a dark expression.

Ariel sighed and asked about other matters as she set down the parchment.

“And what about my father’s acquaintances…? None of them replied either?”

She had also sent letters not only to lower nobles but to high-ranking nobles connected to her father, asking them to help the marquess house even a little.

Of course, none of them had attended her father’s funeral, but she had still sent those letters as a last resort—desperate pleas filled with sincerity.

However, even there, there was no success. The butler lowered his head.

“…We have received no replies from anywhere. My apologies, young lady.”

She had expected it, but still… she had hoped that at least one person might believe in her father’s integrity, someone who would honor him.

Reality was merciless.

Ariel forced down her disappointment and said,

“It’s not your fault. It’s alright.”

The butler, who had raised his head, hesitated as if he still had something to say.

“If you have something to say, speak freely. At this point, I don’t think anything can surprise me anymore.”

Ariel gave a light smile, but she meant it sincerely.

Wasn’t it true? If anything worse happened now, she would probably cease to exist in this world.

She was already at the edge—one more push and she would fall.

The butler stepped closer and spoke cautiously.

“Young lady, even though we have already liquidated half of the marquess estate… it seems impossible to manage the debt. The household itself is also in the same condition. Perhaps… we should declare bankruptcy…”

Ariel shook her head firmly.

“No. If we do that, everything will truly collapse. We have to find a way… and endure.”

A way to raise money.

“…Kailens.”

For a moment, his name surfaced in her mind, but Ariel quickly shook her head. It was merely familiarity making her think of him.

Until recently, Kailens had been a reliable partner she could lean on at any time.

But not anymore. She could not rely on him now.

Moreover… on the day of her father’s funeral, Kailens had openly handed her a formal breakup agreement.

To ask him for help now? He likely wouldn’t help her anyway—but she didn’t want to become that pathetic.

If Kailens truly became the only option left, she would rather choose bankruptcy.

Even if it meant losing the mansion, she would not reach out to him.

Ariel steadied the wavering thoughts and said,

“Butler, I think I will have to take action myself.”

“Pardon? You mean personally…?”

“I need to meet them myself. They might ignore letters, but they cannot openly turn me away in person.”

“But young lady… none of them will respond to visits either.”

“Then I’ll go anyway. It’s a bit rude, but…”

“I am worried you may suffer hardship.”

“Enduring hardship is better than bankruptcy. Prepare the carriage.”

Ariel rose from her seat, having made up her mind.

The Blante marquess household’s carriage headed toward the Bayern marquess estate.

The Bayern family was not as prestigious as Blante, but it had risen rapidly thanks to success in mining. Though they had achieved sudden wealth, their lack of legitimacy had led them to build strong ties with House Blante.

Because of that longstanding connection, Ariel had been close friends with Sierre Bayern since childhood. She had helped Sierre, who struggled in social circles, many times.

So… if anyone would not turn her away coldly, it would be Sierre.

Since becoming engaged and beginning training as a future duchess, she had not seen Sierre often… but she hoped her friend still remembered their past.

Ariel held the small gift box tightly, her hands trembling.

“You are Lady Blante, here to see Lady Bayern,” the coachman said.

Since she had arrived without a prior appointment, they had to pass through the guards.

After a brief commotion, a response finally came.

“You may enter.”

Relief escaped Ariel’s lips.

The carriage moved a little further inside and stopped.

When she stepped out, Ariel noticed rows of carriages beside the estate and stiffened.

“Don’t tell me…”

Other noble families’ carriages—and the faint sound of music.

A party was being held at the Bayern estate.

“Miss… shall we return?” the coachman asked carefully.

She was an uninvited guest.

And uninvited guests were usually met with ridicule and contempt.

She had already thrown away her pride to come here, but she wasn’t prepared to be mocked in front of so many people.

It would also inconvenience Sierre. She would become an unwanted disturbance.

Maybe she should leave. Perhaps today wasn’t the right time.

As she turned around—

A maid approached quickly.

“Lady Blante, my lady has instructed me to escort you to the party hall.”

“Sierre… asked for me?”

Ariel froze.

Sierre knew very well how uninvited guests were treated at parties. She knew it would disrupt the atmosphere—so why invite her inside?

The maid nodded.

“Yes. She said to bring you in.”

Ariel looked toward the direction of the banquet hall with a strange expression.

After a moment, her lips moved slowly.

“…Alright. I’ll go.”

It would be impolite for a guest who had come uninvited to leave on her own.

If Sierre had called for her, she could not refuse.

And… Sierre would never call her just to humiliate her.

A faint unease crept in, but she forced it down and followed the maid.

Unfortunately, her bad feeling did not turn out to be wrong.

The moment she entered the ballroom, her expression stiffened.

Because there, she saw the person she least wanted to meet.

Kailens Seared.

And standing beside him—already so soon after their breakup—was not a stranger, but her own friend.

As she looked at the two standing together, Ariel thought:

Perhaps she could no longer call Sierre her friend.

At that moment, nobles who noticed her stiffened presence began to whisper among themselves.