Chapter 79
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 79
“Tulia.”
Her voice was soothing, as if trying to coax a child.
“I know you harbor deep resentment toward Tedric right now. But please, reconsider and show some mercy. You and Tedric are cousins, bound by blood, aren't you?”
“The same cousin who shot me with a bow?”
“How many times must I tell you that it was a defect in the magic tool—!”
“No, no.”
It was a defect in his Luck stat.
“Aunt. As I said before, please just get straight to the point.”
Aubrey bit her lip nervously before blurting out, “…I need those jewels!”
For a moment, I almost reflexively asked, ‘Why?’
But I quickly found the answer myself.
‘Aha.’
So, what she really wanted was money.
The reason Aubrey needed money right now was…
‘It must be because of Tedric.’
Why? Did she want to deck him out in gold before sending him off to the border?
‘Then I’ll just bribe some bandits to plunder every last bit of it.’
Hmph.
Anyway.
“It would be difficult to return the jewels, but I can lend them to you in a different way.”
“…What?”
“Aside from the ones I found, you still have many precious gems in your possession, don't you, Aunt?”
In that instant, Aubrey flinched ever so slightly.
‘Of course she’s feeling guilty.’
Aubrey had held half of the sovereignty over internal affairs for a very long time. She had a habit of taking the family’s jewels under the pretext of "borrowing" them and almost never returned them.
This meant that the precious gems that should have been in the Grand Ducal House’s treasure vault were mostly sitting in her private jewelry box.
‘Grandfather doesn't care about such trivial trinkets, and Grandmother is no longer with us.’
So, who would dare to make an issue of it?
That was how Aubrey had easily embezzled the jewels without any trouble. Until now.
“O-of course… I do have more jewelry, but…”
“…”
“A noblewoman selling her jewels only happens in the direst of circumstances. I suppose you wouldn't know that, not having a mother and all,” Aubrey said, her lips trembling.
I gave a shallow nod and replied, “Did I tell you to sell them? I’m saying I’ll lend you money if you leave them with me, like a pawnshop.”
“You vulgar girl!”
Finally, Aubrey exploded, screaming at the top of her lungs.
“What noble would ever dream of running a pawnshop like some commoner?! There has to be a limit to how uneducated you can be!”
“That’s rich coming from the person who’s been siphoning off my budget all this time.”
“You…!”
“Fine, then.”
I leaned back in my wheelchair, wearing an indifferent expression.
“If it’s too vulgar a task for a refined noble like myself, you can just go to a pawnshop in the city, leave your jewels there, and borrow the money.”
“…!”
Aubrey’s eyes widened as far as they could go.
“H-how dare you say such a thing…!”
“Did I offend you again?”
Aubrey looked as if she were about to spit out a string of curses, but the mouth of the "elegant noblewoman" remained tightly shut.
‘She could never leave them at an outside shop.’
Because the jewels she had left were all things that couldn't be easily sold. They were the kind of pieces that anyone would recognize as treasures of the Grand Ducal House the moment they saw them.
They weren't just any gems; they were top-tier jewels of incredible size and clarity. Ornaments encrusted with various colored diamonds—the kind of jewelry so heavy it would make your joints ache just by wearing them.
“Since you have such high standards, Aunt, I’m sure they’ll be appraised at a high price.”
Aubrey ground her teeth.
She must have realized I was being sarcastic. She had been bold enough to pick only the finest jewels for her private collection, so if even one of them ended up in a pawnshop, rumors would spread through high society in an instant.
‘With so many jewels at her disposal, she probably never felt the need to buy any with her own money.’
A noblewoman almost always needs a certain amount of jewelry. Especially one of Aubrey’s status. Normally, she should have used her allocated budget to purchase them, but she had treated the Frezier treasure vault like her personal gem mine.
‘That’s how she managed to live so lavishly.’
Well, those days are over, Aunt.
“One month!” Aubrey barked.
“Pardon?”
“I’ll pay it all back within a month, so I need to secure the funds now! Go and bring my entire jewelry box!”
As I watched Aubrey’s maid hurry out of the room, I spoke up as if I had just remembered something.
“Oh, but Aunt. I’ve had a bit of a change of heart in the meantime.”
“What?”
Looking at Aubrey as she snapped back at me, I slowly let the smile fade from my face.
“‘Vulgar girl.’”
“…?!”
“‘Lowly creature.’”
“…!”
“‘Not having a mother.’”
“…”
I blinked slowly at Aubrey.
“I don’t think I can lend you the money until you apologize for all of those remarks.”
She finally let out a piercing shriek.
“You! I’ve been patient, but this is too much! How dare you talk back to your elder so insolently!”
“Right, then.”
I looked down at my neatly manicured nails and said, “I’ll give you one minute.”
*
“That crazy brat. That insane girl!”
A few hours later.
Back in her room, Aubrey was pacing her bedroom anxiously.
Even if Tulia had taken over the internal affairs and the authority to decide Tedric’s punishment, she was someone they could no longer beg for mercy from.
It was only natural.
The Lilius family and Tulia were now complete enemies, ever since the accusation that they had struck Tulia with a ‘magic tool arrow.’
“Just when did that girl Tulia change so much…?”
Aubrey couldn't understand it.
Thanks to her husband’s clever maneuvering, Tulia had always been an easy target. She might have acted like a wildcat on the outside, but inside, she was ignorant and foolish.
But suddenly.
Suddenly, the Lilius family was sinking fast.
Even now, she felt like she was dreaming with her eyes wide open. How on earth did Tulia Frezier suddenly become so clever?
Was this what it felt like to be swept away by a sudden tsunami?
Early that evening, while Aubrey was in a state of agitation, burning with rage and hostility toward Tulia…
“Madam! The Master says he needs to see you immediately!”
Lilius’s aide came running in, breathless.
‘Did that Tulia girl pull another wicked trick already?!’
The thought crossed her mind. With an anxious and frantic heart, Aubrey hurried to find Lilius, who was under ‘semi-confinement.’
But to her surprise…
“My dear!”
Lilius delivered news that was both unexpected and shocking.
“What?! A marriage proposal for our Sophia?!”
“I’m telling you! The Crown Prince’s proposal arrived just now with an imperial messenger!”
“O-oh my heavens…!”
Aubrey’s eyes went round before she cried out in joy.
“Then we can save our Tedric!”
Lilius was slightly taken aback by Aubrey’s words, as she completely ignored his own predicament to worry about their son, but now wasn't the time for that.
“Y-yes, exactly!”
“Ah… God is on our side after all. Our son is so kind and fragile, of course… I knew there would be a silver lining.”
Aubrey even shed tears of emotion.
In truth, if she were thinking of Sophia, she shouldn't have had such a positive reaction immediately.
Lilius furrowed his brow slightly.
“Crown Prince Ferdinand is a bit of a concern, though…”
Ferdinand Cassel Ewigkeit.
It might be different for low-ranking nobles who struggled to enter central politics, but for high-ranking nobles, the Crown Prince was by no means an attractive option.
Especially not as a potential husband for one's daughter.
Lilius stroked his chin and muttered quietly.
“Divine Power Hyperaffliction, was it…?”