Chapter 73
The Dyke Family’s Attack (2)
“That is…”
Bianca, who had briefly fallen silent as if she had no proper rebuttal, began arguing again.
“That money—how much is it, really? Even if it were ten times more, it wouldn’t come close to the dowries exchanged among high-ranking noble families. And debt is debt, dowry is dowry! Don’t you think one must still uphold basic human decency?”
“Human decency?”
Riena let out a mocking laugh.
“Is that really something you should be saying to me right now?”
“What?”
“Your mother might want to treat her daughter as a commodity for trade, but I don’t. Honestly, I’d even like to take back the debt I repaid to Baron Rotman. But I’ve kept silent because of appearances.”
“W-what?”
“So take your mother and go back. And don’t ever come here again. Whatever state the Dyke family’s finances are in, it’s no longer my concern. I won’t give a single coin—understand that clearly.”
“You’re a Dyke too!”
“No. Soon I’ll be Riena Winkler, and the only house I’ll care about will be the Winklers.”
“You—how dare you!”
“Enough, Bianca.”
The Countess of Dyke pressed Bianca’s shoulder down and rose to her feet.
“So, you caught a good man and now you’re strutting around arrogantly. I don’t know how you managed to ensnare the Duke of Winkler, but with just one word from me, you won’t be able to lift your head in society again.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“If people learn that you threw away the match I arranged for you and eloped with the Duke of Winkler, what do you think the other nobles will say?”
“I’ve already told you clearly—it was not an elopement.”
“That’s only your claim. Do you think others will see it that way?”
Riena tried to keep her head cool. Once she calmed down, she realized the Countess’s claim was absurd.
Run away from the match her mother arranged? That wasn’t true.
Even a third party could tell there were many suspicious things about the marriage talks with Baron Rotman.
In fact, if those details became widely known, it would be the Countess who would face trouble.
As I thought—there’s no reason to keep dealing with them.
Riena decided to end the conversation here.
“If you’ve said all you wanted, please leave. As I told you, there is nothing I can do for you.”
She turned coldly and was about to leave the drawing room when the Countess’s voice, filled with venom, called out behind her.
“Your brother!”
Riena stopped with her hand on the doorknob and turned back. Seeing her reaction, the Countess’s eyes lit up as she pressed her advantage.
“You can be cruel to me and Bianca. Sad as it is, we share no blood, so I can even understand that! But your brother—Aaron—that’s different, isn’t it?”
Riena knew she should ignore this nonsense and leave, but she couldn’t. She shut the door again and spoke in an icy tone.
“You’re even going to bring Aaron into this? You sold me off for money, and now you’re trying to sell Aaron too?”
“I was wrong about Baron Rotman. But if you must resent someone, resent me alone! How can you resent your innocent little brother?”
“That’s a ridiculous leap. I don’t resent Aaron. Even if I’ll never see him again, I sincerely wish for his happiness.”
“If you truly wish for Aaron’s happiness, then you can’t act like this!”
It was impossible to have a rational conversation.
“What does Aaron’s happiness have to do with me supporting the Dyke family?”
“Aaron is sick!”
“…What?”
The completely unexpected words shook Riena. She tried to stay composed, but her expression faltered.
Aaron Dyke. Her much younger half-brother, ten years her junior.
Though Aaron had barely looked her way since he was five, Riena remembered when he was younger.
The little boy who drooled as he crawled quickly toward her, who laughed brightly and babbled when she kissed his chubby cheeks.
Now, with both her parents gone, he was the only blood relative she had left.
The Countess was right about one thing: Riena could turn her back on the Dyke family, but not on Aaron.
Her love for him was one-sided, but even just being able to love him felt like a blessing.
Closing her eyes briefly, Riena steadied her breath and then asked coldly:
“When I left, he was healthy. Why is he suddenly ill?”
“How should I know? Even now, here in the capital, his condition hasn’t improved at all!”
“You mean you dragged a sick child all the way here? By carriage, not even through a magic portal? Were you thinking at all?”
As Riena’s tone turned harsher, the Countess’s voice grew smaller.
“N-no… he wasn’t that sick when we left the estate. He was well enough to travel.”
“Hah…”
Riena sighed and rubbed her forehead.
“Even if that’s true—if the child is ill, you should go to a physician. Unlike in the estate, the capital is full of them.”
“We didn’t have money to pay for proper treatment. Or the medicine.”
“You’re the one managing the Dyke family’s assets. What happened to all of them?”
“….”
“I know the family wasn’t incredibly rich, but Father left behind a considerable inheritance. And now you’re telling me there isn’t even enough to treat Aaron?”
Riena was genuinely furious.
“What on earth have you done? Father worked so hard to build up the family. He thought of the house until the very end, and in just a few months it’s fallen into ruin?”
Bianca, who had been listening silently, suddenly snapped at her.
“Why are you attacking Mother like this? Everything she did was to improve the family!”
Was it really for the family? Riena was far more inclined to believe the Countess had squandered it on luxury or gambling.
“So now you’re using Aaron as an excuse to wring money out of me?”
“No—don’t put it like that. All we’re asking is that you, his sister, look after poor Aaron a little.”
However they dressed it up, it was the same thing. Riena’s voice was firm.
“I can’t give you money. You know I left the Dyke house without taking a single coin.”
“But the ducal house has more money than they know what to do with.”
“That’s true. But I can’t just spend it as I please.”
“And the Duke hasn’t given you the right to? What’s he been doing, then?”
In truth, Kassel had already told her she could use Winkler wealth without restriction.
But she had no intention of squandering it—and certainly not on the Countess. Besides, she wasn’t even sure if Aaron’s illness was real.
“We’re only engaged. It would be stranger if I had such authority now.”
“Then at least ask him!”
“How shameless would that be? And even if he agreed, I wouldn’t hand it over to you.”
“What? So you’re going to let Aaron die?”
“If Aaron were really at death’s door, you wouldn’t have dragged him here. Is he even truly sick?”
“You think a mother would lie about that?”
The Countess came closer, knelt, and clutched at Riena’s skirts.
“Riena, I know how you feel. You hate me—I won’t even ask for forgiveness for what I’ve done. But Aaron must live. He still has to go to the Academy soon…”
Riena exhaled a long, heavy sigh.
She didn’t trust the Countess’s words completely. But what if it wasn’t a lie?
If Aaron truly was gravely ill, and she let him suffer without treatment simply because of money…
She wouldn’t be able to bear it. She’d regret it for the rest of her life.
I wouldn’t even have the face to meet Father again.
After another deep sigh, Riena offered an alternative.
“Then I’ll ask His Grace to send the ducal physician. We also have the finest medicinal ingredients stored at the duchy. I’ll have medicine prepared and delivered.”
“That…”
“Is that not acceptable? Just moments ago you were begging me to save Aaron, and now you reject sending a doctor?”
“No, no… that’s fine.”
The Countess wiped at her damp eyes and stood. For over ten years, she had been Riena’s mother in name. Seeing her like that almost made Riena waver—but she steeled her heart.
“But Riena, don’t think this is the end. By severing your bonds of blood like this, you’ll surely be punished by God.”
Even now, the Countess tried to put the blame on her. Riena retorted before she realized it.
“Shouldn’t you be the one worrying about divine punishment?”
The Countess, sensing danger in Riena’s unwavering gaze, stammered.
“W-why? Why would I?”
“Because of Father’s accident.”
