chapter 16
“Richard, you scoundrel! What on earth are you doing here this time? Don’t tell me you lost everything gambling and came here to ask for more money?!”
Without saying a word, the Count of Roselantis immediately saw through Ashbel’s intentions.
Ashbel frantically waved his hands.
“Ah, no, no! That’s not it! There’s a reason—”
“What reason?!”
Under the relentless scolding, Ashbel could no longer defend himself, trembling with a pale, frightened face.
“There’s not a single penny here for you, so get out immediately! And don’t even think about setting foot here again! What are you waiting for?! Move them out already!”
At the Count’s command, the servants hesitated. Their expressions showed doubt, but no one dared defy the head of the household.
Just as a few burly servants were approaching to force Ashbel and his family out, Serena pulled out the documents she had been holding and raised them high.
“…Wait a moment! I—I just found some documents left by my great-grandmother in a book!”
The loud declaration drew everyone’s attention to the papers in Serena’s hands.
The Count, still angry, also focused on them. Serena, relieved that the threat of being immediately thrown out had passed, sighed in relief.
The situation was strange, but since she had started explaining, she tried to continue when the Count furrowed his brows and asked,
“And who is this child?”
His gaze swept over Serena with pure displeasure.
Ah, so he doesn’t know me.
It made sense that he wouldn’t recognize her, as they had never met, but Serena hadn’t expected him to outright ask who she was.
Even at home she had been treated as if she didn’t exist, and now at the main house, it was the same.
Why…?
She had done nothing wrong and still couldn’t understand why he disliked her so intensely.
Almost on the verge of tears from the injustice, Serena forced herself to remain calm.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Serena, Grandfather.”
Despite his unpleasant stare, Serena did her best to greet him politely.
“…Grandfather?”
The Count raised one eyebrow. He had shown so little interest that he didn’t even know his granddaughter’s name.
To prevent the Count from getting even angrier, Ashbel hurriedly added,
“Th-that’s my youngest daughter, born after Caroline and Daisy…”
Only then did the Count’s expression soften slightly.
Of course, his negative gaze toward Serena remained, resembling the look Stella had given her earlier.
I thought I could handle anything without getting hurt…
This time was an exception. Even a passing puppy would have seemed kinder. Serena felt her chest tighten.
“So, what is this child doing here? And what do you mean by great-grandmother?”
“That child…”
The tone of the Count’s words, drawing a line between them, irritated her further. Serena, however, calmly presented the document.
“I found this in the library. It seems to have been left by my great-grandmother.”
The Count did not move. Instead, his secretary, Sebes, standing behind him, took the papers and read them aloud.
“To the one who finds this certificate, I will grant the Rosegold estate and title, which carries the legend of the Golden Rose. Julia Roselantis,” he read.
“What…?!”
Serena’s family was astonished. Jeremy’s household also widened their eyes in disbelief and exchanged glances.
Only then did the Count take an interest and grabbed the papers.
After reading the worn text repeatedly, he glared at Serena with displeasure.
“You found this?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“In the library. It was tucked inside a book about the legend of Rosegold.”
“Why were you reading it?”
His tone sounded like he was interrogating a criminal. Serena felt guilty, even though she had done nothing wrong.
But if she shrank back unnecessarily, it would only make her appear suspicious or weak. She answered clearly, pretending to be calm.
“I was interested because it mentioned roses. They’re practically the family symbol, so I thought it was good to know about them.”
Although she had not lived like a proper noble, Serena secretly took pride in belonging to the prestigious Roselantis family.
Straightening her back, she stated that she had only acted as a proper member of the family. Yet, for some reason, the Count’s lips twisted as he looked at her.
“Ridiculous,” he muttered.
His gaze fell on his eldest son. Ashbel, bowing his head, fidgeted nervously.
“My mother used to joke that she had hidden treasures here and there, but I never expected her to actually find that.”
The harsh gaze returned to Serena. She was too shocked to even refute his dismissive ‘that.’
Tossing the documents back to Serena, the Count turned away.
“Jeremy, handle this yourself.”
“Yes, Father.”
With that, the Count left the dining hall, his steps brisk and decisive as if unwilling to waste time on trivial matters.
Ashbel, not seeming resentful despite the Count’s sudden departure, hurried to Serena with his rough hands outstretched.
“You found Grandmother’s inheritance?! Let me see it!”
Serena twisted her body to avoid his grasp.
“This?!”
Ashbel reached again, as if offended, but it was useless. Serena dodged him once more, causing Ashbel to flare up.
“Can’t you hand it over right now?!”
“No! You’ll just take it and not give it back!”
“What?! A little girl already thinking about money?!”
“I found it, so it’s mine! The certificate says it will go to whoever finds it!”
Dodging Ashbel’s desperate attempts, Serena ran to Jeremy’s side.
Fortunately, Jeremy, unlike his brother, was clear-headed and stepped in to mediate.
“Father entrusted this matter to me. If Grandmother intended the finder to have it, then it rightfully belongs to Serena.”
As Jeremy reached out, Serena promptly handed over the document. Ashbel scowled but did not argue further.
“Please wait a moment.”
The content was brief and clear, so there was no need for a lengthy verification.
Everyone held their breath as Jeremy carefully reviewed the papers and finally spoke.
“It says exactly what Sebes read earlier. Grandmother wrote that the person who finds this document will inherit everything related to the Rosegold estate.”
Jeremy even checked the document against the light, as Carlos had done earlier, confirming its authenticity. There was nothing suspicious.
“Still, Serena is too young. Wouldn’t it be better if I managed it?”
Unlike when he tried to take the papers from her, Ashbel asked cautiously.
Before Jeremy could answer, Serena spoke firmly.
“Absolutely not. I will manage it. I can never entrust it to Father, who embezzled our living expenses for over ten years.”
“Wh-what…? W-what is this?!”
Ashbel was visibly flustered, having barely begun to process her words.
Rianna, struggling to follow the complicated situation, frowned.
“What do you mean? He embezzled the living expenses?”
“Exactly. I thought our family’s monthly living expenses were 50 gold, but it turns out they were 500 gold. Father siphoned off 450 gold every month for over ten years.”
“…What nonsense are you talking about? Who’s spreading such lies?!”
“Which part is a lie? Do you mean the main house only gave me 50 gold per month all this time?”
Ashbel could only open his mouth without offering any defense, as the person who had paid the living expenses each month was standing right in front of him.
Jeremy added, looking puzzled,
