CHAPTER 54……………………………………..
The next day, Regina headed straight from the capital to the second-largest prison.
Since she moved with only Leona and no guards, everyone assumed she was just going out for a bit of fresh air.
Edwin seemed so absorbed in his newly acquired greenhouse garden that he didn’t even notice Regina had gone out.
“What a worthless man.”
Regina inwardly scolded Edwin.
“Treating me like this won’t last forever.”
News had spread throughout the mansion that the Archduchess had rewarded Edwin with the greenhouse garden for some impressive contribution at a banquet.
And as a result, Regina’s already limited influence became even smaller.
“But it won’t last long.”
Edwin Mason was a man ungrateful for favors.
Even if he acts that way now, he’ll change his attitude in an instant.
So it was necessary to prepare multiple strategies for when the opportunity arose.
“Be careful, milady.”
“Oh, thanks.”
Leona caught Regina, who nearly stumbled while lost in thought.
“Ugh, it’s cold and disgusting.”
Regina frowned at the prison, damp, dark, and crawling with rats.
“Are you sure this is the place?”
“Yes, according to the information we gathered.”
A while ago, Regina had commissioned the Information Guild to find someone.
The guild had directed her to this underground prison.
“Even if they committed crimes, no noble would be brought to a place like this…”
“P-Princess Regina?!”
Startled by the sudden voice, Leona stepped in front to protect her. Through Leona’s shoulder, the familiar voice came again.
“I-I’m here! Baron Berkshire!”
Regina paused.
With his hair greasy from neglect, a protruding belly from lack of proper meals, darkened eyes, and an unkempt beard, who would believe this man had once been the top banker in Eppelverno?
“I heard the bank was taken over by someone else…”
But to have fallen this far into ruin…
Life truly is fascinating.
“If I remember correctly, he fell out of the Emperor’s favor, didn’t he?”
Just in case, she resolved to never deal with him again once she left the prison.
“Princess, please listen to me! Why must I be executed?!”
“…Executed?”
Hearing this for the first time, Regina tilted her head.
“Edwin mentioned Baron Berkshire’s miserable downfall, but never said he’d be executed…”
Apparently, the man before her had long been outside Edwin’s attention.
“Poor thing.”
Thinking this, Regina prepared to turn away.
“P-please, wait!”
“Hm?”
“I’ll do anything! Anything at all! Just please…”
“You’re begging for your life?”
At Regina’s question, Baron Berkshire nodded vigorously.
“Hmm… but what can a baron locked in prison do for me?”
“Anything! Anything! I’ll do it. I can reveal the location of my hidden funds…”
“That’s obvious.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Don’t you have something better? From what I know…”
Regina curved her lips into a smile.
“You and your aunt have been up to quite a lot, haven’t you?”
“Well…”
Seeing Baron Berkshire hesitate, Regina’s expression hardened.
“Right, I see. His desperation only goes that far.”
“P-please!”
Regina turned away coldly, showing not a hint of regret.
“I-I know where the Archduchess’ dowry was stolen from!”
“Dowry?”
Only then did Regina stop. Baron Berkshire’s eyes showed fear, realizing too late the gravity of what he’d revealed.
“I heard the Archduchess didn’t bring a single coin of dowry?”
“Well…”
Hesitant, Baron Berkshire confessed the truth: Rosentain Count, her brother, had provided continuous support, including the dowry, but the three of them had stolen it.
“Eddie, your aunt, and the banker. That’s the three of them, right? No one else knows?”
“Yes, yes, of course!”
“I see.”
Regina smiled contentedly. Having learned the location of Baron Berkshire’s hidden funds, she spoke kindly.
“I’ll talk to Eddie. I’ll make sure he spares Baron Berkshire.”
“Thank you, truly, Princess!”
“You’re welcome.”
Smiling angelically, Regina waved once at the baron before leaving the prison.
As soon as she turned, her face returned to its usual expressionless state.
“You really plan to save him?”
“No, am I crazy?”
Why care about the life of a worthless man?
It wasn’t worth jeopardizing her position with Edwin over that.
“Thanks for the information, but if my life is only worth that much, I can accept it.”
“That’s true.”
Leona nodded in agreement, and Regina smiled gently.
“Now that the goal’s accomplished, shall we go?”
“Yes, Princess.”
In fact, Regina had come to this prison specifically to meet Baron Berkshire.
Having once been Edwin’s right-hand man, he surely knew a lot.
“That Edwin has really no luck with people.”
Of course, treating people like disposable tools never earns genuine loyalty.
Serves him right.
As soon as Regina exited the prison, she hummed a tune.
“Where to next?”
“First, let’s check Baron Berkshire’s hidden funds.”
On the way by carriage, Regina reviewed the information she had recently acquired.
First, Edwin and Trisha were not truly married.
Meaning that the moment Trisha discovered this, the position of Archduchess would effectively become vacant.
“The problem is the three of them stole the Archduchess’ dowry.”
If the marriage was declared invalid, Count Rosentain would demand repayment of the dowry and all the support he had given.
At that point, Regina had one role to play:
“Repay Count Rosentain’s money and become the real Archduchess.”
To do that, she planned to use Baron Berkshire’s hidden funds.
The rest of the money…
After a brief thought, Regina told the driver their second destination.
“Next, we’ll go to the Marquess of Bellon’s estate.”
Leona tilted her head in surprise.
“Why there all of a sudden?”
“Because we need money.”
“Excuse me?”
Regina took out a diary and shook it.
“Anyone who must obey me will gladly hand over any amount, won’t they?”
“That’s true…”
Leona agreed, and Regina smiled warmly.
The sunlight, so often taken for granted, had never looked so beautiful.
These days, Edwin had been unusually forward with her. Trisha sighed at the thought.
“Disgusting.”
After rolling around with Regina, to be touched like this sent shivers down her spine.
Each time, Trisha swallowed her anger and gently pushed Edwin away, as if practicing patience and control.
Out of embarrassment and unpreparedness, of course.
Today was no different.
Edwin, unaware they were in an outdoor garden, pressed his body against hers.
“This worthless trash.”
Trisha forced a smile while swallowing her rage.
Edwin’s arm coiled around Trisha’s shoulder like a snake.
“Er, Edwin, maybe not here…”
“Why? What’s the problem with having some fun with my wife at my own house?”
Edwin frowned.
Once he had refused to touch her because she was stone-cold, and now he acted like this—Trisha was bewildered.
“Then let’s just go inside.”
“If we go inside, you’ll push me away for another reason.”
Edwin sighed in irritation.
“Tell me honestly, Trisha. You don’t want to do this with me, do you?”
“……”
“Is that it?”
Edwin’s blunt words made Trisha’s mouth go dry.
She wondered what excuse she could offer, when suddenly—
“Uh! A serious problem, Master!”
“What is it?”
The butler ran up, and Edwin, his mood spoiled, removed his arm from Trisha’s shoulder.
“Why are you making such a fuss…”
“There’s been an accident at the mines!”
“…What?”
The butler briefly explained the situation: two of Edwin’s larger mines had suffered consecutive accidents.
