Chapter 4
If Egbert had read it properly, the newspaper said that the heir to the Graham Bank had changed.
“W-What the hell is this?!”
Egbert jumped up from his seat and threw the newspaper aside.
Janus, still calm and professional, spoke in a flat voice:
“It’s exactly as you read. The owner of Graham Bank has changed. According to the late Lord Graham’s will, all rights to the bank have been transferred to Miss Anais Barnaby. And Miss Anais does not want you, Marquis, to have any rights over the bank.”
“Don’t talk nonsense! How could that damn woman get the bank?! My grandfather wasn’t crazy! He left it to her instead of me? I didn’t even know! Does that make any sense?!”
Egbert screamed loudly. His face was red with anger, and he kicked the table in a rage—it was an ugly scene.
Janus calmly adjusted his monocle. Then he took Lord Graham’s will and several legal documents from the past week and neatly placed them on the table.
“There was a confidentiality clause in Lord Graham’s will. But also an exception. The will would be void if the marriage remained intact.”
“W-Wh-What?!”
Egbert swiped everything off the table with his arm. With a loud crash, the items shattered on the floor. Janus looked at him with a calm, clean gaze.
The papers, including the will, flew through the air.
“So you all plotted behind my back! Are you insane? That crazy old man did something like this and you didn’t stop him?!”
“I am an employee of the Graham family. I simply followed my duties as instructed, Marquis.”
Then Janus took an envelope from his bag and placed it on the table.
“Also, as of today, I am resigning from my position.”
“You crazy bastard!”
The room filled with curses too harsh to even repeat.
But Janus kept a calm face, letting the shouting go in one ear and out the other.
“You! You teamed up with that damn woman! You dirty scum. And now you have the nerve to come here and act like this?! You’d better give the bank back right now!”
“My duty was only to deliver the will.”
Janus stood up and straightened his clothes.
Before leaving, he looked at Egbert one last time—with pity. Egbert still looked pathetic and completely out of control.
“Well then, goodbye.”
Ignoring Egbert’s loud, curse-filled screams, Janus turned his back. He wouldn’t have to see that mess ever again.
“You filthy trash!”
Colorful curses echoed through the Graham estate that morning.
“Hmm, hmm~”
A little hum slipped out of me.
The papers were all handled neatly, and now the Graham Bank was legally mine.
It was the price I earned after three years of silently enduring all the insults and staying by Egbert’s side.
“You’re like a rock. Just looking at you makes him go cold. What good is a useless woman like you in a noble family if you can’t even perform in bed?”
Every day had been an insult.
He once poured a drink on me in front of others.
“Look at that! Now you’re finally a bit more tolerable. Tsk tsk. A woman who can’t even get love from her own husband—how dare she act so proud?”
One time, he even threw me out of the mansion while I was still in my nightgown.
“Don’t let me see you. Stay quiet like a dead mouse. And don’t get in the way of our fun!”
It was one of those days when Egbert invited his low-class friends and prostitutes and threw a filthy party.
That night, I had to crouch down and sleep in the maids’ room because they felt sorry for me.
I still remember the way those so-called friends looked at me, as if I was a joke.
“She actually has a better body than I thought. Lady Marchioness, I could offer you my bed. What do you think?”
I had finally escaped from a disgusting man who didn’t have even a bit of the elegance or class that my grandfather had.
I thought back to the time right before Grandfather passed away.
We had only been married for about two months when I received the will, already notarized and signed.
“You’re really giving the bank to me? Grandfather, are you sure you don’t need to see a doctor?”
“If it ends up in Egbert’s hands, it’ll just turn to garbage. I poured my whole youth into building that bank. I’d rather give it to you than watch him ruin it.”
“You’re being too hard on him. Egbert is trying his best. Are you really okay with this?”
“Why not? I’ll be dead by then anyway.”
His office had a deep wood scent that day. I clearly remember his sly smile as he looked at me.
Back then, I thought it didn’t matter. I thought the marriage wouldn’t break anyway, so the will didn’t mean much.
“You’re my masterpiece, Anna. Even if the Graham family falls, let the Graham Bank live on. My name will live forever through the bank.”
Grandfather’s voice pushed away all my other thoughts.
Back then, I held his hand and told him I understood. And for the past three years, I lived holding onto that will.
“The bank is mine, Egbert.”
It felt like I could still hear Egbert screaming in my ears.
The news that the ownership of Graham Bank had changed didn’t just shock the financial world—it shook all of politics and business.
For the past five years, it had been the only bank with a royal name.
Plus, almost every powerful investor had some connection to Graham Bank.
After five days of staying out of sight following the shocking news, Anais Barnaby finally appeared—at a charity event hosted by Graham Bank.
Anais had officially thrown a party in her own name.
“That bitch. She finally shows her face.”
Egbert Graham was among the guests. The room buzzed with people eager to witness whatever would happen that night.
“So the Marquis actually came.”
“This is the scandal of the century! Imagine the Marquis family losing an entire bank.”
“Well, they say wealth lasts for three generations. Losing the bank doesn’t mean the whole family will fall.”
“Still, that was a prime business. Will Graham’s pride let this slide? Let’s go in—tonight’s going to be something.”
Everyone looked excited. It didn’t take long for the giant hall rented by Graham Bank to fill with people.
“This kind of dress is a first for me. Does it look okay, Ella?”
“Oh my, of course! When you wear something, it looks like wings on you, my lady!”
Ella’s kind words made me feel a bit less nervous. The dress followed the latest fashion—low-cut at the chest and with a wide, puffy skirt.
It was bright and beautiful, a style I had never worn before—not during my school days at the academy, and not once during my marriage to Egbert Graham.
I had always worn dull-colored dresses that buttoned up to my neck, with my hair neatly tied up. I didn’t want to attract attention—especially from men.
Back in the academy, girls were rare, so all the attention was already too much. And during my marriage…
“Look at Sophia! You need to dress like that to make men feel something. The way you dress? It could kill even a thousand years of lust!”
Why did I have to remember that now?
Anyway, that’s why I didn’t want to wear these kinds of clothes. Of course I noticed pretty dresses. It’s not like I didn’t want them deep down.
I gently touched the bright ivory dress with my fingers. It showed off my figure but still looked graceful. It had just the right amount of skin showing, along with matching jewelry and shoes.
“Everyone at the party today will be blinded by how stunning you look, my lady.”
Ella gave me a tight hug before letting go. She had been with me since I was a child and had stayed by my side through all the shame I went through at the Graham mansion.
I saw tears welling up in Ella’s eyes.
“Why are you crying? This is a happy day.”
“I know. These are tears to wish you strength, my lady. I hope you get to enjoy the life you always dreamed of. May the blessing of Elgrem be with you.”
I gently patted Ella’s shoulder.
Yes, may Elgrem’s blessing be with me.
I prayed with all my heart that I would win strongly on this new battlefield that starts today.
That no more insults or anger would ever eat away at me again.
