IATVWAMOLS 69

69. No Money

“This is too sudden—marrying someone I’ve just met,” Seraphine said.

“Is it a problem that we’ve only just met? Or do you already have a man you’ve promised your future to?”

The Count of Vermon tilted his head in curiosity at her flustered expression.

“I don’t mind either way. If the short acquaintance period is an issue, you could simply date with marriage in mind. And if there’s already a man you’re promised to, then the engagement can be broken immediately.”

He spoke in a quiet, enticing tone, as if offering a tempting investment deal.

“I won’t say this lightly, but few men in the Emprion Empire are as wealthy as I am. It wouldn’t be a disadvantage to you, my lady.”

“There’s no man I’m promised to… but I’ve never really thought about marriage before. It’s a bit overwhelming.”

The hem of Roselia’s dress that she was holding trembled faintly.

Roselia wondered briefly whether she should intervene personally. However, glancing around, she noticed Perwin and Icart also looked uneasy, so she decided to watch the male protagonists’ actions for the moment.

The Count of Vermon let out a low hum.

“You’ve never thought about marriage? How can that be! No wolf-like man would let such a beautiful woman go easily.”

“I only recently debuted in society. I haven’t had proper interactions with men yet,” Seraphine said, trailing off defensively.

She looked intimidated by the Count of Vermon’s aggressive demeanor.

“Even so, my lady, it seems your marriageable age is ripe… yet you hide your charm too well.”

The Count of Vermon appraised Seraphine from head to toe.

Was she genuinely innocent, or just a skilled pretender? Her appearance suggested naïve vulnerability, but nobles who put on a mask of innocence while scheming were not uncommon.

In this era, marriage was a serious matter, especially for women whose social opportunities were limited. Nobles who weighed every advantage carefully would hardly believe a woman who claimed she had never considered marriage before.

The Count of Vermon furrowed his brows, then smirked slyly.

“Well, fine. If you haven’t thought about it until now, then now is the time.”

With an exaggerated gesture, he extended a hand toward Seraphine.

“One thing I can promise—if you choose me, I will make you a lady envied by all.”

Clap, clap, clap.

“…!”

Frozen in place, Seraphine didn’t notice Perwin stepping forward, clapping his hands.

“Wow, what a touching proposal. To propose at first sight—you’re a legendary romantic indeed.”

“Your Highness… you were watching?”

The Count of Vermon laughed obsequiously.

“Of course. I watched carefully to see how far it would go. Watching you lose all sense over a woman was quite a sight.”

Perwin mocked the awkward scene as if witnessing a farce. Though notorious for stirring scandals with his arrogance, he was an exception when it came to women.

“There are some pathetic men whose very existence below the waist is a sin. I just hope you’re not one of them,” he said with a sharp smile.

He recalled his own father, who wielded power yet was manipulated by the touch of a mistress.

“I—I am honored.”

The Count of Vermon bowed repeatedly.

Icart frowned silently. The two men’s discomfort stemmed entirely from Vermon’s rudeness, not any personal interest in Seraphine.

‘It’s unnerving that they’re so calm,’ Roselia thought, watching anxiously.

In the original story, it would not have been surprising if Perwin and Icart had gone berserk and tried to punish the Count. But now, both were unusually rational.

Clearly, starting with this proposal, that stalker would become even more persistent.

Having been scolded by Perwin, the Count of Vermon cleared his throat and spoke more calmly.

“I may have been somewhat hasty. My apologies.”

Though his tone had softened slightly, his lascivious intent remained apparent.

“Before discussing marriage, you should get to know each other properly. I will formally invite the lady to my residence.”

The next day.

Seraphine invited me to the Blaine estate.

“I couldn’t sleep at all last night. But having you here gives me some peace,” she said.

Whether or not she really hadn’t slept, her complexion had become noticeably pale overnight. She must have been stressed by the Count of Vermon.

I quietly checked the system window.

[Master, I told you before—you’re too uptight.]
[Worrying about that trash is a waste of time.]
[Want me to make him disappear quietly?]

I had consulted Kaien about the Count of Vermon’s trouble, and his reply was extreme.

‘Maybe this man is the most dangerous.’

Life isn’t a survival game, yet the proposed solution is always either kill or be killed?

I decided to try another approach and accepted Seraphine’s invitation.

She was already waiting at the main entrance to greet me.

“Thank you for coming, my lady.”

“No, thank you for inviting me. But…”

Following Seraphine toward the parlor, I looked around the estate.

Compared to a dukedom with dozens of live-in servants, the Blaine estate on the outskirts of the capital was modest at best. There appeared to be only an old butler and two middle-aged maids.

The garden was overgrown, and the exterior walls showed signs of decay.

But the interior was even more shocking.

“The house is a bit sparse, isn’t it? It wasn’t always like this,” Seraphine said, smiling awkwardly as if aware of my thoughts.

There was hardly any furniture. Even basic chairs, tables, and storage were noticeably lacking. No proper carpets—just bare, worn floorboards.

“Actually, as soon as I got home yesterday, I received a letter from the Count of Vermon. He said that if I didn’t comply with his invitation, he would auction off this estate.”

“Excuse me?”

“Last night, his people came and took all the household belongings.”

Seraphine’s eyes welled up immediately.

“What… what do you mean? Please explain in more detail.”

Auctioning off the house, sending people to seize possessions—none of this was in the original story. The Count’s stalking was never so extreme. Originally, he might have trailed Seraphine from social gatherings, stolen her belongings, or secretly painted her portrait as an anonymous gift. Creepy, but nothing this aggressive.

“I only learned yesterday, but apparently, my father had accumulated massive debts to local acquaintances long ago. Somehow, the Count of Vermon obtained the promissory notes from the creditors,” Seraphine said nervously fidgeting with her fingers.

“He’s threatening immediate repayment… but there’s no way I can come up with such a huge sum right now.”

“Th-That’s…”

I was stunned by the situation.

“Wait, your family was that in debt and you didn’t know? Didn’t you have enough to even maintain a residence in the capital?”

It didn’t make sense. Her family was so poor they couldn’t even provide proper debutante dresses or host a proper debutante ball. Yet Seraphine attended imperial banquets and maintained a capital residence.

“I truly didn’t know. My father disappeared, and my mother has been ill for a long time… I knew our family wasn’t wealthy, but I had no idea it was this bad.”

What a tragic backstory this was. Seraphine hesitated, unsure where to begin.

“Our family rarely came to the capital due to geographic limitations. We seldom appeared in society.”

“That seemed normal to us, until the Emperor sent an invitation to a banquet. Perhaps he wanted to check on us, as we were largely excluded from central politics.”

“My mother happily sent me to the capital and provided a place to stay.”

Ah, so this was the hidden story behind the prologue. Originally, the story began with Seraphine receiving the imperial invitation and heading to the capital—a naïve countryside girl making a dazzling social debut. No one expected such a detailed, unfortunate family background.

Seraphine swallowed her tears and continued.

“But I never imagined it would turn out like this. I should have stayed quietly on my estate. It’s all my fault.”

Her shoulders shook lightly. She blamed herself despite not being the cause, and it made me feel pity.

I glanced at the system message.

[Want me to make him disappear quietly?]

…Maybe fists are faster than the law after all?