CHAPTER 21…………………………….
“From the very beginning, Tricia Mason barely participated in society after her marriage.”
This meant she had no real standing in social circles.
So even if ridiculous rumors circulated as scandals, who would call them out?
“No one would step forward for someone they barely know.”
Of course, Edwin wouldn’t part ways with the Grand Duchess over something so trivial.
But it could serve as one of the “triggers.”
“I came to Your Highness because of the debts of the Mason Grand Ducal family.”
“…Debts?”
Yet something felt off.
If it was the Grand Ducal family’s debt, it should have been all cleared by the time Edwin returned.
That was why Regina had ignored the other ladies’ chatter about the Grand Ducal debts.
However…
“This doesn’t feel right.”
Regina lowered her voice, trying to calm the situation.
“Baron, could there have been some misunderstanding?”
“A misunderstanding?!”
Baron Berkshire pulled a series of promissory notes from his coat.
One, two, then twelve promissory notes floated in the air before crashing to the floor.
“Your Highness borrowed all this money from me while alive!”
Stamping on them as if to crush them, Baron Berkshire shouted in rage.
“And now you come to wipe your mouth clean?!”
“B-Baron, please calm down.”
Regina was so flustered by his intensity that she didn’t even realize he was assuming Edwin was dead.
“I don’t know who you are, but if you intend to stand in my way, move aside! I need to meet the Grand Duchess and reclaim all this money!”
He threatened her as if to shove her aside.
‘And of all times, Leonardo isn’t here!’
There was no maid to block the baron on her behalf.
Regina quietly decided to step back.
“I see. Then I shall bring Your Highness—”
“Wait, that necklace!”
But Baron Berkshire grabbed Regina, who was trying to escape alone.
“That’s the item I presented to Your Highness! Why are you wearing it?!”
“Ah, well…”
If she mentioned being Edwin’s lover here, the baron would likely tear her head off immediately.
“It’s a necklace Your Highness sold to me!”
“Don’t lie! Someone who hasn’t even repaid the money they borrowed would never sell a necklace!”
In the end, the enraged baron lunged at Regina.
‘Leon, help me!’
Regina squeezed her eyes shut.
Then—
The bodyguard knights restrained Baron Berkshire, who had lunged at her like a beast.
“Let go! Let go! I need to reclaim that necklace too!”
“What in the world is going on here?”
And standing between the baron and Regina was—
“Storming through someone else’s mansion and frightening the guests. Are you a human or a beast, Baron?”
It was Tricia Mason.
Regina’s legs gave out, and she sank to the floor.
There was an aura of unapproachable dignity around Tricia, as if she had stepped forward to protect her.
Even Baron Berkshire flinched, but then he mocked her as if unaffected.
“The Grand Duchess takes heavy steps, indeed.”
“I’m not so free as to receive guests who barge in without notice.”
“W-What did you just say to me? You were calling me a beast earlier!”
The enraged baron twisted the arms of the knights restraining him.
At Tricia’s signal, the knights released him, and he rolled over completely.
Laughter erupted from all around. The baron’s face turned crimson.
Tricia, however, spoke calmly:
“We’re both busy. Let’s be brief. What brings you here?”
Baron Berkshire let out a hollow laugh at her words.
Has that woman finally gone mad?
He should have been begging for a delayed repayment, and instead…
The baron glanced briefly at the other ladies.
‘Hah! Wants to show off her pride in front of other noble ladies?’
But he had no intention of protecting Tricia’s pride.
If anything, crushing it to make her plead might work.
Rising to his feet, he fiddled with his mustache and grinned.
“Very well. As the Grand Duchess wishes, let’s get straight to the point.”
He pointed at the promissory notes scattered on the floor.
“These are the sums borrowed from me by Grand Duke Mason.”
“And?”
“They must be repaid! All of them are long overdue, and I will wait no longer!”
This was the problem.
Borrowers enjoy comfort while lenders fret endlessly.
Even though Baron Berkshire had believed the money lent to Edwin was unrecoverable, he thought otherwise.
‘The Grand Duke will never return anyway.’
Despite taking vast sums for business and waiting three years, he hadn’t come back.
At first, Berkshire wanted to believe the Duke was alive.
Otherwise, all the money invested would have been lost.
But he soon changed his mind, spurred by the Devon Marchioness, co-conspirator in pocketing the Grand Duchess’s dowry.
“Berkshire, you’ve had a rough time. Edwin was supposed to be your backing, but the promise cannot be fulfilled.”
“So, who exactly are you here to mock?”
“I believe my poor nephew’s death resulted from marrying an ill-fated foreign woman. But someone wise might produce a different outcome.”
At that time, Baron Berkshire had lost his first wife and was about to take a second.
“How about taking the child, the family heirlooms, and a mine?”
Compared to what Edwin borrowed, it was a ridiculously small sum.
But…
‘The Grand Duchess’s face was rather fair.’
Though superstitions about foreigners abounded, Berkshire, a man of finance, found them absurd.
Thinking this way, he secretly drew up a contract with the Devon Marchioness.
After a three-month trip, he would take Tricia as his wife.
Of course, both believed Edwin would never return.
“If repayment is impossible, you may sell this mansion, the heirlooms, and the mine.”
Unaware of the truth, the baron acted according to his agreement with the Marchioness.
Upon returning from his trip, he came to intimidate Tricia.
“Ah, of course, Grand Duchess. On the condition that you become my second wife.”
“…”
“If not, go bankrupt along with the debt and be sold to a slave trader!”
The ladies gasped in shock.
“What is he saying?”
“He’s completely out of his mind.”
Amused by their chatter, the baron shrugged.
A lower-ranking noble, once a commoner, he had never been popular among noble ladies, even as Edwin’s ally.
So receiving attention in this way pleased him.
‘And soon, I might marry a former Grand Duchess.’
The Devon Marchioness would surely marry Tricia to him in exchange for the Grand Ducal property.
“Why? You lent a large sum and ignored it all this time, you should accept this!”
The ladies frowned at the baron’s behavior, as if Tricia owed him.
Some whispered about summoning the Grand Duke; others had already sent someone.
“Ignoring a large sum lent, were you?”
At this, Tricia, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
“Is that true?”
“Yes, can’t you see these promissory notes?”
“My husband would have already repaid the debts.”
Baron Berkshire snorted.
“How could that incompetent fool have repaid such a sum? A parasite who has never earned a single penny by hand, living only off my wealth…!”
“Parasite?”
Then—
“Are you talking about me?”
“Y-Your Highness?!”
It was Edwin.
Seeing him, whom they thought dead, Baron Berkshire felt like fainting on the spot.
