Chapter 70
They needed time to falsify the ledgers, silence the employees, and burn every piece of material that could serve as legal evidence.
Unlike Jane, who appeared perfectly prepared, they didn’t even hold a shield to protect their heads from the arrows.
The first to grasp the situation was an elderly merchant with graying hair.
“…Duke.”
The accusations were already well into the latter half.
Just as the merchants were beginning to gauge the duke’s mood, the old man, who hadn’t yet been called out, approached the duke with a face full of feigned guilt.
“I believe I’ve made a grave mistake. Would it be permissible for me to return to my trading company for a short while? Give me three days, and I will bring evidence of my innocence.”
It was Wilhelmina who let out a laugh.
“…You don’t even know what crime you’re being accused of yet.”
“I can guess what it is. That woman must have misunderstood. Please grant me just one more chance. At the next evaluation meeting, I shall return with a spotless record and a precious gift.”
The old man believed he was being as polite as possible.
He even deliberately mentioned a “precious gift,” a hint that he wished for leniency.
With such words, nobles usually grew curious about what gift might be offered.
And a merchant who had been in the business for as long as he had was sure to have dozens of treasures stashed away that nobles would desire.
But contrary to his expectations of acceptance, Mikhail gave a bitter smile.
“No, everything that happens at this evaluation will be decided here.”
“…Pardon?”
“That was the promise we made.”
Mikhail turned his gaze toward Wilhelmina.
Only then did the old man realize who the real mastermind behind this evaluation was.
The old man couldn’t have known, but Mikhail and Wilhelmina had made a pact:
‘You will evaluate objectively and select the subjects on the spot.’
She had no intention of letting the participants go unscathed.
“Selection” didn’t just mean picking merchants to manage the business; it also meant selecting the guilty.
“Don’t tell me… the moment we stepped into this evaluation hall, we were already…”
The old man’s face fell in despair as he looked toward the exits of the banquet hall.
There, dozens of guards—who hadn’t been present before—stood blocking the way.
Realizing there was no escape, the old man trudged back to his seat with heavy steps.
“And lastly, the Goldrail Company.”
By now, the accusations had reached the twentieth case.
Goldrail had far more detailed records waiting than any other company—because Jane had once worked there and had access to an abundance of information.
But Yulkes wasn’t one to take this quietly.
“…Well then, Your Grace, don’t you agree that the most trustworthy company is Goldrail?”
Rising to his feet, Yulkes looked at the duke with a cheerfully confident expression.
As if all of this had been part of his plan, his brazen attitude drew the merchants’ collective ire.
Wilhelmina couldn’t help but chuckle at his quick thinking.
‘So that’s how you want to play it.’
He was trying to turn the crisis into an opportunity.
“Our Goldrail family is second to none in Leighton when it comes to honesty and integrity! And that has been proven by none other than my daughter, Jane Goldrail. Your Grace, I implore you to grant my daughter a chance.”
Of course, he’s thinking, ‘My daughter’s accomplishments are mine to claim.’
His best strategy now was to make every other merchant a criminal while ensuring Goldrail’s survival.
His tone implied that he was willing to give up this deal—as long as his daughter returned to his fold.
Jane furrowed her brow in disbelief at this blatant maneuver.
Yulkes’ words were a veiled message to her:
“Thank you for enduring this long series of accusations, Your Grace.”
‘End it here.’
“I trust you will make a wise choice. My daughter is the finest employee Goldrail has ever had!”
‘I’ll take you back as one of Goldrail’s own.’
After throwing her out, he now wanted to take credit for her achievements by reinstating her.
But Jane had no intention of letting him steal her spotlight.
“As for your decision—”
“Goldrail Company: four counts of tax evasion using southern-region tax havens, two counts of falsified transactions, and five counts of unpaid fees leveraging noble status.”
“…Jane!”
He hadn’t expected her to openly defy him like this, and Yulkes raised his voice in shock.
He was about to bark at her to stop when Mikhail’s watchful gaze restrained him from uttering anything harsh.
Instead, he forced his tone to remain calm.
“I understand how much you care for Goldrail. But beyond this—”
The other merchants seemed convinced now that Yulkes had tried to command Jane.
In such an atmosphere, Jane’s accusations would naturally lose credibility.
That was what Yulkes was aiming for, and he was ready to play the family card again—
“Be silent, Master of Goldrail.”
“Jane!”
“I asked you to be silent.”
“…!”
Left speechless, Yulkes could only gape, and then Wilhelmina’s laughter sliced through the tense silence, reaching his ears.
“Yes, she asked for that in the beginning, didn’t she? Not to refuse her request for silence. And Mikhail agreed.”
“…Indeed. Yulkes Goldrail, take your seat.”
When Jane had lain collapsed on the stage, she had jokingly asked them for silence.
Later, she had requested that everyone quietly listen to her when she spoke.
In the end, Yulkes sank into his seat, face drained of color.
He now realized everything was unfolding exactly as Jane had planned.
From the start of this evaluation to its very end… no, perhaps from the day he cast her out.
In the banquet hall drowned in silence, Jane continued her accusations without faltering.
Any merchant who tried to shout was stopped by knights appearing out of nowhere, and any who attempted rebuttals were harassed by their peers.
With no room left to escape, the merchants watched helplessly as their so-called allies abandoned them.
And thus, all the accusations concluded.
Too afraid of Mikhail’s judgment, the merchants dared not utter a single word, and the dazzling treasures beside them seemed to lose all their luster.
‘Still, these seasoned merchants must already be scheming alternative routes.’
Though it looked like Jane’s victory, she wasn’t arrogant.
The merchants were merely feigning defeat, waiting for leniency, undoubtedly plotting in their minds.
If she let them go now, they would offer up hidden treasures to reduce their sentences and return to the market as the same predatory wolves.
To prevent that, she had prepared the sheepdog.
Jane turned the final page.
[Plan for the Improvement of Leighton’s Market]
The merchants’ eyes flared with anger at the sight.
“So this is what you were after—trying to curry favor.”
“You did all this for this? No different from that sly father of yours.”
But when they read beyond the title, their complaints died away.
It wasn’t a business proposal.
It was a self-introduction—almost like a résumé. Yet what followed was staggering.
It outlined, in cold, legalistic language, how the market would be governed, monitored, and punished.
The shocking part? The person at the center of all this authority was Jane Goldrail herself.
“Your Grace, my accusations are like a passing shower. They may wash away the filth of the streets, but their effect will not last long. That is why I propose this: appoint me, Jane Goldrail, as the merchant to supervise and monitor these people.”
“…!”
“That woman—what did she just say?!”
Ignoring the merchants’ outrage, Jane fixed her eyes on Mikhail.
“These people will undoubtedly receive lenient sentences. The Empire’s commercial law is soft on economic crimes. But if we knowingly leave this rot in place, the market will never change. We need someone to cleanse and punish them regularly.”
“And you, Jane Goldrail, are volunteering for that role?”
“Yes.”
Jane removed her hat.
Yulkes’ eyes widened in shock at her appearance.
He had always forced Jane to maintain her looks. She was destined to be the lady of the house, so she had to remain neat and beautiful.
But the woman before him now was nothing like what he had imagined.
Her hair, once cascading past her shoulders, was now cut short above her neck. Her tidy bangs were hacked unevenly, exposing her forehead.
The androgynous allure was striking, but it was worlds apart from the elegant beauty Yulkes demanded.
The other merchants shared his sentiment.
“I’ve severed ties with my family. For the sake of justice, for the sake of true integrity in trade, I can abandon family and honor alike.”
“And yet your father seems to think otherwise.”
“Will you take the word of a criminal?”
