Chapter 48
On the other hand, Powatier flustered as he ran up to Lian.
“L-Lord! Are you saying you’ll lend it to me right now?”
“Yes, Powatier.”
“Good heavens! Absolutely, absolutely not! Sullivan Bank won’t just stand by quietly!”
“That’s true.”
“And knowing that, you’re still doing this?”
Powatier struck his chest with his fist in frustration.
“Powatier, we’ll talk about that later. For now, it’s better if you step out.”
“My lord!”
“I’ll see you later.”
Lian smiled gently as he forcibly ushered Powatier out. As if daring him to watch, Powatier glared at Duran for a moment, then reluctantly moved aside.
“Thank you! Truly, thank you! I will never forget this favor for the rest of my life!”
As soon as Powatier left, Duran eagerly expressed his gratitude to Lian.
“There is, however, one condition.”
“R-really, thank you…?”
Duran’s joyful expression clouded instantly. Upon hearing the word “condition,” his face became as serious as it had the first time he met Lian.
“As the price for lending you money without collateral, you must make a promise to me. Only if you keep that promise can I help you.”
“…A promise?”
“Judge for yourself. It seems like it’s worth a shot for you, so would you hear my conditions?”
With a bright smile, Lian began a long explanation to the flustered Duran.
Crash! Bang!
Goset, already nervous by nature, was nearly in tears as his normally calm master hurled everything from the desk onto the floor.
“Begin.”
Sullivan muttered quietly, trying to calm his boiling anger. Goset quickly pulled out a sheet of paper from a pile of documents and read aloud.
“Adrian von Calista, Count. Eighteen years old this year. He became lord at twelve after his father passed. His family consists of his mother and one younger sister, and as far as I can tell, his estate includes only the castle and its lands.”
“Scale?”
“In terms of territory, it would rank among the top few in the empire. But most of the land is barren, with many marshes, so it’s more vast than useful.”
“Mines or anything profitable?”
“According to our survey, nothing of note.”
“If you were to convert the castle and lands to money, how much would it be worth?”
“Well, the area is so underdeveloped it’s hard to estimate market value…”
Goset wiped the sweat from his brow with his palm, nervously gauging his master’s reaction.
Sullivan, noticing—or perhaps sensing it—gave a cold, sharp command.
“Investigate it again. Money doesn’t matter; something’s suspicious. How could a country bumpkin like him have such funds? There must be a source. Find it. Whatever it is, I’ll seize it.”
“Master… perhaps he quietly accumulated his wealth over time while living in the countryside? Being so naive, it makes sense he rushed into this without knowing the full picture.”
“How much tax revenue could a rural estate produce? And he thinks that’s enough? Foolishness!”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Even after giving him leniency by letting him live in the castle, he still dares to betray me? How dare he underestimate Sullivan!”
Sullivan’s fists clenched, still outraged. A letter from the Chenovis family a few days ago had thrown Sullivan Bank into chaos.
It was opened with high expectations, given the circumstances. But its content was shocking enough to make one clutch their neck.
Dear Sir Sullivan,
Greetings. This is Duran von Chenovis.
I write to inform you that we have reclaimed the castle. Although it was difficult, we have overcome the crisis safely. We are grateful that we will not have to put McFarland up as collateral.
All of this was thanks to your concern, Sir Sullivan. I will never forget the friendship you have shown the Chenovis family.
I shall visit you next time.
Duran von Chenovis
Sullivan could not accept the letter. No matter how many times he read it, he could not understand.
Reclaiming the castle meant the debts had been repaid.
But if the debt was repaid, Sullivan should have known. He was the creditor, after all. He had orchestrated this from behind the scenes. So who had repaid the money without his knowledge?
Someone arrived urgently at that moment.
Usually intuitive, Sullivan instinctively knew what the visitor would say even before they spoke. This was someone Sullivan had previously sent out in the forefront of the affair.
Though momentarily stunned, Sullivan quickly launched an investigation. He had to know who had dared to lend money over his authority.
Before the results, he estimated a few likely candidates: those with poor relations with Sullivan or rival company heads.
But his guess was completely wrong. To his shock, it was the newly established Calista Bank, only a few months old, that repaid the Chenovis family’s debts.
It was a bank that had promoted itself widely and even started offering absurd “credit loans,” which had already drawn Sullivan’s interest.
Being blindsided by such an unexpected move left him infuriated. The effort Sullivan had put into the Chenovis family, and how long he had waited for this moment—McFarland was something he coveted above all else.
McFarland, a symbol of the Chenovis family, was not only fertile farmland but also rich in mineral veins—a fact he had discovered through secret investigations.
And now, because of a fledgling bank, it was lost. Surely, the Duke had already heard of this.
‘I cannot escape reprimand.’
Thinking of the Duke’s wrath caused a slight twitch near Sullivan’s eyes. Even he, who feared no emperor, feared the Duke above all.
Tap, tap.
Sullivan tapped his armrest with his nails—a long-standing habit when pondering a problem.
After some time, he rose and walked to the window, speaking aloud.
“Goset, if someone stole your belongings, what would you do?”
“…I’d retrieve them.”
It was a random question, but Goset answered without hesitation. Sullivan smiled wryly and turned to him.
“Exactly. You just get them back, no matter how long it takes.”
“…!”
“Until I give further orders, just observe both sides.”
By “both sides,” he likely meant the Chenovis family and Calista Bank. Goset nodded firmly in agreement.
“And find out what the conditions were as well.”
“Conditions…?”
“If Calista Bank lent such a large sum, they must have wanted something in return. Whatever it was, it wasn’t McFarland. That’s why the Chenovis family teamed up with them.”
“Ah…”
“Surely they wouldn’t lend that huge amount without collateral. I wonder what it was…”
As far as Sullivan knew, McFarland was the only asset left with the Chenovis family. He was genuinely curious what had been pledged as collateral.
“By the way, what time is the party tomorrow evening?”
“The party at Count Haysbert’s mansion?”
Since Sullivan was usually indifferent to parties, Goset looked puzzled.
“Any party will do. Preferably one with many people.”
In the capital, many noble houses held parties every night. Most hosts were the ladies, and sometimes rivalries arose between them over who attracted more guests.
“You know Lady Haysbert. If we host a party on the same day, all attention will turn to us. Tomorrow night, perhaps only the Count’s mansion will be brightly lit.”
“Really? Then I’ll ask her to send an invitation to him.”
“An invitation?”
“The recipient should be Count Calista.”
“You mean you’ll see him in person?”
“Incidentally. Since he’s in the capital, it’s a good opportunity. I’m very curious who he is. I need him to know exactly who I am.”
“Understood. But whether he attends or not is another matter.”
Sending an invitation does not guarantee attendance. It is entirely up to the recipient.
Still, Sullivan had a feeling he would come.
Everyone has intuition, and Sullivan’s was exceptional.
Rumor had it among nobles that the Chenovis Count lost his castle in a gambling debt. Most were sympathetic, but no one could repay it for him, so they kept quiet.
Then suddenly, rumors spread that Calista Bank had repaid all the Chenovis family debts.
The rumors, which started just hours ago, quickly reached every noble in the capital.
It was also said that the owner of Calista Bank would attend the party at Count Haysbert’s mansion the next evening.
The Countess Haysbert was competitive about how many nobles attended her parties. She immediately agreed to Sullivan’s request to send an invitation, instructing servants to notify nobles. Curiosity would draw even those usually uninterested in parties.
The amusing part? Lian only received the invitation after the rumors had fully spread.
“Invitation?”
Lian tilted his head as he received a red envelope from a servant.
“You said you didn’t know anyone in the capital?”
After the servant left, Asa jumped onto the sofa, looking curious, and Rakia paused eating fruit to watch Lian.
But the most curious person at that moment was Lian himself.
“I don’t. Did it come by mistake?”
“Doesn’t seem like it.”
Asa tapped the back of the envelope with a paw, as if to point something out.
“Huh? My name’s on it.”
On the recipient line, it read clearly: Adrian von Calista.
Curious, Lian quickly opened the envelope. Inside was a lavish gold-embossed card.
To Count Calista, you are cordially invited to attend the party. We hope you will honor us with your presence. Owl von Haysbert, Count.
“So it’s a party invitation?”
As soon as Lian finished reading aloud, Rakia frowned and shook his head, clearly disliking the idea of a party.
“The rumors must have spread already.”
Lian was momentarily surprised that a count whose face and name he didn’t know sent an invitation. But since he had expected something like this, he chuckled and shrugged.
“Still, that was fast.”
“Fast because what happened this time was extraordinary.”
Rakia resumed eating her fruit, glancing at Lian.
Lian wasn’t the only one surprised that he had repaid the Chenovis family’s debts. His mother, Regina, Asa, Rakia, and even all the staff at the bank were shocked.
None of them knew he had the financial means to lend such a huge sum.
Since few knew about Lair, that reaction was understandable.
Lian reassured his worried mother and Regina, explaining that he had diligently managed the estate finances and that they were more stable than expected.
Fortunately, because Lian had already done so much, they believed him without any suspicion.
But what about Rakia?
Asa was equally sharp-eyed. Both frequently gave Lian suspicious looks once or twice a day, noticing something unusual.
Moreover, Rakia had initially been upset that such an important decision had been made without consulting her at all.
