Chapter 50
Her sunken eyes, sallow skin, and unwashed, disheveled hair made her nearly unrecognizable even to those who once knew her well.
And yet, her gaze still carried a strange light that made her appearance uncanny.
The Marchioness of Moulton pulled her scarf tighter over her face as she walked.
As she moved, she pressed the documents hidden in her bosom with her palm, confirming they were still there.
“Truly, this will be the last time… Just one more, this time it won’t fail.”
Muttering like someone possessed, she headed toward the Twist Merchant Guild.
It was the place she had been visiting nearly every two days recently.
At first, she came at dawn, doing her best to avoid being seen, but now she came even in broad daylight.
That was how desperate she had become.
The Marchioness of Moulton gripped the doorknob at the entrance and hesitated.
She knew she was mad.
But she could not stop.
If she were discovered now, the only ending left for her was ruin.
And yet, she had already crossed the line where discovery could no longer be avoided.
Most of her jewelry was already gone.
The farmland and stables her family had given her as dowry were gone as well.
Even the brewery she had reserved as an inheritance for her second son now belonged to the Twist Guild.
And now, the document in her bosom was the deed of ownership for the very mansion she lived in.
She had stolen it from her husband, the Marquis of Moulton’s, vault.
Her hand on the doorknob tightened.
They said I would have a month’s grace.
As long as she repaid the money within a month, the property would be returned.
The mansion was worth more than everything she had already pawned combined.
If she borrowed against it and doubled the money, she could reclaim everything she had put up as collateral and still make a profit.
With that hopeful reasoning, the Marchioness finally pushed the door open.
But before she could, the door swung inward.
“Ah, Stephan…”
Stephan greeted her with a bright smile, stepping aside as he held the door.
“Please, come in.”
Stephan was always courteous.
Yet, at a glance, his clothes and accessories looked far finer than when she had first met him.
Noticing the change, the Marchioness slowly stepped inside.
Stephan shut the door behind her and locked it quietly so she would not notice.
It would be troublesome if some passerby wandered in, wanting to buy actual goods.
“Please sit down. I’ll bring some tea.”
She sat in her usual place, now all too familiar.
Nervously, she bit her lip and tapped her foot as she waited for him.
Soon Stephan returned, as always, with tea and a ledger, and sat down before her.
But the moment he set the teacup on the table, the Marchioness of Moulton grabbed his arm tightly with both hands.
“Stephan.”
Though a little startled, Stephan smiled calmly at her.
“Yes, my lady. Please, go on.”
Gently, he pulled his arm from her grip and leaned back slightly to avoid being caught again.
“Please, give me just a little more. What I’ve brought this time is practically our family’s entire fortune.”
“My lady, I’ve already given you better terms than any other customer. The usual interest is fifty percent, yet you pay only forty-five.”
“But even forty-five is…”
Her face darkened.
“My lady, if only you had taken a larger sum when I offered twenty-five percent interest at the start, you would be much better off now.
That was a most generous decision from my master.”
“Couldn’t you speak with your master to lower the interest?”
“If I did, he might instead demand immediate repayment of everything you’ve borrowed so far.”
“Ah… that can’t be.”
The Marchioness clutched her head in despair at the thought.
Stephan’s eyes grew cold as he watched her, but as soon as she looked up, he smiled again.
“My lady, think carefully.
Among the guilds here, none can provide such large sums at once except us.
The rest are run by small-time trash. Some of them demand collateral not in goods, but in people.”
“P-people?”
Her face went pale.
“What do they do with… people?”
“There are those with peculiar tastes. Whether for lust… or appetite.”
At his words, dreadful images filled her mind.
She imagined herself as a slave, violated, or butchered like meat to be sold.
Her hands trembled violently, and Stephan watched her with amusement.
He had frightened her enough.
Now it was time to soothe.
“Do not worry, my lady. We do not commit such barbaric acts.”
“Y-yes… of course…”
“Now, have some tea and calm yourself. Then we can discuss further.”
Obediently, she sipped the tea he offered.
It had a bitter, peculiar taste, yet strangely, each sip lifted her spirits.
A sense of confidence welled up, as if she could accomplish anything.
Yes, so what. I’ve already crossed the point of no return. I must open the path back again.
Resolute, she rustled inside her clothing and pulled out an envelope.
It was once stiff and crisp, but now was crumpled from being hidden close to her.
“May I look?”
“…Mm.”
Even as she laid it down, she seemed reluctant.
Stephan already suspected what was inside but feigned ignorance as he opened the envelope.
As expected, it was the deed of ownership for the mansion.
Signed in her own hand.
Stephan smirked inwardly.
She’s gone mad, truly.
Selling her house for the sake of gambling?
Of course, the Twist Guild always slashed the value of collateral by half.
The Moulton mansion must be worth a fortune, yet she was throwing it away like this.
Still, he hid his true thoughts well.
He folded the paper neatly and set it on the table.
“My lady, there is one matter I must raise.”
“What is it?”
“You have yet to pay even a single coin of interest on the money you’ve borrowed so far.”
“…So you mean you’ll refuse further dealings with me?”
She seemed more anxious about him cutting her off than about having given up the mansion.
“Not exactly. But perhaps you should pay some portion first.
That way, my master will continue to trust you as a client.
You understand, we have granted you a month’s grace, which means we currently hold your collateral without gaining any profit from it.”
“And what are you suggesting?”
“Let us do this.
We will lend against your mansion, but deduct about half of the interest you should have already paid from the amount.”
“B-but you’ll still give me the money?”
She pressed him impatiently, and Stephan replied.
“Yes, my lady.”
“Then, how much will it be?”
Stephan looked at her with pity.
She had no idea how terrifying forty-five percent interest could be.
The amount was already decided, of course, but he deliberately picked up his pen and pretended to calculate.
“How many years old is your mansion?”
“About thirty years since it was built.”
“Quite old, then. And the garden, compared to others, is not very large…”
“But it has been tended with great care. In person, it is beautiful.”
“Beauty is subjective. And besides…”
Stephan continued pointing out flaws in the mansion, establishing grounds for the value he was about to name.
“How about one billion gold?”
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