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Episode 4
Late Afternoon
After we buried my husband’s coffin at the edge of the family cemetery and returned home, the lawyer responsible for handling his will requested a meeting.
She was a woman in her early forties with brown eyes and black hair streaked with gray.
I led her into my late husband’s office—a room I could never stand.
This world looked like it was somewhere around the 18th century, but seeing women in professional careers wasn’t unusual.
That was because most people in the Empire followed a religion that encouraged women to work and participate in society.
Unfortunately, I had grown up in a family that followed a different religion—one that strictly separated men’s and women’s roles. Then I married into another family with the same beliefs.
As of today, I have decided I am officially done with religion.
“Please have a seat, Ms. Dolores.”
Dolores adjusted her glasses and looked surprised.
“You know my name?”
“Of course. We’ve run into each other in the hallways a couple of times.”
That wasn’t the real reason I remembered her.
The truth was that Dolores had helped me in my previous life timeline.
When Bliss and I were wandering the streets after being thrown out of the Arista family, she was one of the few people who helped us.
Because of her recommendation letter, I was able to get work as a tutor.
By the time I finally regained the Arista family and wanted to repay her kindness, it was already too late.
Fifteen years later, Dolores died in a carriage accident.
It was a cruel ending for someone who had spent half her life quietly helping single mothers, widows, and orphans.
Thinking about it made me unexpectedly emotional.
Then I noticed something strange.
Dolores looked nervous.
As expected, she carefully spoke first.
“I think there may be a misunderstanding. I only handled the late Marquis’s legal affairs. I had nothing to do with what happened to you.”
I blinked.
Then I realized what was going on.
Ah. She thinks I blame her.
I quickly waved my hands.
“Don’t worry, Ms. Dolores. I don’t have any bad feelings toward you. Honestly, if money weren’t involved, would anyone willingly continue working for the Marquis after he changed family lawyers more than ten times? Ah… perhaps that was a rude thing to say. Sorry.”
She cleared her throat.
“It’s alright. The late Marquis’s habit of physically assaulting his lawyers was fairly well known.”
I felt too embarrassed to even lift my head.
At the same time, it only strengthened my determination.
I have to succeed.
I have to show the entire Empire that my husband and I are not the same kind of people.
When someone becomes successful, people naturally become interested in their past.
Just wait.
One day, the whole Empire would learn exactly what kind of horrible man the late Marquis had been.
And beyond that…
I need power.
Not Bliss. Me.
I clenched my fist.
I had only returned to the past a day ago, but my resolve was already firm.
After surviving countless hardships—and even being murdered by my own son—I had learned something important.
The only way to protect myself and the things I cared about was to become powerful.
I had already seen what happened when I gave power to Bliss.
The result has been disastrous.
I got poisoned to death.
Bliss was exactly the kind of person who bowed to the strong and bullied the weak.
So if I wanted to survive, I needed power myself.
Whether that power came from money or political influence.
And if I have power, maybe I can raise Bliss properly this time.
Honestly, even now, my thoughts keep circling back to parenting.
But what could I do?
I couldn’t let Bliss murder me again.
And despite everything, I didn’t have the heart to abandon him somewhere or abuse him out of revenge.
Most importantly, raising a child was a parent’s responsibility.
Even if I wasn’t the one who gave birth to him.
So, Bliss… please grow up healthy this time.
Just don’t become the same disaster you were before.
This life’s goal was simple:
Raise my child well.
Build my own future.
Both.
Finally organizing my thoughts, I rang the bell on the table.
Mary entered the office immediately.
“Milady, did you call for me?”
“We have a guest. Please bring tea.”
I turned toward Dolores.
“You like herbal tea, don’t you?”
“…Yes.”
“Then let’s continue talking once the tea arrives.”
For the first time in a very long time, I smiled calmly.
A Huge Inheritance
The scent of rosemary tea slowly filled the office.
Dolores reviewed the contents of the will.
“Lady Arista, you will inherit the Arista family’s townhouse, country estate, four vacation villas, three tons of gold stored in Brewer Bank, and three billion gold in cash.”
“Even hearing it again is shocking.”
“It seems the late Marquis loved you very much. He left everything to you. In fact, your son Bliss isn’t even mentioned in the will.”
I snorted.
“Love? Don’t make me laugh.”
Then I coldly pointed out what she was trying not to mention.
“He enjoyed watching Julia desperately try to get her name added to the will. Besides, he honestly believed he would never die. He probably thought I’d never inherit any of this.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“You know it too, don’t you? Julia tried to add both her name and Bliss’s name to the will.”
Dolores stayed silent.
“She probably planned to push me aside, become Bliss’s guardian, and control the entire Arista family through him.”
“Oh my. You look surprised that I figured it out.”
I smiled.
“Despite what my husband believed, I’m not stupid.”
“My apologies.”
“It’s fine. But don’t misunderstand me.”
“Excuse me?”
“I don’t dislike you, Ms. Dolores.”
“I understand.”
She sounded cold, but I knew she was kind.
“I’m glad. I’d like us to become friends.”
Then I made an offer.
“How about becoming the Arista family’s official lawyer?”
“I’m sorry, but I must respectfully decline.”
“…What?”
That answer caught me completely off guard.
Cold sweat ran down my back.
I forced a smile.
“Well, I suppose I do have a lot of legal battles waiting for me.”
And I wasn’t wrong.
The family’s retainers hadn’t even attended the Marquis’s funeral.
That alone showed how awful his reputation had become.
Just then, the grandfather clock chimed.
Seven o’clock.
Right on time.
The uninvited guest has arrived.
I stood up.
Dolores looked confused.
“Lady Arista? Do you have somewhere to be?”
“No.”
I walked toward the door.
“The person outside does.”
Before she could ask another question, I threw the door open.
The Debt Collector
“Let go of me! I need to see Lady Arista immediately!”
A furious middle-aged nobleman was struggling against Mary.
He looked to be in his early fifties, with a permanently sour expression.
“Baron, please stop! At least show some respect for a woman who just lost her husband!”
“You insolent little wench!”
THUD!
The Baron shoved Mary.
She crashed onto the hard floor and rolled across the hallway.
Then he raised his cane.
“How dare a mere maid block a noble’s path!”
He was about to strike her.
But before he could.
I grabbed his arm.
“That’s enough.”
I stared directly at him.
“Stop taking your anger out on an innocent maid. You’re here to see me, aren’t you?”
The Baron stiffened.
“Ahem…”
He lowered the cane.
“When did you get here?”
“Long enough.”
Even while pretending to be polite, he rudely shook my hand off.
Then he immediately got to the point.
“Lady Arista! Repay the money the late Marquis borrowed from me!”
There it is.
Exactly as expected.
But unlike before, I had absolutely no intention of paying.
Because this time I knew better.
Scammers are the same no matter what world you’re in.
He reminded me of something from my previous life on Earth.
A relative of mine had gone through the same thing.
Right after a funeral, a man claiming to be a close friend of the deceased had appeared demanding repayment of a debt.
He even threatened legal action.
This felt the same.
Apparently, I stayed silent for too long.
When I looked back, I saw Dolores watching me sympathetically.
She had once told me she had dealt with debt collectors after losing her husband.
Still, she didn’t interfere.
She knew the rules.
No matter how poorly I was treated, I was still a noble.
A commoner couldn’t interfere in noble affairs unless explicitly invited.
That was simply how society worked.
Dolores seemed ready to leave.
“Then I’ll be taking my leave.”
But I stopped her.
“No. Please stay.”
“…What?”
I smiled.
“Remain by my side for the next hour.”
She blinked.
“And I’ll pay you one hundred million gold as your legal fee.”
“…?!”
Dolores froze.
The Baron’s face wasn’t looking much better.
And just like that.
The real battle over the Arista family’s inheritance was about to begin
