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CHAPTER 11
Agathe brought a letter early in the morning.
“It’s the first correspondence from the Duke of Dinero.”
The fish had finally taken the bait.
When the Duke hadn’t replied at all, I’d thought of only one option:
‘Then I’ll make him summon me.’
Just as I’d expected, things were going smoothly.
Still, I hadn’t thought the letter would arrive so soon—it was almost absurd.
“He was completely unresponsive when I asked for help with the countship succession… and yet—”
The moment Tara Transport’s revenue took a hit, he contacted me immediately?
Please visit the Ducal Residence of Dinero sometime this week at your convenience.
– René Émile
Though the letter came from the Duke’s aide, it was clearly on the Duke’s orders—no further explanation needed.
What was surprising was the full week he offered for the visit.
‘I thought he’d demand I come immediately.’
He was more gentlemanly than expected.
Still, I prepared for the journey that same day.
I was a bit concerned he might hold a grudge about how I’d unilaterally released Artur, but…
‘Well, who cares? I just want to inherit the title and start the real work!’
Just in case, I also brought the documents detailing Artur’s misconduct. The file was quite thick.
That evening.
Apparently not expecting me so soon, René Émile looked surprised to see me.
“Lady Jacqueline?”
“Yes, I’m Clemence Jacqueline. Is the Duke available?”
“He’s currently reading. Would you mind waiting?”
“Not at all.”
Led by the aide, I entered the Duke’s estate—vast and overwhelmingly grand.
‘They say he’s second only to the imperial family in wealth.’
The opulence struck me anew.
Those stained-glass windows and tapestries… how much did all of this cost? The air reeked of money.
‘Maybe I should decorate like this someday.’
While gawking at the castle’s artistic splendor, I eventually arrived at the drawing room.
“Please wait a moment.”
Left alone, I sat and thought about the Dinero family.
Unusually, their succession wasn’t based on bloodline, but selection—the successor was chosen directly.
And the only qualification?
‘The ability to make money.’
That’s all they looked at.
Which is why the previous Duke and the current one weren’t related at all.
Click.
The door opened, and in walked a stern-looking old man.
His hair was completely white, and though he was over seventy, his build rivaled any young man’s.
‘So that’s the Empire’s greatest tycoon… maybe even wealthier than the imperial family.’
He looked exactly like Scrooge.
Even remaining single all his life—how textbook.
It was obvious where the author got inspiration for this character, but in the original story, he hadn’t played a major role.
By the time Lennox became a tyrant, he was no longer alive.
I vaguely remembered his successor, the next Duke of Dinero, being beheaded alongside the emperor.
“Hello. It’s been a while, Duke Dinero.”
I stood and bowed respectfully. The Duke glanced at me and silently took the seat across from mine.
His deep blue eyes, sharp and unwavering, held an undeniable presence.
I smiled brightly and continued speaking.
“I couldn’t believe it when I got a reply from someone who had ignored all my previous succession letters.”
What I really wanted to say was, “You damn old man, give me back my title.” Who did they think they were, meddling in the fate of my family?
My roundabout jab at his silence made his brow twitch.
“I felt the same. It was hard to believe the little girl who cried her eyes out at the funeral actually drove Artur out and demanded succession.”
Ah, so he’d written me off as spam mail.
“…Well, I really was sad back then.”
Back then, I was furious—I’d saved someone and died, only to wake up in this mess.
“I used to think the same. But now, it doesn’t feel genuine anymore. Strange, isn’t it?”
I flinched inside. Did he just read me like a book?
This old man was no pushover.
“How could you say something so hurtful to a poor orphaned girl?”
“Doesn’t it embarrass you to say that yourself?”
“Not in the slightest.”
The Duke let out a short, incredulous laugh and waved a hand, signaling the topic was over.
“This old man is as impatient as you are. Time is money—and even more so for the elderly.”
Translation: ‘You rushed here the moment you got the letter, and I’m just as impatient. So let’s get to the point.’
Catching his implied meaning, I shrugged.
“Go ahead.”
He sipped from his teacup before speaking, his voice sharp.
“What exactly did you do?”
The atmosphere turned serious.
I tilted my head innocently.
“Have you ever seen a businessman spill trade secrets so easily?”
“I thought you were a blockhead, but you’re a clever fox.”
“Please call me brilliant, if you don’t mind.”
The fact that I didn’t deny being a fox made the Duke chuckle.
“Then answer me this—whose brain came up with the brilliant idea to crush Tara Transport and make a profit?”
Calling such a ruthless move “brilliant” was… oddly courteous. I appreciated it for all of two seconds. Now give me my title already.
“A daughter who, unlike her father, has a sharp nose for profit.”
“Ahahahaha!”
The Duke’s laughter boomed throughout the drawing room. Apparently, he really liked my answer.
‘The Duke and my father didn’t get along, right?’
Count Jacqueline had considered anything involving financial shortcuts or shady tricks utterly filthy.
He was almost stubbornly moral.
You could say he was the complete opposite of the Duke of Dinero.
Their business dealings often led to public spats.
Ironically, my father’s upright business ethics made him get along well with the Duke of Euclid. The two were close…
‘And now I’ve managed to antagonize both sides.’
Looking back, I couldn’t imagine a harsher situation for someone who’d reincarnated like I had.
“In seventy years, I’ve never seen someone transform so fast in just five.”
Sensing the opportunity, I immediately cut to the chase.
“Then please approve the succession.”
“No.”
“…Why not?”
I raised my voice without thinking.
“You shouldn’t concern yourself with adult matters.”
A vein throbbed in my forehead.
So he called me here just to ask a business question?
‘Who does this geezer think he’s playing with?!’
Fury welled up from deep inside, but the only person in the Empire who could push the Duke around was the Emperor himself.
‘The sorrow of a powerless life…’
I swallowed my frustration and said,
“You love money, right? Don’t you think we’d make great business partners?”
“Hmph. That remains to be seen. I’ve been stabbed in the back so many times, it’s like my back is flat now.”
That was clearly aimed at my father.
The Duke sighed and put down his teacup.
“What will you do when the school break ends?”
“…I’ll stay at home, I guess.”
“Dropping out?”
“Graduating.”
I left out the “early” part, but from his look of interest, he clearly understood the implication.
“So you’ll be staying at the count’s estate long-term.”
“Yes, which is why I want the succession confirmed quickly.”
The Duke gave me a thoughtful smile.
“Then come to my estate once a week. Keep this old man company.”
He wanted weekly visits when I barely had enough time to make money?
Just imagining it made me frown without thinking.
The Duke took a sip of tea and muttered,
“Who knows? If we build a bond, I might just change my mind…”
I straightened up and solemnly placed a hand on my chest.
“I shall now devote myself to filial piety, my lord.”
