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Chapter – 25
Beneath Xian’s feet, the treasure Jane had hidden finally came to light.
“Showing me your pathetic little household?”
Jane shivered at the mocking tone in Xian’s voice.
Jane’s brilliant plan had been to pretend she had no money. If she didn’t appear to have any, there would be nothing to take! She had convinced herself that by hiding jewels, expensive tableware, and valuable trinkets under the floorboards, she had completely erased any evidence.
But pretending she had no money didn’t make the money disappear. Nor did it erase the debts she still had to repay.
Jane, hiding her treasures beneath the floor and covering them with a carpet, walked proudly.
She believed that as long as she didn’t reveal where the items were hidden, even the guild’s debt collectors couldn’t do anything. They’d leave once suspicion faded, right?
It was a naive thought.
The moment Jane opened the door more easily than expected, Xian instinctively knew.
“Seems she tried something shallow.”
Entering the house, Xian heightened his senses. With his eyes blindfolded, he relied on hearing and touch. Not a single sound of footsteps or flow of air escaped him.
As he stepped onto the carpet, he realized something was beneath it.
“The floor tilts differently. The boards aren’t fitted properly. The dull sound shows the space is packed solid.”
Carefully, he moved and pried the floor with his sword, locating the hidden items.
Jane screamed, drawing the attention of the real debt collectors already inspecting the interior.
“How… How did you know it was there without seeing?”
“Not everything is visible.”
“This is impossible…!”
“Appraise it.”
“Yes, sir!”
A huge number of candles were lit in the darkened house.
The debt collectors pulled out the items hidden under the floor. They produced tools from their cloaks and appraised the jewels and goods.
Xian spoke to the trembling Jane without a trace of emotion.
“Why didn’t you run?”
“R-run? I haven’t done anything wrong! Why would I run?”
It was laughable. She thought she had no reason to flee despite committing adultery and taking another’s property to live in luxury.
“Do you know what monogamy is? Imperial law forbids relationships outside marriage.”
“I know! I know, but I’m not the only one! Most nobles do it! Why is it only me?”
“Knowing something is wrong but justifying it because others do it—where does such logic come from?”
“That…”
“And besides, ‘most nobles do it’—how many nobles have you actually talked to to make such a hasty generalization?”
Jane bit her lip and then shouted, almost hysterically.
“I did it because I love him! I couldn’t help it, even knowing it was wrong! You wouldn’t understand because you’ve never been in love, right?”
“That’s true. I’ve never experienced love.”
“See! You know nothing!”
Xian lowered his head and muttered slowly.
“So, this ‘great love’ you pursued knowing it was wrong—what became of it?”
“Ugh. That… that is…”
“As soon as your affair was discovered, you hid away, barely showing yourself. If that’s your idea of love, I’d rather never experience it.”
“Ugh…”
Jane lowered her head completely.
Xian’s words were undeniably true.
She had been comforted by the thought that ‘other nobles do it,’ but that advice came from Teodoro. Jane had never discussed it with any other noble.
The affair was wrong. She thought love justified it, but that great love abandoned her father to take the blame and then hid away.
Realizing that every whisper from the man she trusted was a lie, Jane felt devastated.
“Filthy bastard. Damn him! I hope he falls flat on his face!”
Xian watched Jane tremble.
Still, this woman was better than Teodoro—she didn’t collapse or faint before a sword.
“Alias, this is still insufficient,” one appraiser reported.
It was expected. Jane could not possibly have kept all the money Teodoro had given her.
He had given her money for days on end. It had gone into food, discarded dresses, broken dishes, even servants’ pockets.
The guild and banks had confirmed there was no money left long ago.
All Jane had were a few treasures hidden under the floorboards and the house itself.
“There’s no choice, Jane. You’ll have to leave this house.”
“What did you say?”
“Didn’t you just hear? The treasures you hid cannot repay all the money Teodoro gave you.”
Jane’s face twisted in disbelief.
Xian calmly explained, exercising deep patience.
“This house was purchased with money your father embezzled from the Elrosa family. Naturally, it must be returned. The house wasn’t even that expensive originally, but… thanks to you, there are people lining up to buy it.”
“No! This is my house! I won’t leave!”
“Though it doesn’t really matter,” Xian muttered without emotion.
“Since you ruined the Crown Prince’s birthday party, it will make a fine spectacle for others. You’ll be like a human fishbowl.”
“That… that can’t be! People can’t know about this!”
How could Xian and the debt collectors even get here?
Exhausted from the conversation, Jane’s mind was racing. How could Teodoro have ever liked this woman? Was that what made his so-called love ‘great’?
Xian ordered the collectors to gather the items. Jane tried to stop them, but Xian’s sword barred her.
“Do not make a scene. I am sparing your life, not because I respect you.”
“Sniff… That’s cruel…”
“Do not think this is cruel. I am not throwing you out without a plan.”
“Plan?”
Xian pulled out the letter Rachel had given him earlier in the day.
“Here is the information you need.”
Jane received the letter with trembling hands and unfolded it.
[Current residence of Teodoro Elrosa
221B, Townhouse Street, in front of the Imperial Palace]
Tears welled up in Jane’s eyes, whether out of gratitude or anger. She looked up at Xian, who shrugged.
“Tonight is late. Clear out the house by tomorrow. You may take anything the collectors didn’t gather that you need.”
“Waaah!”
Jane finally broke down, crying like a child.
Meanwhile, Teodoro, separated from Rachel, had been obsessing over the same thought for days.
‘Why does love always bring me so much trouble…!’
Rachel had helped him by framing him for embezzlement and tax evasion, but now the marriage was annulled.
For the romantic Teodoro, losing the title mattered less than the annulled marriage.
Rachel had coldly declared the divorce. It wasn’t like her, so surely some misunderstanding had occurred.
Could it be because of the rebellion? Perhaps she feared him for supposedly plotting against the crown.
If that was the case, it was easy. It wasn’t really a rebellion, just an affair. Convince Rachel of that.
‘Rachel knowingly framed me for embezzlement while aware of my affair. Surely she can forgive a minor indiscretion. Ah, I only now realize the depth of her love for me!’
Now, Teodoro could only rely on Rachel.
He had lost much. Berengela drank herself into oblivion while beating her son. His title was gone, and the council sought to seize the Elrosa family’s wealth.
Rachel was clever enough to frame Karl after years of deceiving the tax authority. She could probably help him reclaim his title.
Even if she couldn’t, she was originally a daughter of the Fram Count family. He could revive her family’s title and marry into it.
He had already erased from memory the Fram family’s annihilation by his hands.
‘Ah, Rachel. Fate conspires to keep us apart! But I will never give up!’
Teodoro burned brighter when challenged.
‘My holy savior who will rescue me from crisis. Now that I recognize your worth, you will forgive me, right? Love is great, and you love me! Wait, I’m coming!’
Of course, Rachel did not meet him.
“Rachel, Rachel! I’m here!”
He rang the doorbell and knocked, but no one appeared.
‘Perhaps she’s out? Well, there’s nothing I can do.’
He left a note.
[Dear Rachel, I want to talk to you. I need your help!
I live at 221B, Townhouse Street, in front of the Imperial Palace. Please come if you see this note.
Your love, Teodoro Elrosa]
Having been hidden away, Teodoro revealed his location himself.
Someone near the Elrosa mansion delivered the note. Rachel remembered the address and sent it to Jane via Xian.
Teodoro waited, expecting Rachel to come once she knew where he was.
But days passed, and Rachel did not come. There was no news; rumors even spread that Rachel had moved.
Eventually, Teodoro commissioned the guild to search for her.
Just as he waited anxiously, the townhouse bell rang.
Teodoro cheered, while Berengela’s face twisted.
“Who could that be?”
“Seems to be Rachel. I gave her the address,” came the reply.
Without hesitation, Teodoro flung open the door.
“Rachel! Come in—uh?”
Standing at the door was not Rachel, but Jane. She looked like a drenched rabbit, defeated, carrying several large bundles.
Teodoro froze at Jane’s unexpected appearance.
“J-Jane? How… how did you—”
Upon hearing her name, Berengela leapt from her seat.
