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Episode 6
The viscount was dragged out of the office by the guards.
His desperate screaming pulled my attention back to reality.
“No! This can’t be happening! Aaaagh!”
He looked so wronged and upset that anyone watching would think I was the scammer, not him.
As someone old enough to know better, I found the viscount absolutely pathetic.
While the guards were still taking him away, one knight remained behind and approached me.
He was a middle-aged man with a handsome dark beard, probably around the same age as Dolores—somewhere in his forties.
He greeted me politely.
“My introduction is overdue, Madam Marchioness. I’m Sir Hubert.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Charlotte D. Arista.”
“My condolences for your loss.”
I simply nodded in response.
Hubert continued.
“You’ve already been through a difficult time, and then a fraudster shows up on top of that. You must have suffered a lot.”
“Thank you for your concern. But I can handle something like this.”
And I truly meant it.
After all, I had raised Bliss through countless hardships over the years.
Smiling lightly, I glanced behind me.
“Rather than me, Dolores is the one who worked the hardest.”
Dolores stepped forward and held out her hand.
“Nice to meet you. I’m the lawyer in charge of executing the late marquis’s will.”
Hubert shook her hand willingly.
“I’m Hubert. If it’s alright with both of you, could you give a witness statement? We’ll need it to send that criminal to prison.”
I nodded immediately.
Dolores, however, did not.
“Before that, there’s something you should know.”
Suddenly, she looked directly at me.
As usual, her expression was calm and unreadable.
“Madam, I must respectfully decline the one hundred million gold fee you offered me.”
Hubert gasped.
“One hundred million gold?!”
Honestly, I was shocked too.
Even for me, the former lady of the Arista family, that wasn’t a small amount of money.
The Empire’s currency was divided into copper, silver, and gold.
One hundred million gold was worth roughly a billion in modern currency.
Not that I was looking down on Dolores, but how many ordinary people ever got to touch that much money in their lives?
No matter how I thought about it, I couldn’t understand why she would reject such a huge amount.
Surely she isn’t refusing because it’s too little… Does she just not like me?
That would be a disaster.
I needed her for everything that was coming in the future.
This is bad. I can’t think of another lawyer as reliable as Dolores.
Fortunately, my worry didn’t last long.
Someone once said you should always hear the rest of what a person has to say.
Finally, Dolores continued.
“However, I will accept your offer to become the Arista family’s exclusive lawyer.”
“Eeeeeek!”
I was so happy I squealed.
I immediately threw my arms around her neck.
“Dolores! Thank you! Thank you so much!”
The moment I hugged her, I felt her entire body go stiff.
Still, she didn’t push me away or tell me to let go.
Encouraged by that tiny bit of acceptance, I hugged her even tighter.
With a small sigh, she gently patted my shoulder.
“It’s too early to celebrate.”
Her voice sounded completely drained.
Only then did I release her.
Clenching both fists, I tried to reassure her.
“No way! Don’t worry, Dolores! Our future is going to be amazing!”
Suddenly, a groan escaped Hubert’s mouth.
I narrowed my eyes.
“What’s wrong, Sir Hubert?”
“My apologies, Madam. But I don’t think we can accept Miss Dolores’s testimony as evidence.”
“What? Why?”
“Even though she declined the one hundred million gold fee, she just agreed to become the Arista family’s lawyer.”
“So you’re saying her testimony can no longer be considered objective.”
“Exactly. And from what I saw, your relationship with the viscount wasn’t exactly friendly either.”
But I wasn’t worried about failing to send the viscount to prison.
“It’s alright. Dolores isn’t the only proof that he’s a gambler.”
My confident smile made Dolores widen her eyes while Hubert perked up immediately.
“Don’t tell me there’s another witness?”
“No. Something even better.”
I handed him the item I had moved into the office before meeting Dolores.
Hubert awkwardly accepted the thick leather-bound notebook and opened it.
“This is… the late Marquis Arista’s notebook.”
“That’s right. And inside it is not only proof that the viscount is a gambler, but also the location of an illegal gambling house.”
Hubert looked stunned.
“If that’s true, we can arrest not only the viscount but also the gamblers and operators involved with the illegal casino!”
I puffed out my chest proudly, but stopped when I saw Hubert’s expression.
He seemed nervous as he looked at me.
“But Madam, are you really sure? If this notebook is submitted as evidence, the whole world will learn that your late husband was involved in gambling.”
Smiling sweetly, I took the notebook back from him.
Without batting an eye, I began lying.
“To be honest, I’m not okay with it. No matter how much the Arista family’s reputation has fallen, gambling is still a serious crime forbidden by the Imperial Family.”
Gulp.
Hubert swallowed hard.
I could practically see the desire in his eyes as he stared at the notebook.
With the information inside, he could wipe out several illegal casinos at once. And a case this big would almost certainly earn him a promotion.
Smiling leisurely, I handed the notebook back.
“In that case, could you arrange a meeting with the commander of the Arista Knights?”
Hubert quickly grabbed the notebook.
“Of course! But may I ask why you want to meet the commander?”
Instead of answering, I gave him a meaningful smile.
I turned to Dolores.
“Dolores, as the Arista family’s lawyer, please negotiate with the commander regarding the fines. I hope the importance of that notebook will reduce the amount the Arista family has to pay.”
The late marquis couldn’t be thrown into prison anymore.
But the family would probably still be hit with a massive fine.
As the person who had just inherited the estate, I definitely didn’t want that.
Fortunately, Dolores exceeded my expectations.
Two days later, she returned with wonderful news.
The final fine was:
Zero gold.
Two Days Later
On a weekday morning, I welcomed Dolores at a tea table set up in the garden.
I couldn’t stop thanking her.
“You’re amazing, Dolores! You reduced the fine to zero gold!”
“I merely did my job.”
“Hehe. Being modest is just like you.”
Smiling warmly, I pushed a three-tier tray filled with sandwiches, madeleines, and other finger foods toward her.
During the two days Dolores spent negotiating with the knight commander, I had gone to the bank and withdrawn money.
As a result, I could finally enjoy a proper tea party with her.
And I even bought a new black dress while I was at it.
I was no longer wearing that worn-out mourning dress that looked ready to tear apart at any moment.
I hadn’t had enough time to order a custom-made dress, so I had to alter a brand-new dress that someone else had never come to pick up.
Still, compared to the old one, this is basically a princess dress. It even has proper lace.
A noblewoman, even during mourning, was expected to wear elegant dresses decorated with lace, frills, and ribbons.
It was basically a public announcement saying:
“I’m part of the top one per cent of the Empire.”
“Does the tea suit your taste? I know you prefer herbal tea, but this one was specially imported from the East—”
“I’ve wanted to say something for a while.”
Dolores suddenly interrupted me and raised an eyebrow.
Seeing her unusually serious expression, I blinked.
For a moment, I worried she was about to quit as the family’s lawyer.
Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.
In her usual blunt manner, she said:
“From now on, just call me Dolores.”
“Uh… all of a sudden?”
“Did you just say ‘all of a sudden’?”
A dangerous glint flashed in her eyes.
“Since we’re discussing it, what noble lady speaks politely to her employees? And not just me—you even used polite speech with an ordinary guard the other day. Do you intend to make me work for a family with no sense of proper etiquette?!”
Oops.
With my memories from 21st-century Earth, it was hard for me to fully understand.
But this world had no gender discrimination.
Instead, its class discrimination was on an entirely different level.
People like Dolores, members of the middle class, took pride in serving prestigious noble families.
My mouth fell open.
“So… you really have decided to become one of my people. If you only saw me as a client, you wouldn’t bother correcting my mistakes.”
Come to think of it…
Why didn’t I notice before? Dolores’s ears are bright red!
Embarrassed, she hesitated for a moment before putting on her usual cold expression again.
“I simply didn’t want to miss a good opportunity.”
“Hmm. Well, lawyers, accountants, and administrators employed by noble families usually keep those positions for generations, so openings rarely appear.”
I nodded casually.
But the look Dolores gave me was strangely complicated.
Tilting my head, I asked:
“Is there something else you wanted to say?”
She gently touched the handle of her teacup for a moment before finally speaking.
“Yesterday… why did you send me one hundred million gold?”
“I clearly told you I was refusing the one hundred million gold fee.”
