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Chapter – 14
Bellian’s eyes flashed sharply. But in her expression, a faint doubt had begun to take root.
“That can’t be true.”
“We’ll see about that. Anyway, we came to inform you that a recovery lawsuit will be filed against you. If you cannot become the Marchioness of Azbek, you will be completely ruined. A mistress who clung to a married Marquis. A woman who drained money from an old man. Everything you enjoy will become ammunition for public ridicule.”
The more I spoke with her, the calmer I became.
“That nice house? Even if you bought it, people will say you only have it because you clung to an old man. Your beautiful appearance? They’ll say you used it for shameless affairs. Everything you do will be criticized. Meanwhile, the Marquis will continue freely meeting other women.”
“No! That’s not true. It can’t be!”
Her certainty was already wavering.
“Try asking him to marry you right now. He’ll tell you that if he marries you immediately, it will expose the asset transfer and trigger a recovery lawsuit—so you should wait. And while you wait believing him, what will you be left with? The money will be taken back… and only aging will remain. Youth and beauty don’t last long.”
“……”
“There are already many younger and more beautiful women in the Empire than you. Youth fades like the seasons.”
I smiled softly at her.
“So think carefully. I’m saying this for your sake—as a woman.”
“So you want me to return the money, right? That’s it, isn’t it? You’re telling me to give it back. No. I trust him.”
“Yes. You should trust him. Just like every other woman who bore the Marquis’s children trusted him. They all believed they would stay by his side forever, that they would become the Marchioness. But in the end, there was always only one Marchioness. Even those who bore his children were discarded. So… do you really think you’ll be different?”
There was no need to say more. I turned away.
“Hey—where are you going!”
“Do you want to hear more? Do you want me to continue describing your future?”
“No. Go away! I don’t want to hear anything from you. I don’t care what you say. The Marquis has told me how much he loves me!”
At that moment, her gaze shifted past me—toward the Marchioness standing behind.
For a brief moment, Bellian avoided Lily’s eyes.
So she at least knows shame.
That would make things easier.
Anz and Lily looked at me in confusion, but I simply turned away.
That was enough. She would keep turning my words over in her mind.
“Then I’ll come back when the lawsuit is filed. I’ll make this quick—before your family suffers too much from all the scandal that’s about to come.”
With a faint gasp, Bellian stood frozen in front of the door until we left. She said nothing, only stared blankly.
Afterward, we headed to a nearby café. Anz had even reserved an entire floor for Lily, who had never been to a café before.
Only then did she ask me a question.
“Lawyer… wasn’t our goal to tell her to run off with the money? Why didn’t you say that today?”
Sipping my steaming tea slowly, I looked at Anz.
She seemed dissatisfied with leaving Bellian behind.
“That has to arise from her own thoughts first. I’ve already shaken her. She’ll eventually follow my words. She’ll go to the Marquis and demand marriage immediately—but she won’t get the answer she wants. Once reality hits, her mind will change.”
“I trust you, Lawyer.”
“Thank you, Madam. Don’t worry. At the right moment, I’ll break whatever trust she still has left.”
Anz nodded. Since her mother, Lily, also agreed, there was no reason to object further.
“But what if… Father actually brings that woman in as Marchioness?”
“That won’t happen. Like I said, the Marquis is actually enjoying the situation. He doesn’t want to be tied down anymore. And honestly, transferring his assets to someone else was not an easy decision. He won’t want to go through that hassle again.”
“Hm… but will that woman decide within two weeks?”
“It might take longer. So we spread rumors.”
“Rumors?”
“Bellian firmly believes she will become Marchioness.”
“Then what should we do?”
I looked at Anz and Lily.
At that moment, I remembered Anz’s words from the carriage:
If it doesn’t work, make it work.
Their expressions filled with curiosity.
“If the other side has already broken the law… shouldn’t we be allowed to bend things a little too?”
“W-what do you mean…?”
“You’re not talking about… killing Bellian, are you?”
“No. Do I look like someone who would do something like that? I’m not that kind of worst-case person.”
I smiled lightly.
“For this, we need the Azbek Marquis family’s help. More precisely… their money.”
“What kind of plan is it?”
As they leaned in curiously, I explained my idea. At first, they looked confused—but gradually, their expressions brightened.
“It’s not even illegal.”
“Compared to what he did, this is almost cute. Let’s proceed immediately, Lawyer.”
Anz shrugged casually, and Lily looked unusually delighted.
And so, with amused smiles, we returned to the Azbek estate to carry out our “cute illegal act.”
One week later
“Here we are again, Bellian.”
Anz, Lily, and I stood before her once more.
In just a week, her face had grown gaunt. This time, she silently opened the door.
“We came to inform you that we will be proceeding with the recovery lawsuit.”
“…What happens if you do that?”
“If we win, you’ll have to return everything you received.”
“That’s not what I mean… Will everyone find out? That I was the Marquis’s mistress?”
“That doesn’t necessarily have to be revealed. It’s personal information.”
For a moment, her lifeless eyes sparkled.
“Really?”
“Of course. But I have no intention of keeping it hidden.”
“Why?!”
“Why would I keep it secret for your benefit?”
“If you reveal everything… then can’t I sue you too?”
“Yes. You could sue for defamation.”
Hearing that, her voice gained a little strength, as if clinging to hope.
“Of course, it would have to be defamation based on true facts.”
“…Then nothing changes at all. What am I supposed to do?”
“What do you mean? Just endure it quietly. Go through a long legal battle and waste your time. At the same time, a separate lawsuit for being a mistress will follow.”
“No… no!”
I hardened my expression and met her eyes.
“So you planned to live happily as a mistress? Don’t worry—didn’t you say the Marquis would marry you? If so, why care about public opinion?”
This was only the beginning.
Seeing her exhausted, I was certain—she was now like a marionette tied to my strings.
All that remained was pressure.
“….”
“Did he tell you he wouldn’t make you Marchioness? Did he tell you to wait?”
“….”
“Seems so.”
“….”
For a moment, Bellian seemed to forget she was standing before the wife of the man she was having an affair with.
Tears suddenly fell from her eyes.
“I didn’t think he would say that…”
“Then what can you do? Accept it. We’ll proceed with the lawsuit.”
“Wait… please help me.”
“Help you? Have you forgotten who you’re talking to, Bellian? The person standing in front of you is the lawyer of the Marchioness—someone here to corner you.”
