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Chapter 30
What did you exchange instead of money…?
The precious Dana was treated like this…
Edwin’s eyes gleamed fiercely.
But in front of Dana, he had to be endlessly gentle.
Edwin relaxed his stern expression and asked softly,
“What kind of bomb are you talking about?”
Dana answered calmly.
“My family has been using my identity to take out bank loans.”
“So they used your credit as collateral.”
“I want to change that.”
Dana explained her plan carefully.
“I’ll put up the mansion as collateral instead of my credit.”
“Is that even possible?”
“Yes, as you know, since the monster incident, the Empire’s laws have become lax. With my father, the head of the household’s ID, it’s not difficult.”
Her eyes sparkled.
“I’ll pay them back exactly the same way I was treated.”
Up until now, Dana’s ID has been managed by her older brother Jamie.
Since then, debts she didn’t even know about have been steadily accumulating.
Dana planned to act just like them.
She wanted to show them how terrifying it is to have something done to you without your knowledge, and how it feels to be treated like that.
The marquis entrusted important family documents to the next head of the family, Jamie.
First priority was to find out where Jamie was storing all those documents.
“I won’t pay their debts anymore. Whether the mansion is lost or not, that’s a burden the family has to bear.”
Dana said resolutely.
Edwin nodded at her determination.
She was cleverly escaping from the family, who were like a trap.
‘I’ll have to postpone the burning for now.’
Edwin decided to put his own plans on hold.
He didn’t want to interfere with Dana.
Edwin took her hand.
“If the plan succeeds, then what?”
“Hm?”
“Won’t they leave you alone?”
Dana shook her head.
From the moment she touched Jamie’s safe, she would be in danger.
“I’m planning to pack up and leave.”
“Then come to my mansion.”
“So suddenly?”
“No need to panic. It’s just that living together has been moved up.”
Edwin gazed steadily at Dana.
She needed to be protected by his side.
Watching over Dana was his sole responsibility.
Edwin said softly,
“You are a precious person.”
“……”
“You’re not someone to be treated carelessly.”
Edwin smoothed her hair.
Her jet-black hair scattered between his fingers.
Dana said with a bitter expression,
“I told you, I was a pushover. When I was little, I really thought I was a bad kid.”
“Why?”
“When things were worse than now, we didn’t even have money to hire a maid. My father refused to give up the mansion.”
No way…
The worst scenario unfolded in Edwin’s mind.
He desperately hoped it wasn’t true.
But Dana calmly recalled her childhood memories.
“So instead of a maid, I had to work.”
“…A child alone?”
Edwin’s suspicion was confirmed. Sadly.
“Otherwise, I got scolded harshly. They said they’d never seen such a bad child.”
Dana laughed bitterly.
“As I grew up, I realized others didn’t live like this. Thankfully, the situation improved and we hired servants.”
A blaze ignited in Edwin’s mind.
A huge flame about to explode.
He wanted to catch and punish them immediately, but coarse curses almost escaped his mouth.
He couldn’t show Dana such a dirty sight.
He closed his eyes tightly and opened them again.
The sharp energy soaked in his red eyes soon settled.
Edwin carefully chose polite and kind words.
“…They deserve to be scolded.”
“Right?”
Fortunately, Dana seemed satisfied with that.
He was proud of himself for restraining from saying he’d tear them apart immediately.
“Senpai, didn’t you say last time that your family even came to the Ministry of Magic?”
“Yes…”
Recalling that day cast a shadow on Dana’s face.
“Maybe this is a good chance to take a vacation.”
“Vacation…?”
Dana’s eyes widened at the unexpected suggestion.
“Just relax without thinking about anything. Sleep in late, eat good food, read your favorite books.”
Unfamiliar words stirred Dana’s heart.
Seeing her wavering eyes, Edwin said,
“With me.”
“……”
At his last words, Dana smiled brightly at him.
Seeing that, Edwin felt his heart ache.
And a thirst rising madly.
“We need to get you to live with me soon.”
Edwin’s gaze darkened.
When Dana arrived home, it was early evening.
A maid was surprised at Dana’s early return.
She had simply come straight home after work.
“Miss, what brings you home so early?”
“I left some documents behind. Where are Mother and Father?”
“They went out. Master is out too.”
Dana nodded.
Her family would be at parties or gambling dens until late at night.
After playing enough, they’d return to the mansion and drink together in the dining room until dawn.
Dana, who had to get up early, had to suffer sleepless nights from their noise every day.
“There’s enough time.”
Dana said to the maid.
“Seems like you were cleaning the stairs.”
“Yes, Miss.”
“Keep working. I’ll have a cup of tea in the kitchen.”
“Shall I make it for you?”
“No, it’s fine.”
Unlike others in the marquis household, Dana didn’t need a maid’s help.
The maid withdrew to continue cleaning the stairs.
“……”
Dana quietly looked around.
She had never been more grateful for so few servants.
The two maids were busy with their work and didn’t pay attention to Dana.
Dana had a special reason for coming to the mansion at this hour.
“Maybe it’s time to look for Father’s ID.”
It was to carry out her plan to break free from them.
Dana entered the marquis’s study.
The marquis, who hated reading, rarely entered the study.
After giving up the domain for the debts, he had even less reason to work.
Moreover, unlike Jamie, he was careless and defenseless.
He was lazy about everything, so it was highly possible he left his ID lying around.
Dana opened the marquis’s desk drawer.
Along with a messy pile of papers, all sorts of miscellaneous items spilled out.
“Found it…!”
In a corner of the drawer, the marquis’s ID was discovered.
Just in case, Dana looked for her own ID.
She had suffered so much trouble because her family had taken her ID.
Although the marriage registration was done, getting a new ID would take quite a long time.
She had to get it back quickly, not knowing what her family might do during that period.
“……”
She rummaged through two drawers for a while but didn’t find hers.
“As expected, it’s not here.”
Jamie, who was running up debts, seemed to be managing it.
At that moment, voices of the maids came from outside the study.
“You don’t have to clean the marquis’s study thoroughly.”
“Right, he hardly ever goes in anyway.”
Just as the maids giggled and tried to open the door,
Dana hid under the desk.
She didn’t want to risk overhearing anything.
Wanting to avoid any suspicious situation.
Swallowing dry saliva, she listened at the door.
At that moment, one maid complained,
“Ah, you brought that worn-out broom.”
“I told you to throw that away!”
“I forgot. I have to bring a new one.”
“Oh, let’s go together.”
Soon their footsteps began to fade away.
“……”
Dana cautiously stood up.
Then she put the marquis’s ID into her pocket.
Her body stiffened with tension.
She quietly left the study.
The maids hadn’t appeared yet.
Dana sneaked back toward the dining room.
She deliberately made a trace of having drunk tea by taking out a teacup.
As time passed, the tea leaves turned a deep color.
The sound of the maids approaching the study with brooms was heard.
Dana deliberately put down the teacup loudly with a clatter.
“Miss, you’re not gone yet?”
“No, I’m about to leave.”
After confirming to them that she was in the dining room, Dana smiled faintly.
The maids nodded and entered the study.
Afterward, Dana checked a video recording device hidden deep in the cupboard.
The device was working fine.
The green band around the magic tool was short.
It indicated little remaining recording capacity.
“I wonder what has been recorded.”
After thoroughly checking around one last time, Dana quietly left the mansion.
Now it was time to return the burden she had carried fully back to them.
