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~Chapter 53~
The woman who asked the question was Countess Croissen.
The Croissen family was a prestigious noble house of the Eastern Empire, so her words held more weight than most.
Si-eom smiled brightly and nodded.
“If it’s a question from the Countess, I’ll listen carefully, no matter how small it is.”
The Countess smiled gently and asked:
“You mentioned loving your daughter-in-law like your own daughter. Could you give a specific example of what you mean? You compared it to adoption, but my daughter is a bit too grown to be adopted now. A more concrete example would help.”
It was a dignified yet clever question, and the ladies in the room all laughed.
“A specific example, hmm?”
“Yes, something specific.”
“Well… not making her do housework?”
“Not making her do housework?”
Everyone tilted their heads in confusion.
The smooth flow of the conversation paused.
Noble daughters never did housework—before or after marriage. They had maids and servants.
“Oh no!”
Si-eom realized she had never actually thought deeply about what it meant to treat a daughter-in-law like a daughter.
Trying to recover, she quickly changed her answer.
“There are so many examples I could give… but really, just treat her the same as your own son.”
Countess Croissen nodded.
“I see. Then since a daughter-in-law is like a daughter born from the heart, does that mean she doesn’t need to bring a dowry? And what if she has debt?”
Si-eom gave a kind-looking smile.
“The important thing is the couple’s love, isn’t it? If she has debt, so what? We can help her pay it off.”
The noble ladies had just toured the Florence estate and thought it was quite nice. There were rumors that the former Baron Florence had earned a lot of money through diplomatic relations.
If they were wealthy, paying off debt wouldn’t be an issue. So they started to nod…
But then, another lady raised an eyebrow and asked with a smirk.
It was Marchioness Haverlight, from a noble family made rich through shipping on the eastern coast.
“But the Florence family is already in debt. How will you pay off your daughter-in-law’s debt?”
“???”
Everyone’s eyes widened at the shocking statement.
“Debt? Madam?”
“Baroness, do you really have debt?”
The room filled with murmurs.
The Empress said nothing, just quietly watching.
Si-eom, now frozen, clenched her jaw.
‘How does she know that?!’
Even if she did know, why reveal it here, in front of everyone?
Si-eom tried to recall if she had ever wronged the Marchioness, but this was their first meeting.
‘She probably just said it out of spite. Even if she suspects debt, she can’t know the full story.’
Si-eom decided to deny it.
“Marchioness, I’m not sure where you got that idea—”
“Your husband used to work for the foreign ministry, right?”
The Marchioness cut her off and continued.
“With all his foreign experience, he once thought: why not use it to start a business? So he took out a bank loan and bought a used cargo ship. But that ship now rests at the bottom of the ocean. Isn’t that right?”
“…….”
“You look like you’re wondering how I know. It’s simple. That old cargo ship? Our Haverlight family sold it.”
Her words struck like a hammer.
In the audience, Riden clenched her fists.
‘Yes! This is it, Mother!’
Riden had read about the Florence family’s debt in the original story. She had written anonymous letters to some noblewomen, explaining in detail the family’s financial situation.
She chose only a few women—enough to avoid suspicion but enough to ensure the truth would surface at the right time.
‘So that’s whose ship it was! I didn’t even know that.’
Riden realized that the Marchioness must have investigated further after receiving her letter.
Originally, she just wanted to protect innocent noble daughters from marrying into a family built on lies. But now…
Riden lifted her head and glanced around.
When she first entered the salon, the noble ladies looked soft and easily swayed by the Baroness’s sugar-coated words.
Now they were turning into tigers, ready to pounce.
Roar! How dare you try to trick us and steal our daughters?!
Even the women who hadn’t received letters looked like they already knew. They had probably shared the information privately.
‘Mothers with daughters are sharper than I thought.’
Riden had worried she might have to speak up herself—but now she realized that wouldn’t be necessary.
Roar! Growl! Snarl!
The lions were tearing the hyena (Baroness Si-eom) apart. Riden, a little Maltese in the corner, had no need to bark.
The salon grew louder.
“So, what’s this about paying off the daughter-in-law’s debt?”
“This is confusing.”
Then came the final blow.
Countess Croissen, who had been quiet for a while, stepped forward again.
“Also, I noticed today’s seating wasn’t free. Each chair had a name tag. Funny how all the women rumored to bring the biggest dowries were seated right at the front—where it’s easiest to make eye contact with the Baroness.”
Si-eom shouted in panic.
“That’s ridiculous! I just arranged it according to social rank!”
The women glanced around at each other.
They didn’t know the exact dowry amounts, but they could make educated guesses based on family size and status.
In some cases, families even leaked the dowry amounts themselves.
For example, Baroness Prin, a relatively new noble, was seated closest to Si-eom. Her daughter’s debut came with rumors of an enormous dowry thanks to their thriving business.
At that moment, the Empress stood up, her face stiff.
“Y-Your Majesty!”
