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Chapter 45
“…What did you say?”
Seeing Baron Kellio’s face flush red, Cilia spoke again.
“Wasn’t it due today? I’ve paid it all off.”
“It’s true.”
Allin Tarnia, who was present as a mediator, nodded, still looking uneasy. Baron Kellio quickly denied it.
“You… you’re saying Roden had the money?”
His eyes bulged with rage. Cilia smiled calmly.
“Turns out, I inherited some assets.”
“Where did you come up with this absurd bluff…!”
“The representative from the Tarnia Trading Company can vouch for me. I’ve cleared all the accumulated interest there at once, and the accounts are settled.”
“Th-That can’t be….”
Baron Kellio, trembling, suddenly shouted,
“Where did you steal it from?!”
“Excuse me?”
“Or you earned it through something dishonest somewhere! Tell me! Did you commit fraud?!”
Cilia sighed and spoke.
“Will this conversation remain confidential, Allin Tarnia?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, can you ensure that nothing we discuss here leaks out? You’ve already done something wrong; it’s time to make amends.”
Understanding the meaning, Allin Tarnia paled and nodded.
“Of course.”
“Wrongdoing? Now I see—you threatened the Tarnia Trading Company!”
Kellio, enraged, swung his sword-cane toward Cilia. Cilia caught the flying cane…
Snap.
“…!”
She broke it effortlessly.
“You can speak freely; it won’t leak out. Hey, you bastard.”
“Y-You dare speak to a family elder…!”
“Elder?”
A hiccup escaped the Baron’s lips as he met Cilia’s piercing silver eyes. They carried the murderous intent of someone who’d actually killed.
“I’ve known since childhood how your eyes looked at me and my father.”
What he hadn’t realized was just how vicious this man was, to the point of scheming like this.
All this had happened without her knowing. All the misfortunes in her past life weren’t their fault. And while she’d been doing well in the capital this life, her father still suffered under that shadow.
Guilt, anger, and a sliver of relief filled Cilia’s chest.
Seeing the Baron’s face, a fierce sound almost escaped her clenched fists.
Crack.
Baron Kellio’s face grew even paler.
“…….”
“I couldn’t shake this feeling. Father mentioned the contract copy seemed magically altered. The due date was changed much earlier than originally stated.”
“What…!”
“Fortunately, someone nearby is very skilled in magic. They checked it in one go. Forgery, they said.”
“How dare…!”
“You dare ignore the mage tower master’s evaluation? You’ve got some nerve.”
“Ma-Mage tower… master?”
She had stayed with the Diaman family and gladly conducted the evaluation at her disciple’s request.
“So, with the master involved, I told the Tarnia Trading Company, and they admitted they didn’t know, canceling all the interest. The principal wasn’t that large anyway.”
“…This!”
Baron Kellio was stunned. Even if they’d tampered with the contract, there had been an unspoken agreement to turn a blind eye. Yet they’d been double-crossed!
Cilia smiled gently.
‘Bastards.’
He had obviously counted on her father not being able to afford a magical evaluation, which was usually very expensive. What a nasty trick.
“Forging documents by magic is probably a capital offense in the kingdom, right?”
Cilia fixed her gaze on the speechless Baron and snapped her fingers. A few capital guards waiting outside rushed in, now speaking politely.
“Baron, unfortunately, the forged document has been verified by the capital guards. Regarding punishment for magical document forgery…”
Her lips curved in a perfect smile.
“For nobles, all titles and property are confiscated, followed by exile.”
“N-No, I…!”
“I’m afraid you must pay for your crime, Baron.”
“Hngh…! You wretched bastards!”
As the Baron resisted violently, one of the guards struck him in the solar plexus to subdue him. Baron Kellio, now limp, was dragged out by the guards. Cilia smiled in satisfaction.
Allin Tarnia, who had been listening the whole time, was pale and trembling.
“The capital guards said Tarnia has no involvement in any of this.”
“….”
A sharp gaze swept over Allin, silently saying, There’s no way.
“So you’re capable of escaping? How much did you bribe the guards?”
“Mi-miss… we really….”
“I have a friend who knows the Tarnia Trading Company extremely well.”
The moment she learned Tarnia was involved, he had provided all information at his disposal.
“That friend apparently lived at the company’s headquarters briefly when young… and has copies of various documents.”
“…!”
Allin Tarnia twitched, realizing who this friend was. He had been obedient earlier, but now, knowing Julien was behind this, his temper surfaced. Cilia whispered gravely.
“Do not do anything foolish regarding this matter. And if my friend is touched…”
With a light gesture, Cilia struck the tea table.
Crack.
Though she used little force, the table split perfectly in half. Allin Tarnia trembled in fear, trying to restrain his anger. Cilia whispered, indifferent.
“I trust you understand.”
“…I do.”
A very small voice added,
“…You will regret this.”
Earlier, he couldn’t even speak. Cilia ignored it—it was just the whining of the loser.
Feeling free, she walked out of the cafe, and Julien came running from afar, clearly excited.
“How was it?”
“Fun enough.”
“I wanted to be there too. I wanted to see his expression.”
By “that guy,” he meant Allin Tarnia. He had tormented Julien terribly when Julien, as the illegitimate child of Andolf Tarnia, had stayed at the Tarnia Trading Company. Cilia had considered giving him a hit for revenge…
‘Too bad, no chance this time.’
Cilia licked her lips and reassured Julien.
“There’ll be another chance. Father?”
“Well…”
Julien smiled awkwardly.
“The Baron is probably still being scolded by Count Diaman.”
“Hmm. That’s bearable. But thanks to Father this time…”
Cilia took the remaining silver and gold coins from her pocket and smiled.
“Now I also know my inherited assets actually exist.”
A few days earlier, when Roden Bronew had just arrived in the capital to meet Cilia:
Cilia requested a meeting with Cecil.
“To borrow money?”
There was no one else she could ask immediately.
Cecil’s head-of-family office was immaculately organized. Cilia stood before Cecil Diaman at his sharp ebony desk.
‘Just in case…’
If the magical forgery check had passed, she wouldn’t need this. This was preparation for the possibility of the document being sound.
‘Pay first, then handle it.’
The Diaman family was one of the wealthiest in the capital. If she told Flier, he’d probably offer all his assets without hesitation.
“If it helps, I want to do anything.”
She had already struggled to stop Cilia from seeing Cecil earlier.
‘That kid has the habit of giving everything to others. Needs fixing.’
Getting money from someone like that felt unfair, so she sought an equal transaction instead.
“This isn’t a handout. You’ll recover as much as you invest.”
Cilia no longer pretended to be weak in front of Cecil. He wouldn’t fall for it, and she meant it. Her exploits alone had significantly increased the Diaman family’s influence.
Then Cecil suddenly spoke:
“Why ask me at all?”
Cilia raised an eyebrow.
“Since the head of the Diaman family is you, it’s proper to ask you about finances.”
“No, that’s not it.”
His calm tone suggested another reason. Cilia listened attentively.
She almost lost focus at the next words.
“You could use the inheritance under your mother’s name.”
“Huh? Inheritance?”
“Oh. I haven’t approved it yet?”
She had never heard of this, not even from her father. Meanwhile, Cecil instructed a servant to summon Carla for approval documents.
‘What is happening?’
“It’s customary for Diaman to manage it until adulthood, but it shouldn’t be an issue.”
“Count.”
Cilia interrupted hastily. Cecil turned to her, curious.
“What’s the problem?”
“My mother’s inheritance?”
“…You don’t know?”
“I mentioned it last time…”
“…You said you didn’t know your mother well.”
Suddenly, a terrifying silence pressed down on the office.
“You’re telling me that wasn’t an exaggeration to anger me?”
Cilia had never felt so flustered. Lifting her head, she saw Cecil’s devilish face, his voice cold as ice:
“Your father… Roden, really didn’t tell you about Maria?”
