When The Mother Of The Duke’s Son Returns - Chapter 5

Looking at Dolores with her mouth open, I grinned.

“With that money, we could help more children, single mothers, and widows. Aren’t you interested, Miss Dolores?”

“How did you know I was helping people….”

At that time. The viscount cut Dolores off.

“How embarrassing!”

When my eyes met the viscount at the loud outburst, I could see he was angry.

“The Marquis’ wife doesn’t know much about it because she doesn’t have any social experience, but at least after talking to me, she doesn’t even care whether I was a lawyer or not!”

“……”

“It’s not like I can’t talk properly without a lawyer. Tsk tsk.”

What? Who knows who would fall for such a low-level provocation?

I despised him to the fullest.

“You seem to know nothing viscount. But from now on, I am the one who decides everything concerning the Marquis of Arista.”

“So what do you want to say now?”

“Don’t cross the line. Who needs your own advice?”

His face flushed red with contempt. It was good to see.

But instead of an apology, he licked his lips viciously.

The viscount didn’t seem to like me very much.

Meanwhile, I approached Mary, who was still sitting on the floor.

I reached out to her.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m okay, Madam…”

Tears welled up in Mary’s eyes. It seems to be tears of relief.

But how scared must a 17-year-old girl be.

A middle-aged man who is the same age as her father, out of nowhere, is screaming and doing all kinds of evil.

I felt pity for Mary, who quietly swallowed her weeping, and was peculiar.

“Even if you’re okay, get up now. In spring, the floor is cold.”

I straightened Mary up from the floor.

Mary lowered her head as she shed tears like a chick.

“Sorry. I’m sorry. Madam. If I had been a little more straightforward, I wouldn’t have shown this unsightly figure.”

“Don’t say that. You did well enough.”

‘She was still a baby at the age of 17, so she was surprised. I feel bad. It’s like seeing a young part-timer suffering from customers.’

I quietly patted the back of Mary’s hand.

However, even this appearance seems to be dissatisfying to viscount.

Bang!

He hit the floor with his stick to make a loud noise.

The viscount ground his teeth.

“How long does Marquess Arista intend to keep guests in the hallway? Are you saying that a maid is more important than me, the creditor and customer?”

‘Oh, that’s the truth.’

After a moment’s sigh, I whispered to Mary.

“You know that another guest is coming soon, right? Get ready.”

“Yes.”

After Mary’s answer, she looked at the viscount again.

I could tell without looking in the mirror. I must have a cool expression like never before.

“All right. I’ll treat you like a creditor. I’ll do it properly from now on. Now, go into the office.”

Tsk. The viscount clicked his tongue and entered the office.

Around that time, I blinked at Dolores. She nodded as if she couldn’t help it.

‘Good! Witness has been secured!’

The viscount stared intently at me and Dolores, who had followed us into the office, as if his eyes had the power to kill us.

Click. Dolores closed the office door.

I sat down at the sofa after confirming that Dolores was sitting diagonally to the viscount.

“Then let’s hear more about this debt that I, the marquis’ wife, did not know about.”

Without saying a word, the viscount pulled out an envelope from his arms.

“It’s a 6 billion gold promissory note.”

6 billion gold.

It was a huge amount to say so casually.

It was to the extent that Dolores, who is usually stoic, was greatly surprised.

Perhaps Dolores will think of the 3 billion gold and 3 tons of gold that I inherited.

‘Maybe gold is cheap at this time? Gathering all of my fortune within my possessions is about 6 billion gold.’

I took the promissory note and handed it to Dolores.

“Miss Dolores. Could you please check its authenticity?”

“Yes.”

Dolores calmly checked the inside of the envelope in spite of the ferocious viscount’s gaze.

Dolores’s eyes fluttered slightly.

After a while, Dolores, who swallowed her saliva in tension, revealed the truth.

“Madam. The marquis’ signature and handwriting on the promissory note is different from what I know.”

I knew it. It was a forged document.

I was naive to be deceived before the return. I didn’t know anything about the world. If only I had checked once.

The pain.

“It can change subtly every time you sign your signature. Are you saying that I forged the promissory note?”

Knowing the answer to this scam, it’s my turn to step in.

“It could be.”

“What? Marquess Arista, have you finished talking?”

“Nope. I haven’t finished yet.”

Huh. I snorted.

“Viscount. If my dead husband had sold the gold ring he was wearing, he would have sold it. He’s not someone who would borrow money.”

The viscount was so shameless that he stuck out his tongue as if exasperated.

“Hah! It seems that Marquess Arista was not on good terms with the deceased Marquis Arista, as I heard.”

“……”

“Marquess, don’t you know that one of the marquis’ hobbies is gambling?”

“Be careful! Gambling is a felony with a conviction starting at 20 years in prison!”

The viscount smiled.

“It’s good to know that gambling is illegal. There is no need to explain what the marquis did with the 6 billion gold that he borrowed.”

Finally, the reason why I won’t have to pay back the viscount’s 6 billion gold was revealed.

‘Because gambling is illegal, and that promissory note is fake.’

The viscount must have thought I was an easy target to scam. He has thought wrong.

“You must’ve worried about the rumor leaking out since you got a lawyer involved so quickly.”

Rumors.

It was what all nobles feared, and what the viscount believed in.

Besides, I have to prove to my vassals that I am the right person person for the job and not just a ‘victim of the marquis’.

The viscount’s subtle conciliation followed.

“How is it? If you apologize to me now, I will reduce the debt you owe just a little. Think carefully. It is impossible to raise the future Marquis of Arista, Bliss, in poverty.”

Wow. There was a dog whistle that I passed over in my previous life.

I got irritated and rolled my eyes.

“You insult me, and don’t bring my son into this.”

“What, what? Are you talking nonsense to me now?”

“I did! And who are you to pretend to be thinking of someone else’s child while trying to defraud me!

“How uncultured!”

I ground my teeth.

“You’re making me laugh, do you threaten the children of families because you’re so cultured? You little scammer.”

“Now who do you think is a scammer?!”

“Did you transfer 6 billion gold to my husband’s account?”

Confused, the viscount spoke quickly.

“Stupid bitch! Who would be stupid enough to transfer money from the gambling board to the bank!”

“So you’re saying that the only evidence you have is the promissory note with a forged signature?

“Just because you say that, you think I will give up?!”

“Yes! I think you’re going to give up! Because I will make you give up!”

“You? In what way?”

At that time.

Mary knocked on the closed office door.

“Marquess, The long-awaited guests have arrived.”

“You may come in.”

Mary opened the door and revealed several men standing behind her.

This morning, after spanking Bliss, I contacted them.

“Be sure to come to my office by this time.”

I got up from my seat and introduced the newcomers to the viscount.

“Welcome, guardsmen. This is the gambler and blackmailer I reported. Miss Dolores can testify to this man’s sins!”

In the blink of an eye, the guardsmen had surrounded the viscount.

“No! Let go of me!”

The viscount’s vicious eyes turned to me again.

“How did you prepare this trap?! How did you know I will come today?!”

I smirked and burst into laughter. But I changed my tone in consideration of the guardsmen.

“What do you mean by trap? You’re embarrassing yourself viscount.”

When I saw the distorted face of the con-artist, my pain from ten years of suffering began to ebb away.

The viscount began foaming at his mouth.

“Why are you arresting me?! You think I’m the only one who gambled?!”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

‘So my husband, who is already dead, will rot in prison? You, who’s alive, will have to do the rotting away.’

This feeling.

I think I could even find oat porridge delicious tonight.

However, the viscount, who will be spending at least 20 years in prison, seemed to be plotting something.

He begins to threaten me in front of the guards.

“Madam! Is it okay for the public to know that the dead Marquis Arista was a habitual gambler?!”

I did not hesitate to laugh at him.

“How are you going to prove that?”

“What?”

“Would anyone come forward as a witness? Anyone who testifies that my husband is a gambler, confesses that they are also involved in gambling.”

I wasn’t wrong.

“And what if it was discovered that the dead Marquis Arista had gambled? Can the marquis’ reputation get any worse?”

‘My husband is an asshole. Is there anyone in the North who doesn’t know?’

“Excuse me, I have nothing to share if it’s my husband’s good deeds.”

The biggest illusion I had in my last life was that I thought Marquis Arista had a reputation that could’ve sunk lower.

‘I don’t know why I didn’t realize back then.’

I should have realized much sooner.

From the beginning, the vassals, who were absent from the funeral, must have planned to kick me and Bliss out of the family for any reason.

‘I can’t help it even if I’m sad. I am already hated by everyone around me for having a terrible husband. But this time it’s different.’

As I gave the viscount a refreshed look, I saw hope.

“From today onwards, there’s no word for dog (EN: Charlotte called her husband a dog so ‘dog trouble’ means husband trouble) trouble in my life.”