Chapter 13

At the manor, Opal was unexpectedly welcomed.

Starting with the butler, Lind, and including the housekeeper, Debbie, and the maids, she sensed no malice from any of them. Rather, it seemed as if they were glad to have the mistress—specifically, the lady of the house—return after a long time. The room, of course, was the main bedroom for the lady of the house.

It seemed that they were unaware of the duke's debts, and although the meals were not as luxurious, they were still properly provided.

Only the estate manager, Omar, showed a hint of caution behind his smile. It seemed he was worried that the disparity between the manor and the mansion in the capital would not raise any questions. Therefore, Opal pretended to know nothing and, as Hubert had instructed, moved in the luggage she had brought from the earl's manor—old dresses and personal items she no longer used.

Afterward, Omar suggested giving her a tour of the estate, but Opal declined, saying she had no interest. However, she asked where she could go shopping or enjoy social activities in the area, and Omar, looking relieved, answered her. He said that there was no town of sufficient size within the estate to satisfy a duchess, and that the nearest town, Novori, in the neighboring marquess's territory, was a two-day carriage ride away.

"Two days by carriage? Oh, it takes that long..."

"Yes, unfortunately, the duke's estate has suffered poor harvests for several years and has become quite poor."

"Oh, I see. That's disappointing. Perhaps I should return to the capital soon..."

Opal spoke in a light, frivolous tone and gestured for Omar to leave. This made her appear to be a duchess who was only interested in social activities and shopping. Once Omar left the room, Najja said, "I'll go gather information," and left as well. Left alone, Opal decided to go to the library to pass the time.

When she had been shown the library by the housekeeper, Debbie, in the morning, she had only peeked inside. Now, as she stepped into the library again, she was surprised and caught her breath. The library contained a vast collection of books, rivaling even the earl's manor, and far surpassing the duke's mansion in the capital. Some of the books she glanced at were rare and could fetch a fortune if sold to collectors.

The duke's mansion in the capital had no valuable items at all. Given the number of books here, it was likely that Hubert had sold them to manage the finances. Selling these books could have sustained her for at least another year without marriage.

(If my husband had returned here properly, he wouldn't have needed to take on debt.)

If that had happened, she wouldn't have needed to marry for a dowry, and Opal would have gained her freedom at twenty. Thinking about this, she felt a growing resentment towards Hubert.

(But then again, I might have been married to a greasy, hairy man who would have been advantageous to my father. Perhaps I should be a little grateful to my husband.)

Thinking that Hubert's kindness had saved her future, she felt a bit better. Even if the treatment in the duke's mansion in the capital was harsh, she wasn't subjected to violence or forced kisses. Moreover, she found a sense of purpose in tackling this difficult situation.

Opal took a few storybooks, which women typically enjoy, from the library to avoid suspicion and left. Omar probably didn't realize the value of the books, though of course, the culprit wasn't yet confirmed to be him.

Two days later, Opal went to Novori. She said she wanted someone who knew the area well to accompany her and chose a different servant to go with her, not Trevor. She wanted Trevor to try to find the secret ledger in the meantime. She had wanted to take Omar as well, but he declined, citing work.

Opal learned the reason for Omar's absence on the second day of her stay in Novori. A man named Lubow visited her at the inn. Initially wary of the unfamiliar name, she agreed to meet him when he requested a proper audience.

"Debt?"

"Yes, here is the promissory note."

Lubow showed her a promissory note with Omar's name on it, keeping it close to his hand, revealing his cunning.

"...Why are you showing this to me?"

"Gathering information is an important part of our business. It must be difficult to squeeze more money out of the duke's estate. That's why Omar hasn't been to this town for months, out of fear of debt collection. We would have come to collect long ago, but we heard that the duke had married, so we decided to wait. We don't care who pays as long as the debt is repaid. That's why I'm here to ask the wealthy duchess for help."

"...How often did Omar come here—specifically, to the gambling house? And how much does he owe to others besides you?"

"It's been over ten years, I think. At first, the stakes were small, but they gradually increased, and now he has to borrow such large amounts. However, Omar is cautious and has only borrowed from me. I'm known for being the most discreet and trustworthy lender in this area, and many gentlemen use my services."

"I see..."

In other words, Omar had been gambling since the previous duke's death. Like many gamblers, he had become increasingly addicted and used his position as estate manager to embezzle funds for gambling. To avoid detection, he only borrowed from Lubow, the most trusted lender, so Hubert never found out.

It's possible that Omar had been using a false identity in this town. For Lubow, it didn't matter if Omar was a liar or an embezzler as long as the debt was repaid. Lubow approached Opal because he knew the current state of the duke's estate and didn't want to miss this opportunity. If things continued as they were, Omar might disappear.

"...If I repay the debt, there are conditions."

"What are they?"

"Of course, you must transfer the promissory note to me. Additionally, I need a signed statement from you confirming that Omar has no other debts. Lastly, I want the records of all the loans you've made to Omar—the ledger."

"The promissory note and the statement are fine, but the ledger..."

"You won't lend Omar any more money, will you? There's no hope of repayment. So, you don't need it anymore."

"...I won't ask what you plan to do with the ledger. But, you are the daughter of the Earl of Holloway, who is rumored to be the reincarnation of a legendary king who turned everything he touched into gold."

"My father is irrelevant."

Opal firmly stated this and completed all the procedures the next day, returning to the duke's estate. Although she had spent all her money, she could ask the steward for more. She smiled, thinking that her upcoming plan might be considered reckless.

"Miss, did something amusing happen?"

"Perhaps... I'll tell Najja about my plan. There will likely be a commotion when we return to the manor."

Opal spoke to Najja on the way back, but in reality, a commotion had already occurred. It seemed that while she was away, Omar had tried to flee with valuables, but Trevor had caught him.

"You were a bit too late in trying to escape, Omar."

"If you hadn't come, I could have done it better!"

"Really? Without me, you would have faced worse treatment from Lubow. So, you should be grateful to me."

Opal showed Omar the promissory note she had bought from Lubow, and he immediately became docile.

"Trevor, did you find the secret ledger?"

"Yes, it was easy. Omar had it when he tried to escape."

"Oh..."

Opal thought she should have burned or disposed of it immediately and looked down at the bound Omar, who was sitting on the floor, resigned.

"...I would like to throw you in jail right now, but my husband, the lord of this estate, will make the final decision. Until then, we'll keep you in custody at the earl's manor."

The butler, Lind, who had been standing beside her with a pale face, suddenly looked up at Opal's decision. He must have been shocked to learn of Omar's true nature, with whom he had worked and trusted for years. Of course, the possibility that Lind was a co-conspirator couldn't be ruled out, but that could be investigated later.

"Trevor, how many people know about Omar's misconduct?"

"Not many. The butler, Lind, the housekeeper, Debbie, and two servants from the earl's manor. ...For now."

"...Lind, is that correct?"

"Yes... We had no idea that Omar was committing such... crimes. This incident happened at night, and I must say, Trevor was very observant..."

Lind and Trevor shared a wry smile. Trevor had noticed because it was nighttime. He had been secretly searching for the ledger and happened to catch Omar trying to escape. Trevor's close relationship with the local people, which he had built through farm work, had paid off. For an estate manager, Trevor was unusually strong.

"My husband will not want this to become public. So, Lind, Debbie, please don't tell anyone. Understand?"

"Understood."

"Yes!"

Lind and Debbie, who had been standing pale-faced, responded in strained voices. Opal trusted them, though it was only a gut feeling. She entrusted Omar's supervision to the two servants and decided to discuss the next steps with Trevor.