Chapter 19

Opal's shocking words made the room fall silent for a moment.

But soon, Hubert snorted derisively.

"Don't be ridiculous. What I signed yesterday was a document from Omar—"

"That document was not created by Omar. You are free to trust Omar, but why didn't you thoroughly read what you signed? I find it strange what you do in your study all day."

"Well, I am studying... You wouldn't understand, but I have learned many things at the university. Among the courses I studied, there are some that are quite interesting."

Now Hubert was completely losing his momentum.

He must be feeling uneasy about not having thoroughly checked the content of the document he signed, as pointed out by Opal.

He was trying to delay the reality by talking about his studies.

"Of course, deepening one's knowledge is a wonderful thing. But the era when nobles could live elegantly without working is coming to an end. You have people to support and land to manage. Was it worth giving up all of that to study? Does that knowledge generate money for you?"

"What a vulgar woman! To reduce everything to money!"

"Of course, money isn't everything in life. But to live, money is necessary, regardless of one's status. Your marriage to me allowed you to pay off your debts. The gift money from my father will cover our living expenses for the time being. But what about after that? Do you think money will magically appear from that vast estate you've never even glanced at?"

"Well, everyone says this year will be a good harvest in all regions."

"Everyone?"

"Friends. Indispensable friends I spent my university days with."

"Then, those friends must be managing their estates properly or have hired excellent managers, and they must be thoroughly reviewing the managers' reports."

Opal didn't care what kind of studies Hubert was interested in.

What mattered was the future.

Despite being cornered by Opal's reality, Hubert was still trying to escape.

Suppressing her disappointment, Opal placed the decisive reality—the evidence—before Hubert.

"This is the same document you signed yesterday afternoon. The one you actually signed is safely stored in the safe. As long as no one here leaks it, it won't become public. ... Unless you divorce me."

Upon hearing Opal's words, Hubert started to say something but eventually lowered his gaze to the document, taking it hesitantly, as if afraid to face reality. He slowly read through it, and his face gradually turned pale.

"This... This is a lie!"

"It's the truth."

"Even if it is, this is a fraud. Taking away all my assets like this... His Majesty would never allow it!"

Everyone who had been watching the exchange between Opal and Hubert in tense silence, those who had thought Opal was lying, finally realized the reality. Hubert's words made everyone pale, and some even needed support to stay on their feet. Lady Northam was trembling violently.

"Unfortunately, that's not possible. According to the MacLeod family's rules, there are no conditions for the transfer of estates or lands other than the dukedom. That's why they could be used as collateral for debts... The document was prepared by official legal officers from the royal palace, and you signed it in their presence."

"Royal legal officers...?"

"Jonathan Kensit is a well-known legal officer whom His Majesty trusts greatly. He has been abroad for about a year on His Majesty's orders... Given your position, it wouldn't be strange if you knew him by name and face. Yet, you didn't."

"Well, that... Omar mentioned it in a letter..."

Hubert's face was now almost pale. His handsome face was distorted with a tragic expression. Opal, feeling a strange sense of wonder that she had once found this man attractive, continued.

"Omar only mentioned in his letter that two visitors would come, but he didn't say it was about his business, did he?"

"How do you know that? You must have set this up!"

"Of course I did."

"What!?"

Hubert was speechless at Opal's casual admission. Some of the servants glared at her with hatred.

"I've said it many times, but Omar was acting improperly. I have evidence of that, and I have also covered his debts. That's why I ordered him to write that letter."

"How despicable!"

"Despicable? Your criticism is off the mark. You dismissed my complaints about Omar. If you had listened to me even a little, wouldn't you have been suspicious about this letter? At the very least, you would have thoroughly reviewed the document. The document listed the names of the estates and the expected revenues in detail, making it seem like a mere report at first glance. But if you had read it thoroughly, you would have noticed my name and realized something was wrong."

"But I said I trusted Omar. You took advantage of that!"

"Yes, I did. But I asked you many times, didn't I? I asked if the visitors were really unrelated to me."

"You... You didn't think they were related, did you!"

Hubert shouted in frustration, and Opal gave him a sad smile. Then, her expression turned blank, and she sighed deeply.

"You really weren't interested in me, were you? You only needed my dowry."

"What do you mean—"

"Jonathan Kensit is my maternal uncle. You didn't even know that..."

"Then, you and your family deceived me! I suspected it. Giving such a large dowry just for marrying me... I will sue you!"

"That's why I'm telling you it's futile. There are no flaws in this document. To ensure fairness, my uncle—Jonathan Kensit—and I had a third party, his colleague, witness the signing. His signature is also on the real document, so give up."

Hubert, now completely speechless, received a look of near pity from Opal.

Hubert was just foolish.

The cause was likely that no one had taught him the obligations and responsibilities that came with his dukedom, which he inherited at a young age.

"My uncle probably asked about me when he visited."

The butler, Romit, gasped. He had seen one of the visitors ask Hubert, "Is the lady of the house at home?" when he led them to the study yesterday. Even though they had introduced themselves at the door, Romit, thinking they were just messengers from Omar, had easily dismissed it. One of them was the sender of a letter that had recently arrived for Opal.

"My uncle and I didn't reveal our relationship, but if you had met, it should have been obvious. Even if you didn't realize we were related, you should have been suspicious and more cautious about the document."

Opal, having revealed her relationship with her uncle, added a personal note.

"My uncle initially opposed this plan. But he was worried that you wouldn't notice what was clearly written if you read it thoroughly. He was concerned about my anger towards you."

The talk about Kensit embarrassed Hubert.

As a duke, he didn't even know the name of a royal legal officer and had signed the document without thoroughly reading it in front of them. He had exposed his incompetence in broad daylight.

"As you said earlier, if you demand it, I will agree to a divorce. What will you do? You have nothing now except your dukedom. Will you divorce me and marry another wealthy woman? The dukedom is still an attractive title that can't be bought with money, and the debts that come with it will likely be overlooked. But I'm not sure if she will be generous to rebellious servants or relatives who don't need to be supported... Or will you work? Perhaps your friends can introduce you to a job?"

With Opal's words, the people in the room finally woke up.

They realized they had been caught up in the story of the "poor Duke and Stella." When Kieve, the coachman, had pleaded for respect for the lady, everyone had pitied and tried to reason with Kieve, thinking he had been deceived by a wicked woman. Kieve had been right all along. Their future was in the hands of the woman—Duchess Opal—who had indirectly declared her husband a liability.

The room fell completely silent, and no one spoke, looking at Opal as if she were a demon.

"I... I..."

"Also, I have just made a will with my uncle as a witness. If I die, all my assets will be donated to several charities."

"What...!"

Hubert, who had been in a daze, reacted not to the fate of Opal's assets but to the clear declaration. He was shocked by the words that seemed to say it would be futile to kill her.

But Opal didn't care and, with no emotion, asked again.

"Well, what will you do, my lord? Will you divorce me and leave here, or will you stay?"