Chapter 50

"Ha, ha, ha. What nonsense! Indeed, you may have an astonishing amount of wealth for a woman, but that doesn't give you the right to touch others' property. Or do you think I would be deceived like MacLeod and give up my wealth to you?"

"Oh, you know that money can move money, don't you?"

When Opal answered calmly without getting angry, Kymont narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

The lady who had been laughing with him raised her thin eyebrows.

Realizing that they didn't seem to understand, Opal sighed softly.

Like Hubert eight years ago, Kymont probably left the management of his assets to an excellent manager, agent, or his father.

The only difference from Hubert was that the person he entrusted was competent.

"The small mine, Aeon Mine, that you inherited from your father, the Earl, is poorly located, but it has started to generate significant profits since the railway passed nearby, hasn't it?"

"A, ah. Even so, you can't just take the ore. Much less the mine itself."

"Of course not. The profits from that mine are the largest part of your assets. It would be too cruel to take them away. So, I demand all your other assets. Well, it might be a bit insufficient to divide among three people, but I'll compromise."

"What nonsense!"

When Opal smiled, it was not Kymont but the Countess who showed her anger.

The ball had already become Opal's stage, and the orchestra had stopped playing.

Opal felt sorry for the hosts, Viscount and Viscountess Croiselle, but they surprisingly seemed quite entertained.

"Compromise? Don't be ridiculous. Why should I give my property to such despicable women?"

"…Then, I will stop the locomotives from stopping at the mine station to transport the ore. So, you'll have to transport the ore by carriage as in the old days."

"Don't be absurd! That's impossible!"

"It is possible. I am a co-owner of that railway company."

"What!?"

"You're crazy!"

Unlike the calm Opal, Kymont was becoming increasingly anxious and angry.

The Countess was screaming and glaring at Opal.

During these fifteen days, Opal not only met old acquaintances but also met the owner of the railway company that passed near the Aeon Mine.

The owner was in debt due to other investments, and when Opal offered financial assistance, he gladly welcomed her as a co-owner.

The railway company itself was profitable, so it should be a long-term benefit for Opal as well.

By the way, those words were a threat, and she had no intention of carrying them out.

She didn't want to inconvenience the people working at the mine and related places.

But Kymont wouldn't be able to take advantage of her good intentions.

"I can also freeze the rest of Lord Kymont's assets, but they belong to your children, so I'd rather not touch them."

"Nonsense! Do you have any proof that those are my children!? I might have never even met that woman. Why should you interfere in the first place?"

"That's right! It's incredibly rude!"

As the conversation progressed, Kymont's attitude became more arrogant again.

Similarly, the Countess screeched.

Still, Opal continued with a smile.

"I had the past investigated regarding them. I have testimonies from their former colleagues at the mansion where they worked. And just by looking at the children, it's clear they are yours. They look very much like you. Also, I am their representative. They are too weak to stand up to you."

"But, those children are illegitimate. They have no right to inheritance."

"Whether there is a right or not doesn't matter. You recklessly took away the future of young girls and are trying to take away the future of the children to be born. So, I am taking away what you already have for the sake of those weak girls. Now, please talk to my representative from here. …Oh, a representative of a representative, I see."

Opal chuckled and looked straight at Kymont.

The Countess, no longer able to argue, pressed her handkerchief to her forehead and closed her eyes.

"Will you lose everything or just a part? The time is limited, but the answer is simple, isn't it?"

"What a woman! You hussy!"

Opal didn't care what she was called at this point.

The people here understood it was Kymont's sour grapes.

So, Opal tilted her head slightly and smiled, but a person suddenly appeared and punched Kymont.

Women screamed, and the Countess fainted.

"Stop insulting my wife."

"Claude…"

"…Wife?"

The crowd stirred at Opal's surprised murmur, and Kymont, still on the floor, looked up in shock.

The Croiselle couple seemed excited that Claude—Duke Luciel—had arrived.

Opal remembered that the invitation to this ball had also been sent to Claude.

"There's no way Duke Luciel is so young. Did he return to meet his mistress?"

"Can I punch you again for real this time?"

While muttering and staggering to his feet, Kymont raised his fist again.

Opal stepped in to stop him.

"Stop it, Claude. Let's introduce you to Viscount and Viscountess Croiselle."

"Ah, right."

Relieved that Claude agreed immediately, Opal turned to the hosts, Viscount and Viscountess Croiselle.

The couple pushed through the crowd, but Kymont's angry voice rang out.

"Whether you're a duke or not, the fact that this man hit me is true! I will sue! This woman trying to take my property is illegal! Both of you will be judged by the magistrate!"

"You should be more concerned about your mother."

At that moment, the Countess, who was being tended to by the women around her, opened her eyes wide.

However, Kymont only glanced at her.

Indeed, the Countess fainting immediately was well-known, but it seemed rather heartless for a son.

Still, the root of all this was Opal, and she wondered how to make up for the ball being interrupted to the hosts, Viscount and Viscountess Croiselle.

The plan was to expose Kymont's despicable nature, and while Bess and the others' honor wouldn't be restored, she intended to collect child support for the children.

Of course, she had everything arranged to avoid breaking the law, and she didn't even need to involve her uncle, the royal magistrate.

More importantly, she was worried about Claude, who had hit Kymont, but he returned a grin.

"It's too late to regret now! There are so many witnesses, you can't deny it!"

"That's right. I will also testify! You are truly wicked. You insulted my family and Jeb! We must also hold your father, Earl Holloway, responsible!"

The Countess, more than Kymont, the party involved, was breathing heavily and ranting.

But Opal reacted to the last sentence.

"My father is not involved, right?"

"No, he is involved. You lost your mother early, so I've been lenient with you, but I can't tolerate it anymore. Your father, Earl Holloway, focused only on making money and failed in your education. I heard your brother even dropped out of university. It's pitiful. Anyway, a child's misbehavior is the parent's responsibility."

Opal was about to protest why her brother was brought into this, but she stopped when she felt Claude's arm around her waist tighten.

Since Claude usually lets her do as she pleases, there must be a reason.

She wondered why Claude was here and stared at him.

It couldn't just be to pick her up.

"Are you listening? It's unbelievable that you can't even listen properly."

"Opal is listening carefully. Of course, I am too. You believe that a child's misbehavior is the parent's responsibility, don't you?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Then, how will you take responsibility for your son's misbehavior?"

"My son is a victim. He was trapped by those despicable women."

The Countess snorted, and Kymont was smirking beside her.

He looked like a badly behaved child hiding behind his mother's skirt, not at all like a man in his mid-thirties.

"Perhaps if it were a teenager's excuse, it would be understandable, but for a man well past thirty, it's a poor excuse. Moreover, if it happens repeatedly, it indicates a lack of memory and judgment, in other words, an inability to control oneself, a fool."

"What!?"

"What did you say!?"

In place of the speechless Opal, Claude rebutted, and Kymont and the Countess became enraged.

Despite their anger, Claude remained calm and announced matter-of-factly.

"Lord Kymont, there is a warrant for your arrest."